Articles
Fishing for a Better Tuna
March 18, 2013 10:30 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | CommentsThree years ago, Mike Babcock opened Oregon Seafoods as a company with strong ties to the local economy. Oregon Seafoods in Coos Bay, Ore., aims to help sustain the local fishing economy by processing tuna and salmon for sale to area grocers and food service companies.
Air Movement Improves Workplace Safety
March 18, 2013 9:00 am | by Big Ass Fans | CommentsConcrete slabs often begin to sweat anytime there’s a change in temperature or humidity. The options for dealing with this phenomenon range from air conditioning your entire facility to increasing air movement with highly efficient large diameter, low speed overhead fans — guess which one’s more affordable.
How Government Can Help Small and Midsize Manufacturers Export
March 15, 2013 12:30 pm | by Mike Collins, Author, Saving American Manufacturing | CommentsSmall and midsize Manufacturers (SMMs) are action oriented and they don’t like attending seminars or doing market research. They want to visit foreign countries but visiting foreign countries is expensive. Therefore, there are two ways the government can help them in exporting.
Eliminate Volatility with Dynamic Operations (Part II)
March 15, 2013 10:30 am | by Gary Godgrey & Russ Rasmus, Accenture | CommentsAs manufacturers manage against those concerns, we have identified four key areas where we suggest that they concentrate as they re-imagine their operations to add greater flexibility, efficiency and customer responsiveness. Each area is supported by “the building blocks” for dynamic and flexible operations.
Successfully Implementing a Condition Monitoring Program (Part II)
March 14, 2013 12:30 pm | CommentsSelection of a condition monitoring (CM) technology is not an easy task and requires it that many concerns be taken into consideration. Determination of what functionality is needed, selection of a technology provider that can deliver the required technology, and an available budget are all critical considerations to think about before making a purchase.
Eliminate Volatility with Dynamic Operations (Part I)
March 14, 2013 10:30 am | by Gary Godfrey & Russ Rasmus, Accenture | CommentsBy adapting their operations to flex with markets, smart manufacturers with global footprints are learning to profit from permanent volatility, while insulating themselves against downside risk and simultaneously moving with speed and agility to capitalize on opportunities as they arise.
Successfully Implementing a Condition Monitoring Program (Part I)
March 13, 2013 12:30 pm | by Trent Phillips, LUDECA | CommentsSelection of a condition monitoring (CM) technology is not an easy task and requires that many concerns be taken into consideration. Determination of what functionality is needed, selection of a technology provider that can deliver the required technology, and an available budget are all critical considerations to think about before making a purchase.
Learn from Success Too
March 13, 2013 10:30 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsToo easily we forget that we should also examine how we achieve those occasional perfect outcomes. As we immerse ourselves in continuous process improvement, we get in the habit of tearing down and examining everything that doesn’t meet expectations, go according to plan, or work efficiently enough.
Launching a Counterattack on Rising Commodity Costs
March 12, 2013 12:17 pm | by Thomas Bornemann, Global Consumer Products Practice Leader, Procurian | CommentsIn the current commodity bull market, consumer products companies face increasing margin pressure. Consumers are demanding value — increasing competition from private label and restricting manufacturers’ ability to pass along rising raw materials costs.
Using Permanent Magnet Technology to Create System Energy Savings
March 12, 2013 10:11 am | by Roman Wajda, Baldor's Industry Business Manager for Air and Unit Handling, Baldor | CommentsAt a time when energy efficiency is of utmost importance, recent developments in motor technology have changed the playing field within cooling tower HVAC systems. This new technology, a permanent magnet (PM), laminated frame direct drive motor allows for the removal of all the mechanical components such as gearboxes, drive shafts, disc couplings and existing motors.
ISM: Manufacturing Continues Its Positive Start To 2013
March 11, 2013 12:24 pm | by Jon Minnick, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsU.S. manufacturing continues its positive start to 2013. “The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that its Index increased to 54.2 from 53.1 in January. A diffusion index greater than 50 indicates that manufacturing is growing,” noted Daniel Meckstroth, Chief Economist for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation.
Is Your Online Presence Ready For a Mobile-Centric World?
March 11, 2013 10:28 am | by Michael Stutman | CommentsMost manufacturing executives wrestle daily with important issues like industry consolidation, global competition and eco-manufacturing trends. Another issue that many of them should be considering, but don’t, is: How ready is my digital ecosystem for an increasingly mobile, touch-based world?
Mobility: On The Move And In Control (Part II)
March 8, 2013 11:12 am | by IDC Sweden, Sponsored by IFS | CommentsGlobally the main driver across the board is the belief that mobile solutions will offer increased employee productivity and lower costs. There are of course costs involved in supporting a mobile workforce but some companies are able to work out a quick ROI based on cost savings on telecom expenses.
Brewing Company Taps into Automation
March 8, 2013 11:03 am | by Intelligrated | CommentsAlthough Boulevard Brewing Co.’s product range, distribution and legacy has grown since the 1989 founding of the company, the used equipment that started the company remained largely unchanged until recently when the company adopted a new palletizing solution.
Mobility: On The Move And In Control (Part I)
March 7, 2013 11:29 am | by IDC Sweden, Sponsored by IFS | CommentsMobility as a solution has moved from being a voice-centric to a data-centric solution focusing on smartphones and tablets with access to corporate data, and this is creating a whole new set of challenges for CIOs and information technology managers.
Energy Drinks: Considering the Legal Risks (Part II)
March 7, 2013 9:28 am | by Michael Gruver and Glenn Pogust, Kaye Scholer LLP | CommentsAn energy drink maker should consider several questions, in consultation with legal counsel, to assess its potential vulnerability to litigation. These questions will also be useful going forward, in helping to design marketing campaigns and packaging less likely to serve as the basis for consumer litigation.
How to Choose a Manufacturing System
March 6, 2013 11:26 am | by Jean Huy, senior director of product marketing for ERP, Sage North America | CommentsSage has distilled what we’ve learned from our many successful customers and have structured it to deliver a useful tool to help you decide whether or not you are ready to adopt a new manufacturing system. By answering these questions, manufacturers can determine just how ready they are to adopt a new manufacturing system.
Energy Drinks: Considering the Legal Risks (Part I)
March 6, 2013 9:53 am | by Michael Gruver and Glenn Pogust, Kaye Scholer LLP | CommentsIt is not surprising that this increased public attention on energy drinks has been accompanied by litigation. Four energy drink makers were served with personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits in the second half of 2012, and there are now numerous websites that solicit plaintiffs who claim to have suffered energy drink related injuries.
I’m Doing This, and You’re Coming With Me
March 4, 2013 12:40 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsAccepting the axiom that business and process improvement is fundamentally an outcome of changed behavior, we must address how to lead a change in behavior. In order to do so, we must address the people with the behaviors. To address people, we must discuss leadership.
Thermal Imagers: A Priceless Investment
March 4, 2013 12:24 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | CommentsIndustrial inspection cameras have revolutionized the predictive maintenance industry. From the many types of cameras available, thermal imagers are ones that have claimed their place in a manufacturer’s predictive maintenance arsenal. Sensitivity, resolution, and especially price are continuing to evolve, allowing thermal inspection cameras to become a priceless necessity.
