Best Practices
The Lead
Ten Commandments of Industrial Ethernet
May 16, 2013 11:45 am | by Mike Fahrion, Director of Product Management, B&B Electronics | Articles | Comments
From network security to documentation to IP address protocol and siloing of information, this list of 10 "commandments" will keep your network strong, secure and functional and should be front-of-mind for information technology professionals and plant managers alike.
Manufacture the Right Mix of Business and Financial Savvy
May 23, 2013 5:27 pm | by Peter Arendt, Managing Director of Food and Agribusiness, Huntington Bank | Articles | CommentsThe playing field has shifted. Businesses along the food chain once intent on growing more, better and faster are now becoming nimble and highly specialized with an intense concentration on how their products are flowing through to the end consumer.
Kellogg's Goes Green, Stays Cool
May 21, 2013 1:43 pm | by Coolerado | Articles | CommentsWith manufacturing plants across the globe, Kellogg’s has made its mark on the breakfast cereal industry. Kellogg’s is making great strides toward sustainability, which include choosing energy-efficient air conditioners to cool its plant in Mexicali, Mexico.
Microsoft Q&A: 'Manufacturing Is a Hotbed of Innovation'
May 21, 2013 1:03 pm | by Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsAlthough it’s not difficult to find prominent industry leaders willing to tout all the positive elements the manufacturing industry represents, there is the risk of “preaching to the choir” in relaying this information to a manufacturing-centric audience.
Open Innovation Creates New Opportunities in Food Manufacturing
May 21, 2013 11:16 am | by David Feitler, PhD, Senior Program Manager, NineSigma | Articles | CommentsOpen innovation is the systematic inclusion of parties outside your four walls and outside your existing networks. Companies practice open innovation because they want to reduce the time it takes to get to market, avoid getting trapped by their own thinking, and pursue with agility new opportunities outside their core expertise.
Hormel Named Top Employer for Vets, Recent Grads
May 21, 2013 9:42 am | News | CommentsHormel Foods Corporation Tuesday announced it has been recognized with two top employer accolades, including Military Times EDGE magazine’s Best for Vets Employers list, and Experience’s Best Places to Work for Recent Grads list.
Hershey to Launch New Brand in China
May 21, 2013 9:37 am | News | CommentsThe Hershey Company announced Tuesday it is launching a new candy brand in China called Lancaster™. The new products will initially launch in three cities — Wuhan, Hangzhou and Chengdu — in June, followed by a wider distribution in 2014.
Special K Churns Out Products in Brand Evolution
May 21, 2013 9:25 am | by CANDICE CHOI, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsKellogg Co. is building on its biggest moneymaker with a "hot cereal" called Special K Nourish that's made with quinoa and other grains. The new line, which promises to fill people up with 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, reflects Special K's push to move in step with evolving trends.
Risk-Management Mechanisms Associated with Gluten Intolerance
May 20, 2013 10:34 am | by Jonathan M. Cohen & Jenna A. Hudson, Gilbert LLP | Articles | CommentsA gluten-free product tainted with gluten may make it to consumers despite a company’s best efforts if pre-sale testing fails. If this happens, consumers may allege that a food company is liable for bodily injury or other harms from gluten, leading to potential economic liability and, perhaps, a recall.
Craft Distillers See Profits Soar
May 20, 2013 9:18 am | Videos | CommentsCraft and micro-distilleries continue to gain in popularity and market share with sales doubling over a two-year period and 30 percent in the last decade. The craft whiskey, bourbon and rye industries seem to be following the trail blazed by craft brewers in the 1990s.
Attracting Talent: A Lesson in Battling Perception
May 17, 2013 11:08 am | by Maria Ferrante, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development, PMMI | Articles | CommentsFood manufacturers and other processors face many challenges when seeking to place young professionals in engaging, stable positions that require strong mechatronics skills and problem-solving capabilities as well as backgrounds in math and science.
Cheaper Equipment Isn’t Always Less Expensive
May 17, 2013 9:11 am | by Carol Thorsen, Wynright Corporation | Articles | CommentsThe difference between shopping at a general site and one that specializes in warehouse and industrial equipment and supplies is that with the latter you can explain what you need, ask questions and ensure that when the products are delivered they’ll actually work in your application.
Kosher & Halal Industries Under Siege in Poland
May 16, 2013 12:15 pm | News | CommentsAfter Polish animal rights activists succeeded in banning "barbaric" religious slaughter methods used in kosher and halal production — the process involves slashing the throats of conscious animals and letting them bleed out — religious and industry supporters are coming together to fight the changes.
Labor Productivity & Global Competiveness
May 16, 2013 9:22 am | by Simon Macpherson, Senior Director Operations, Kronos EMEA | Articles | CommentsWith tremendous price competition from developing countries and a world where products can be replicated across the globe and transported with ease, manufactures need to look at every aspect of their operations for competitive advantage and productivity improvements.
The Hidden Cost of Summer Heat
May 15, 2013 11:37 am | by Megan Browning, Big Ass Fans | Articles | CommentsUncomfortable working conditions lead to heat-related illnesses and decreased productivity, which negatively affect the bottom line of the business. When working conditions become distracting and debilitating to workers, personal comfort must be addressed to regain lost productivity.
Five Reasons to Adopt a PLM System
May 15, 2013 9:17 am | by Chuck Cimalore, CTO and Co-founder, Omnify Software | Articles | CommentsThe availability of PLM systems specifically designed for the small to mid-size market has helped to alleviate concerns and opened a door for Small to Mid-size Manufacturing Businesses (SMBs) to be able to take advantage of PLM, and realize the same benefits as their larger counterparts.
Is the U.S. Ready to Take Manufacturing Back?
May 13, 2013 12:18 pm | by Patrick Van den Bossche, Pramod Gupta, Hector Gutierrez, Chui Lee — A.T. Kearney | Articles | CommentsWord on the street is that substantial portions of previously offshored manufacturing operations are due to return to the United States. A number of macroeconomic factors seem to have tipped the balance in favor of domestic manufacturing.
The Devil is in the Metrics
May 13, 2013 9:12 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Articles | CommentsMetrics will drive behavior. Our goal is to identify or create metrics that deliberately drive desired behavior. Consider the practice of using Corrective Action Reports (CARs) to identify and track process “escapes” or problems that result in undesired outcomes.
Brainstorm: Instrumentation (Part II)
May 10, 2013 12:02 pm | by Shannon Foos, Segment Manager, Process Network Connectivity and Asset Management, Rockwell Automation | Articles | CommentsThe Food Manufacturing Brainstorm features industry experts sharing their perspectives on issues critical to the overall food industry marketplace. In this issue, we ask: How can accurate instrumentation increase efficiency in food processing plants?
Brainstorm: Instrumentation (Part I)
May 9, 2013 11:15 am | by Tim Freeman, Managing Director, Freeman Technology | Articles | CommentsThe Food Manufacturing Brainstorm features industry experts sharing their perspectives on issues critical to the overall food industry marketplace. In this issue, we ask: How can accurate instrumentation increase efficiency in food processing plants?
100% Lean Beans
May 9, 2013 9:16 am | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsStarbucks' Carson Valley roasting facility won the 2012 Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME)’s Manufacturing Excellence Award, which cites North American plants that demonstrate significant progress in their journeys towards operational excellence over a three year period.
Coke Launching Anti-Obesity Campaign
May 8, 2013 9:33 am | News | CommentsCoca-Cola says it will work to make lower-calorie drinks and clear nutrition information more widely available around the world. The Atlanta-based company already offers diet drinks in most markets. But they're not always as readily available in emerging markets such as China as they are in the U.S.
A Cut Above the Rest
May 7, 2013 12:11 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | Articles | CommentsTucked away in Pascoag, R.I., Daniele, Inc. is using innovative technology to extend shelf-life, ensure food safety and expand the reach of its sausage and cured meat products to a growing base of consumers. The company has been making sausages in the region for nearly 40 years. But its roots stretch much farther.
Throw the Pilot Out
May 6, 2013 12:19 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Articles | CommentsI know that I have written about this before, but maybe not so explicitly.Program pilots are booby traps, doomed to fail, generally speaking.There is a simple reason for it.Change, real, observable, meaningful change requires conviction and commitment.
Practical Advice for Virtualizing Your Manufacturing Applications
May 6, 2013 9:19 am | by Frank Hill, Director of Manufacturing Business Development, Stratus Technologies | Articles | CommentsVirtualization, the practice of using a software layer to let one physical computing server run multiple applications on virtual machines, enables manufacturers to maximize their return on hardware investments while conserving precious real estate on the plant floor.
Creating Better Jobs for Manufacturing’s Comeback
May 3, 2013 12:14 pm | by Ray Attiyah, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Definity Partners | Articles | CommentsScan through the business section of the news, and you’re likely to see stories about the resurgence of U.S. manufacturing, about how companies are moving jobs back to the United States because of the rising cost of manufacturing in (and shipping to and from) China.
