Best Practices

Manufacturing & Economy Are At A Precipice

February 25, 2013 8:08 am | Blogs | Comments

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons delivered a speech on the state of manufacturing at the Detroit Economic Club. His address touched on what manufacturing has meant to America’s past and focused on how critically important it is to our nation’s present and future.

Cutting The Mustard

February 15, 2013 11:12 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | Articles | Comments

Beaverton Foods, Inc. is currently the largest processor of specialty mustards in the country and operates out of a 70,000-square-foot food processing facility in Hillsboro, Ore., shipping about 30 million units per year. But its beginnings are much more humble.

Solve Problems With Definitions

February 15, 2013 11:09 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Blogs | Comments

Simply providing a clearer expectation of what “good enough” looks like can solve many problems we encounter. Sometimes we spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to solve problems we can’t clearly communicate. Many times we have no idea if we even have a problem.

Check The Simple Things First

February 8, 2013 8:00 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Blogs | Comments

Whether it’s equipment maintenance and repair, troubleshooting a process, or fixing business cultural problems, before you gear up for a complete overhaul, check on the simple fundamentals first. Often times the easily overlooked issue is the root cause.

Best Practices: Industrial Maintenance

February 6, 2013 4:58 pm | Events

As equipment investments become more complex and the industrial workforce ages, manufacturers face skill gaps relative to their equipment maintenance. This webinar will focus on preparing your current and future workforce for the long-term maintenance requirements of industrial manufacturing.

Computerizing Records Helps Plane Parts Production Take Off

January 31, 2013 3:13 pm | Articles | Comments

When Martha Paluch returned home to help run the family business her father had started with a partner in 1989, she experienced what might be referred to as “paper shock.” “I came back with expectations of changing times and going greener,” says Paluch, now a 25-year-old operations specialist at Phoenix Manufacturing, where her mother and brother also work.

2013: The Year Of Soft Gains And Big Ideas

January 31, 2013 2:38 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | Blogs | Comments

If MAPI is right and manufacturing has a quiet year, I'd suggest you think about "pulling a Baldor." Examine everything within reach and think about how you can do it better. Some of the initiatives at Baldor based around safety, quality, production flow, and machinery investments resulted in big gains.

Engineers And Analysts Are Paid To Think

January 29, 2013 8:00 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Blogs | Comments

It’s easier to do what we are told than to think about what we are doing. Every decision is a risk. Our business environments and standardized practices steeped in policy encourage us to keep our heads down and charge ahead. But, real problem solvers use their intellect.

January/February 2013 - A NEW Industrial Revolution

January 28, 2013 12:24 pm | Digital Editions | Comments

In this issue, Pennsylvania manufacturers highlight a "new industrial revolution," machine tags and contamination control eliminate errors and improve industrial lubricant performance, experts discuss proper loading dock design and the safety and energy efficiency concerns that have long dogged facility dock areas, and more.

Ten Pitfalls To Avoid When Selecting A CMMS/EAM (Part 2)

January 25, 2013 8:08 am | by David Berger, Director, Western Management Consultants, Toronto | Articles | Comments

Many companies make the mistake of selecting a CMMS/EAM that addresses the short-term needs of primarily the maintenance department. This is not the best approach given the number and degree of changes that most companies go through over a relatively short period of time.

Keep Track Of Your Assets

January 25, 2013 8:00 am | by Adebayo Onigbanjo, Product Marketing Manager – Location Solutions (LS), Zebra Technologies | Articles | Comments

Global manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to make their operations more agile, efficient and profitable. A smart way to reach those goals is to realize the most value from every asset in its supply chain. Barcoding, passive and active RFID, and Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) solutions can be used to make smart business decisions that will help improve operational performance.

Managing The Seasons Of Performance

January 23, 2013 8:00 am | by Paul Glover, Founder, The Glover Group | Blogs | Comments

When most leaders create annual plans, they typically do not take into consideration the different rhythms that occur in each season. And by not doing that, they can miss out on opportunities to build on natural behaviors that occur throughout the year that can impact performance.

GE Earnings Rise On Emerging Market Growth

January 21, 2013 2:32 pm | by Jonathan Fahey, AP Energy Writer | News | Comments

General Electric Co. has been re-energized. Performance at all of the conglomerate's industrial segments is improving thanks to cost cutting, a shift in strategy and growth in emerging markets. GE, based in Connecticut, reported an operating profit per share of 44 cents, a penny higher than analysts polled by FactSet expected.

Savvy Entrepreneurs Play By Different Rules In Uncertain Times

January 15, 2013 8:00 am | by Donna Every | Blogs | Comments

As we pass the five-year anniversary of the start of the economic recession in December 2007, many observers focus on what was lost:8 million jobs; 146,000 employer businesses; 17.5 percent average individual earnings. But the businesses that survived the Great Recession and are thriving today didn’t focus on losses then – and they aren’t now, says Donna Every, a financial expert who has published three non-fiction business books.

Address Problems “Below The Radar”

January 14, 2013 8:00 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Blogs | Comments

Just as we learn to look for the “hidden factory" or unofficial process steps when we seek to improve a production process, we should look for business-level problems that hide from our usual view. Have you ever had a leader give you advice to not cause trouble and to, instead, try to keep your activities “below the radar?”

Simple Ergonomic Steps To A More Productive Workplace

January 11, 2013 8:08 am | by Jim Norton, President, Custom Products & Services, Inc. | Articles | Comments

Occupational diseases often mean repeated surgery, intractable pain, inability to work, time off for the affected employee and, ultimately, higher costs for the employer. Here are four steps a company can take to address this growing problem.

Five Ways To Minimize Manufacturing Downtime

January 9, 2013 8:08 am | by Tom Bonine, President, National Metal Fabricators | Articles | Comments

Downtime is dangerous to any manufacturing group. After all, the old saying that compares time to money is true. If people or machines are idle, then products are not being made, which certainly affects the business’s bottom line — minimizing manufacturing downtime makes money for a company.

Lean Manufacturing: The Skinny On The Facts

January 9, 2013 8:00 am | by Frank Hill, Stratus Technologies | Blogs | Comments

2012 has come and gone. With a new year staring us down, it’s time for new resolutions. Resolutions involve change, which can be tough for manufacturers. Many manufacturers are conservative in their approach to changing IT solutions — solutions they have become extremely reliant upon and familiar with.

Getting Your Capital Acquisition Process In Gear For The New Year

January 8, 2013 8:00 am | by Sudeep Menon Global Practice Leader - Equipment, Engineering and Construction at Procurian | Articles | Comments

To compete and win in today’s marketplace, manufacturers have begun to re-evaluate what was once a technical undertaking and an administrative afterthought: the capital acquisition process. Changing the way that major equipment purchases are made is not easy, but the savings are real and measurable.

2012 Energy Intelligence Report

December 19, 2012 11:52 am | Digital Editions | Comments

Find ways to save money through investing in energy efficient equipment and alternative energy solutions here!

Manufacturers Lead The Way To A Stronger Future

December 19, 2012 8:04 am | by Mark Hoper, Vice President of Expositions & Media, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association | Blogs | Comments

The FMA can’t predict how many conveyors are going to be sold in 2013, but we can talk about capital expenditures for the metal forming and fabricating machine tools used to produce equipment essential to the food industry. The good news is that investments are increasing across the board. That translates to more efficient production of the equipment that creates efficiencies for food production.

Manufacturing Visibility: A Competitive Advantage

December 12, 2012 8:06 am | by Andy Vabulas, CEO and Owner, I.B.I.S., Inc. | Blogs | Comments

Capturing and sharing manufacturing information requires a strategic approach that identifies what should be tracked, with whom to share information, and how to leverage this manufacturing visibility into improved operations and business performance.

A Tour Of Methods

December 11, 2012 8:06 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Blogs | Comments

Establish a culture of continuous improvement around a central, common method for solving problems. Adopt one of the common or popular ones, or use them as inspiration for your own. Each organization has its own culture. It is a natural phenomenon of any group of social creatures. We can either let our culture form around us as it may, or we can deliberately cultivate it to be what we desire.

Satisfying Policy Is A Source of Problems

November 28, 2012 8:09 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions LLC | Blogs | Comments

A simple way to identify the opportunities to make your organization operate more efficiently, with less wasted time and energy and money, is to seek out the connections between policy and process, and then simplify. To solve various problems, we only need to simplify the means by which we satisfy policy. The easier it is the fewer problems we will have.

Clear Thinking: The Last True Competitive Advantage

November 28, 2012 8:08 am | Articles | Comments

Employing Clear Thinking process, from the C-Suite to the plant floor, is the only way to empower the capability to manage fast and well all the big issues associated with constant change through an organization, says Ray Baxter, CEO of Kepner-Tregoe, and he explains more here.