Industry Week articles from August 2007

Industry Week archives from August 2007

What does enterprise excellence look like? To get an idea of how good your facility is, start by asking: would you buy products from your own plant?(CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT)
August 1, 2007... Many manufacturing executives today don't know what enterprise excellence really means. Their lives are so busy just keeping up with things day-to-day that they don't have the time or opportunity to take a hard look at their business. They...

Energy efficiency takes center stage: TI's new fab facility boasts 20% savings on energy consumption.(Texas Instruments)
August 1, 2007... THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF Manufacturers took a step in June toward making energy efficiency a priority by signing an agreement with the U.S. Energy Department to collaborate on energy-reduction efforts. The memorandum of understanding calls...

Fomo walks the green walk.(FACILITIES)(FOMO PRODUCTS Inc. opened a new production center)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... As a manufacturer of foam sealants and adhesives that are used to improve energy efficiency in buildings, executives at Norton, Ohio-based Fomo Products inc. decided it was time to back up its products' message of sustainability by greening its...

Best-in-Class KPIs.(key performance indicators)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... An Aberdeen Group survey of more than 400 manufacturers shows that top-performing operations depend on several key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success. Respondents that report the most success also say they're integrating...

Ford partners for safety.(FACILITIES)
August 1, 2007... Since Ford Motor Co. entered into a partnership with the United Auto Workers and OSHA in 2000 to improve safety, the company has reduced injuries at its North American facilities by 77%, the automaker reports. Ford and automotive components...

Never-ending journey.(Canon Inc.'s quality control)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... "There is no end to the process of kaizen. I'm always thinking how I can help improve the quality." --Yoshi Takada, a skilled worker at Canon Inc.'s Toride, Japan, plant (Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2007)

Profiting from proactive maintenance: in addition to safeguarding production schedules, proactive maintenance adds new efficiencies and revenue potential, too.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... As maintenance evolves from "breakdown" fixes to proactive strategies, C-level managers are beginning to rethink maintenance in an enterprise--even entrepreneurial--manner. In addition to internally converting to proactive maintenance...

PLM's MRO opportunity.(product lifecycle management)(maintenance, repair and operations)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... A decade ago, an aerospace CEO defended his product lifecycle management (PLM) investment by citing his anticipated field service/maintenance payoff. At that meeting, CIMdata's Ed Miller recalls the CEO's admission that "while his field service...

Jidoka, lean and maintenance: working with machines--the nuts and bolts of lean operations with Jidoka.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
August 1, 2007... Productivity Press, 354 pages, $54.00 As automation proceeds more and more of the routine production work assumes the nature of maintenance," observes lean consultant Michel Baudin in his latest book. Look to the man-machine interface as a...

How to fit all your eggs into one basket: it takes a special knack to purchase single or sole source goods effectively.(PURCHASING)(Elaine Whittington speaks at the Supply Management conference )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Whether there are many baskets to choose from and your company decides to concentrate on just one basket to fulfill a purchasing need, or there is only one basket out there due to patents or raw material availability, you'd better make sure...

360-degree business view.(PURCHASING)(eCredit Inc. and Experian Information Solutions Inc. offers Credit risk advisor)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Knowing a supplier's business history (dirty little secrets and all) can give a purchasing manager an edge when it comes to deciding what company should win procurement dollars. For instance, if a supplier has liens filed against it or is...

The hitchhiker's guide to purchasing: the supply management handbook.(PURCHASING)(The Supply Management Handbook, 7th ed.)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Supply: The Expanding Edges of Purchasing. That's how the seventh edition of The Supply Management Handbook starts out--offering readers a glimpse into how purchasing has evolved since the 1920s. For more than three decades of the...

When suppliers file for bankruptcy.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... "Although the number of business bankruptcies has declined in recent years, the next economic downturn will again require businesses to deal with customers or suppliers in bankruptcy, and will force them to contend with recent changes to the...

Global hot spots: with the rush to globalization, manufacturers are looking to the four corners of the world to set up shop. When it comes to capitalizing on the best opportunities for globally expanding a supply chain, timing is everything.(GLOBALIZATION)
August 1, 2007... FOR MANUFACTURERS, THE NO. 1 RULE-OF-THUMB WHEN IT COMES to strategic sourcing in an up-and-coming region of the world: Get there before everyone else does. Timing is a significant factor since it advances exponentially in global hot spots. Put...

Bridging the great divide: plant operations depend on their companies' IT departments to help operations run smoothly, but too often there's a general distrust between the two organizations because of cultural differences. Like a marriage, the healing begins with communication.(FACILITIES: MANAGEMENT)
August 1, 2007... Two critical departments within manufacturing organizations--the plant floor and the information technology (IT) department--are worlds apart these days. The main driving factors are language barriers, misaligned goals and resistance to change....

Help wanted: manufacturers facing a talent shortage need to proactively search for the next generation of employees.(TALENT)(Advanced Technology Services Inc. )
August 1, 2007... Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink," reads a line from The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Manufacturers face a similar dilemma when they are looking for skilled employees to man machines and design products. There are workers...

Process, unplugged: an increased potential for savings is driving a growth market in wireless systems in the field of process manufacturing.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2007... Analyst firm ARC Advisory Group forecasts the worldwide market for wireless in manufacturing will grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 26% over the next five years. "Besides savings in installation costs, wireless technology will drive...

Warehousing costs challenge inventory strategies: retailers' JIT demands are forcing manufacturers to spend more on logistics.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
August 1, 2007... If you've got the nagging feeling that it's costing you a whole lot more to transport and distribute your products these days, you're not alone: Logistics costs in the United States rose over 11% in 2006 to $1.3 trillion, a hefty increase of...

Got best practices? Milk and food producer Organic Valley relies on supply chain planning solutions to improve efficiencies.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Organic Valley Family of Farms)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Despite being one of the largest producers of organic food products, Organic Valley Family of Farms found that its rapid growth rate--over 25% annually--was being stymied by technology solutions that were either inadequate or inappropriate. ...

Design for emerging markets: successful product development efforts get up close and personal with the cultures they seek to engage.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
August 1, 2007... MANY MANUFACTURERS WANT TO BREAK into emerging markets in a major way to develop and sell their goods, but simply making minor adjustments to their existing products isn't the best route to long-term success. That's the conclusion drawn by...

Acronym alert: P&PLM.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(product and production lifecycle management systems)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... UGS PLM software, a business unit of industrial giant Siemens created following the acquisition of UGS Inc., has launched a new strategy that doesn't even have a handy acronym yet, so for now we'll call it P& PLM, which stands for product and...

New tool evaluates risk of nanomaterials: DuPont, Environmental Defense develop process to aid in responsible development of nanotechnology.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.)(developed a framework Nano Risk Framework)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... With concerns about the potential risks of nanotechnology swirling around this still nascent industry, a partnership of DuPont and the non-profit organization Environmental Defense has put forth a framework to help inform the global dialogue....

@HD: auto research group launches in southern U.S.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Transportation Research Center Inc. and the Tennessee Valley Authority)(Automotive Research Alliance)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... @TX: With more and more automotive manufacturing setting up shop in the southeastern United States, it should really come as no surprise that automotive research would eventually follow. In mid-May seven southern universities, the Oak Ridge...

Clueless customer contests: everyone has a story about outrageously inept customer behavior. We want to hear yours.(BRANDT ON LEADERSHIP)(Editorial)
August 1, 2007... For those of you with dumb customers, or who have ever lived through a disastrous pitch or nightmarish evening with said dumb customers, these contests are for you. Here's why: Several years back, I ran a Dumb Bosses contest in this column....

Online poll.
August 1, 2007... Does your company provide flexible work time to create a work-home life balance? IndustryWeek.com readers respond: YES 51.44% NO 49.56%

Best-kept secrets: finding the best places to manufacture your products requires knowing where to look.(JUST IN TIME)(Abruzzi, Italy)(Editorial)
August 1, 2007... There's something deeply ingrained in our human nature that makes us want to know where the next "hot spot" is, and to make that discovery before everybody else. That curiosity may lead to nothing more consequential than knowing about a...

Apple debate wages on.(READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Re "Apple Inc.: Strategic Misstep, Or Supreme Confidence?" Leadership Insights From The IW 50 e-Newsletter, May 17, 2007. (www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=14206&SectionID=42) Just read your article about Apple Inc.'s...

Correction.(READER FEEDBACK)(Correction notice)
August 1, 2007... Correction: On the U.S. map that ran in the June 2007 article, "Mapping Manufacturing," (Page 39), the labels identifying the states of Delaware and Rhode Island were inadvertently switched. IW regrets the error.

Energy reform rebuttal.(From The Forums)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=1143 In a speech to the Deloitte Energy Conference, U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, RInd., recently remarked that President Bush's efforts on energy reform are "barely registering." Lugar called...