Industry Week articles from June 2008

Industry Week archives from June 2008

Talkin' bout my generation: hope I die before I have to manage yours.(BRANDT ON LEADERSHIP)
June 1, 2008... Many leaders are confused by the sociological differences between generations of workers, and in particular by how to exploit those variations to goose productivity and the bottom line. As a public service, then, we offer this handy guide to...

Callaway improves long game with collaborative tech: SharePoint and UGS Teamcenter integration enable 21st century business processes at golf products manufacturer.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2008... There's no playing through Callaway Golf. Trying to retain its status as one of the golf industry's most innovative manufacturers is driving the company to keep a fast design cycle that introduces seven to eight new products annually....

Hunt your own head: a mix of social networking and corporate recruitment is making success stories both inside and out at TheLadders.com.(DASHBOARDING)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A recent Forrester Research report found that 60% of those aged 25 to 34 rely on the Internet to search and apply for jobs. However, the same study showed that job seekers are receiving poor performance from both...

Garbage in, garbage out: in constant need of validation? Your data is.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... According to analyst firm Aberdeen Group, 52% of organizations consider the "verification of data accuracy or completeness" to be one of the biggest customer data management challenges. Indeed, the principle of "garbage in, garbage out" is one...

The dilemma of the ultra-connected: information workers are surrounded by information sources, but is the right information getting through in time?(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With so many places to leave a message it can be hard for someone to get the message, according to conferencing services provider Intercall. As new forms of mobile communication emerge and become popular with...

Top 12 benefits of the SaaS model.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(software-as-a-service)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Rather than adopting the "cathedral method" of IT infrastructure, a growing number of manufacturers are entrusting critical enterprise applications to the hosted model. Both AMR Research and Gartner are projecting growth of the...

Top 10 online job sites.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2008... As compiled by About.Com, listed alphabetically (not by traffic) CareerBuilder CoolWorks Craigslist Jobfox Indeed LinkedIn Monster/MonsterTRAK SimplyHired SnagAJob.com Yahoo! Hot jobs

Highlights from the 2008 IW Best Plants Conference.(IW 2008 BEST PLANTS CONFERENCE)(Conference news)
June 1, 2008... MILWAUKEE was the host city for the INDUSTRY WEEK 2008 Best Plants Conference, which featured seven plant tours, more than 50 speakers and nearly 800 participants. The conference celebrated both the achievements of the past, particularly by...

The winners ...(IW 2008 BEST PLANTS CONFERENCE)
June 1, 2008... INDUSTRY WEEK'S publisher Ron Lowy (far left in all photos), and group publisher Teri Mollison (far right) congratulate the 2007 IW Best Plants winners. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Autoliv North America--Tremonton Initiator Facility ...

Counterfeiting, piracy continue to thrive globally: U.S. government, associations, companies remain on the offensive to combat intellectual property theft.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two recent events underscore the continuing shortfalls of intellectual property (IP) protection around the globe. The first was the release by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of its annual "Special...

Focus Please: HP Labs realigns research agenda to more quickly drive breakthrough technology to customers.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fewer projects with greater focus. That's the new direction at high-tech giant Hewlett-Packard Co.'s advanced research group, HP Labs. The company says the goal of the research group's new approach is to "balance...

Product design goes global: tips to improve design collaboration.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like nearly every other process in manufacturing, product design and development has gone global. Companies are partnering with other firms to improve design, gain better access to new markets and speed up time to...

Ford combines purchasing with product development: automaker merges key operations teams to eliminate wasted time and effort.(PURCHASING)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Waste reduction is a popular catch-phrase n the world of manufacturing. And while it's usually applied to improving such things as production efficiency and inventory management, many companies are finding that it...

Does the end justify the green? Manufacturers look to identify quicker, more tangible return on sustainability investments.(PURCHASING)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the surface, the driving force behind "going green" is to help sustain the environment for future generations. While that motivation is certainly great PR for manufacturers, those pursuing green initiatives...

Market watch: material demand.(PURCHASING)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Commodities Up In Price Aluminum (3) Aluminum Extrusions (2) Caustic Soda (2) Copper (3) Copper Laden Products (2) Corn Corn Syrup Diesel Fuel (2) Fuel Surcharges (2) ...

Software Alliance aims at improving global trade.(PURCHASING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Enterprise solutions vendor JDA Software Group and global trade management solution provider Management Dynamics have struck up a strategic alliance to provide customers with supply chain software and information...

How to select a third party logistics provider: a five-step process for getting a good start on a successful 3PL relationship.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Third-party logistics providers, or 3PLs, which originated on the simple premise of allowing manufacturers the opportunity to let somebody else manage their transportation or warehousing, have become a $122 billion...

OATenterprise from OATSYSTEMS is a highly scalable management platform that provides real-time RFID visibility for distributed operations while simplifying the management and deployment of all RFID solutions, from single-facility to the largest enterprise installations.(Supply Chain Solutions)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OATenterprise from OATSYSTEMS is a highly scalable management platform that provides real-time RFID visibility for distributed operations while simplifying the management and deployment of all RFID solutions, from...

Cornerstone Extended Enterprise from Cornerstone OnDemand is a software solution that delivers training, certification programs and knowledge assets to a company's extended enterprise of resellers, suppliers, distributors, customers and members.(Supply Chain Solutions)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Cornerstone Extended Enterprise from Cornerstone OnDemand is a software solution that delivers training, certification programs and knowledge assets to a company's extended enterprise of resellers, suppliers, distributors, customers and...

The HighJump Survey Management solution for direct store delivery businesses from HighJump Software provides a structured approach to the design, execution and measurement of field data collection as part of a company's overall market intelligence initiatives.(Supply Chain Solutions)
June 1, 2008... The HighJump Survey Management solution for direct store delivery businesses from HighJump Software a structured approach to the design, execution and measurement of field data collection as part of a company's overall market intelligence...

Global Trade Management (GTM) 5.0 is now available from Integration Point.(Supply Chain Solutions)
June 1, 2008... Global Trade Management (GTM) S.0 is now available from Integration Point. GTM is a suite of fully intergrated, Web-based software products that provide consistent and secure access to information around the clock including: import/export...

The Mojix STAR from Mojix Inc. offers the ability to read RFID tags, determine location, and secure and authenticate passive tag data in one multifaceted, multiple purpose system.(Supply Chain Solutions)
June 1, 2008... The Mojix STAR from Mojix Inc. offers the ability to read RFID tags, determine location, and secure and authenticate passive tag data in one multifaceted, multiple purpose system. Functioning as a single network element at the enterprise edge,...

Strategic reasons for using a 3PL.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Third-party logistics)
June 1, 2008... Tom Jones, senior VP and general manager of U.S. Supply Chain Solutions with Ryder System Inc., a third-party logistics provider, offers the following advantages manufacturers can gain by using a 3PL: Improve global capabilities. 3PLs have...

RedPrairie Performance Management from RedPrairie Corp. is a Web-based analytical monitoring and reporting solution that leverages existing information from RedPrairie's warehouse, transportation and workforce management applications to monitor, analyze and report on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive an organization's success.(Supply Chain Solutions)
June 1, 2008... RedPrairie Performance Management from RedPrairie Corp. is a Web-based analytical monitoring and reporting solution that leverages existing information from RedPrairie's warehouse, transportation and workforce management applications to...

SmartChain 5.0 from Lockheed Martin's Savi subsidiary, leverages services-oriented architecture to provide a framework for integrating real-time data from all types of wireless technologies about an organization's business processes into its enterprise software systems or information services.(Supply Chain Solutions)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Smartchain 5.0 from Lockheed Martin's Savi subsidiary, leverages services-oriented architecture to provide a framework for integrating real-time data from all types of wireless technologies about an organization's business processes into its...

Reddwerks v3.0 WPM (warehouse performance management) software from Reddwerks Corp. extends the concept of warehouse order processing to include replenishment of forward inventory along with new "process to ship" functionality.(Supply Chain Solutions)
June 1, 2008... Reddwerks v3.0 WPM (warehouse performance management) software from Reddwerks Corp. extends the concept of warehouse order processing to include replenishment of forward inventory along with new "process to ship" functionality. It can track...

Warning signs that your supply chain could be breached.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Supply chains are constantly being threatened, but not always from the direction you might expect. While cargo theft is a $12 billion problem for U.S. companies, according to the International Cargo Security Council,...

The big 500: shaky economic situations in 2007 were beneficial for some manufacturers--but damaging for others. Companies on the 2008 IW U.S. 500 list provide a glimpse into the haves and have-nots of 2007.(THE INDUSTRYWEEK U.S. 500)(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... IN 2007 THE HOUSING MARKET CRUMBLED, OIL prices continued to rise and U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan pushed onward. These events, as bleak as they may seem, help paint the picture for this year's IW U.S. 500 list of the nation's...

The Industryweek U.S. 50: corporate gold mines: worldwide thirst for more raw materials and energy earn manufacturers such as Freeport McMoran, Bucyrus International and FMC Technologies a spot on the 2008 IW 50 list. (50 BEST MANUFACTURERS).
June 1, 2008... OUR CONSUMPTION OF ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY SEEMS ENDLESS. If it's not a point and click away or accessible by car, forget about it. Maybe that's why so many of the IW 50 Best Manufacturing Companies come from mining, gas and oil or...

Home bases: Texas and California lead the way with more than 50 IW U.S. 500 manufacturing companies headquartered in each state.(MAPPING THE 500 LARGEST MANUFACTURERS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... It makes sense that the two most populous states also are home to the most IW U.S. 500 manufacturers. California tops the list with 61 manufacturers residing in the state, and Texas is close behind with 57 IW 500 companies calling it home. In...

IW U.S. 500 metrics.(Financial report)
June 1, 2008... Sometimes year-over-year growth doesn't tell the whole story. To gain better insight into how much companies have expanded through the years, the above chart shows which manufacturers on the IW U.S. 500 have increased their revenues by at least...

A better way of developing new products: involve your suppliers and operations people in the product development process at the very earliest stages.(CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT)
June 1, 2008... Many companies pursuing lean transformation and continuous improvement are focusing on the customer fulfillment operations to improve quality and delivery while reducing costs. Organizations are working to reduce lead time, improve quality, and...

If supply chain management is the answer, what's the question? Supply chain worst practices are becoming an epidemic throughout the industry.(JUST IN TIME)
June 1, 2008... May 2008 was supposed to be the month when aerospace giant Boeing Co. debuted its "game-changing" 787 Dreamliner, the month when supply chain management as we know it would take that next evolutionary step forward and prove that an extended...

Searching for talent in your own backyard: manufacturers tap community colleges and technical schools to fill the skilled-worker void.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The face of manufacturing is undergoing massive reconstructive surgery without enough post-operative care. What's slowing the recovery process is a move toward highly automated production processes, high-tech...

Brain drain: could ground aerospace production: industry task force offers dire warning if workforce challenges aren't met.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.S. aerospace industry faces declining workforce numbers that could result "in a disastrous loss of intellectual capital for the industry" if measures aren't taken to attract more skilled applicants, according...

Dow Corning's well-oiled energy solution.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reining in energy costs could be just a few online data inputs away. Dow Corning Corp. has introduced a Web-based energy calculator that's designed to help plants meet their sustainability objectives and reduce their...

Caterpillar inches closer to Asian customer.(Global Sitings)
June 1, 2008... Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. will make "significant new investments" in China to provide its growing customer base in Asia with more products and services, said Jim Opens, chairman and CEO, during an April visit to the...

Gerber Technology opens Vietnam Tech Center.(Global Sitings)
June 1, 2008... A new technology center in Vietnam will serve as a product testing and training facility for Gerber Technology customers, engineers, designers and industry students. The business unit of $625 million Gerber Scientific Inc. develops and...

Deere runs to Russia.(Global Sitings)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Farm equipment manufacturer Deere & Co. signed an agreement with the Russian government to invest an estimated $80 million in a central operations center, which includes a distribution, replacement parts and training facility, about 38 miles...

Skills gap.(By The Numbers)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... U.S. companies may be better off finding skilled labor than their global counter parts, according to a Manpower study. 22 percentage of U.S. firms having difficulty filling positions 63 percentage of Japanese firms having...

The future is now for the Robot Revolution: the next wave of robots will be remarkably human in appearance and function.(Factory Automation)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although Phase One of what's been called the "Robot Revolution" is nearly 50 years old, it continues to dominate automotive assembly. But that initial phase offers hardly a hint of what's to come. Look for new robot...

Developing washable robots: Georgia Tech tests new robot for meat processing applications.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... A good bath at the end of a day? Researchers at Georgia Tech's Research Institute (GTRI) have prototyped a washable robot to enable the automation of meat processing. At GTRI's Food Processing Technology Division, research engineer Jonathan...

A robot that can smile or frown: MIT debuts Nexi, a robot with facial expressions.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nexi, the latest robot star from MIT's Media Lab, is symbolic of the widespread research interest in the future range of applications for personal robots and human-robot teamwork. Nexi is an experimental humanoid...

Close up on key verticals.(500 LARGEST U.S. MANUFACTURERS)(Industry ranking)(Statistical table)
June 1, 2008... CLOSE UP ON KEY VERTICALS Revenue Revenue Profit Rank Company (in millions) Growth % Margin % AEROSPACE & DEFENSE 12 Boeing Co. ...

More Litmus Test questions for Politicians.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "What is your position on the Employee Free Choice Act (HR 800)?" --Jeff Imes, GOO WP Hickman Co. Asheville, N.C. "How will you focus on and address infrastructure projects?" --Dallas Robinson...

What are the Chinese doing with those nuclear reactors?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... * Re: "Whatever Happened to Quality?" Page 42, Apr. 2008 I was initially startled by the second-largest category of imports from China: "nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and parts." I assume the vast majority of that category is...

Establishing success criteria.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... * Re: "The Future of R&D," Page 36, May 2008 The way to assure that your company's new product development efforts are headed in the right direction is for a select, cross-functional, executive team to establish "success criteria" in...

Practical innovation.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... * Re: "Innovation is No Longer a Choice--It is about Death or Glory," www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle. aspx?ArticleID=1 16211 Innovation is clearly very important when it comes to positioning your organization so that it survives the...

How do you change the culture to accept lean on the shop floor?(From The Forums)(Discussion)
June 1, 2008... * How do you get shop floor buy-in to accepting the Toyota Production System (TPS) philosophy? I work for an aerospace company that locally employs about 300 people (50,000 globally) and we are starting our TPS implementation journey. Can...

Global hot spots 2008: revealing global manufacturing's best kept secrets: when expanding your supply chains overseas, it's vital that you do your homework to understand a country's cultural and business practices.(GLOBALIZATION)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEARNING BEFORE you leap is how companies find success when seeking opportunities in global "hot spots"--emerging areas of the world of strategic importance to manufacturers. Whether you are based in the United...

Training within industry: everything old is new again: U.S. manufacturers are aiming for lean gains using TWI techniques originally developed in the 1940S.(LEAN MANUFACTURING)(Training Within Industry)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A training program dating back to World War II is gaining renewed life these days among lean aficionados in the United States. Called Training Within Industry, the program was once widely deployed in the U.S., and is...