Industry Week articles from March 2008

Industry Week archives from March 2008

A question of priorities: the first thing managers need to learn is how to manage their own time.(BRANDT ON LEADERSHIP)
March 1, 2008... Congrats on the new job! You're really going places now (or, maybe everybody else turned it down). Either way, you've got lots of new responsibilities and you'll be busier than ever--which means you'll need to revisit how you manage priorities....

Best plants video: Lockheed Martin MFC Orlando Fire Control Factory Reconfiguration Video.(New Online)
March 1, 2008... The Department of Defense is one tough customer, and when they call for "double time," their suppliers--like 2007 IW Best Plants winner Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) in Orlando--must get with the program, and fast. Watch the...

"You write the caption.".(New Online)(Andy Scherf)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Congratulations to Andy Scherf, who has achieved the lofty title of CWE (Caption Writer Extraordinaire). You, too, can earn fame (but, alas, no fortune) by joining in the latest "You Write The Caption" contest, featuring gags from cartoonist...

Online poll.(New Online)
March 1, 2008... What is your outlook for your company in 2008? IndustryWeek.com readers respond: Optimistic 56% Neutral 23% Pessimistic 21%

Finding the next big thing.(DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YESTERDAY'S MANUFACTURING PRESUMPTIONS ARE not the most useful context for growing profitable plant-floor success. A better strategy for companies in search of the elusive "next big thing" is to accelerate their...

How to spot the coming recovery: a reversal of the credit crunch and an increase in the inventory/sales ratio will be early indicators that the economy is getting back on track.(THE COMPETITIVE EDGE)
March 1, 2008... As we try to navigate the gloomy winter of 2008, we see increasing evidence of economic recession. We won't know definitively until well into the summer, but the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI and many other forecasters believe a recession started...

Buddy, can you spare a job? U.S. manufacturers assert their continuing relevance despite a decline in overall employment and a lack of commitment from politicians.(JUST IN TIME)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... Manufacturing lost 28,000 jobs in January 2008 and 269,000 jobs over the previous 12 months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). David Huether, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers and the author of...

Red shirts to the rescue: Pennsylvania-based manufacturer reduces injuries with employee-driven safety program.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whether it's a cut finger, twisted ankle or something more serious, plant workers at the Duoline Technologies operations in Odessa, Texas, can depend on first-response personnel to come to their aid. Duoline, a...

Catching and keeping talent.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
March 1, 2008... "You have to catch talent and make sure they get opportunities before they're already at the door." --Carl Bass, CEO, Autodesk Inc., in a Sept. 24, 2007, Wall Street Journal article about preserving talent.

Wisconsin banks on lean manufacturing: state provides $1.2 million to support manufacturing initiatives.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Manufacturing is getting a boost in Wisconsin, with the state providing $1.2 million to help manufacturers in the state get lean. Gov. Jim Doyle is working with lawmakers to streamline five different economic development plans into one $85...

Virtual lean training: consultancy group launches online lean training program.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
March 1, 2008... Business improvement advisory firm TBM Consulting group Inc. has taken the lean classroom online with the launch of essential lean learning. The program consists of 12 self-paced modules that touch on such topics as waste elimination, takt,...

Toyota's eco-friendly plan for new plant: Mississippi plant will have green features.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lean manufacturing pioneer Toyota Motor Corp. will use its model of efficiency to create an environmentally friendly plant in Blue Springs, Miss. Plant plans call for machines with smaller motors that use less...

Obesity weighs down production: overweight workers can hurt productivity, but employers can help by encouraging healthier lifestyles.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
March 1, 2008... Employers might want to revise their cafeteria menus and rethink their choices of vending machine snacks and beverages, according to a study by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The American College of Occupational and...

By the numbers: workplace health habits.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 72 Percentage of employees who eat an unhealthy snack at work 42 Percentage of companies offering healthy food selections in their cafeterias or vending machines 27 Percentage of employees 18-27 years old who...

Six Sigma, lean come together: study shows continuous improvement methods are merging.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt. Plant floors in recent years have been sounding more like martial arts classes than manufacturing operations. These warriors are trained to specialize in Six Sigma, the statistical analysis process...

OSHA steps up enforcement as violations rise.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Overall workplace safety violations increased in the United States by 6% in 2007 over the previous year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The department attributes the rise to an increase in enforcement...

Winning with manual machines: despite the promise of CNC equipment, many job shops still find that manual machines are getting the job done.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(computer numerical control (CNC) equipment)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If computer numerical control (CNC) equipment was developed to enhance the performance of machine tools, then why have manual machines survived--and continue to thrive? In fact some job shop owners indicate that...

Selecting warehouse software from WMS and ERP providers, expanded edition.(BOOKSHELF)(warehouse management systems)(Enterprise resource planning)(Book review)(Brief review)
March 1, 2008... Being successful in evaluating, selecting and implementing new warehousing software is the focus of Obal's efforts in his expanded second edition. Content has grown over 30%. In addition to many new topics and updated material, a dedicated...

American Welding Society welding handbook, 9th edition, volume 3, welding processes.(BOOKSHELF)(Book review)(Brief review)
March 1, 2008... By American Welding Society, 669 pages, $192.00 ($25.00 to AWS members), electronic versions available [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Welding handbook, Volume 3, reflects the dramatic changes brought into welding processes over the past decade...

Ready for e-manufacturing? What will the production of tomorrow look like?(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Here's a prediction: Part forming via casting and machining will increasingly face competition with e-manufacturing, a material additive process using laser sintering. The supporting evidence comes from a survey of...

Manual machines: one vendor's view: CNC strategies are now being supported by manual machines.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(computer numerical control machines)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] German owned KNUTH Machine tools USA, Lincolnshire, Ill., has been in business since 1923, with manufacturing plants in Germany, turkey and China, offering chip-making and forming equipment in both manual and CNC...

How strong is your brand online? Three steps to effective online marketing for manufacturing companies.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2008... As the Web channel widens in marketing scope, manufacturing companies have a growing opportunity to leverage their Web sites to generate more business, build customer loyalty, create brand awareness and gather market intelligence. Limited...

Microsoft's super-normal business intelligence: built-in user familiarity makes for an especially intuitive and usable web-enabled interface.(DASHBOARDING)(Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Like many visualization applications, Microsoft's PerformancePoint Server offering is designed to integrate monitoring, analysis and planning into a single, configurable tool. One obvious advantage for Microsoft is...

One size doesn't fit all.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2008... "Successful organizations are going to require support for applications and data sources other than SAP. They are going to wish to run on operating systems other than windows. They are going to need to query data from databases other than...

10 reasons to adopt RFID: a quick overview of the answer to the question, "What's in RFID for me?".(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A common question, both for those well into their implementations as well as those that have yet to take the plunge, is "What's in RFID for me?" Is it just a supply chain mandate, or can it help better manage shop...

Star-spangled snafu.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... > "Just in Time: The United States of Manufacturing," Page 7, Feb. 2008 You're so right and wrong at the same time. The government can stick their nose in anywhere they damn well please whether it's legal or not, i.e., low-flow toilets,...

Great times ... unless you're a middle-class American.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... > "Not So Fast--Manufacturers Group Sees Continued Growth," www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=15663 This article was very informative in the sense it shows how different people are looking at the data. If you work for a...

How to build a Lean-Green Warehouse Network: environment concerns, along with the traditional concerns of cost and service, are leading manufacturers to rethink their distribution networks.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
March 1, 2008... For years, Chicago Consulting has published its annual list of the 10 Best Warehouse Networks, which is based on an analysis of the lowest possible transit lead-times to customers represented by the US population. Apparently even distribution...

A taxing solution to the transportation problem: updating the highways and surface transportation could cost $225 billion and take 50 years.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A congressional commission tasked with fixing and updating the nation's transportation system and infrastructure has weighed in with its recommendations, which take a sweeping look at modernization needs over the...

By the numbers: SCM software strategies.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Supply chain management software)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... When it comes to implementing supply chain management (SCM) solutions, most companies to date have adopted a patchwork approach, using numerous solutions from a variety of software vendors. Thanks to a market consolidation of SCM vendors, as...

ProLogis launches sustainable warehouse initiative: firm to require all new warehouses to comply with U.S. green-building standards.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ProLogis, a global developer and manager of distribution facilities, has launched a sustainability initiative requiring all of its new development in the United States to comply with environmental standards developed by the U.S. Green Building...

Turning green about going green.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
March 1, 2008... "Green products [are] like prescription drugs: you can take a little purple pill to treat your heartburn, but you may have to deal with headaches, diarrhea and dry mouth in the process." --Adrian Gonzalez, director of ARC Advisory Group's...

Power shift: how to produce more for less: surging energy prices have process manufacturers searching for alternatives and scrambling for cost savings.(GREEN MANUFACTURING)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WISE ALLOYS DOESN'T NEED motivation from federal and state regulators to reduce its energy usage. What drives the Muscle shoals, Ala., subsidiary of $1 billion Wise Metals Group LLC is the staggering consequences of...

Simulation in the midsize market: how do you stack up?(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Small and medium sized companies)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's hard to argue the benefits and the need for digital simulation in product development design today. Shrinking development schedules and reduced budgets for development are two of the main drivers encouraging all...

Auto design aim to please.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Pure design" is how Ed Welburn, vice president of global design, describes the Cadillac CTs Coupe Concept car, which received an EyesOn Design Award in the concept car category at the 2008 North American...

In search of excellence: nominate your plant now!.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Is your facility an example of excellence in manufacturing? Do your manufacturing practices drive stellar performances? If so, then the time has come to enter your manufacturing plant in IndustryWeek's 2008 Best Plants competition. ...

By the numbers: foiling the fakes: value of counterfeit seizures rises 27% in 2007.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In fiscal 2007 the bad guys continued their efforts to sneak counterfeit products in to the United States. The good guys, in response, stepped up their efforts to stem the illegal trade. When all was said and done, the U.S. Department of...

Paint to win: whether this is a good year for manufacturing will depend largely on you.(FROM THE PUBLISHER)
March 1, 2008... Will 2008 be a positive year for U.S. manufacturing? Having now been with the magazine for a relatively short time, I have found this to be the most commonly asked question when somebody discovers I am the new publisher of INDUSTRYWEEK. ...

The price of power: evaluating your energy procurement options can help save money and control operating costs.(PURCHASING)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At home, utility bills are easy to control. If the electric's too high in the summer, cut back on the A/C. If gas is costing you a fortune in the winter, turn down the furnace and put on a sweater. It's a little more...

By the numbers: energy spending.(PURCHASING)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... 3.8 percentage of total material costs tied to energy and fuel purchases in 2006* 4.5 percentage increase in spending on energy and fuel purchases from 2005-2006* 48 percentage of total energy spending used for electricity purchases...

Positive charges: understanding contract options can make your electric bills spark long-term savings.(PURCHASING)
March 1, 2008... Change has been said to be the only constant in life. But when it comes to purchasing electricity, the only constant seems to be volatility. Constellation NewEnergy offers a few quick pointers to determine which electricity contracts will help...

Always follow the money: five tips to keep the cash flowing through your business.(PURCHASING)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While sales and profit margins are key metrics for any business, a balanced cash flow should be an equally important indicator of financial well-being. But according to Raymond Joabar, senior vice president and...

Global positioning: purchasing company expands presence to Pakistan.(PURCHASING)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... As many U.S. manufacturers (think Mattel) have learned the hard way, it's important--but incredibly difficult--to keep close tabs on offshore suppliers and contract manufacturers. That need for information has led a number of global purchasing...

Time to regroup? A more modern take on group purchasing could help increase your company's buying power.(PURCHASING)
March 1, 2008... Two heads are supposed to be better than one, but that's not always the case. For years, group purchasing organizations (GPOs) pushed a similar idea, advocating that companies could use their combined purchasing power to drive greater savings...

Are you worth what they're paying you? IndustryWeek's exclusive 2008 salary survey reveals that the average salary for manufacturing management is $105,581.(SPECIAL REPORT: SALARY SURVEY)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Manufacturing is a cut-throat world, margins are shrinking, energy costs are rising, stockholders are whining, and the resources that keep the wheels on the cart are suffering. As a manager I see the need to return...