Industry Week articles from May 2008

Industry Week archives from May 2008

A manufacturing to-do list for the next president: the manufacturing sector could be the engine propelling us out of recession--but do the candidates recognize that potential?(THE COMPETITIVE EDGE)
May 1, 2008... A part from jibes about losing out to unfair foreign competition and unpatriotic corporate leaders, the 2008 Presidential campaign has paid little attention to manufacturing. Given the current perilous state of the U.S. economy, this is...

IT-as-a-service: Google Apps and Sites fit in with the search company's overall business application strategy: taking the mystery out of the IT department.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(applications)
May 1, 2008... Arthur C. Clarke, the prolific science fiction author who passed away in March once famously stated, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." These days, there are two competing technology trends--the increasing...

Quality is job 4.1 at SAS: business intelligence provider helps manufacturers reduce financial impact of product warranties.(DASHBOARDING)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] In an age of high-dollar, high-profile quality problems, software tools designed to help manufacturers cut recall and warranty is are getting upgraded--and none too soon. Business intelligence specialist SAS has...

The 'no excuses' plan for online marketing: the argument is over, says one expert: what your current and potential customers don't know can, and will, hurt you.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMTTED] According to analyst firm IDC, the online advertising segment grew 27% in 2007, and yet when considering if and when to invest in online marketing efforts, many manufacturers go through a litany of excuses. Search...

Next generation backup power: cabinet manufacturer learns that "uninterruptible" isn't necessarily so when it comes to UPS systems.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(MasterBrand Cabinets Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... With IT systems becoming the nerve center of the body corporate, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that protects the company's systems from unplanned at, costly outages is an essential part of disaster plan infrastructure. A 2005 power...

Four tips for social media Marketing: manufacturers using social media for brand building should consider these principles.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In late 2006, the Pew Internet & American Life Project put the number of American adult bloggers at 12 million, or about 8% of adult Americans, a figure which is assuredly larger now. Both the sheer number of people...

Four steps to understanding the blogosphere: maintaining your brands online requires recognizing the influence of new media constituencies.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
May 1, 2008... Although Johnson & Johnson moved quickly to smooth over its controversial decision to disinvite a number of influential bloggers to its Camp Baby event, the flare-up shows the need to treat influential new media constituencies with kid gloves,...

Scoring green progress.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Our (emissions) data is gathered at the division and corporate levels and used as part of 3M's EHS scorecards. Facilities and divisions receive quarterly scorecards evaluating their progress towards 3M's reduction goals." [ILLUSTRATION...

How are you wasting time? IFS North America's usability research survey illuminates the reasons behind user inefficiency.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Which of the following is the top time waster when using business applications? Navigating around and between applications 7.3% Searching for information through a complex navigation structure 22.9% ...

The future of R&D: leveraging innovation.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES)(Company overview)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In large companies, of all of the things that are done, innovation tends to be managed with the least discipline of any function." That's how Craig Maxwell, corporate vice president for technology and innovation at...

A win-win design solution: collaboration with university brings design assistance to Tennessee manufacturer and real-world experience to engineering students.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A small manufacturer's ability to innovate often is constrained by a lack of resources. There's never enough people, time, or capital available to devote to planning for future growth. Instead, efforts are...

Customers talk, Chrysler listens: automaker launches online customer advisory board.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In addition to the open road, Chrysler is hitting the online road to get better attuned to the voice of its customers. Describing it as an industry first, the automaker in late March launched an online customer...

Simulia from Dassault Systemes has released the Abaqus BioRID II (Biofidelic Rear Impact Dummy II) for simulation.(Product Development Solutions)
May 1, 2008... Simulia from Dassault Systemes has released the Abaqus BioRID II (Biofidelic Rear Impact Dummy II) for simulation. Simulia's 3D BioRID II dummy model is for use by the automotive industry during the design phase of seats and head restraints. It...

Solidworks has released the latest update of its online community that allows engineers to download and share content globally.(Product Development Solutions)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Solidworks has released the latest update of its online community that allows engineers to download and share content globally. 3D ContentCentral, which is free to registered engineers and designers, is used to share 3D models and 2D drawings...

CAE software provider Samtech has announced the commercial release of Samcef for Wind Turbines (S4WT) 1.1, dedicated to wind turbine design and verification in dynamic conditions.(Product Development Solutions)
May 1, 2008... CAE software provider Samtech has announced the commercial release of Samcef for Wind Turbines (S4WT) 1.1, dedicated to wind turbine design and verification in dynamic conditions. The solution offers experimentally validated models, computation...

Infor has updated its product lifecycle management software aimed specifically at discrete manufacturing industries.(Product Development Solutions)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Infor has updated its product lifecycle management software aimed specifically at discrete manufacturing industries. Infor PLM 8.1 includes: enhanced enterprise content management functionality that centralizes critical product information;...

Sopheon has integrated its Accolade product portfolio and process management software with a new version of its Strategist strategic product planning software.(Product Development Solutions)
May 1, 2008... Sopheon has integrated its Accolade product portfolio and process management software with a new version of its Strategist strategic product planning software. The new solution creates a seamless, automated process and decision framework that...

Autodesk will extend free use of its Inventor LT Technology Preview to its user community for one year.(Product Development Solutions)
May 1, 2008... Autodesk will extend free use of its Inventor LT Technology Preview to its user community for one year. Based on Inventor 2009 technology, delivery of the new version is slated to precede the May 1 expiration date of the current version....

The little chill: dime-sized fan is ready for testing as cooling system for laptop computers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Researchers are ready to test a miniature device they say will help laptop computers and other electronic devices chill out. The compact, solid-state fan--only slightly larger than a dime--produces three times the flow rate of a typical small...

Innovation to the Core: A blueprint for transforming the way your company innovates.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Innovation to the Core: A blueprint for transforming the way your company innovates By Peter Skarzynski and Rowan Gibson, Harvard Business School Press, 2008, 295 pages, $35 Remember the days when quality wasn't...

Nissan's green product development: automaker gains global ISO 14001 certification.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
May 1, 2008... Nissan's product development process has a history with ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Japanese automaker received its first such certification for product...

Product development planner: travel ideas for the innovator.
May 1, 2008... The Front End of Innovation US May 19-21 Boston www.frontendofinnovation.com Greener by Design: Strategies, Tools, and Markets for Product Innovation June 12-13 Alexandria, Va. ...

Customer service from hell: where "sorry" means never having to solve a customer's problem.(BRANDT ON LEADERSHIP)(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... Things I learned about business last month when a major carrier (we'll just call it Hell Air) lost my luggage: The fact that you spend a lot of money on security, information technology and call centers doesn't mean that you are actually...

Online poll.
May 1, 2008... Which of the following actions should the U.S. take on NAFTA? IndustryWeek.com readers respond: Withdraw from NAFTA immediately. 30% Try to renegotiate NAFTA in the next six months, and withdraw if more favorable terms...

"You Write the Caption".(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Congratulations to Mark McLaughlin,who has achieved the lo ofty title of CW WE (CCaptio on Writer Extraord dinaire). You, too, can earn fame (but,alas,no fortune)by joining in the latest "You Write The Captio on " contest, fe eatu urin ng gags...

A manufacturer's litmus test for politicians: anybody running for office should be able to respond to these straightforward questions with unambiguous answers.(JUST IN TIME)(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... This November, 10% of the U.S. population-the percentage of U.S. workers employed in manufacturing--will enter the voting booth armed with their hopes and prayers that this year maybe, just maybe, somebody will be elected who is on their side....

A quick guide to strategic siting: a look at the decisions manufacturing executives need to make when considering new locations.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The sluggish economy and looming recession shouldn't prevent manufacturers from relocating or expanding, if the time is right. It also doesn't mean companies should stray from their tried and true site selection...

Swarm the floor: management gets a little closer to the lean action.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When deploying lean, managers have a tendency to focus too much on the results and not enough on work processes, says Andy Carlino, founder and partner of the Lean Learning Center. It's a mistake that can turn...

Auto makers rev-up for hiring blitz: attrition and production increases should boost auto employment demand.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While anticipated baby-boomer retirements and increased productivity by both U.S.-based automakers and international competitors will lead to job openings over the next eight years, the new workforce will be...

OSHA takes heat for refinery fire: congressional committee says it could have done more to prevent fatal blast.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Labor Department's safety administration failed to implement rules that could have prevented combustible dust accidents, such as the deadly February blast that killed 13 workers at a sugar refinery in Georgia,...

Overworked and underproductive: survey indicates employees can't do it all in a day.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
May 1, 2008... Heavy workloads have made it more difficult for employees to complete their given tasks in time, according to a survey released in February by LifeCare Inc., a provider of comprehensive specialty care services. The firm asked employees at 1,500...

Helping manufacturing get smarter: wireless connectivity, coupled with machine intelligence, is giving manufacturers a new value category to present to their customers--smart services.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
May 1, 2008... "Any industrial manufacturer that has not awakened to the fact that it must become a service business is in serious peril today." Steve Pazol not only lives by that warning penned by Harbor Research, but that message also motivated him to be a...

Execution Revolution: Solving the One Problem that Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... Execution Revolution: Solving the One Problem that Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier By Gary Harpst Six Disciplines Corp., 2008, 126 pages, Price TBA It's secret that great manufacturing ideas alone do not lead...

Gardner Denver adopts a smart services strategy: industrial equipment manufacturer launches an initiative designed to monitor and reduce total cost of ownership for air compressor installations.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Best-in-class OEMs are looking beyond product-based sales approaches to post-sale strategies that can build customer value during the product's entire installed operating life. That's the philosophy that initiated a...

The Executive Guide to Boosting Cash Flow and Shareholder Value.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... The Executive Guide to Boosting Cash Flow and Shareholder Value By V. Rory Jones John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2008, 256 pages, $60.00 Divided into three parts, this book guides the reader through a concise set of pragmatic...

A vertical machining revolution: speed and cycle time reductions are at the heart of new controls used on vertical machining centers.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Revolution" is not only the brand of a vertical machining center (VMC) from GBI Cincinnati Inc., but a description of the productivity its control makes possible. The control is available for retrofitting. According...

The 'what, why, how and when' of carbon foot printing: how big is your carbon footprint, and how big a commitment will it take to find out? Learn what the green movement will mean for manufacturers.(GREEN MANUFACTURING)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE OMNIBUS FEDERAL spending package signed into law by President Bush in December 2007 included the following sentence: "Of the funds provided in the Environmental Programs and Management account, not less than...

Derailed from the lean track: watch out! Just because your company has 'gone lean' doesn't mean everything will run smoothly.(LEAN MANUFACTURING)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE BOEING CO. WAS FLYING HIGH AT THE END of 2006 when demand for the company's 787 Dreamliner pushed its total orders past rival Airbus for the first time in six years. The aerospace giant duplicated that feat in...

Being taken for a lean ride: lean might not always produce the expected benefits and here's why.(LEAN MANUFACTURING)
May 1, 2008... Manufacturers are climbing on the lean bandwagon in droves. The 2007 IndustryWeek/MPI Census of Manufacturers shows that nearly 70% of all plants in the United States are currently employing lean manufacturing as an improvement methodology. But...

Lean lives and dies by leadership: the biggest problem with implementing lean is complacency.(LEAN MANUFACTURING)(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... Editor's note: the following is an excerpt from an IndustryWeek.com forum posting on lean manufacturing. The writer, Butch Elliott, is a former Toyota Motor Manufacturing production control employee and is currently the senior corporate manager...

A new paradigm for quality.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... > Re: "Whatever Happened to Quality?" Page 42, Apr. 2008 I don't believe this article directly addresses some of the problems involved in production in the era of global trade. Production historically has gone from: *...

Treat people as assets, not tools.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... > Re: "Continuous Improvement: Whatever Happened to Respect for People?" Page 14, Apr. 2008 Respect for people would come only when you would be able to come out of the syndrome, "I know the best or everything." The moment we think, "We do...

Socialized medicine for big banks.(From The Forums)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... > I have a serious issue with socialized risks on the back of taxpayers for the wealthy "investor class" and rewarding bad behavior by financial institutions. I am also really troubled by the fact that those like myself who live within our...

Screen savings: a closer look at potential suppliers helps Avery Dennison screen for quality, consistency and social responsibility.(PURCHASING)
May 1, 2008... Being too picky is rarely seen as a good quality, but in manufacturing there's no way around it. Carefully selecting just the right site for a new factory or which new product market to explore are critical decisions and can't be made without...

A path to supplier learning: University of San Diego launches first ISM approved master's program.(PURCHASING)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In today's business environment, the I idea of "continuous improvement" certainly isn't confined to the plant floor. So for any procurement and supply management professionals who want to sharpen their skill set, the...

By the numbers: cheaper than China: Study shows China might be losing its competitive edge to neighboring nations.(PURCHASING)
May 1, 2008... For years now, China has been a hub of overseas manufacturing for thousands of U.S. companies. But according to a recent study conducted jointly by management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton and the American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai, a...

Sizing up suppliers.(PURCHASING)(Quotation)
May 1, 2008... "In many cases a smaller, local vendor is able to provide better attention, quality of service and creativity from their top resources. Conversely, if you're solely buying a commodity or raw material, those suppliers will probably have a harder...

Making the jump to automated trade management: 10 tips for bringing your global trade management processes into the digital age.(PURCHASING)
May 1, 2008... Frequently changing regulations can make global trade a tricky thing to manage, Of course, it helps to have the most current information on whatever duties, tariffs or compliance issues are affecting your products as they travel in and out of...

A change in payment plans: finding affordable e-invoicing solutions for small and midsize manufacturers takes some doing.(PURCHASING)
May 1, 2008... In an increasingly paperless world, offices lined with file cabinets full of old receipts, invoices and purchase orders are quickly becoming a thing of the past. With new technologies, manufacturers have the opportunity to transform some of the...

Wal-Mart lays down the law on RFID: retail giant will begin levying fines for suppliers that don't comply with its RFID mandate.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although radio frequency identification (RFID) has been around for decades, it mostly sat on the technological bench until retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. began to mandate that its key suppliers would adopt and...

Fleet management solution saves land O'Lakes $500,000 in fuel costs: combination of technology and new driving technique lead to significant cost reductions.(LAND LAKES)
May 1, 2008... Everybody talks about rising fuel prices, but one company that's doing something about it is Northwest Food Products Transportation (NFPT), a subsidiary of dairy products company Land O'Lakes. Thanks in part to its adoption of a fleet...

How to green your supply chain: ryder offers strategies aimed at running a more eco friendly operation.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Adopting green designs and processes can help manufacturing companies reduce supply chain risk, while adding value for their customers, with the end result of becoming more efficient, agile and profitable, suggests...

Portrait of a best-in-class supply chain.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... What role does supply chain management play in your organization? When analyst firm Aberdeen Group asked that question of 800 supply chain executives worldwide, most (56%) regard SCM as a market strategy differentiator, a customer service...

Notables & quotables.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Quotation)
May 1, 2008... 1. "There is one fundamental that is going to shape the next five to 10 years-plus in supply chain: energy." --Jake Barr, director of manufacturing, planning and logistics, Procter & Gamble Co., as quoted in MIT Supply Chain Frontiers ...

Management Dynamics Inc. has enhanced its Global Trade Management (GTM) Suite to support the" 10+2" Rule, proposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... Management Dynamics Inc. has enhanced its Global Trade Management (GTM) Suite to support the" 10+2" Rule, proposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This rule will require 10 set data from importers 24 hours: prior to container...

Ultra Logistics Inc.(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... Ultra Logistics Inc. has launched a new version of UItraShipTMS that allows shippers to manage the domestic and international air freight tendering process in real-time. UItraShipTMS is a transportation management system that provides supply...

Multi-Enterprise Demand Sensing (MDS), a demand sensing optimization solution from Terra Technology, incorporates demand signals from throughout in including point-of-sale data, channel inventory and retailer forecasts.(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... Multi-Enterprise Demand Sensing (M DS), a demand Sensing and inventory optimization solution from Terra Technology, incorporates demand signals from throughout in including point-of-sale data, channel inventory and retailer forecasts. It...

The Optimized Configuration Solution for Demand-driven supply chain design from ModusLink Corp. is designed to help companies determine the best time and place in the supply chain to perform the complete range of activities required to optimize assembly, configuration and/or packaging of generic base products or components into a market-ready state.(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... The Optimized Configuration Solution for Demand-driven supply chain design from ModusLink Corp. is designed to help companies determine the best time and place in the supply chain to perform the complete range of activities required to optimize...

The Constrained Parts Finder solution from New Momentum is designed for companies that make or use electronic components in their products.(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... The Constrained Parts Finder solution from New Momentum is designed for companies that make or use electronic components in their products. It provides visibility into the global, open market for electronic parts. To find strategic parts that...

FlexNet for Packaging Manufacturers is a manufacturing execution system from Apriso with a set of preconfigured, best-practice business processes for manufacturers of flexible, folding, paper, PET, metal and glass packaging.(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... FlexNet for Packaging Manufacturers is a manufacturing execution system from Apriso with a set of preconfigured, best-practice business processes for manufacturers of flexible, folding, paper, PET, metal and glass packaging. By integrating the...

VoiceLink 3.0 WCS (Warehouse Control System) from Vocollect Inc. has received certified integration status from enterprise software provider SAP.(Supply Chain Solutions)
May 1, 2008... VoiceLink 3.0 WCS (Warehouse Control System) from Vocollect Inc. has received certified integration status from software provider SAP. The combined solutions help connect automated warehouse systems, such as warehouse control units, to the...

SCOR goes green.(supply chain operations reference)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model, a global standard for supply chain projects developed by the Supply Chain Council, has been updated to address environmental sustainability efforts while expanding risk management...