Industry Week articles from November 2007

Industry Week archives from November 2007

Time to get our heads out of the sand.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... * Re: "Just In Time: Kid Stuff," Page 7, October 2007 You missed two important points. One is the tight operating margins American companies have forced on small Chinese companies for the sake of the shareholder. Chinese suppliers are then...

When you can't improve the system, improve yourself.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... * Re: "How to Make an Office Lean," www.industryweek.com/ ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=14859 (Web exclusive) As a retired educator who implemented lean principles in my professional practice, I have observed and experienced the same...

Will GM's contract cost the Midwest more jobs?(From The Forums)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... http://forums.industryweek. com/showthread. php?t=1357 * If GM management had made sound decisions on product design and quality, product mix and fuel economy and good marketing, their sales would be up and we likely would not even be...

Time to end the global gridlock: lack of movement in world trade negotiations could be costing U.S. consumers half a trillion dollars.(THE COMPETITIVE EDGE)(trends in international trade)
November 1, 2007... World trade talks have been largely stalled since completion of the Uruguay Round in 1994. Despite the best efforts of the Clinton and Bush Administrations to galvanize a new round, progress in the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been...

Hiring temporary workers can cause long-term problems: temps can present insurance and risk management issues if precautions aren't taken.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For once, U.S. automakers can be glad they're not Toyota--at least in Kentucky. That's because the company's Georgetown, Ky., motor plant has come under fire by a social justice group that wants to unionize the...

Learning the ABC's of economics.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(survey of senior officials on their knowing economics ability)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How well do U.S. high school seniors understand economics? Most have some understanding of the economy, but less than half are considered to be proficient, according to test results from the U.S. Department of...

Cost isn't everything.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS )(manufacturing industries uses lean manufacturing method)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Conventional wisdom says "getting lean" means cutting costs. but companies that target their lean efforts toward saving money might be missing out on the full benefits of lean, says James Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI)....

Pre-empting electrical power outages: start inside the facility. Nearly 80% of all business downtime is caused by internal electrical power problems.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While the first rule of power management is not to ignore the vital signs, the second rule is to maximize understanding and correction. Power management is more than just "tweaking" a manufacturing process, says...

The latest words on the Toyota Production System.(Bookshelf)(book overview of Made-to-Order Lean)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2007... Made-to-Order Lean: Excelling in a High-Mix, Low-Volume Environment By Greg Lane, Productivity Press, 2007, 209 pages, $50 TPS succeeds in job shops? Yes, even though the most cited achievements of the Toyota Production System (TPS) are...

Ford's light idea: lighting retrofits at Ford's parts distribution facilities are expected to save 20 million kWh annually.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(Ford Motor Co. uses fluorescent lighting for it's factories)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ford's latest lighting efficiency upgrade started in Connecticut when it requested a lighting audit of a 227,000-square-foot High Velocity Center. In a subsequent report to Ford's facility management, New...

Mori Seiki University offers online machine tool education.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mori Seiki University has launched Education On Demand, which applies e-learning to manufacturing. Courses are divided between general manufacturing topics and the operation and mastery of specific Mori Seiki...

Lean Production Simplified: A Plain-Language Guide to the World's Most Powerful Production System, 2nd edition.(book review)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2007... A Plain-Language Guide to the World's Most Powerful Production System, 2nd edition By Pascal Dennis, Productivity Press, 2007, 176 pages, $35 Still looking for a comprehensive yet simplified treatment of lean production that can serve...

Avoiding the big squeeze: ten steps to better managing your suppliers: good supplier management requires recognition of everybody's needs and expectations.(PURCHASING)
November 1, 2007... Manufacturing professionals are tasked with managing many aspects of the company, from production operations to sales operations to profit & loss (P&L) statements. It makes sense, suggests Brian Mundy, that managers should also become adept at...

Boeing and Honeywell help airlines reduce inventories.(PURCHASING)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A pair of aerospace giants--Boeing and Honeywell Aerospace--are teaming up on a supply chain project aimed at significantly reducing airlines' maintenance costs by providing expendable parts. As part of Boeing's...

Taming the dragon: a look at the current state of manufacturing operations in China.(SPECIAL REPORT: MANUFACTURING IN CHINA)(Cover story)
November 1, 2007... The first thing you need to know about Chinese manufacturers is the first thing they want you to know--they take product quality very seriously. Any hint or suggestion that the "Made in China" label is synonymous with inferior products is met...

"You Write the Caption".(onLine: www.industryweek.com)
November 1, 2007... >> Congratulations to rcberger, 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...

Strategic deployment: how to think like Toyota: Hoshin planning gives manufacturers a clear idea of where they are going and how to get there.(LEAN MANUFACTURING)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There exists a misunderstanding among many manufacturers trying to emulate Toyota's success that simply deploying lean tools will reap them rewards similar to those enjoyed by the Japanese automotive giant. Not...

The great supply chain robbery: manufacturers are leveraging the latest advances in security technology to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.(SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some of the stories sound like they came straight out of a Hollywood crime drama--think "Goodfellas" or even "The French Connection." The bad guys are sophisticated (and some not-so-sophisticated) criminals targeting...

If Machiavelli were an IT manager ... Moving beyond the monolithic contract to divide and conquer outsourcing projects.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(companies outsourcing it's work can gain higher revenues)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... "Before all else, be armed."--Niccolo Machiavelli [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The urge to go to a single-vendor IT outsourcing setup is perfectly understandable--after all, fewer headaches from vendor juggling and a long, cozy, multiyear...

The art of IT war.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(companies must outsource on their own risk)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Maintain the strategic high ground. Companies should outsource activities that are not competitive differentiators or core competencies; however, retaining and maintaining the strategic aspects of IT management and architectural design (as...

By the numbers: forecasted wireless growth--2007-2011.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... By The numbers: Forecasted Wireless Growth--2007-2011 300% Asset monitoring 122% machine health 086% safety and security 075% Tank-level monitoring 032% Process monitoring 014% facility environmental monitoring 014%...

Green IT at a premium.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(survey of Information technology services industry using green technology)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Just as in the consumer sphere, IT purchasing is increasingly being driven by "green" issues (both cost and conservation). Respondents to a recent IT survey indicate: 52% are willing to pay 5% to 10% more for green products or services....

CFOs cite data quality as top concern: with shop-floor data driving top-floor decisions, information security is starting to take a back seat.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These days, many forward-thinking companies are placing an increased emphasis on the integration of data from--and even the job roles and skill sets of--engineering and IT. Couple this convergence with the ability of...

Nine steps toward an HCM software implementation: what to do to ensure success with a human capital management software project.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Christa Degnan Manning and Koppel Verma of analyst firm AMR Research Inc. offer the following suggestions for manufacturing companies investigating or implementing a human capital management (HCM) software project....

More IT issues facing CFOs.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(survey of Chief financial officers about management of information technology services industry)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... According to a recent study, "Technology Issues for Financial Executives": * Only about one in 10 CFOs report making significant progress in core IT areas during the past year. * CFOs cite project management, understanding the...

Five tips for better demand planning and forecasting: start with the premise that everything will not go exactly as planned.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yogi Berra once said, "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." While there's no magic formula for forecasting, there are several steps that companies can take to mitigate uncertainty and improve...

Supply chain execution market is growing 10% annually.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Slump? What slump? Defying any suggestions of a softening economy, the worldwide market for supply chain execution (SCE) solutions--which includes transportation management systems, warehouse management systems and...

Supply chain wiki.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Warehousing Education and Research Council launched a wiki)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) has launched a wiki aimed at supply chain professionals. The WERCipedia is designed to act as an interactive online glossary, with a searchable collection of...

Will your logistics provider respect you in the morning? Customer Respect Index measures how well companies respond to online communications from customers.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based on the customer respect index, a comparison index measuring Web site usability, online communication capabilities and security of transactional data, the following companies were determined to be the most...

What you need to know when working with a 3PL: no-nonsense tips on how to avoid a logistics service disaster.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(third-party logistics providers)
November 1, 2007... To satisfy increasing demands for visibility into inventory levels while improving customer service, some manufacturers are outsourcing supply chain procedures that are not core competencies to third-party logistics providers (3PLs) who are...

Why supply chain work is like carpentry: "Measure twice; cut once" should be the operating philosophy in every warehouse and distribution center.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Measure Twice; cut once" doesn't just apply to carpentry work--it has applications within supply chain management as well. consider warehousing and distribution, for instance. a key factor in minimizing the cost of...

Nanocomposites: from innovation to growth: technical issues and costs remain as challenges.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
November 1, 2007... Nanocomposites development has reached an interesting place. The novel properties of nanotechnology are propelling advances in the composites market even as technical challenges and cost issues persist. Recent advances are easy to find. For...

One step ahead of the customer.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Henkel Corp. manages customer needs properly)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... "At Henkel, we have set ourselves the goal of identifying future wishes and needs before our customers are even aware of them. Our researchers and developers have the necessary creativity and expertise to turn this knowledge into innovative...

Entrepreneurs welcome.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Palo Alto Research Corp. providing service to entrepreneurs for starting new business)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Palo Alto research center (PARC), the R&D group credited with developing laser printing, ethernet, the graphical user interface (GUI) and object-oriented programming, has launched startup@ PARC, an initiative to...

Nano-what? Low public awareness of nanotechnology is cause for concern.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(survey of americans about knowledge of nanotechnology)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Many Americans know little to nothing about nanotechnology, new research shows. The consequences of that ignorance could create big problems for the rapidly growing technology. Just 6% of Americans say they have "heard a lot" about...

3-D data: not just for engineering.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(companies must use 3-D graphics for managing database)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Better on-time product launches is but one of the benefits that accrue for manufacturers that use their 3-D data outside of engineering. That's the word from consulting firm Aberdeen Group, which says in a recent benchmark report that...

2007 IW/MPI census: who's using CAD, CAE?(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(manufacturing industries using software for business)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... You might think that design systems such as computer-aided design or computer-aided engineering were ubiquitous among U.S. manufacturers. You'd be wrong. At the plant level, just over half of all U.S. manufacturing facilities employ CAD or...

IBM takes 3-D innovation to the doctor's office: researchers unveil prototype software that lets physicians better visualize medical data.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Looking for examples of how manufacturers are using visualization software to grow their businesses? Look no further than IBM Research, which recently unveiled prototype software that allows doctors to visualize patient medical records using an...

Designers of tomorrow show off concept cars.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(American Iron and Steel Institute launched event for automobile designers )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Inspired by exoskeletons, three automotive concept cars were unveiled in September at the annual American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) automotive design internship event. Design and engineering students from the...

Service with a painted-on smile: learn how to offer customer service without actually providing it.(BRANDT ON LEADERSHIP)
November 1, 2007... If you're going to make things and sell them, you're going to have to provide customer service--or at least pretend to. How you do this will have a significant impact on your career, because--let's be frank--customer service is a pain in the...

The cost of doing low-cost business: everybody loves a bargain, but the Chinese seem to be reaping most of the rewards.(JUST IN TIME)
November 1, 2007... I've got a whole stack of books, research studies and analyst reports here on my desk, each one analyzing the emergence of China as an economic powerhouse, and purporting to explain why the Far East has become so popular for U.S. manufacturing...