Industry Week articles from November 2008

Industry Week archives from November 2008

Autoliv North America continues the improvement process: learn why in a down automotive market, business is up 11% at Autoliv ITO.(THE BIG PICTURE: Leadership Insights from the IW Best Plants)
November 1, 2008... IndustryWeek is launching a new regular column that will look at the dramatic effects continuous improvement initiatives have had on a different IW Best Plant every month, written by key executives at the plants. Mark Newton gets us to a fine...

What the financial crisis will mean for manufacturing: the strong balance sheets of manufacturers, along with their increasingly competitive cost structures, will make them more attractive for investors.(THE COMPETITIVE EDGE)
November 1, 2008... Winston Churchill famously remarked that nothing concentrates the mind like live bullets. I am writing during the week that Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers went under, and a new Troubled Assets Relief Program is fast taking shape. While...

Combustible processes: process manufacturers put themselves and the surrounding community in danger when complacency sets in.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A common scene throughout many high-performing manufacturing plants are banners hanging from the walls or rafters proudly exhibiting thousands of consecutive days without a safety incident or lost time. No...

Welders union recruits Native Americans.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... In an effort to fill a shortage of skilled welders, a trade union has partnered with the Department of Interior's Indian affairs bureau to recruit and train native Americans as welders. In September, the Chicago-area Local 597 Pipe Fitters...

State of the workforce report.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Report)
November 1, 2008... The American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) surveyed more than 200 firms for a human resources study that examines a number of employment metrics across a wide range of industries, including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, consumer...

EADS plans new German plant.(Global Sitings)
November 1, 2008... European Aeronautic Defence & Space NV (EADS), the parent company of aerospace giant Airbus, will build a new plant in southern Germany as part of restructuring moves that include the formation of a new subsidiary, an EADS spokesman told...

Coca-Cola Bottling plant opens in Mongolia.(Global Sitings)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The CocaCola Co. finished construction on its second bottling plant in Mongolia for US$22 million at a greenfield site in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The facility sits on 646,000 square feet and features two bottling...

Competing with composites: get ready to research, re-engineer, reinvent and innovate new products with composites.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Composite materials are already reshaping aerospace and big changes are being anticipated for automotive and wind turbines sectors. Is manufacturing entering the Age of Composites? The evidence is enveloping more and...

Designing the next materials revolution: get ready for concurrent design.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the traditional design world, engineers design the product, but the material is simply selected from a catalog of available material properties. In the next material world, engineers will design both the product...

Flexible and focused: by targeting niche products and staying nimble, small and mid-sized manufacturers prove they can play with the big boys.(SMALL AND MID-SIZED MANUFACTURERS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE BEHEMOTH 1950s-ERA HYDRAULIC press and the grease-infused air that permeates inside Quality Float Works Inc.'s cramped machine shop hearken back to a different age of U.S. manufacturing. It was a time when crafts...

The secret ingredients in food safety: as contaminations continue to make headlines, manufacturers are under constant scrutiny to keep our food safe. But as globalization continues and demands change, their job is only getting tougher.(FOCUS ON THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES: FOOD & BEVERAGE)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE MAGNITUDE OF A PROBLEM IS OFTEN determined by how much attention it gets. Recently the food & beverage industry has been receiving more attention than it might like, as contaminated products and subsequent...

A high-tech way to back up your warranty: manufacturers are discovering a reliable revenue stream from warranty management.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Warranty management solutions will become increasingly popular among manufacturers due to their ability to increase the visibility of warranty claims and the impact they have on current and future business...

Supply chain.(IT Solutions)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The UPS ShippingTool is an application program interface (API) that enables users to integrate UPS solutions into their own Web sites and enterprise applications. UPS Paperless Invoice enables users to integrate...

Production scheduling.(IT Solutions)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... FlexNet Just In Sequence (JIS) from >Apriso lets manufacturers integrate and control complex sequencing requirements generated from a myriad of business processes, such as those involved with the sourcing, fabrication, sub-assembly, production...

Capital budgets for IT hit the wall.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The economic slowdown (some would say free fall) has hit corporate IT capital budgets, impacting their ability to fund long-term investments in IT infrastructure, equipment and major systems, according to a recent report from research firm...

How to organize for lean/Six Sigma: to enable the maximum potential of lean/Six Sigma efforts, focus on more than the factory floor.(LEAN MANUFACTURING)
November 1, 2008... MENTION LEAN OR SIX SIGMA AND A LISTENER TRADITIONally thinks of waste reduction, optimization and continuous improvement initiatives involving only the production process. But that was yesterday. Today the practice of lean/Six Sigma solutions...

Lean Production: Implementing a World-Class System.(BOOKSHELF)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2008... Lean Production: Implementing a World-Class System By John R. Black Industrial Press Inc., 2008 191 pages, $44.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Question: What offers the greatest opportunity to drive down the cost of a...

Ideas on reducing energy consumption.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Your article on "How to Get IT Energy Costs Under Control" (September 2008, page 68) was right on point. While the cost of gas at the pump has captured everyone's attention, energy usage in all forms will surely continue to capture the...

Who's best for manufacturers?(From The Forums)
November 1, 2008... We asked: Which presidential candidate is most in tune with the needs of manufacturing professionals? * John McCain * Barack Obarna * Neither one > voted Obama because McCain is married to an uptown person; they own a...

China's go west strategy.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I've been reading some recent IW articles on China and have found them quite interesting and well informed. One you wrote called "Just In Time: The China Misconnection" (April 2008) quoted the findings of a Booz Allen study on rising costs,...

Focus on jobs.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... > Re: "MAPI Says Tax Bill Would Harm, Not Help, U.S. Manufacturers," www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=17372&SectionID=3 We are entering an era where every existing and every new job will be even more important, with the...

Do no harm.(IW READER FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... > Re: "Viewpoint: The Employee Free Choice Act: Is Your Company Prepared for It?" mvv.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=17175 If all companies did what was right and did not exploit their workers, then you would not have to...

The Mechatronics challenge: complex product development issues will require multidisciplined engineers.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Once upon a time a farm tractor was simply a farm tractor. Today it may not be so simple. Today's tractors can include global positioning systems and offer handsfree operation. Other additions may include touch...

Closing the Innovation Gap: Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in a Global Economy.(BOOKSHELF)
November 1, 2008... Closing the Innovation Gap: Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in a Global Economy By Judy Estrin McGraw-Hill, September 2008, 254 pages, $27.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This book addresses a topic that has raised...

Cutting down solar costs: new slicing method for germanium reduces waste, could lower costs of higher-efficiency solar cells.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For any number of reasons, reducing the amount of waste created in the cutting process is a good thing, but it's particularly important when the material being cut costs more than $600 per pound. That's why a new...

Alibre Design.(Product Development Solutions)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The latest release of Alibre Design effectively doubles the size of assemblies that can be handled and includes significant 2-D drawing speed enhancements. Following the largest beta testing program in Alibre's...

Anaqua Express, an intellectual asset management software from Anaqua, is packaged and priced for small to mid-sized enterprises.(Product Development Solutions)
November 1, 2008... Anaqua Express, an intellectual asset management software from Anaqua, is packaged and priced for small to mid-sized enterprises. The comprehensive solution for managing inventions, patents, trademarks and other intellectual assets can be...

Gerber Technology has introduced Accumark VStitcher Version 4.3,a virtual 3-D design and simulation software for the fashion industry.(Product Development Solutions)
November 1, 2008... Gerber Technology has introduced Aeeumark VStitcher Version 4.3,a virtual 3-D design and simulation software for the fashion industry. The solution allows users to view their fashions on an array of avatars with modifiable body parts and poses....

Siemens PLM Software promises expanded functionality with its latest release of JT2Go.(Product Development Solutions)
November 1, 2008... Siemens PLM Software promises expanded functionality with its latest release of JT2Go. New functionality of the 3-D visualization solution,which enables users to more effectively work with digital models created in the JT format, includes...

Dassault Systemes' Simulia introduces Insight for Abaqus,an add-on product for Abaqus FEA software that provides design exploration and optimization technology.(Product Development Solutions)
November 1, 2008... Dassault Systemes' Simulia introduces Insight for Abaqus,an add-on product for Abaqus FEA software that provides design exploration and optimization technology. The software lets users explore thousands of design options among competitive...

Inflation outpaces federal funding: academics lose federal R&D dollars for science and engineering.(By The Numbers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... It's all about inflation. Federal funding of academic science and engineering research increased between fiscal 2006 and fiscal 2007, but only if you discount inflation, according to data from the National Science Foundation. In current...

Powers of persuasion: successful negotiators each have their own unique approach, but they also have a few things in common.(PURCHASING)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Good negotiators have a lot of tools in their skill set, but at the top there's always at least one thing in common: the ability to be persuasive. While some of the best results are accomplished simply through...

Straight to the source: Dow Corning enables experienced purchasers to buy materials directly off the Internet.(PURCHASING)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even at a time when few people are seen during the workday without some sort of communications device clutched in their hand, attached to their ear or strapped to their belt, there are still a few companies out there...

The raw reality: manufacturers grow more concerned about rising material and energy costs.(PURCHASING)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Over the past year, manufacturers have grown decidedly more jaded about the rising cost of raw materials. That sentiment isn't going to be changing any time soon, according to a recent survey conducted by Prime Advantage, a buying consortium...

Eager for e-procurement.(By The Numbers)(Report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... While technology solutions within the e-procurement space have evolved since its inception years ago, analyst firm Aberdeen Group says companies haven't lost focus on the core goals within the procurement department. According to one of the...

Top 10 demand planning strategies: learn to trust the numbers and manage by exception.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Demand planners are kind of like weather forecasters--they rarely get credit for doing their job correctly, and they're only noticed when they get it wrong. Nevertheless, it's vitally important that they get it...

IBM unveils global supply chain hub in Ireland: facility was designed with green strategies in mind.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High-tech giant IBM and the Industrial Development Agency of Ireland (IDA Ireland) are in vesting roughly $44 million (EUR 30 million) in a new data center at I BM's Technology Campus in Dublin. This new facility,...

A healthier supply chain.(By The Numbers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Healthcare companies are pretty much like any other manufacturer when it comes to their chief supply chain challenges. "Capitalizing on new global market opportunities amidst an increasingly competitive industry landscape requires changes in...

How perfect is a perfect order? Supply chain groups collaborate on a new set of performance metrics.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Manufacturing executives who are not necessarily supply chain experts often find themselves tripped up by the labyrinthine terminology: How close to an exact time does "on-time delivery" have to arrive? (It depends.)...

Start Pulling Your Chain! Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2008... Start Pulling Your Chain! Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation By Donald J. Bowersox and Nicholas J. LaHowchic AOGI Enterprises, 2008, 358 pages, $49.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the title suggests,...

Online poll.
November 1, 2008... Which presidential candidate is most in tune with the needs of manufacturing? IndustryWeek.com readers respond: John McCain 44.43% Barack Obama 36.74% Neither one 18.83% Note: Table made from bar graph.

Chain reactions.(BLOG)
November 1, 2008... If supply chain is the answer, then what's the question? In this blog, INDUSTRY WEEK editor-in-chief and supply chain expert David Blanchard looks at the latest trends in supply chain management. Join in the discussion by sharing what works and...

Answering the call: manufacturers keep finding a way to get the job done, no matter what.(JUST IN TIME)(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... The financial crisis. War. Contaminated food. Global warming. Political infighting. Offshore competition. Massive layoffs. Belligerent dictators and despots. Depressed housing market. Rising fuel prices. Commodity shortages. In fact, the only...

The future if manufacturing: a forward-looking analysis of the trends, management strategies and best practices that will help U.S. manufacturers complete successfully.(Industry overview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What is the future of manufacturing in the United States throughout the rest of this decade and into the next? To hear some manufacturers tell it, a more accurate way of phrasing that question might be, "Is there a...