Industry Week articles from October 2008

Industry Week archives from October 2008

There's no 'I' in team: but there is a 'me,' especially in troubled times. Are you taking care of him or her?(BRANDT ON LEADERSHIP)
October 1, 2008... Many first-time managers are bollixed by our current economic uncertainty, wondering exactly how they should spend their time when customers aren't buying and inventories are piling up faster than you can say "Bernanke!" A few suggestions: ...

Silver bullets only exist in Hollywood: it's the slow, steady and continuous pursuit of excellence that wins the competitive race.(CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT)
October 1, 2008... I'm dating myself when I say this, but for those of you who remember The Lone Ranger, Tonto and Silver--the trusty steed--you'll also remember the famous silver bullets. Unfortunately, these only exist in Hollywood creations, not in the real...

You write the caption.
October 1, 2008... >> Congratulations to wieses, 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.
October 1, 2008... How many social networking systems (Linkedin, Facebook, MySpace, etc.) do you belong to? IndustryWeek.com readers respond: None 45% One 19% Two 19% Three 9% Four or more 8%

Jump starting electric car production: plans for new plants in the works.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Will electric cars ever get up to speed in the United States? Several moves over the past summer point toward progress in that direction. Two manufacturers have announced plans to build new production facilities in...

Green jobs coming to Pennsylvania.(Global Sitings)(FLABEG Automotive U.S. Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Germany-based glass manufacturer Flabeg plans to build a 209,000-square-foot facility outside Pittsburgh, where it will build solar mirrors used to help generate electricity at large-scale solar-power plants, according to Gov. Edward Rendell's...

Plastics supplier expands to Ohio.(Global Sitings)(A. Schulman Inc. (Akron, Ohio))(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Plastics compounds and resins manufacturer A. Schulman Inc. plans to build a new plant in Akron, Ohio, where the company is headquartered at the site of an existing distribution warehouse. The new facility will be built to accommodate growth in...

Hino heads to Mexico.(Global Sitings)(Hino Motors Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... truck manufacturer Hino Motors Ltd. has established a new manufacturing operation in Mexico through a joint venture with Mitsui & Co. Ltd. called Hino Motors Manufacturing Mexico. The partners are investing US$9 million in the facility, with...

Global gloom for manufacturers.(Quotation)
October 1, 2008... "the decline in manufacturing [employment] is a global phenomenon; it's not just a U.S. phenomenon." --David Huether, chief economist with the National Association of Manufacturers, in the Toledo Blade July 27

IW 2008 Best Plants finalists named.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Baldor Electric Co.)(Batesville Casket Co.)(Cordis LLC)
October 1, 2008... IndustryWeek's annual salute to manufacturing excellence is again under way. For the 19th consecutive year, the IW Best Plants competition is in search of 10 winning manufacturing facilities from across north America. the search has been...

Supply chains at risk.(By The Numbers)
October 1, 2008... Nearly every company is exposed to some type of natural disaster, but less than a quarter are concerned about the potential business impact of a catastrophic situation, according to survey results from risk management firm FM Global. The...

Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way.
October 1, 2008... Toyota Culture: The Heart And Soul of The Toyota Way By Jeffrey Liker and Michael Hoseus McGraw-Hill, 2008, 562 pages, $27.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeffrey Liker's 2004 book The Toyota Way is a must-read for plant managers...

Profile of a perfect plant.(FACILITIES & OPERATIONS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A perfect plant "is 100% on stream at full capacity producing consistently high quality product with no health, safety, or environmental incidents with optimal use of resources." A perfect plant "is a plant where...

Leveling energy's growing significance: nanotechnology offers a new route to better fuel economy.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Offshoring won't let you opt out of energy management. Consider that in 2000, the base cost for shipping a 20-foot container from Asia to the United States was about $3,000. In 2007 the price reached $8,000 and...

Better energy management via supply chain optimization.(FACTORY AUTOMATION)
October 1, 2008... A key aspect of optimizing the use of energy is optimization of the need to use it, observes Erv Bluemner, vice president of product marketing, transportation solutions, with RedPrairie Corp. The following is RedPrairie's guide to optimizing...

Say you want a machine control revolution? Researchers unveil new active disruptive-reject control technology.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you attended last month's International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), you might think that you've seen it all when it comes to automation equipment. But wait . . . there's a disruptive machine control...

Mastering the Hyper Cycle: How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time.(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Mastering the hyper Cycle: How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time By Jackie Fenn and Mark Raskino Harvard Business Press, 2008, 225 pages, $29.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It happens over and over again. some...

RFID down on the farm and up on the shelves: IBM teams with Norwegian food giant to develop track-and-trace technology.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Matiq, the IT subsidiary of Nortura, a major Norwegian food supplier, plans to start using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track and trace poultry and meat products from the farm, through the...

RFID'S popularity still on the rise: asset tracking is the most frequent use of the technology.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Survey)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Interest in radio frequency identification (RFID) is on the rise, according to a survey conducted by the Computing Technology Industry Association (Comp-TIA). The worldwide survey of 155 IT companies found that 46%...

Three pathways to greener IT: there are plenty of ways to be green. In the IT world, the solution falls into three general categories.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2008... 1. Improve Energy Efficiency By Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Manufacturers are producing new products that require less power. Product development teams are creating electrical circuit and power consumption designs that minimize power waste...

JDA acquires i2 technologies, IBM lands ILoG: supply chain marketplace undergoes a drastic shakeup.(Tech Scorecard)
October 1, 2008... Some pretty big names in the supply chain technology arena have changed hands recently, including arguably the biggest of them all: i2 Technologies. During the Internet bubble days of the late 1990s, the three most successful providers of...

EnterpriseIQ version 7.4.1.20 is a single-source ERP software solution from IQMS designed to enable lean operations across total supply chains.(It Solutions: ERP)
October 1, 2008... EnterpriseIQ version 7.4.1.20 is a single-source ERP software solution from IQMS designed to enable lean operations across total supply chains. the latest version includes over 1,000 built-in reports and 400 enhancements to areas such as...

Encompix 9.4.(It Solutions: ERP)
October 1, 2008... Encompix 9.4, an ERP solution for project-based, engineer-to-order manufacturing operations, now features an AutoCAd integration, which allows the software to exchange bills of material and item master information with AutoCAd, streamlining the...

The Visiprise ERP Shop Floor integration 2.0.(It Solutions: ERP)
October 1, 2008... The Visiprise ERP Shop Floor integration 2.0 is a packaged composite application for use with the SAP manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (sAP MII) application. It integrates the SAP ERP application with the SAP manufacturing execution...

Epicor iScala 2.3 SRI.(It Solutions: ERP)
October 1, 2008... Epicor iScala 2.3 SRI is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCm) solution designed to support organizations with global, multi-company or multi-site business...

Data Driven.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Data Driven By Thomas C. Redman Harvard Business Press, 2008, 272 pages, $29.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What do you do with data that's just sitting around, unused? This book suggests that data is a company's most...

Taking a closer look at U.S. manufacturing.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... * Re: "Just In Time: Heroes and Villains," Sep. 2008, Page 7 I agree that too many companies have jumped for the quick savings in their outsourcing efforts and have not taken a close enough look at all of the variables in such a decision....

On the comeback trail.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... * Re: "Welcome Back U.S. Manufacturing," Aug. 2008, Page 34 It's certainly about time. We have been reading about the doom and gloom for too many years now regarding the depletion of domestic manufacturing. We are a 100% domestic textile...

Multilingual management.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... * Re: "Talent Incubators," Aug. 2008, Page 14 It is wonderful to see that companies like Cargill Meat Solutions and Cascade Engineering are providing programs and education for Hispanic and unskilled workers that have enabled so many of...

Get off foreign oil.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... > Re: "Viewpoint: High Oil Prices Could Help U.S. Manufacturing," www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle. aspx?ArticleID=17024 Great article, maybe because the author articulates so well many things which I believe. I like Boone Pickens'...

For solar, the future is thin: thin film technologies are poised for growth.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rising energy prices, concerns about fossil fuels and financial incentives are among the forces driving a booming market for solar energy. Indeed, in the United States alone more than 80,000 solar installations were...

Product development planner: travel ideas for the innovator.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Calendar)
October 1, 2008... PLM North America 2008 Oct. 13-15 St. Augustine, Fla. www.plmnorthamerica.com IIR 14th Annual Innovation Immersion Conference Oct. 20-22 Phoenix www.iirusa.com/immersion/welcome.xml Technology Sourcing for...

Where man meets machine.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT)(Intel Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... "There is speculation that we may be approaching an inflection point where the rate of technology advancements is accelerating at an exponential rate, and machines could even overtake humans in their ability to reason, in the not-so-distant...

Do You Matter? How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Do you Matter? How Great Design Will Make People love your Company By Robert Brunner and Stewart Emery FT Press, 2008, 256 pages, $24.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "If you ceased to exist tomorrow, do you think anyone would really...

EMDS-for-ADS from Agilent Technologies is an integrated design flow solution that includes full 3-d electromagnetic (EM) simulation for RF module design.(Product Development Solutions)
October 1, 2008... EMDs-for-ADs from Agilent Technologies is an integrated design flow solution that includes full 3-d electromagnetic (em) simulation for RF module design. The solution is integrated into Agilent's Advanced design system electronic design...

BlueCielo ECM solutions has released InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework 2008.(Product Development Solutions)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... BlueCielo ECM solutions has released InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework 2008. this is the latest version of the Innocielo meridian enterprise module, which enables the exchange of content and collaborative workflow among geographically...

Shorter design times are promised with the release by Cadence Design systems of SPB 16.2, which addresses challenges faced by integrated circuit (IC) package designers or design teams.(Product Development Solutions)
October 1, 2008... Shorter design times are promised with the release by Cadence Design systems of SPB 16.2, which addresses challenges faced by integrated circuit (IC) package designers or design teams. this latest software release offers advanced IC/...

CarSim 7.1 vehicle dynamics software from Mechanical simulation Corp., which simulates the dynamic vehicle behavior of cars, light trucks and utility vehicles, can output more than 700 computed variables that can be plotted and analyzed.(Product Development Solutions)
October 1, 2008... CarSim 7.1 vehicle dynamics software from Mechanical simulation Corp., which simulates the dynamic vehicle behavior of cars, light trucks and utility vehicles, can output more than 700 computed variables that can be plotted and analyzed. Its...

Pam-Assembly 2008 from ESI Group is a simulation software tool for improving welding and welding assembly processes.(Product Development Solutions)
October 1, 2008... PAM-ASSEMBLY 2008 from ESI Group is a simulation software tool for improving welding and welding assembly processes. the tool helps users identify the direction and magnitude of welding distortion, allowing the implementation of countermeasures...

Measured success: customer satisfaction is a popular metric by which to gauge the success of innovation efforts. But it's not the only one.(By The Numbers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Many things about innovation frustrate executives, not the least of which is how best to gauge the success of their innovation efforts. As Boston Consulting Group's annual global survey of innovation illustrates, companies are relying on a...

Steeling a peak at future steel vehicles: vehicle technologies will respond to the challenge of increasing fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sustainability and safety will drive the future of steel vehicles, suggests WorldAutosteel, the automotive group of the international iron and steel institute. The auto group recently released early styling sketches...

Design Web site assists die casting product designers.(North American Die Casting Association )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Look no further than the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) for die casting product design assistance. The association has launched a new Web site called NADCA Design (www.diecastingdesign. org) to aid designers, engineers and...

Tier 1s say Toyota is Tops in supplier relations: annual study evaluates supplier working conditions at six major OEMs.(PURCHASING)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Manufacturers are always evaluating supplier performance. But those relationships are a two-way street, and it's important that both sides are doing their part. In a recent study conducted by research firm Planning...

Five keys to managing supplier information.(PURCHASING)
October 1, 2008... For manufacturers, getting to know their suppliers is a key part of the business. However, being able to maintain consolidated, companywide records of everything they learn is easier said than done. The reason for this is simple: Data are...

Problems in purchasing: pricing pressures and attracting new talent are the most imminent threats to the purchasing department.(PURCHASING)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Purchasing managers are sure to be challenged by a number of different problems over the next couple of years, but according to consulting firm Ernst & Young, pricing pressures and attracting the right talent will...

Commodities cooling off?(PURCHASING)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... "When the price of oil has fallen by more than 20%, and other commodities from steel and aluminum to corn and wheat have all fallen in price significantly, it represents a cushion for the economy. it is one of the few supports that we have......

Material demand.(MARKET WATCH)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Commodities Up In Price Acrylics Aluminum (7) Aluminum Extrusions (6) Caustic Soda (6) Chemicals (4) Corrugated containers (4) Diesel Fuel * (6) Freight (4) Fuel Surcharges...

The latest global hotspot: the USA: sometimes the best offshoring decision is to shift production back home.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As global socioeconomics change and as U.S. manufacturers become more efficient through the use of lean methodologies, flowing production back from China to the United States can be a smart business move, says Ken...

You can't slow down the supply chain: manufacturers are responding to high fuel prices by restructuring their logistics operations.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... When the price of oil hit $140 a barrel and a gallon of gas reached $4.00, U.S. motorists reacted quickly and logically--they stopped driving so much. With on-time deliveries an absolute necessity for U.S. manufacturers, slowing down the supply...

Worst form of muda.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
October 1, 2008... "Thinking you can't' is the worst form of muda because it thwarts your tackling the other, more-familiar forms of waste." --James Womack, The Lean Enterprise Institute

Portrait of best-in-class transportation management: for your customers, rule number one is: get it there on time.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)
October 1, 2008... When it comes to transportation management, a manufacturer's customers basically care about one thing, and one thing only: Get the products delivered on time. According to analyst firm Aberdeen Group, best-in-class manufacturers have an on-time...

New Methods of Competing in the Global Marketplace.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... New Methods of Competing in the Global Marketplace By Richard E. Crandall and William R. Crandall CRC Press, 2008, 456 pages, $69.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With the United States shifting in subtle and not-so-subtle ways from...

5 strategies to drive customer demand.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... While making quality products is extremely important, having a consumer-driven, adaptable supply chain is just as necessary to gain competitive advantage, says David Johnston, senior VP, supply chain and wholesale distribution, with JDA...

A greener set of supply chain KPIs.(SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS)(key performance indicators)(Capgemini U.S.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... As part of its forward-looking "2016: The Future Supply chain" project, consulting firm Capgemini has developed a new set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure supply chain sustainability. The new KPIs include: Energy...

Putting waste to work: forget the landfill. Manufacturers are getting better at finding ways to reuse their waste.(GREEN MANUFACTURING)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With many manufacturing organizations in hot pursuit of lean initiatives or corporate sustainability--or both--waste is on the run. By definition, lean proponents are taking actions to drive waste out of the...

An American daydream: since neither presidential candidate has much interest in the manufacturing industry, we'll have to resort to a bit of wishful thinking instead.(JUST IN TIME)(Editorial)
October 1, 2008... So it has come to this. On Nov. 4, we will elect a man to be chief executive of the United States who has never run a business, nor for that matter, even worked on staff for a business during their adult lives. Apparently, then, to judge by the...

Broadening the PLM footprint: as the scope of PLM capabilities and benefits broadens, more and more manufacturing executives are investing in the strategic business approach.(PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGIES)(product lifecycle management)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Adoption of product lifecycle management (PLM) technology is reaching record levels, with analysts predicting sustained growth for the next five years. Management in a widening number of industry sectors are viewing...

Taking care of business: the great debate: where do McCain and Obama stand on key manufacturing issues?(SPECIAL REPORT: ELECTION 2008)(Report)
October 1, 2008... AFTER NEARLY TWO SOLID YEARS OF TOWNHALL MEETINGS, CAMPAIGN speeches and wall-to-wall coverage by the national punditry, we know just about everything we ever possibly could have wanted to know about how many houses senator John McCain...