Manufacturing Business Technology articles from August 2008

Manufacturing Business Technology archives from August 2008

The code in the machine.
August 1, 2008... By Kenneth Wong, contributing editor A look at the impact of Mechatronics beyond product development Don't be surprised if a friend who gives you a ride in his new Ford Fusion or Mercury Milan suddenly begins talking to his car. He...

Partnership delivers SaaS-enabled configuration.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Bluewolf Consulting and configuration solutions specialist BigMachines will automate the quote-to-cash process, offering training services for deploying the BigMachines Lean Front-End (LFE) product configurator. Bluewolf will...

Workbench tool aids S&OP meeting managers.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Supply Chain Consultants (SCC) announces Zemeter S&OP Azimuth software for presentation of summarized data to conduct sales & operations planning (S&OP) meetings. The solution has tools to integrate data from many systems,...

Project quality management for automotive.
August 1, 2008... By Staff A new version of SupplyOn Project Management uses the standardized APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) methodology to detect product- or process-related problems and ensure completion of automotive development projects. ...

Predictive analysis in value-based pricing model.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Intercim 's Pertinence manufacturing execution system suite manages the entire production process from design through final inspection. Comprised of Process Planning, Process Rules Discovery, Process Execution, Operations Advisor,...

Simulation & modeling for heavy oils processing.
August 1, 2008... By Staff SimSci-Esscor PRO/II 8.1.2 PRO/II solution enhancements from Invensys Process Systems include a new petroleum characterization procedure for heavy oils to extrapolate critical properties and molecular weights. "We recognize...

Historical analysis of KPI data.
August 1, 2008... By Staff An OEM agreement between Transpara and OSIsoft enables historian users to trend key performance indicator (KPI) status and calculations by adding time-series capabilities even if their back-end data source is not time...

Aras delivers open source PLM on Microsoft .NET.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Available exclusively on the Microsoft .NET platform, Aras Innovator's open enterprise service-oriented architecture [SOA] enables companies to deploy quickly and adapt easily while maintaining upgradeability. The Aras Innovator...

Enterprise PLM for discrete manufacturers.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Infor PLM 8 is targeted to automotive, industrial equipment & machinery, aerospace, and high-tech & electronics manufacturers. Enhancements streamline the engineer-to-order production model by leveraging real-time data-sharing,...

Next-gen product cost-management.
August 1, 2008... By Staff aPriori v6 product cost management software will lend support for more of the leading 3D CAD applications. Combined with existing integration to PTC Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire and enhanced support for industry standards including STEP...

Arena adapter integrates with PLM product record.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Product life-cycle management (PLM) vendor Arena Solutions announces an electronic design automation (EDA) adapter to integrate the centralized product record with engineering's schematic design tools, allowing engineers to make...

MIKOH boosts RFID tag security.
August 1, 2008... By Staff MIKOH has licensed a reusable closure mechanism design from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA hinge mechanism consists of overlapping tabs that affix to existing containers to create the seal to which MIKOH...

UCF framework sets the standard.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Network Frontiers says its Q1 2008 Unified Compliance Framework (UCF) is the first independent database to simplify IT compliance, enabling cross-platform configuration management via a harmonized set of controls, and furthering...

GE Fanuc servers slash TCO.
August 1, 2008... By Staff IS-100 and IS-200 industrial grade servers benefit from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms ' product life-cycle management (PLM) programs, which ensure IS-100 and IS-200 hardware continuity over five years. PLM also gives users...

Real innovation makes life easier.
August 1, 2008... by Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor I have a friend I wouldn't call a technophobe, nor can I call him an early adopter. He will use new technology, but only after it does something that actually makes his life easier. When he first...

Close the loop between planning and execution.
August 1, 2008... By Julie Fraser Like anything else, the supply chain market goes through cycles. In the 1980s and '90s, advanced planning & scheduling (APS) was the big focus for many companies. Then supply chain execution, including warehousing and...

Industry spotlight: Executives discovering value of PLM software.
August 1, 2008... By Ed Miller Because of the far-reaching impact of product life-cycle management (PLM) and its expanding footprint across the enterprise, the approach now is widely regarded as do-or-die in a turbulent global economy where companies...

Platform as a service: Kerry Group extends enterprise apps into the cloud.
August 1, 2008... By Tony Baer, senior contributing editor For the Americas region of Kerry Ingredients , part of Kerry Group, new product development is the lifeblood of the business. Until recently, the maker of custom ingredients for major food & beverage...

Alien Technology RFID blooms for Daisy Brand.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Dallas-based dairy products processor Daisy Brand launched its RFID implementation to comply with the Wal-Mart RFID mandate, but has since leveraged the solution to improve its own internal operations and customer service. ...

Impinj masters RFID directional movement.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Determining which direction a tagged item is moving when being read delivers significant contextual business value, claims RFID technology vendor Impinj , which says it has effectively mastered the task with its Octane 3.0...

Beyond documents: Trade management moves to the financial side of the street.
August 1, 2008... Malcolm Wheatley, senior contributing editor Headquartered in Littleton, Colo., Holiday Creations sells custom-designed seasonal merchandise such as decorative lights and festive wreaths. The company is a "virtual" manufacturer: All its...

Oco on-demand business intelligence solution smartens up SMB market.
August 1, 2008... By Frank O Smith, senior contributing editor (fosmith@thewritinggroup.com) Bill Coyne, director of purchasing and logistics for Concord, Mass.-based Welch Foods , was looking for an affordable on-demand business intelligence (BI) tool that...

Unplanned events: Rolling with the punches is the vital component in S&OP.
August 1, 2008... By Jim Fulcher, contributing editor (jimfulcher@comcast.net) Former boxing champion Mike Tyson once claimed, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." In many respects, the same holds true for manufacturers. While a...

Supply chain solution transforms global business networks.
August 1, 2008... By Staff The latest release of the SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) application has enhanced functionality for supply network collaboration (SNC); extended warehouse management (EWM); and enhanced planning. Benefits include: ...

A whole new angle.(Company overview)
August 1, 2008... By Jim Fulcher, contributing editor Gardner Denver, Ce De Candy take wireless route to better business performance Market leaders constantly search for new ways to improve business performance--whether through enhanced business...

Business analytics solution soothes international growing pains for Alltech Biotechnology.
August 1, 2008... By Staff The good news for Alltech Biotechnology , a leader in the animal feed industry, was rapid international growth. The bad news was that in the meantime, the Lexington, Ken.-based company's number of major databases had grown to 60....

Energy producer creates method for responding to market swings.
August 1, 2008... By Staff In these energy-conscious times, SASOL finds itself in an enviable position. The 58-year-old South African company has been converting coal into gasoline since its inception. It also now converts natural gas into diesel fuel and...

Plant technicians move from memory reliance to knowledge database advantage.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Many companies periodically contemplate creating a database to capture the so-called "tribal knowledge" of employees. That way, they reason, there would be a database containing details about processes, procedures, and previous...

Operations execution system raises Volvo CE to global enterprise status.
August 1, 2008... By Staff There's a difference between a multinational corporation and a global enterprise. The former has operating units--production plants and other facilities--in numerous countries that essentially function on their own. The...

Solving the hard problems.
August 1, 2008... By Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor Industrial networks move to the head of the class in wireless innovation Blaine Tookey spent several years trying to solve a business problem akin to shooting at a moving target. Then he discovered...

Graphics management platform makes a picture worth a thousand simulations for Bell Helicopter.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Steve Lewis appreciates the power of a picture. Employed by Bell Helicopter for nearly 30 years, there was a time he flew all over the world as a staff engineer to translate what he calls the "engineering speak" that often...

Customer needs pave Ethernet's way from factory floor to executive suite.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Listening to your customers is a skill to hone. That's why users of both Rockwell Automation and Cisco Systems solutions recently attended the Customer Innovation Council --a series of events hosted by the vendors--to make their...

Equipment data finds its way into enterprise systems via automation appliance.
August 1, 2008... By Staff A major North American automotive manufacturer was struggling with data extraction from its factory-floor equipment and moving it up into an enterprise system. It wanted to avoid the lengthy prospect of first having to deploy...

Visual unification: SOA-based solution converts production data into actionable intelligence.
August 1, 2008... By Staff International Paint was experiencing the kind of problem a manufacturer would love to have. An operating unit of Netherlands-based Akzo Nobel , the company was running its Houston-based plant full-tilt with three shifts, but...

The writing on the wall: Your 10-year road map for environmental innovation and trends.(Company overview)
August 1, 2008... By Pamela J. Gordon, lead consultant, TFI Environment Earlier this year, two companies launched MP3 players that run on solar power--no battery or cord needed. And another company recently replaced an older-technology power supply with one...

Intelligent move: GE Fanuc offers SOA-based workflow suite.
August 1, 2008... By Staff GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms ' long-rumored move into service-oriented architecture (SOA)-based plant operations suites is coming into view with availability in July of Proficy Workflow, a solution that Greg Millinger,...

Operations management for packaging manufacturers.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Apriso FlexNet for Packaging Manufacturers, an operations execution management solution, has preconfigured business processes for makers of flexible, folding, paper, PET, metal, and glass packaging. The solution integrates the...

Open innovation: NineSigma uncovers solutions to the tough engineering problems.
August 1, 2008... Sidney Hill, Jr. By Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor (shill@reedbusiness.com) As a research & development executive in the fabric care unit of Procter & Gamble (P&G), Paul Stiros grew weary trying to create a product that would...

Pharmaceutical manufacturers use PLM to swallow bitter regulatory pill.
August 1, 2008... By Bill Atkinson, contributing editor (w.atkinson@mchsi.com) Pharmaceutical manufacturers are focusing attention and resources on product life-cycle management (PLM) adoption, according to a report out of London-based Datamonitor , titled...

Design contest proves CAD software accelerates the innovation process.
August 1, 2008... By Staff If you asked Benjamin Mahan about the value of CAD software, he might respond with a line from a credit card commercial: Priceless. Mahan, a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, used the Pro/ENGINEER CAD package...

Merger unites two organizations devoted to product development.
August 1, 2008... By Staff The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), a resource for the profession of product development and innovation, has merged with the International Association for Product Development (IAPD). PDMA is comprised...

Lean and green: Benefits automation system unearths more value from ERP.
August 1, 2008... By Jean Thilmany, contributing editor (thilmanyj@gmail.com) Last year, one objective of the human resources (HR) department at Waterloo, Wis.-based Trek Bicycle Corp. was to run a leaner department by doing away with the manual aspects of...

Business requirement: Be SAS-70 saavy.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Since passage of Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002, the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70, Type II audit report (SAS 70) has become a virtual business requirement for service and outsourcing providers--especially those serving publicly...

Expand on this: North American companies rate NAFTA a plus for global competitiveness.
August 1, 2008... By Staff North American manufacturers consider the United States the most desirable country for expansion over the next three years, according to a survey released by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM); The Manufacturing...

Tips for financing in tight times.
August 1, 2008... By Staff Good news: While the U.S. economy is stuck in downshift, manufacturing hasn't universally lost traction, nor its ability to secure money from financial markets, says Tom Murphy, executive VP of the manufacturing and wholesale...