Industry WeekMore from Industry WeekAll TechnologyMature Integrated Business Planning Processes Can Be Difficult to Set Up, But They're Worth ItIntegrated business planning is a process that does exactly what its name implies-it brings together fragmented strands of strategic, financial and operational planning and performance management.September 12, 2014All TechnologyProper Planning Up Front Required if Lean Programs Are to Maximize Production, Profitability IncreasesSignificant effort and dollars are invested in lean initiatives each year in manufacturing plants across the United States. These investments can yield significant production and profitability gains if done properly.September 4, 2014Business Strategy Alignment3-D Printing's Revolution Is in New Approach to Designing Parts, Not in Making Same Old Parts a New WayMany people look at end use parts as the nirvana of 3-D printing. But what's really interesting about 3-D printing is not how it's augmenting the way things are done traditionally. It's the way designers are utilizing 3-D printing as a new paradigm to help design a new kind of object.August 28, 2014All TechnologyLow-impact Incidents Are One Thing, But Are You Ready for a Major Disruption to Your Supply Chain?As manufacturers seek to source quality goods at the lowest cost, supply chains that were once confined to a single country or continent have stretched around the world. Managers have become adept at addressing recurrent risks—frequent, low-impact incidents such as demand fluctuations or supply delays that affect efficiency. However, they have devoted less energy to designing supply chains that prevent or mitigate the impact of disruptive risks such as labor strikes, political unrest, regulatory shifts, and natural disasters. These events can have severe and lasting repercussions on operations, so manufacturers would do well to devise strategies that alleviate this risk.June 26, 2014Business Strategy Alignment'Green' Is More Than Good - It's Essential to the Bottom LineGreen is much more than an environmental imperative or social responsibility cause – it's an essential strategy for savvy businesses looking to differentiate and grow the bottom line. And it's important to every aspect of business, starting with manufacturing.May 30, 2014Business Strategy AlignmentSupply Chain Management Is Too Big a Job for Just One Person, No Matter What Their Title IsTo drive robust supply chain performance, many companies put one individual in charge, either a chief operations officer (COO) or a chief supply chain officer (CSCO). With the right leadership agenda these positions can make a major impact on performance. In some organizations, however, the appointment of a COO or CSCO may unintentionally lead other senior executives to view the supply chain as "somebody else’s problem."May 19, 2014Business Strategy AlignmentResurgence of Apparel Industry in U.S. Shows How Businesses Must Change Their WaysSometimes an industry simply can't move forward without changing and embracing more sustainable business models. Consider America's apparel industry.October 24, 2013Business Strategy AlignmentEthnographic Studies Lead to New-Product SuccessesMany a company has a "customer first" approach, and improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma start with the "voice of the customer". So what is the point in trying to solve modern-day business problems with ethnography methods that many people still exclusively associate with anthropology?October 18, 2013Business Strategy AlignmentThe Grand Challenge for Manufacturing Is to Revitalize an Often Low-tech, Unimaginative IndustryOver the past decade, the Grand Challenge has become the golden-haired child of innovation.October 8, 2013All TechnologyIf You Improved Your Processes, Why Are You Making the Same Mistakes Again?Have you ever wondered why it is so easy for improved processes to go back to how they were performing before improvement? Why it always seems that, even if everybody follows the new instructions, the process still produces defects? Why it's so hard to maintain the benefits in the process after the projects are done?October 1, 2013Previous PagePage 6 of 30Next Page
