Industry WeekMore from Industry WeekBusiness Strategy AlignmentIreland Reasserts Itself in the Manufacturing WorldIreland was one of the fastest-growing European economies (though briefly it was also one of the most expensive), but suffered a major collapse starting in 2008. However, today its costs are rapidly coming back into line and Irish manufacturing companies are again becoming competitive.November 5, 2012Business Strategy AlignmentFor Lean Initiative to Succeed, It Helps if the CEO Is an Expert on LeanLegendary lean practitioner Art Byrne says he didn't have to accept excuses from employees when he requested dramatic improvements on the plant floor. That's because Byrne had become a "lean expert" and knew what type of changes were possible. There's a big difference between CEOs who engage in lean and those who simply encourage it.October 29, 2012Global Trade ManagementImproving Your Approach to System Improvement Is Key to SuccessSystem improvement is much more than problem solving. It is dual-staged, having two dependent parts that must be handled with the same enthusiasm to ensure success. The first segment is concerned with problem identification and solution finding, while the second segment deals with realizing a corrective action.October 19, 2012Business Strategy AlignmentMake Your Company Less Appealing to the Opportunistic LitigantOver the last two years, manufacturers and sellers of consumer products across the industrial spectrum have faced growing wave of class-action lawsuits brought by consumers. Perhaps your company can become less appealing as a target.October 2, 2012All TechnologyUnplanned Downtime Is the Greatest Source of WasteDowntime is the enemy of lean. Downtime is, in fact, waste. Idled lines do not add value. Restarting production after unplanned downtime requires more effort, usually expended with less efficiency and worker productivity. This reintroduces waste, which creates added costs that customers do not pay for, yet must be absorbed into cost of goods sold.September 28, 2012All TechnologyManufacturing Doesn't Have to Go Looking for Data. It's Already Swimming in It.Manufacturing is one industry that is wasting data for lack of the means to quickly and effectively analyze it.September 25, 2012All TechnologyHow Do You Decide Which RFID Strategy to Employ in Your Organization?The advancement of technology, combined with demand from customers, has continued to fuel interest in radio frequency identification tagging systems. Yet for all the attention paid to RFID, data from APQC's Open Standards Benchmarking in logistics shows a majority of organizations have not adopted an RFID tagging strategy.September 18, 2012All TechnologyThe Cost of Not Properly Managing 'Big Data' Can Be HugeBig data is real and it is costing you money. This is according to a recent report put out by Oracle breaking down some of the most pressing big data business challenges facing manufacturers today.August 29, 2012All TechnologyMarket for Enterprise Asset Management Solutions RecoversJust as homeowners are more likely to renovate their current homes rather than purchase a new one when the economy is soft, so too are many manufacturers opting to maintain and repair their existing equipment rather than making substantial capital investments in new systems.August 20, 2012All TechnologyCan Automotive Supply Chain Overcome Challenges Facing It?Anyone in the business of manufacturing automobiles, trucks and automotive components back in the tumultuous years of 2008 and 2009 might be tempted to put their metaphorical transmission into neutral, reveling just a little bit in the success that surrounds an industry that is experiencing something akin to a rebirth. But as sweet as that might seem in the short term, there are significant challenges facing automotive suppliers despite the improving production outlook.August 16, 2012Previous PagePage 9 of 30Next Page