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Industrial Manufacturing: Page 260

Survey Details How Manufacturers Seek to Improve Their Supply Chains

The key supply chain challenge today is the juxtaposition of complex and extended supply networks with increasingly fast and volatile demand networks - and the increasingly ineffective role for inventory as a way to buffer cadence mismatches.

Lessons in Change Management

In addition to technical and functional skills, supply chain managers need to hone their "soft" skills in areas like project management and change management, says Bill Seliger of R.R. Donnelly Logistics Services.

Why You Need a Vehicle Management System Now

Why not use technology that locks out all but authorized users of forklifts and other vehicles in the DC and which measures the productivity of those vehicle and their operators, asks Ken Ehrman, president of I.D. Systems.

"State of the DOT" Report Is Available

The number of "active, for-hire carriers" registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is 166,810, an increase of 8 percent, or 11,570 since February 2011, according to the State of the DOT report released by QualifiedCarriers.

Some Manufacturers Have Extended More than a Helping Hand to Keep Their Suppliers Afloat

Without a doubt, the economic downturn was difficult on everyone. Significant cutbacks in production left thousands of smaller suppliers struggling to remain in business. In the midst of this bleak scenario, some large manufacturing organizations have opted to share financial expertise, efficiency and lean manufacturing knowledge - and, in some cases, actual capital - with their smaller, highly valued suppliers to pull them from the brink.

Aldata Unveils Updates to Category Optimization for Retail

Aldata, a provider of business software for retailers, manufacturers and distributors, has created the 2012 version of Aldata Category Optimization.

Hong Kong Customs Moves Forward With E-Lock Plans

The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) reports that RFID-based container locks can effectively improve the security, convenience and visibility of the customs process for cargo entering the airport.

Negotiating Supply Chain Agreements in a Time of Unexpected Disruptions

In the last year the headlines have been full of news about global supply chains and the disasters affecting them. From the Thai floods to the Japanese tsunami, to the tornadoes in Wichita and the Nylon-12 plant explosion in Germany, several fundamental truths about global supply chains have been made more apparent.

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TierOne Automotive Manufacturer Collaborates with Suppliers, Saving 25% in Inventory

Challenge: A multi-billion dollar automotive manufacturer of motor vehicles, engines, components and parts was experiencing significant communication challenges with their global suppliers. The high volume (200,000 parts) and diversity of parts required them to streamline their processes or risk losing customers, money, or both. Their former "push" inventory replenishment system with its one-way faxes and EDI orders could not accommodate any last-minute schedule changes nor did it provide the company or its suppliers with much visibility to stock and orders. Lastly, they needed to improve their supply chain administrative efficiencies internally and among its suppliers to reduce costs.

High Interest Seen in LNG-Powered Vehicles for Industrial Freight, But Adoption Remains Slow

Natural gas prices are at a 10-year low, and this has increased industry interest in the feasibility of natural gas vehicles for transporting freight. While compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles are appropriate for "return-to-base" vehicles like school buses, garbage trucks and local delivery trucks, liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles, because of their increased range, are currently a better option for long-haul, heavy-duty trucking.

The Smart Machine - A Win-Win Proposition

The days when it was considered cool to wave your credit card to make payments are history. What's cool now is when a consumer at a ball game waves her hand in front of a vending machine, and the machine not only dispenses her favorite drink but also sends her a mobile coupon to share with friends because her team is ahead in the game.

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Digging for Rare Earth: Another Challenge to China's Dominance

What began as a trickle of stories about challenges to China's supposed economic dominance has become a steady flow. It began with revelations of working conditions at Chinese factories. Soon we were reading about rising wages in the industrial sector - great for Chinese workers, but sure to make the country a less attractive source of cheap manufacturing for the West. Then there was the recent slowdown in China's foreign direct investment, along with the nation's struggle to create an economy that's geared more toward domestic consumption in the service of a growing middle class. Meanwhile, serious questions persist about the stability of China's banking system. And just last week, we learned that China's trade surplus with the U.S. is rapidly shrinking, as the country wrestles with the consequences of a stronger yuan.

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