This infographic by the Aberdeen Group and the TBM Consulting Group outlines the top business pressures facing sales and operations planning and integrated business planning (S&OP/INP) process. S&OP/IBP Users have superior customer service, cash-to-cash cycle, and forecast accuracy, driven by the effective measurement of their process and strategic actions. These improvements move them from predicting results toward a prescriptive approach, allowing them to manage their costs while growing their top line. View the full infographic and read the report on this topic below!
Read More →American Supply Chain Summit 2017
The American Supply Chain Summit is a leadership focused meeting designed around improving supply chain and procurement strategy across the globe. The Supply Chain Summit serves as an annual platform to exchange ideas and collaborate on the impact of market dynamics and new technologies for current and future supply chain & operations leaders. This year’s Summit creates an opportunity to examine key case studies on how workforce management, advanced analytics, process improvement, and automation are being rolled out in the world’s best facilities. Join the in-depth discussions on achieving innovation, maximizing supply chain profitability, and increasing visibility and flexibility to mitigate risk. KEY THEMES PROFITABILITY & RISK MANAGEMENT Going beyond cost reduction and control to enable profitable growth Building a flexible supply chain to deal with uncertainty Managing for customer service while balancing risk and cost Managing Risk in a Global Market COST OPTIMIZATION Tools and Logistics processes engineered for greater efficiency Taming complex supply chains to reduce costs without increasing risk Supplier Management that drives “should cost” mentality Cost Reduction through Network Optimization TECHNOLOGY Disruptive technologies that are changing the supply chain environment The impact of additive manufacturing The Agile Supply Chain as a source of competitive advantage Understanding how IoT will interact and change the Supply Chain WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT Designing programs that produce desired attraction, development & retention outcomes Talent Management as a driver to reduce labor costs Identifying top performers and building the talent pipeline Building a …
Read More →Q&A eBook with QT9 Software: Benefits of Automating Your Quality Management System with Software
Industry regulations can make life for medical device manufacturers very challenging. Regulations are there for a reason and are required to grow and improve your business. This is different than in most manufacturing sectors. Demonstrating compliance to these various regulations requires meticulous record management. As an example; the ability to easily manage and maintain your records for Product Design, can provide an organization with a competitive edge for getting new products, or enhancing existing products for their market. QT9 Software will be speaking at our American Medical Device Summit taking place October 4-5th, 2017 in Chicago, IL. The presentation topic will be on the “Benefits of Automating Your Quality Management System with Software.” We asked Brant a few questions about quality management, issues medical device manufacturers are facing today, and how to save time and money in the industry. Please, take a look at our Q&A eBook with Brant Engelhart from QT9 Software below!
Read More →Executive Interviews and Visioning: Launching the Business Case for Change
One of the first steps in beginning an ERP project and launching the business case for change is to determine why change is necessary. Through our on-site meetings with this client, we were able to identify a few key areas that would be improved upon by a modern enterprise application system. In the article below, you will be able to identify key areas in a business that would benefit from a modern enterprise application system including: Customer Focus; Business Processes; Organizational Change Management Strategy (OCM); Revenues; Data Cleansing and Storing; and Automation. Ultra Consultants’ goal is to determine how an ERP system would add value to a business after assessing the needs of the business beforehand. For more information, please read the full article below!
Read More →Q&A with Intel: Looking at the Factory of the Future
When looking at the future of manufacturing, we wanted to gather thoughts and insights from our American Manufacturing Summit elite speaker Dr. Irene J. Petrick of Intel, an internationally recognized expert in strategic road mapping and innovation, and the Director of Business Strategy for the Industrial and Energy Solutions Division in Intel’s Internet of Things Group. At Intel, it is Dr.Petrick’s job to provide leadership in the integration of business and technology strategy and to develop solutions that will drive exciting technology to create smart edge devices and end-to-end solutions. In the manufacturing space, there have been major shifts towards smart manufacturing, with a goal to optimize the manufacturing process entirely. Dr. Irene Petrick believes that smart manufacturing triggers are likely to emerge from needs-based business drivers such as operational efficiency and flexibility, ROI, and enhanced customer relationships, and social accelerators such as a growing middle class with an appetite for customized products and a declining manufacturing workforce. Solutions that support the convergence of operating technologies and information technologies will accelerate this manufacturing transformation. It is important to note that there are four shifts that drive smart manufacturing adoption: Modular Manufacturing Digital Threads Networked Ecosystems Human and A.I. Choreography Today’s manufacturers have the opportunity to increase the transparency in their operations using IoT technologies that will acquire and transfer data from the asset through the fog to the cloud, resulting in efficiency ROI, and closer customer relationships, Dr. Petrick notes. …
Read More →Webinar: ISO 9001:2015: An Implementation Perspective
Is your organization ready for ISO 9001:2015? Have you begun preparing to transition or get certified to the new standard? This webinar by Intelex Technologies features Peter Merril, one of North America’s foremost authorities on the implementation of ISO 9001. Peter shares his expertise and insights on how to proactively jump-start your transition. The webinar topics discussed include: An outline of the structure of the new ISO 9001:2015 standard; Discussion of interpretations and new terminology; and Practical tips to help organizations transition and meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2015. Watch Now Below!
Read More →Lean Six Sigma and ERP: Putting it All Together for Improved Performance
It’s common for manufacturers to perceive Lean Six Sigma and ERP as contrasting approaches. They often see them as “mutually exclusive” with competing goals and objectives. This informative paper looks at the characteristics of the three approaches. After downloading, you’ll be able to identify the differences and similarities of each. Discover the techniques to combine Lean, Six Sigma and ERP for an effective journey of continuous improvement that leads to improved business performance. “LEAN CALLS INTO PLAY TOOLS THAT ASSIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION AND STEADY ELIMINATION OF WASTE.” Find out more by downloading this white paper here.
Read More →Millennials Don’t Want to Work at Google?
3M knows a thing or two about attracting Millennials to the workforce! In 2016 they took the number one spot from Google as a preferred workplace for millennials, according to an NSHSS (National Society of High School Scholars) survey published in Forbes magazine. In light of this success, we are thrilled to have David Kadrie, VP, Lean Six Sigma join us at the upcoming American Supply Chain Summit to discuss the best strategies to attract and retain millennial talent. In addition to their success managing the skills gap, 3M recently announced better than expected quarterly profits in January due to cost containment efforts. David has led an innovative team through their restructuring efforts to lower operating expenses and achieve better than expected results. What are you doing on April 24th – 25th? Join us for the American Supply Chain Summit in Orlando, Florida to hear first-hand case studies and strategies from some of the world’s leading practitioners!
Read More →Case Study: How to Get Started with Quality Performance Management
In an effort to catch quality nonconformances earlier and reduce cost, companies are focused on collecting as much performance data as possible. This data is often leveraged by quality and continuous improvement professionals to derive intelligence. Unfortunately, the conversion from data into intelligence is where many fall short. LNS Research’s recent studies and discussions with industry executives have shown that despite any data collection efforts and technological capabilities, many companies lack a strong performance management foundation for transforming information into something actionable. To gain a better understanding of the foundations of a strong quality performance management program, this report will focus on highlights from the recent LNS Research Global Executive Council meeting. Specifically, readers of this case study will gain insights into the following areas of quality performance management: An overview of Accuride’s quality performance management program Identifying the right metrics for your organization The importance of focusing on both process and product losses An understanding of how much data is required to get started Recommendations and the role of technology in performance management View the full case study below!
Read More →Performance Behavior: the Lean Methodology for Continuously Improving Performance Behavior
The book ‘Performance Behavior’ (by Neil Webers) describes how an organization can link performance to behavior to minimize waste and optimize performance behavior. 8 FORMS OF HUMAN-WASTE are outlined which obstruct continuous improvement: Leadership-waste the result from too much push-management (based on authority) Comfort-waste the result of targets that aren’t enough stretching Communication-waste the result of misunderstandings that usually originate from meetings Discipline-waste the result when people are not being held accountable for not adhering to standards Goal-waste the result of employees having no idea of what is expected of them Engagement-waste the result of asking people to take responsibility for events or results which they cannot influence themselves Solving-waste the waste of capacity to solve problems when people work on solving problems without focusing on the root-cause of a problem Tuning-waste is the waste where people talk about different problems or solutions Find out more below!
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