Manufacture Smarter Blog

11/6/2015 - THE CENTER
Companies can achieve significant results from innovation driven by solid research and development (R&D). From the proof of concepts to the actual commercialization of ideas, the R&D process can spark new innovations, lead to new efficiencies and develop your workforce. It also helps organizations enhance or create products and diversify offerings.

10/30/2015 - THE CENTER
Lean is a powerful, effective and simple to understand business improvement activity. Kanban, a lean information and material flow control tool, is a great example of this simplicity. Initiated by Toyota, Kanban is a concept that relates to obtaining materials or required items 'just in time' for their introduction into the assembly or process.

10/23/2015 - THE CENTER
It’s easy to make the innovation process out to be something far more complicated than it needs to be. Case in point:  Almon Strowger, who patented the automatic telephone exchange in 1891. His idea came about in order to solve a problem:  he was losing business due to his small-town telephone operator.

10/16/2015 - THE CENTER
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a ratio that demonstrates the number of parts produced by a machine versus its theoretical or optimal capacity.

10/9/2015 - THE CENTER
Where do you go for help regarding new, lightweight materials? Who is really working on the materials and processes to create future vehicles and products which are lightweight, sustainable, and affordable?  How can I position my company for growth as the lightweight trend goes from being a gentle wave to a tsunami?

10/2/2015 - THE CENTER
The end goal of every manufacturer is to build a superior product which brings value to the customer at a reasonable cost. But, how this is accomplished relies on having an efficient and effective workflow within the plant. The process of taking in raw materials and transforming them into finished goods can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be!

9/25/2015 - THE CENTER
Since 2011, when President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act into law, both the food industry and the world waited for a glimpse of the final regulations. Following numerous revisions and delays throughout the years, the FDA released the first two of seven proposed rules this month.

9/18/2015 - THE CENTER
“That order will be delivered within the next day. It will be picked and shipped as soon as I hit ENTER. Thank you so much for making us your number one supplier. We value your business”. Once the ENTER key is pressed, will the inventory be available to fulfill the order?

9/11/2015 - THE CENTER
ISO standards help make the world safer and more efficient. The sparked interest in the new ISO 9001:2015 revision is significant, given that the draft has notable changes vs. the current 2008 version.

9/4/2015 - THE CENTER
If you Google “Value Stream Mapping,” a very elaborate (and wordy) definition pops up on the screen. In order to understand the concept, we must simplify the definition. Value Stream Mapping looks at how things are currently executed in order to improve processes in the future. The actual mapping portion comes into play because a written ‘map’ is used to sequentially depict steps required to design, produce and provide a good or service.