Five Key Elements that Drive Manufacturing Flow

If you follow the Demand-Driven Matters blog, you know we specialize in Demand-Driven Manufacturing and have identified the two key components of this method as synchronization and flow. At an enterprise level, synchronization is all about fully connecting your organization to aggregate and share information in real-time. Data from machines, tools, applications, enterprise systems – any data source – is synchronized to drive decision-making (In our view, this also enables

Manufacturing + Technology = A More Unique You

Communicating your distinct value Manufacturing and technology are merging like never before. We’ve all read about how manufacturing will transform through concepts that include Industry 4.0, the Factory of the Future, Smart Manufacturing and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) – all of which are enabled through technology. These concepts are big. They’re exciting. And they offer great opportunities for manufacturers to differentiate in the service realm. When it comes

Visual Beats Verbal

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then visualizing a factory floor says a lot for an organization. The ability to translate any environment into a visual representation is incredibly empowering and is a strong step toward evolving a manufacturer into a connected, cutting edge company. I have had the privilege of working with organizations in their journey to becoming a ‘visual factory.’ What I have learned is that

John Maher, Synchrono Manufacturing Software

Smooth the rough spots with TOC, then Lean – and fine-tune with Six Sigma

What Grade of Sandpaper Will You Use? Part Four Here we are at the final installment of our four-part, Sandpaper blog series about when to use the tools of Lean Manufacturing, the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Six Sigma to address constraints, drive flow and promote continuous improvement. With regard to sandpaper, I talked a lot about what level of grit you will need to smooth out your processes—and what

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the Modern Marketer

For your customers, it’s more than just connectivity I was recently reading about the Industrial Internet of Things as it relates to my business—manufacturing software. It’s exciting that technologies are now available that will liberate manufacturers from the rigid systems and processes of the past. For today’s manufacturer, the IIoT boils down to the ability to capture and connect data from multiple sources to attain truly meaningful information. An interesting

Common Lean Manufacturing Software Project Constraints

Leveraging Project “Constraints” and Maximizing Results As a project manager for demand-driven, lean manufacturing software, I have more than a nodding acquaintance with the theory of constraints (TOC). What I find quite remarkable is the ability to apply the theory of constraints to other mediums beyond the manufacturing of goods – even something like project work. When a client