Category: Uncategorized
-
Efficiency vs. Productivity: Metrics that Matter…Until They Don’t
Measure efficiency and productivity against your REAL goal I keep seeing the word efficiency in the manufacturing media. For someone who is a Constraints Management person, this is the equivalent of saying “Ni” to the Knights Who Say Ni (Monty Python reference, okay?) or like scratching your fingernails across a blackboard. It is one of…
-
POV: 3 Ways Layered Technology Differs from the ERP Add-On
Most manufacturers have, at one time or another, deployed an “ERP add-on.” These are the bits and pieces of functionality sold through third parties that round out the capabilities of an ERP system. Common ERP add-ons can include core functionality like Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) and Supply Chain Planning (SCP), but for major…
-
Guest Blog Part 3: Listen to the Process
Through this guest blog series, my intent is to share some of my experiences implementing supplier quality and Lean manufacturing initiatives by focusing on eKanban systems. My first post offered advice for planning an eKanban rollout (advice that could be applied across any Lean manufacturing project). In my second installment, I reviewed strategies for rolling…
-
Time to Revisit Your Constraints
We talk a lot about constraints management in our work with customers who are implementing Demand-Driven Manufacturing (DDM) in their facilities. That’s because constraints management is fundamental for synchronizing the pace of production and keeping the demand (orders) flowing throughout the shop floor. But, our focus is naturally on physical constraints, e.g., that…
-
How the Internet of Things Can Help You Lower Inventory Levels
McKinsey Global Institute predicts the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will have an economic impact of up to $11 billion by 2025. As much as $3.7 billion of that is expected to come from manufacturing improvements in things like operations management and predictive maintenance. The word seems to have gotten out. In a 2016 study…
-
5 Keys to Manufacturing Transformation
Almost every manufacturer we talk to these days is in the process of implementing (or planning to implement) some sort of change in the way they approach operations: Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean, Six Sigma, just to name a few. Our focus on demand-driven manufacturing tools and applications has given us a front-row seat to…
