Posted on: 13 July, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
Real-time shop floor technology by Shoplogix is profiled by manufacturing journalist Thomas R. Cutler in the current issue of the online version of Quality Digest. According to Cutlers article, At the Shorewood Packaging Midland Avenue facility in Toronto, real-time information helps yield world-class lean manufacturing results. Shorewood Packaging is part of International Paper, which has operations in more than 40 countries and sells its products in more than 120 nations. Shorewood Packaging has three plants in Ontario, Canada, and is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of premium packaging. The company could identify machines that were ahead or behind in...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 25 June, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
Encompix (www.encompix.com) a business unit of Made2Manage Systems, has filled the manufacturing software requirements of engineer-to-order companies since 1992. The company name reflects a commitment to developing business application solutions that encompass the complex areas of project-based and job-based manufacturing. Encompix provides ETO manufacturers with a competitive advantage by improving bottom line results. Headquartered in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, Reading Bakery Systems is a leading manufacturer of baking equipment, providing turnkey processing systems and support services for the grain based food industry. Replacing an old FoxPro-based application, Reading Bakery Systems has purchased a 30-user Encompix system for installation throughout the company. "Our...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 11 June, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
According to Frank Azzolino, President and CEO of aPriori, a producer of cost management software, It is essential to improve the economics of discrete manufacturing companies throughout the entire product development, production and delivery process by quantifiably and measurably reducing COGS. Innovative cost management software platforms provide accurate, predictive, real-time cost estimates for all individuals in the process who directly influence or manage product costs such as engineering, planning, manufacturing, procurement and program management. Manufacturing products produces waste that ranges from overproduction, waiting time, and transportation costs to overprocessing, excess inventory, unnecessary motion and scrap. By eliminating these wastes, production...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 09 June, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
According to Steve Celestini, Shoplogix VP Strategy and Chief Technical Officer, Monitoring work-in-progress increases real-time visibility with automated status notifications on semi-finished goods throughout the production process. Plantnode reduces the likelihood of material shortages, minimizes routing time, and allows for reductions in total inventory. Without Plantnode RESULT: With Plantnode RESULT: President and CEO Kevin Dwyer asserts, Plantnode streamlines work-in-progress and increases efficiency because production no longer stops due to material shortages, less supervision time is required due to automated task monitoring, and total carrying costs are decreased as a result of lower levels of inventory. ABOUT SHOPLOGIX Shoplogix develops intelligent...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 01 May, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
With an established base of more than twenty-five customers, Plantnode by Shoplogix has proven its value in real-world production environments. Field experience uniquely positions the company to provide tangible examples of rapid return-on-investment for customers. According to Shoplogix President and CEO, Kevin T. Dwyer, "We have taken the time to build a very feature-rich and functionally sound application. Our Plantnode solution instantly delivers very measurable and quantifiable benefits for our customers. I'm excited about taking a product with such a strong and measurable value proposition to the market." Dwyer is a seasoned executive with over twenty years of direct experience...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 06 April, 2006
Author: Steve Valentino
In the legacy system, the cost of maintaining the infrastructure is high, forcing call costs, such as longdistance calls, to be high. Hence, the services are dominated by large telecommunications com... In the legacy system, the cost of maintaining the infrastructure is high, forcing call costs, such as longdistance calls, to be high. Hence, the services are dominated by large telecommunications companies like as AT&T. Small companies, such as local exchange carriers, find the cost of installing legacy systems prohibitive. Hence, they are restricted to local geography. Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is an open architecture that can be...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 02 April, 2006
Author: Kent Pinkerton
Can you picture yourself in your den living a life without wires? Hair dryers to egg beaters, who say diamonds, are woman\'s best friends? Remember the primitive days when your community slogged and t... Can you picture yourself in your den living a life without wires? Hair dryers to egg beaters, who say diamonds, are woman\'s best friends? Remember the primitive days when your community slogged and toiled to make everyone happy in the family? The less electricity and space consuming devices are indispensable to a modern woman\'s existence and especially to single parents (fathers are you listening?). Article Tags:...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 22 March, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
Increasingly manufacturers are moving to a customer-based build-to-order model and away from a build-to-stock approach. Digital kanban is the latest and most fine tuned iteration of this techniq... Increasingly manufacturers are moving to a customer-based build-to-order model and away from a build-to-stock approach. Digital kanban is the latest and most fine tuned iteration of this technique which started with paper (card) kanban, then electronic kanban, and now real-time digital kanban. According to Matthew Marotta, founder of Datacraft Solutions, Pressure to reduce lead times, expanding product lines, and global competition drives the value of digital kanban, a lean manufacturing practice that...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 12 March, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
According to Rebecca Gill, Vice-President of Technology Group International (TGI), Enterprise 21 is a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software package developed in a closed system... According to Rebecca Gill, Vice-President of Technology Group International (TGI), Enterprise 21 is a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software package developed in a closed system approach. The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 affects small, medium, and large companies alike. The required dates of compliance may vary by company size, but the requirements themselves stay the same. Compliance is not option, it is a mandate. Created by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in...
Continue ReadingPosted on: 28 February, 2006
Author: Thomas R. Cutler
According to Michael OConnor, President of Pacific Steel and Supply, the largest independent nail distributor on the West Coast, Enterprise 21 offers significant advantages to his firm. Pacific... According to Michael OConnor, President of Pacific Steel and Supply, the largest independent nail distributor on the West Coast, Enterprise 21 offers significant advantages to his firm. Pacific Steel and Supply has approximately forty users, including the integration of outside sales group are hands-on users of Enterprise 21 ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) by TGI, Ltd. OConnor described the process when his firm was evaluating an ERP purchasing decision process; we started with...
Continue Reading