Category: Lean Manufacturing

  • Guest Blog: Real-world Advice for Getting Started on eKanban

    Guest Blog: Real-world Advice for Getting Started on eKanban

    by Jim Shore Through this guest blog series, I’d like to share some of my experiences implementing supplier quality and Lean manufacturing initiatives by focusing on eKanban systems. This first entry offers advice for planning an eKanban rollout – suggestions that can also be applied across any Lean manufacturing project. As a result, my hope

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  • 3 Ways to Put Big Data to Work in Your Factory

    3 Ways to Put Big Data to Work in Your Factory

    Is enthusiasm for Big Data wavering? In 2015, McKinsey Global Institute claimed that the IIoT had the potential to create as much as $3.7 trillion in economic value in the global manufacturing sector by 2025. They also predicted that 80 to 100% of manufacturers will have implemented IIoT applications by then and already be reaping

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  • Doing more with less: Learning from Kanban

    Doing more with less: Learning from Kanban

    The manual Kanban cards that were the precursor to Lean Manufacturing have evolved into eKanban systems that automate inventory replenishment and reduce material waste…     READ MORE on our guest post on EBN, the premier online community for global supply chain professionals.      

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  • The Magic Bullet for Real-Time Supply Chain Collaboration? Cloud Visibility.

    The Magic Bullet for Real-Time Supply Chain Collaboration? Cloud Visibility.

    Jessica Twentyman reported in the Financial Times, that for many manufacturers, supply chain collaboration is stuck in the dark ages. When it comes to ordering materials and components, managing inventory levels, or organizing the delivery of finished goods to customers, companies are forced continually to chase business partners – mostly suppliers, logistics companies, and retailers

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  • Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement

    Building Muscle for Waste Awareness It almost seemed hackneyed: Lean manufacturing and continuous process improvement.  The phrase is tossed about with a certain familiarity and forgone conclusion. Yet this intentional, ongoing process of improving services, and procedures to improve flow, customer satisfaction, quality, safety, and profit means nothing without metrics. A systematic process which identifies

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  • Lean Manufacturing Driven by Rapid Return on eKanban Technology Investment

    Lean Manufacturing Driven by Rapid Return on eKanban Technology Investment

    Lean Manufacturing relies heavily on trusted relationships with suppliers and pre-negotiated terms of engagement. Through the use of supplier quality certifications and blanket (long-term) purchase orders, a manufacturer can accurately and effectively calculate the optimal level of inventory needed to fulfill demand requirements through the duration of replenishment lead time. Ensuring supplier performance When a

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