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 the benefits of data-driven insights into their operations. When Gartner surveyed manufacturers in 2016, nearly

Why Demand-Driven Manufacturing is Focused on Metrics for Action

Driving Continuous Improvement. In Demand-Driven Manufacturing, there is only one measurement that is important to drive performance:  Throughput. There are two subordinate measurements: Inventory and Operating Expense.  These three measurements cover the gambit of what needs to be measured because they are directly related to customer orders, cash captured inside the organization, and the cash it takes to turn inventory into sales. Demand-driven managers know that having too many metrics

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 and eliminates waste so that ongoing, measurable gains are routinely achieved can only be quantified

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 relationship is setup with a supplier, a service level agreement is defined. Items such as

Demand Driven Manufacturing in the Engineer-to-Order Space

Aligning Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement Practices Demand-driven manufacturing (DDM) is an approach to manufacturing where production is based on actual demand rather than forecasts. DDM enables a synchronized, closed loop between customer orders, production scheduling and manufacturing execution – all while simultaneously coordinating the flow of materials and resources across the supply chain. The terms Pull-based manufacturing and Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing are also used within the context of DDM

Demand-Driven Technologies Evolved

By John Maher When I first began instituting demand-driven practices in the late 90s, we were into creating pull, eliminating waste, and getting on a path of continuous improvement. Technology at the time was seen as an inhibitor rather than an enabler. Most people active in Constraints Management and Lean Manufacturing were abandoning their technology and going to purely manual solutions. I always believed that technology was important to get