Has 3D Printing Made the Junkyard Dog an Endangered Species?
When I was a kid my dad owned a 1958 Triumph that was always one pothole bump or one rainy day short-circuit away from being disabled. It would repeatedly and predictably...
IoT Connected Devices: Benefits and Risks
With the Internet of Things (IoT) in its infancy, regulatory agencies haven’t issued official rules for medical device manufacturers to follow in regards to connected devices. That said, it’s a good...
Effective Quality Management Through Smudgy Fingerprints
I can’t tell you how many manufacturing plants I have been through that have multiple well-positioned bulletin boards covered with neatly hung quality charts. Sadly at times these charts are tombstones...
From Compliance Toward Operational Excellence
When it comes to risk, compliance to standards is critical. That’s a given. I argue that while we do need to remain compliant with all of the rules and regulations in...
X Marks the Spot in the Quality Treasure Hunt
The search for quality in manufacturing is not a treasure hunt. Quality is not “uncovered’ by following the dotted line on a map. Quality is the result of vigilant and dedicated...
Quality Conundrum – Confusing Paperless with Integrated
Perhaps no other function in manufacturing is as document-heavy and paper-centric as the quality function. We have all struggled with the reams of information locked in manual and semi-manual...
Clothing Industry vs. Planet Earth
In a recent article in Raconteur, I read that the handling of materials, chemicals, water, emissions and waste poses a serious problem for the clothing industry. Each year the industry uses...
Eliyahu Goldratt: Hero of the TOC
Through many of our articles we focus on the future of manufacturing, such as upcoming trends and keeping up with new technology, but how did we get here? It’s important to...
How Automotive Tier Suppliers Can Get a Competitive Advantage
We often find that many manufacturers initially feel that they don’t need a Transportation Management System (TMS). This is because, in many cases, the customer dictates the transportation provider to the...
What are the Important Steps to Creating an ERP User Training Plan?
When creating an ERP user training plan, it’s important to realize that user adoption is key to the success or failure of the project. Lack of buy-in to a new ERP...