In the realm of health and safety management, few topics have been a greater source of ongoing controversy over the years than Behavior-Based Safety (BBS). Some safety professionals believe this approach to environment, health, and safety (EHS) management helps reduce worker error, thereby minimizing health and safety incidents and, ultimately, saving lives. Others, however, think the approach is inherently flawed and suffers from a lack of quantifiable metrics and actionable intelligence.

As a research company covering several areas of operations within a variety of manufacturing and process industries, we’re accustomed to reading and writing acronym-heavy content on a daily basis. It’s just part of the game. However, we realize that this can at times lead to confusion with either lesser-known or updated terms if they aren't properly defined and differentiated.

More and more small-to-mid-sized manufacturers are being drawn to the cloud due to advancing technologies, declining costs, and improving data security. We inspect that topic in this week's roundup. We also take a look into Statistical Process Control (SCP) software for managing supply chain, as well as a major acquisition in the supply chain management space this past week.

The basic concepts of Asset Performance Management (APM) have been around for nearly fifty years. In the 1960s, plant maintenance departments understood that doing preventative or scheduled maintenance led to better results than simple break-fix approaches. I know this because that's when I started my career in plant engineering.

Today, industrial manufacturing companies are facing greater operational and regulatory burdens than ever before. And while most companies have a strong annual focus on growing financially, the new realities of the business climate have made many organizations see that growth can only occur if operations are efficient and harmonized with sustainability initiatives. This is where Industrial Energy Management (IEM) can and does play a big role in helping to see and handle the larger overall energy picture.

LNS Research was pleased to be among the industry media and analyst guests at Rockwell Automation’s RSTechED event last month in Orlando, FL. This was the 17th annual event series, which is geared around education and competency in the latest automation and information offerings for Rockwell Automation and partner attendees.

A lot has been made about the future promises (and rightly so) of the Internet of Things (IoT). Indeed, as one of the major and potentially transformative overarching tech trends coming into focus, the possibilities for production, maintenance, fulfillment, customer service and more within the manufacturing sphere have created a massive buzz.

Management systems like those represented in the ISO standards and others have a major impact on what happens in the industrial setting. Whether we’re discussing those aimed at quality, environment, health and safety, risk, social responsibility, or energy management, each is designed to provide structure around resources—processes, procedures, and personnel—while enabling continuous improvement.

If some self-proclaimed tech prophets are correct, in a couple of years you’d be reading an article like this on some form of wearable technology. These prognostications are a little strong, and while the hype over wearable tech may be vast, it would be folly to underestimate its potential.

As asset performance has become an increasingly important aspect of manufacturing profitability, companies are rushing to adopt progressive maintenance practices. Predictive, Condition-Based, and Reliability-Centered maintenance are now among the topics trending on the web.