'Real-time information' is a term that's bandied about by vendors and end-users alike when it comes to discussions about manufacturing and enterprise software. For example, we talk about real-time data, real-time visualization, and real-time reporting. It's also a term that can be used liberally by marketers to describe and promote product capabilities.

As we've written about, effective enterprise quality management is becoming indispensable in today's global economic climate. With increased regulatory burdens, competition, and reliance on supplier relationships, there's less and less room for error. Core to achieving this is having structurally sound corrective and preventive actions, which Vince Smith of Sparta Systems discusses in this week's roundup.

Embarking and accelerating on a continuous improvement journey toward improved manufacturing performance is becoming increasingly important these days, as the shifts around global supply and demand, heightened customer expectations, and exciting newtechnological capabilities have created an atmosphere where manufacturing excellence is required to lead, or even maintain your spot within your industry, regardless of what that industry might be.

With today’s global economy only becoming more competitive, it’s no surprise that everybody in the manufacturing environment is talking about continuous improvement. Proven leaders understand that if you’re not moving forward, making year-over-year gains in key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, then you’re destined to face some serious challenges down the road.

As a plant manager, you’re responsible for the day-to-day management and coordination of production, logistics, and maintenance in your assigned facility. Your position is one that’s hands-on and focuses on using all the resources at your disposal to maximize production accuracy and profitability while ensuring worker safety and government compliance in a particular unit of the manufacturing organization.

It may be hard to believe but, in case you missed last fall's Manufacturing Day 2013, we're already half way to this year's celebration. To mark the six-month occasion, this week's round-up is a reminder of how manufacturing has evolved over recent decades, what it means on a national and global scale, and how models of the near future will yet again change the game. 

When it comes to enterprise software applications, not all are created equal in scope or relevance. Some applications may be specific to one aspect of Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) or Enterprise Quality Management Software (EQMS), or may be targeted at a specific industry subset. Others, have applicability across a range of solutions.

You’re a corporate quality director at a multi-site enterprise with operations spread across the country or around the globe. At some point, you’re going to face the question: how do I keep my local quality leaders engaged, and on the same page?

For executives competing in today’s socially connected world, there has never been less room for error. These pressures to perform coupled with the globalizing economy and others have urged many executives to look at quality in a new light. It’s not that quality wasn’t important before, but for cost, risk, compliance, and reputational reasons ensuring quality earlier in the value chain has become much more of a top-of-mind issue for leaders.

In February, I had the great opportunity to speak at and participate in QUMAS’s Global User Conference, Connect 2014. Filled with a variety of life sciences professionals, the conference addressed major quality management challenges faced by the industry today. Particularly, much focus was on the rising use and complexity of global partner networks and third-party vendors, and the need for better collaboration capabilities.