For a growing number of reasons, energy continues to be a critical issue for industrial companies. Most obviously, organizations are turning to industrial energy management (IEM) solutions and strategies for cost savings. However, many leading industrial companies have also made board-level commitments to improve the energy intensity of operations and reduce the carbon footprint.

At LNS Research, we’ve been working hard to address the most pressing issues organizations are facing today. For almost two years, we’ve been translating our quantitative research and discussions with industry leading executives into a constant flow of actionable research around the areas of enterprise quality management, manufacturing operations management, and sustainable operations.

From well before Henry Ford’s assembly lines through the modern manufacturing shop floor, energy has been quietly powering production. The utilities line item has duly earned its place as a central piece of every financial balance sheet. In conjunction with the rising focus on sustainable operations, for years companies across the globe have been working to strategically improve this number to both appease the environmentally concerned and reduce related costs. 

In the spirit of launching our newest research library here at LNS, I have provided articles that coincide with the Industrial Energy Management (IEM) space. Within the IEM research library, our team plans to provide best practice guides, corporate case studies, and solution selection guidelines relating to energy management. Below you will find articles discussing sustainability, renewable energy, and tips on energy reporting.

This week, I felt inspired to publish a round up that is primarily focused on one topic: Supply Chain. Personally, I find this topic to be nothing short of fascinating, one that is currently a growing concern for many companies. Organizations are focusing on improving their supply chains in order to adapt to technological advances, environmental change, and the effects of globalization.

Could Consumer Boom in China, India Spark Food Shortages in U.S., Other Regions?

We’ve established that executives who focus on aligning and then optimizing people, processes, and technology in operational excellence models will position their organizations for success. This is true in quality, manufacturing, energy management, and other critical operational focal points.

In the past months, our team has often been prompted with the question; “What do you, and/or executives you have spoken with, see as the top industrial business development trends?”  This week’s round up may serve as an adequate response to such a query. Lean business operations, sustainable processes, implementing effective global collaboration programs, and educating the next generation on such topics.

This week’s collection includes articles from many facets of the industrial world: general manufacturing, food traceability, solar power, enterprise systems, and operational excellence. While all topics prove interesting for this audience, the prize for most original may have to be given to SolarCity. Personal opinion, however, I enjoyed reading the company’s approach to climate change and affordable solar panels.  

This week, we are talking "green" movement, technological advancement, improving the quality of manufacturing, and innovation. Enjoy this compilation of the industry articles that I've found to be the most interesting to read this past week.

Sustainability, Energy Management, Innovation, Productivity,
Advanced Manufacturing Intelligence, Operational Excellence – with these topics, it’s guaranteed to be a strong weekly roundup. It seems as though the major industrial concerns and trends of 2013 that are increasingly spoken of are proving to make a positive impact on thought leadership content. Included are motivational articles, summaries, full reports, video footage, survey findings, and a book recommendation.

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