U.S Manufacturing Performance and Improving CAPA-bilities

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.

Also, if you're curious about the current state of U.S. manufacturing, there is compelling data below to color your opinion if you read on.

The Key to Creating a Structurally Sound CAPA System

Having a good CAPA system entails having a solid understanding of the basic components that go into the process. Smith provides commentary through his industry observations around the areas of the true intent of a CAPA system, quality standards and requirements, and the five basic fundamentals of any CAPA process. Read More.

Tweet this article | Share on LinkedIn

5 Quick Questions: Securing Data without Hindering Workflow

Manfacturing.net shares feedback from Dean Wiech, who is the managing director of Tools4ever. Wiech discusses how technologies available today can improve shop floor workflow and allow access to data without tedious log-in or credential checks. The following five questions are answered in this article:

1. What are some of the biggest issues manufacturing enterprises face in keeping operational data secure?
2. Do you feel enough emphasis or resources are being allocated towards data security?
3. What can manufacturers do to help keep information secure without creating time consuming obstacles for accessing this information?
4. ERP software generates a tremendous amount of data. Speaking in general terms, which data sets do you feel plant operations personnel should focus on? How might this change for others in purchasing, inventory management, or maintenance?
5. If you could give U.S. manufacturing one thing, what would it be?

Tweet this article | Share on LinkedIn

Hard Evidence: U.S. Manufacturing Performance Continues to Improve

Is there evidence of sustainable performance improvement from within the U.S. manufacturing industry itself that could also be contributing to its revived presence on the global stage? The answer is yes. A recent article by Sikich provides insight into a sampling of data from eight key areas that are correlated with performance improvements from within the U.S. manufacturing industry. Read More.

Tweet this article | Share on LinkedIn

Plant Managers: Which Metrics Are They Monitoring Closely?

As a plant manager, you’re responsible for the day-to-day production, logistics, and maintenance in your facility. As with any level of a business, the plant manager level needs effective metrics to assess performance for his/her responsibilities to adjust as necessary. This article discusses the key metrics that plant managers are keeping an eye on. Read More. 

Tweet this article | Share on LinkedIn