The heads of two software companies share their thoughts this week on topics such as product design complexity, the state of PLM and global manufacturing, and the potential organizational benefits of integrating Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) and Quality Management solutions.
We also take a look at the flip side of being lean - how unforseen circumstances like natural disasters can have far-reaching consequences in the global supply chain, and reveal how many manufacuring executives have never participated in an operational benchmarking project (it's a higher number than you might think).
During this chat, President & CEO of Siemens Chuck Grindstaff displays his excitement and anticipation for the year to come based on what his fellow employees and customers are working on. Chuck begins his discussion by recapping on last year, which you can catch in the video below. During the embedded video snippet, Grindstaff also provides insight into how Siemens is combating the increasing complexity in product design and manufacturing. Other topics touched upon during the full interview include how Siemens plans to support next generation engineers, the thriving global manufacturing sector, and the future of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. Click here to access the entire 25 minute podcast.
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Michael Rapaport of IQS provides further insight into how MOM systems can benefit from QM software integration, and more specifically how the entire organizational processes can be improved. Aside from automating manual processes, MOM-to-QMS integration also allows for the effective Cost of Quality (CoQ) benchmarking. Rapaport also adds that such harmonization helps to improve Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) solutions. Read more.
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Trends in manufacturing and supply chain have consisted of just-in-time (JIT) deliveries, minimal to zero inventory levels, and outsourced production. While doing so has allowed companies to achieve cost efficiency, it has also left them with no “Plan B” if disruption ensues. In this Manufacturing.net article, Tom McNamara and Erika Masillac provide examples of how unfortunate past events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, explosions, and floods have affected manufacturing facilities and, in some cases, severely disturbed the entire supply chain for years to come. Companies are now asking themselves how lean they really want and/or need to be. McNamara and Masillac also look into what some of today’s Lean evaluations are looking like and how some companies are changing their approach. Read more.
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Did you know that 65% of executives have never participated in a benchmarking project?
Mike Roberts describes why understanding your performance internally as well as against competitors is critical for achieving operational excellence. Roberts provides seven benefits of performance benchmarking, as well as presents the initial findings from our Metrics that Matter research study. If you're on the fence about whether or not benchmarking is worth it, this article is for you.
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