(a 3 minute read…) Late in the 18th century, water and steam power transformed manufacturing, prompting the Industrial Revolution. In 1870, almost a century later, electricity enabled mass production, launching the 2nd Industrial Revolution. In 1969, electronics emerged and, with information technology, took manufacturing to another level in the 3rd Industrial Revolution. While it has …
Lean manufacturing objectives target efficiency in the workplace. Eliminating wasted movement and reducing downtime are two ways that manufacturers can improve their operational efficiency and productivity. Learn more about lean manufacturing in this infographic. But it doesn’t come at the expense of worker or work environment safety. In fact, lean manufacturing should enhance the …
Lean manufacturing principles are implemented to improve quality and reduce waste. View an [Infographic]: What is Lean Manufacturing and how can it help you? Inventory represents one of the largest sources of waste in the manufacturing industry. Maintaining too much inventory—raw materials and finished products—absorbs excess cost in capital, inventory, and space. Inventory shortages lead …
JIT vs Lean Manufacturing: What’s the Difference Read More »
The Internet of Things (IoT) seems to expand daily. The devices that connect with the cloud are touching every aspect of our culture—from the smart home to medical devices to the manufacturing industry. With the need to streamline manufacturing processes to work as efficiently as possible, the IoT provides many avenues for working smarter …
Thanks for stopping back in to read the 3rd part of this series on “Getting LEAN” with Data Matrix Barcodes in the manufacturing industry. If you missed the first two parts, you can read them here: Part 1 Part 2 Application Versatility Whether it be the assembly lines, final assembly lines, test and measurement locations, …
As manufacturing continues to evolve, so do the requirements of their end users. Quality, price and lead time have never meant more to the manufacturing industry, so looking for ways to improve these criteria without sacrificing one for the other has become a necessity. In the manufacturing world, this concept is known as getting “lean”. …
In a perfect world, businesses would be able to count on a stable cost for raw materials, predictable customer demands, and reliable suppliers. These days, we’d be glad to have any one of those factors. Manufacturers need supply chain visibility from end to end, that has the agility and flexibility to adapt to fluctuations in …
Production Visibility: You Can’t Manage What You Can’t See Read More »
The principles that drive lean manufacturing are focused on reducing unnecessary actions and increasing quality and customer satisfaction. Some businesses focus their “lean and mean” strategy on processes. They can even apply to how you run your meetings. We’ve discovered the hidden waste of miscommunication in manufacturing is a critical gap to address. Here …
3 Tips to Make Your Meetings ‘Lean’ and Reduce Miscommunication Read More »
I have to admit that when I first saw the TC8000, I was surprised, even skeptical. I was accustomed to mobile computers that look either like a consumer-styled smartphone or the more rugged, gun-style form factor. The Zebra TC8000 doesn’t resemble either. For one thing, it has a handle. Yes, a handle. In a day …
The Zebra TC8000: A New Look in Rugged Mobile Computing Read More »