Supply Chain
The Lead
Apple Discloses Suppliers, Says Child Labor Is Down
January 13, 2012 3:33 pm | by Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer | News | Comments
Amid growing criticism over labor and environmental practices, especially in China, Apple said its systems greatly reduced child labor and environmental damage.
Reinvesting In American Manufacturing Conference
June 17, 2013 4:17 pm | EventsThis two-day, executive-level event will feature 200 executives from manufacturers strongly considering, or even in the middle of, moving major projects back to the U.S. from overseas. Taking place in the Omni Galleria, in Houston, Texas, the Reinvesting in American Manufacturing Conference will feature dozens of sessions on every topic critical to understanding and making the business case to re-shore manufacturing assets.
Why Big Data Is Meaningless
June 17, 2013 9:40 am | by Michael Rothschild, Founder and CEO, Profit Velocity Solutions | Articles | CommentsVendors, managers and bloggers often cite the benefits of “big data,” though most miss the mark in understanding exactly what it is used for, and how it is analyzed. By itself, big data is just raw material, and without a focus on bottom-line results, it is not only meaningless — it can actually be harmful, diverting resources away from a company's core mission.
Fiat: Supplier Delays Will Force Shutdowns
June 13, 2013 7:46 am | News | CommentsItalian carmaker Fiat says it will temporarily stop production at some European car plants in the coming days due to insufficient deliveries of plastic parts. Fiat said in a statement Wednesday that more than 5,500 vehicles can't be completed due to missing components from the Italian supplier Selmat, creating an "unmanageable" backlog.
HELUKABEL Opens $50 Million German Expansion
June 11, 2013 12:45 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | News | CommentsThe Eglin, Ill.-based HELUKABEL USA has announced that is German parent company has brought its expanded global logistics center, a $50 million project, online for the first time. The facility in Hemmingen will double the company’s warehousing capacity and better enable it to provide rapid order delivery to customers worldwide.
USMTO: Manufacturing Technology Orders Level Off For April
June 10, 2013 1:05 pm | by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology | News | CommentsApril U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $372.50 million. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 26.6 percent from March and down 12.6 percent when compared with the total of $426.44 million reported for April 2012. With a year-to-date total of $1,650.91 million, 2013 is down 7.0 percent compared with 2012.
Q&A: ISO 9001 And ISO 14001 Standard Revisions
June 7, 2013 2:26 pm | Articles | CommentsDeveloped through global consensus, International Organization for Standardization standards help to break down barriers to international trade. It just so happens that the revision cycle has fallen on some of the world’s most popular standards, with both ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) among those currently being revised.
Comprehensive Recall Protection, Inside And Out
June 7, 2013 9:22 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | CommentsIn today’s business climate, in particular for many industries that serve consumers directly operate under the assumption that they’ll be subjected to a recall incident at some point. But what about the manufacturers who still think, ‘I’ve never had a recall. It’s not going to happen to me.’?
SAP To Acquire hybris For Better Customer Experience
June 5, 2013 10:19 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | News | CommentsWalldorf, Germany-based SAP AG today announced its acquisition of hybris, a provider of e-commerce technology. SAP says the acquisition will allow them to deliver more e-commerce platforms, with the choice of on-premise or cloud deployments, to enterprises around the world.
Report: Southeast Manufacturing Index Down, But Sector Still Growing
June 5, 2013 9:33 am | by Kennesaw State University | News | CommentsManufacturing activity in the Southeast slipped during May, but manufacturers maintained their workforce with some additional hiring despite decreases in new orders, production and finished inventory, according to the Southeast’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report released today by Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business
ISM: Manufacturing Contracts In May
June 5, 2013 9:33 am | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsManufacturing contracted in May as the PMI™ registered 49 percent, a decrease of 1.7 percentage points when compared to April’s reading of 50.7 percent. This month’s reading reflects the second month of contraction in the manufacturing sector since July 2009, when the index registered 49.9 percent.
General Mills Recalls Some Cinnamon Toast Crunch
June 4, 2013 2:08 pm | News | CommentsGeneral Mills Inc. said Tuesday it is recalling about 168 cases of its single-serve reduced-sugar Cinnamon Toast Crunch sold to restaurants and foodservice customers due to risk of salmonella exposure. The cereal maker said Tuesday that it is making the move after a supplier recalled an ingredient due to the possible presence of salmonella.
EU Slaps Levies On Chinese Solar Panel Imports
June 4, 2013 12:02 pm | by Juergen Baetz, Associated Press | News | CommentsEU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said Tuesday the 27-nation bloc will impose a tariff of about 12 percent on the import of panels, cells and wafers immediately, increasing it to an average of 47 percent starting in August unless a settlement is reached with China.
A Next-Gen Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence Solution
June 3, 2013 2:31 pm | Product Releases | CommentsNorthwest Analytics has launched its NWA Focus EMI solution, an enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI) solution that provides complete data source integration and real-time process analytics. According to the company, the solution’s two modules — KnowledgeBase and Collaboration — help manufacturers accumulate and disseminate knowledge across the entire enterprise.
Bridge Collapse A Major Break In Trade Corridor
May 28, 2013 7:53 am | by Donna Gordon Blankinship, Associated Press | News | CommentsFor farmers, business owners and government officials up and down the West Coast, Washington's bridge collapse on Interstate 5 represents much more than a close brush with tragedy. As much as $20 billion in freight travels to and from Canada and along the busy north-south corridor each year.
NMHG Drives Down Product Costs With Deeper Insight
May 24, 2013 9:27 am | by Julie Driscoll, Vice President, Strategic Marketing & Product Management, aPriori | Articles | CommentsAs a leading manufacturer with over $2.5 billion in global sales, NMHG sets the bar high for designing and delivering world-class products. NMHG faces stiff competition in North America, Europe and Japan, and more recently in China. Product quality and cost management have always been key measures for the company, and a recent collaboration with aPriori helped engineers keep product development costs down while increasing quality.
Combatting Counterfeiting On All Fronts
May 22, 2013 11:30 am | by Martin Berman, Managing Director, Micro-Pak Ltd | Articles | CommentsMany manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike might naively believe that counterfeiting is a problem that only companies like Louis Vuitton or Coach suffer from. After all, who could guess that functional packaging material could produce the same response as the latest Alma bag?
Panel: Apple Uses Firms Outside U.S. To Avoid Taxes
May 21, 2013 7:47 am | by Marcy Gordon, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe strategies Apple uses are legal, and many other multinational corporations use similar tax techniques to avoid paying U.S. income taxes on profits they reap overseas. But the report found that Apple uses a unique twist, and lawmakers are raising questions about loopholes in the U.S. tax code.
Walmart Pushing For More U.S.-Made Products
May 21, 2013 7:40 am | by Chuck Bartels, Associated Press | News | CommentsWalmart Senior Vice President Michelle Gloeckler said promoting in-state vendors will improve sales and help the world's largest retailer sell more U.S.-made products. Presently, 44 Arkansas suppliers produce 73 brands and 1,700 items for Walmart, according to the company.
Motorola Offers Freezer-Rated Hardware For Better Cold Chain Efficiency
May 20, 2013 2:05 pm | Product Releases | CommentsMotorola Solutions, Inc. has developed three new products that will withstand the demands of extremely cold environments. The Omnii XG15f is the latest addition to the Psion Omnii line of rugged handhelds, while the VH10 and VH10f are new vehicle-mounted mobile computers designed specifically for freezer and heavy condensation applications.
Survey: 12-Month High In English Manufacturing SME Confidence
May 20, 2013 12:59 pm | by Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) | News | CommentsGrowth prospects amongst English manufacturing SMEs is at a twelve month high according to the latest Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) Barometer, which reveals nearly two thirds (64 percent) of companies questioned are expecting to increase sales over the next six months.
Does Your Storeroom Database Do This?
May 20, 2013 10:36 am | by Mike Dyson and James Rogers, Storeroom Solutions, Inc. | Articles | CommentsQuite simply, if you can’t be sure about finding the right parts at the right time, you are putting planned maintenance compliance, if not the performance of the whole plant, at risk. Many maintenance technicians address this risk by keeping their own unofficial and potentially unauthorized stores; the practice is so common that many plants have an “amnesty day” when technicians can safely reveal those “private” stashes of parts.
Labor Group: Apple Making Progress At Foxconn
May 17, 2013 7:44 am | News | CommentsThe Fair Labor Association said Thursday that Apple's largest supplier, Foxconn, has made all recommended improvements to working conditions that were due by the end of December. The group says there have been "notable increases" in workers' participation in union committees.
hybris Named Leader In Magic Quadrant Report By Leading Industry Analyst
May 16, 2013 2:09 pm | News | Commentshybris, the world's fastest-growing commerce platform provider, today announced that for the second year running it has been included as a Leader in Gartner's latest 'Magic Quadrant for E-Commerce'. Following substantial growth in 2011, hybris has further consolidated its position as the market's dominant independent e-commerce and omni-channel vendor which it believes has helped to achieve its leadership placement in the Gartner report.
Attracting Talent: A Lesson In Battling Perception
May 16, 2013 1:09 pm | by Maria Ferrante, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development, PMMI | Articles | CommentsDespite the common preconceived notion that increasingly automated operations are eliminating opportunities in the manufacturing sector, the widespread adoption of advanced production technologies is actually creating opportunities — and demand — for more skilled professionals. But where do we find them?
How Virtualization Could Save You Big
May 16, 2013 11:54 am | Videos | CommentsWhile the benefits of server virtualization at the corporate data center are receiving a great deal of attention, its ability to address lifecycle management issues may make virtualization even more compelling at the manufacturing plant, since implementing virtualization in manufacturing environments moves the technology into the business- and mission-critical realm. But do manufacturers fully grasp the risk versus reward?
