Make Sure the “I” in KPI Indicates “Impact”
Every manufacturer has instituted key performance indicator (KPIs) metrics intended to establish baseline performance levels and monitor efforts for improvements. Individual KPIs are often championed by one segment of the organization...
DIFOT: The Key to Positive Customer Relationships
Stephen Covey, author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," once wrote about the concept of the "Emotional Bank Account." It's the idea that everything you say or do to...
Could You be a Contract Manufacturing Jedi?
What if I told you you had the potential to be a Jedi, if you could only learn to tap into the full capacity of your mind? Well, you can't because...
Mass Customization with a Capital CUSTOM
Discussion around mass customization has been going on for more than 20 years. At its core is a tremendous increase in variety and customization without a corresponding increase in costs. In...
QAD Explore in Detroit was Fantastic! What’s Next?
Maybe you were fortunate enough to join us for QAD Explore in Detroit, or perhaps you had other commitments, either way you can experience some of the best parts of the...
An Inventory Lesson From HP
In 1997, several product lines at Hewlett-Packard had not been turning a profit since 1993. They reviewed their operations and discovered that excess inventory was a driver of rising PC costs....
Cybersecurity: Beware the IP Snatchers
Cybersecurity of intellectual property (IP) is one of the main issues on the minds of our global medical device customers. IP concerns are ever present while entering a new market, incorporating...
You Can’t Spell Collaboration Without “Labor”
Collaboration is defined as the action of working between two or more entities to produce or create something. Many of us see collaboration as a critical tool in a world where...
Risky Business: Manufacturing is One of Five Industries that Raise Audit Red Flags
States target certain businesses for sales tax audits according to data
For most companies, the mere idea of a sales tax audit is a daunting prospect. Often “fingers crossed we don’t...
CMOs: The New Netflix?
The Blockbuster days are over, and not just for the obsolete movie rental business. “Blockbuster” drugs, like Cymbalta, Abilify, Lunesta and Nexium, which dominated commercial airwaves just a few years ago,...