Kanban is a visual tool that’s ideal for managing inventory flow. Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, developed it about three-quarters of a century ago. Kanban boards helped the car company restock its inventory only when it was needed,…
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Products go through many processes before they reach a customer. Once a product has been manufactured, how does it reach the customer? That’s called order fulfillment. What is order fulfillment and how does it differ from order processing and order…
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Kanban in manufacturing originated in World War II where it was used in the manufacturing of Spitfires for the Royal Air Force in the UK. Then it was known as the two-bin system. After the war, the Japanese car manufacturer…
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Manufacturing is an ongoing process. Making sure resources are in working order keeps production moving forward and helps you stay productive. This is true in other industries where maintenance planning is essential to successful projects and productivity. What do we…
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Projects need resources, often consistently. Suppliers and contractors deliver those products and services that help fulfill the project. Managers want to stay on budget and resources cost money, which is why they use a request for quote (RFQ) to get…
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Manufacturers make things, and how much they make is determined by demand and the supply of raw materials. But who makes the decision on the quantity of output and how that information is delivered is processed through what’s called a…
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Manufacturers can’t just produce as many widgets as they want. There are financial constraints, of course, but there is also demand to think about. Making more than the market will support is going to lead to extra costs in production…
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Manufacturing is all about production. Having that production work more efficiently will help manufacturers make more products and get those products to their customers faster. Cycle time is one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) that manufacturers use to measure…
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Often the adjective “smart” is just a marketing ploy. Is your smartphone really that intelligent or is it just an example of advanced technology? Not that there’s anything wrong with being technologically advanced. Would you want to give up the…
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Manufacturing depends on a supply of raw materials, labor and the proper functioning of machinery to turn those inputs into the outputs that customers want. Manufacturing engineering is what keeps those integrated systems operating. After defining what manufacturing engineering is,…
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Production capacity is an essential metric for manufacturers. It informs their production planning, helps them give their customers more accurate lead times and forecasts cash flow. To better understand production capacity, we’ll define the term and go into greater detail…
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Manufacturing isn’t free. There are various costs involved in the production of any product. Being able to make accurate estimates of your manufacturing costs is critical to a company’s profitability and competitive advantage. Before work hits the production line, one…
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Manufacturers have to do more than produce a product, they also have to manage their operations. If they can’t do that, then they won’t have a successful business. That’s why manufacturing operations management is so important—it keeps the lights on….
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