So your warehouse is bulging – why? Because product demand is high and you’re holding buffer-stock to protect your customer service, like all well-trained inventory managers do. But are you holding the right stock? Are you actually protecting the brands you know because your ear to the market is too far removed? And suppliers, maybe you’re dictating what brands you push to retailers, funding poor demand info with rebates to keep retail buyers happy. But what about me, the guy who buys the stuff?
Year: 2019
Six Ways to Achieve Personalization in Your ERP Workspace
ERP can be an incredibly significant solution for business; if implemented correctly it can create a more efficient and productive manufacturing or distribution organization. However, the best ERP systems in the world will not make any difference to your rate of collaboration or increase productivity if your employees are reluctant to adopt the new software.
Understanding Machine Learning: A New Era of Intelligence and Business
I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.
Ever since the fictional ‘sentient computer’ HAL 9000 went rogue in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, people have been uneasy about the idea of machines being able to think for themselves.
Recent business thinking has come around to the more enlightened view that machines that are exclusively programmed by humans will have inherent limitations in their ability to mine data for insights and predictions. That’s where machine learning comes in – the ability of computers to perform tasks without explicit instructions.
The Multiple Advantages of ERP for Traceability for the Food and Beverage Industry
Empowered consumers, consumer bodies and increased regulatory pressure are driving the move to a much more tightly controlled industry. Even with all of the regulations, it is inevitable that sooner or later there will be some type of food incident requiring removal of that product. One of the key requirements is a full traceability system. Without an ERP system, a full product recall will be impossible to achieve in the expected timelines.
3 Ways to Ensure your Sourcing Policy Streamlines and Optimizes Procurement
Procurement is often overlooked and undervalued, yet it impacts every facet of a business. Procurement and supplier relationships have an important role to play when it comes to ensuring manufacturers and distributors meet their strategic goals. Fortunately, strategic sourcing policies for procurement can provide the ultimate competitive advantage. It’s time to streamline the procurement process, harnessing technology to iron-out the kinks.
How to Personalize Your Learning Management System for a Better UX
My husband and I had a chuckle the other day as we realized we were turning into our parents. While driving, we changed from the radio station playing the latest hits to the one that plays old school hits and immediately started singing along. Just like our parents used to do.
5 Reasons to Embrace Digital Transformation and How it Improves Your Business
Digitization is one of the most important business trends of recent years, but how exactly can digital transformation improve your business?
If you’ve been running a business anywhere in the world over the last few years, you’ll have undoubtedly heard multiple references to digital transformation. You may already have begun to digitize aspects of your enterprise.
Lean Manufacturing Implementation and the Change Management Journey
In the first blog on this topic, I described the origins and background to lean manufacturing. In the second blog – lean manufacturing journey, the key activities of the model described in the book entitled “Lean Thinking” were introduced. While this is seen as the most popular model, there are a few reservations about it. These will be covered as we progress.
How can Digital Transformation (DX) Solve my Manufacturing Challenges?
A question on many lips these days is: how can Digital Transformation (DX) solve my manufacturing challenges?
Manufacturers are under competitive pressure to deliver better goods at lower costs. They want to reduce costs and streamline processes in their supply chains and factories. At the same time, customers are asking for more unique features in the products they buy. Customization versus standard products are often difficult trade-offs with implications in design processes, production costs, and schedules.
