Month: August 2022

ERP Derived From Manufacturing Software

Difference between ERP and manufacturing software

When we talk of manufacturing software systems, the discussion usually veers towards the ERP systems which are sophisticated versions of such software. The ERP software usually comprises of range of features and functionalities as well as combines all facets of the production process. The key capabilities of manufacturing software are all combined in ERP software and it goes beyond and embraces other aspects and functions of the organization as well. There are many manufacturers who have businesses of varying sizes but they all require MRP software or a Manufacturing Software system like ERP to take care of their business needs for all departments. Such software can help to streamline all aspects of production as well as take into account all forms of necessary operations. The end result is that one has a dramatically improved production process which is optimally utilized from the aspect of raw material, product distribution, inventory management, customer management, vendor management and so forth. So how does such software achieve all this? There are some vital features of ERP software which has been derived from manufacturing software that allows one to get the competitive edge in any industry.

ERP software and its different modules

The MRP software is an important module of ERP software and to this day such a module impacts the production processes and decisions greatly. There are also engineering tasks that need to be taken into account and such modules are also present. One can have the production process blueprint inbuilt in such a system as well as bill of materials and control processes inbuilt. Hence, one can have all floor plan details included in such engineering modules of ERP software. The planning of demand and forecasting may seem to be an input to the production process but it does not lie outside the purview of enterprise resource planning software. The inclusion of statistical tools to help management to strategize and reach such decisions is what separates ERP from the previous manufacturing software packages. Such strategic modules can help to prepare companies when it comes to meeting sales requirements, eliminating waste, minimizing the excess stocks and so forth.

Similarities with manufacturing software

Purchasing is another important module which takes into account the economies of scale and can adjust the demands of production accordingly. Hence, purchasing is a module that can track how vendors are supplying the goods, whether there is a variation in demand, to ensure just in time supply of goods, minimizes waste and so froth. Production is the most important module of ERP software and this is where most of the traditional manufacturing software setup is derived from. The production scheduling and running of the same; tracking the actual output against targets set as well as calculating efficiency of production systems are all part of this important module in ERP software. Thus, we can see that, ERP has originated from the traditional MRP software and the manufacturing software but it now encompasses other vital functions of the organization as well.…

Manufacturing Audit Services As An Improver of Bottom Lines

Manufacturing Audit is a manufacturing service which industries today employ to check their efficiency levels. Manufacturing Audits detail the losses happening in manufacturing and paves the way for manufacturing. These audits trace the flow of material from ‘in’ to ‘out’ and will analyze where the material waits. This waiting is the symptom of the losses which happen directly or indirectly.

In order to measure and improve the losses, it’s necessary to trace them down at every stage during the manufacturing cycle. From ‘in’ to ‘out’, the entire manufacturing cycle can be divided into several stages and symptoms at these stages can be apportioned to a loss. As an example, when raw material comes in the factory and raw material store has more than required inventory levels, then it is a symptom of improper planning. The same can be applicable on the other side of supply chain where there is always a situation of crisis for some inventory and excess of others in the dispatch store area. These two extremes when not balanced reflect improper planning. This was just an example of supply chain deficiencies leading to losses which can only be measured using audits as manufacturing services.

Manufacturing Audits have pre-defined or prescribed measures of improving such losses by preparing indices which helps them reflect the current situation and then attacking on issues which hurt the manufacturing most. For example, indices of supply chain will have throughput as a key indicator. Parts per million (PPM) will be key indicators of quality systems, customer satisfaction index (CSI) as an index for how well customers perceive your business, attrition rates (AR) reflect how well employees perceive your business and financial ratios (FR) are a good indices of how investors perceive your business.

There are globally approved benchmarks for the above indices. Manufacturing audit services map the existing state of affairs in a manufacturing setup and then create a road map to take the existing score to global benchmark levels. This is an exhaustive exercise and when companies follow this path with dedication, they can be sure of increasing bottom lines and improving cultures.

All these have an effect on the bottom line of the company and the role of manufacturing services is to improve the above. People in these companies have specialized skills and generally have domain knowledge in their respective skills and are equipped with tools which can help companies in raising the bar and thus improving bottom lines.…

Lean 5s – Implement the Foundation of Toyota Motor Corporation Success Into Your Organization

The Japanese 5s system is an essential and powerful tool of the Toyota Production System.

The 5s concept is a simple system that your organization cannot afford not to implement. Save time, save money and avoid mistakes and defects. Whether you are interested in 5s lean manufacturing, 5s office or 5s housekeeping, you can enjoy endless rewards with 5s implementation.

FACT:GM production was 3 – 4 x the cost of production at TMC

Why? Efficiency. Adopt the tools of TMC and save yourself a whole lot of money and hardship.

BACKGROUND TO JAPANESE 5S

5s comes from 5 words in Japanese which mean orderliness (seiri), neatness (seiton), shine (seiso), cleanliness (seiketsu) and discipline (shitsuke). In English, lean 5s:

1. Sort2. Set in Order3. Shine4. Standardize5. Sustain (maintain the discipline to continue with the process)

THE BENEFITS

A good lean 5s program ensures:

A Better, safer working environment

Improved efficiency

Elimination of waste and unnecessary items

Reduced defects and machine breakdowns

Less stress and frustration

SUCCESS

“Every day, our priority is 2s.” says the manager of a successful plant of a Toyota supplier in Japan. “With a good 2s (sort and set in order), we easily prevent accidents, create an efficient environment, avoid clutter, save time when locating items, and maintain employee motivation. We easily avoid unnecessary expenses and can identify waste that needs to be eliminated. Good 5s is the starting point for good kaizen.”

WHY YOU NEED 5S

Now here’s a great example of why your organization needs 5s: A design engineer at a manufacturing company I was working in had some bad news. He found out that his mistake had cost the company $9,700! How did that happen? Well, his office was, as many are, disorganized. One day, he grabbed a design that was set for production. But he grabbed the wrong one. Production started and it wasn’t until a month later that the problem was uncovered. What a waste in time and money. And how embarrassing.

THE PRINCIPLES

Let’s break each step down:

SORT

In the sorting process, you decide what items are essential to getting the job done. Everything else has got to go.

SET IN ORDER

In the next step, all necessary items must be allocated a home.

SHINE

In this step, all team members engage in a big clean up.

STANDARDIZE

This is an essential step and an absolute necessity in order to ensure long term gains from lean 5s. A regular schedule of the previous 3s activities must be made and put into practice.

SUSTAIN

This can be the tricky part. Again, in order to ensure long lasting results, 5s activity must be on going and the standard practices followed.

In order for organizations to not only survive, but thrive and prosper, a lean mind set and strategy must be adopted. Lean 5s is one of the best and simplest tools I have seen. It just takes the know-how, effort and commitment.…

The Extensive Applications of PVC

PVC is without doubt one of the most diversely used and useful types of plastic in modern manufacture. With applications spanning industries from industrial manufacture to agricultural and even food production, PVC is a material which lends itself to an incredible number of different uses. Thanks to its durability, flexibility and chemical resistance, polyvinyl chloride is found in clothing, flooring, inflatable structures, hosing and strip curtains alongside hundreds if not thousands of other items.

When used in clothing, the main strengths of PVC are its relatively low price in comparison to leather, rubber and latex, the fact that it is waterproof and that when suitably treated it very closely resembles leather. Due to these properties, the polymer is regularly found in jackets, bags, shoes and aprons. Despite the popularity of PVC clothing it is by no means the fashion industry which makes the most use of this popular material, that accolade falls to the manufacturing industry, which relies on PVC items for a number of roles.

PVC strip curtains are an absolute essential in any manufacturing or storage environment which requires closely controlled temperatures, containment of airborne particles or protection from pests. It is particularly useful in locations which experience a high level of motorised or pedestrian traffic and also helps to improve energy efficiency by making a positive impact on heat loss. Due to this series of useful traits and the low cost of PVC strip curtains, they are an ever popular addition to the majority of storage facilities- particularly those which are chilled for such purposes as food storage.

Of equal prevalence in industrial settings is PVC hose. This simple, unassuming item is used for myriad purposes, including but not limited to:

Water and fluid handling Hydraulics Food handling Beverage lines Coolant lines Crop spraying Chemical transfer.

Due particularly to PVC’s chemical resilience, low cost and flexibility, PVC hose is incredibly versatile and widely used in a great number of processes and manufacturing techniques. It is equally adept at fulfilling sanitation and suction purposes in the home or business environment and as such is produced in vast quantities to satisfy the worldwide demand. As it does not corrode, is waterproof and with the use of plasticizers: is incredibly flexible, PVC hose is invaluable in all manner of plumbing applications, alongside its numerous other uses.

PVC is a widely used material which boasts invaluable properties yet is relatively low-priced. Used for everything from fashion to sewerage pipes and food production to heat retention: PVC products are integrated into homes, rife in factories and even found under the tarmac of the streets the world over.…

Best Selling Toys of All Time

If we’re going to talk about the best-selling toys of all time, we’re probably going to talk about Teddy Bears, Barbie Dolls, Lego’s and hula hoops. Those are three of the most loved toys enjoyed by different generations of kids. It’s comforting to know that if you check out the nearest Toys R Us, they are still available for kids to enjoy today.

What makes them one of the best toys? Those three toys share something in common. Their manufacturers were visionaries. Take the Barbie Doll for example. Dolls are not a new idea. During 1915, the Raggedy Ann Doll was introduced to the market and was an instant hit to the kids. What Mattel, Inc. did in 1959 was revolutionize the way dolls are portrayed so they introduced a fashion doll named Barbara “Barbie” Millicent Roberts.

Toys nowadays are usually an evolution of the best toys in the past. If you’re going to look at the neighborhood Toys R Us, you’ll probably see the Bratz Doll. It’s also a fashion doll, like Barbie, but it’s well-loved as well. Another great example is beanie babies. They are basically smaller “teddy bears” of different animals filled with plastic pellets. But due to the “collectible” factor, it became an instant hit to kids and adults alike.

It’s not hard to think of an idea for a toy. We’ve been kids once and we have to admit that there’s still a little kid inside of us. If you have a unique idea for a toy, why not explore it? It will probably take you a long time to reach the stature of the Barbie Doll, Lego and the hula hoop as the best-selling toys of all time. But what’s stopping you from making kids happy? Toys R Us still has a place for your idea.

If you have a unique idea, then you’re halfway there. Kids love new toys. A unique idea for a toy would spark the interest of kids. No one thought that the Lego bricks will be one of the best toys. But since it was a unique idea at that time to have toys that helps in the mental and motor development of kids, it was a hit. With the case of the Barbie Doll, who would have thought that a toy’s ability to be accessorized makes a big difference? In the case of Beanie Babies, we now know that a simple idea to change the stuffing to plastic pellets can make it one of the best-selling toys of all time.

It doesn’t matter if you have an entirely unique idea or an idea for the improvement of another toy. If you have an idea to give a toy variety in design, you can work on that as well. The good thing nowadays is you don’t have to have your own assembly line in order to turn your idea into the best toys in the land. If you have that light bulb moment, with the help of an experienced manufacturer, Toys R Us is waiting.…