7 Ways Product Roadmap Management Software Helps Manufacturers
Scott Dowell | Nov 11, 2022 | IEN
Many global companies have learned to embrace technology over the past few years and not just by adapting to video conferencing with remote teams. Managing a product portfolio in one central location makes it easier to make adjustments, spot trends, and track company-wide progress. It can be easy for product teams to focus narrowly on their own products and neglect to monitor the competition. Manufacturers should choose PRM software that offers a competitive analysis feature of their main competitors to show a side-by-side comparison of their products and those in development. Planning Better Products Across the organization, PRM software helps product teams understand their portfolio better and align with company values at every stage. Want to see if a change in weight will affect a product?
What Does 2023 Hold for the Food Processing Industry?
Bob Grote | Nov 29, 2022 | Food Manufacturing
A display shows most indices up on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. NEW YORK (AP) — Corporate profits have withstood raging inflation over much of the last year, but those good times may be ending. Profits stayed fat even as companies’ costs rose thanks to one simple trick: Businesses boosted the prices they charged customers by more than their own costs rose. Consider Lyondell Basell, an international chemical company. Profit margins for S&P 500 companies during the summer look like they dipped to 11.9%, according to FactSet.
Is the Chip Shortage Over? That Depends.
Zachary A. Collier | Nov 23, 2022 | Industry Week
It may seem as if the chip shortage is over. Increased use of “smart” appliances and the internet of things (IoT), cryptocurrency mining, and quantum computing, all have contributed to the upward trend of chip demand over recent years. But now reports show that the shortage is easing. In fact, many companies now have an oversupply of chips instead of a shortage. Then on the other hand, less technologically advanced, or “legacy,” chips are still experiencing constraints. Leveraging analytics across the supply chain and AI-enable forecasting capabilities can support decision making in the short and long term.
US Economy Rose 2.9% in Third Quarter, More than Early Report
Agence France-Presse | Nov 30, 2022 | Industry Week
The U.S. economy grew more than initially reported in the third quarter this year, with government data released Wednesday reflecting upward revisions to retail spending and some forms of investment. GDP growth in the July to September period came in at 2.9%, annualized, better than the 2.6% figure reported in October by the Commerce Department. The pick-up came days before midterm elections in the United States, in welcome news for President Joe Biden, but analysts have cautioned of a less rosy path ahead, saying that the leap seen in exports was unsustainable. But economist Oren Klachkin cautioned that the headline figure “masks cracks beneath the surface.” A downward revision to imports meant net trade offered an “even heftier” boost to growth, he added in a note. While economists expect this to be a positive trend in the near-term, they expect growth to follow a slower path as moves to cool the economy and bring down inflation bite.
What are CNC machining services and what are they useful for?
| Nov 23, 2022 | Automation World
Over the past few years, CNC machining services have become a vital part of the modern manufacturing world. And more so, what benefits does it offer? The CNC machining process starts with the creation of a computer-aided design (CAD) of the required part. Here are the top 3 most common types of CNC machines: CNC Milling Machines CNC milling machines are designed to hold raw materials in place while rotating cutting tools to make shapes and cuts. Enhanced safety – Using CNC machines eliminates the need for manual operation of machines, enhancing the safety of operators.
How Industry Culture Shifts are Changing the Future
Industry Today | Nov 28, 2022 | Industry Today
A new era for 3PL providers is emerging, through the increasing digitalization of logistics services and changing consumer habits. What additional services are 3PLs offering? Integrations for tracking and order updates provide greater transparency to customers and can also remove manual data entry workload from the provider — by automating data management and sending updates as certain order or delivery milestones are met. As customers look to outsource more of the logistics side of their businesses, more opportunities are opening up for 3PL providers to offer additional services to support customers with supply chain planning. Respondent, Business Owner, Warehouse & Transport Operations. The report shows an evolution in what it looks like to be a third-party logistics provider, as logistics companies like this are exploring new and innovative services they can offer to customers, to increase revenue with increased billable services, to attract and retain new customers, and to ensure the success of their customer’s growth.
Rockwell Automation Shares Technology Updates and a View into Automation’s Future
Automation World| Nov 30, 2022 | Automation World
The 31st annual Rockwell Automation Fair drew more than 18,000 attendees over two days in Chicago. Those old highway signs used to say ‘speed kills’. You don’t need one box for a robot and another box for motion control, you [should be able to] buy one automation controller that does it all. Simplification is a trend that will continue and expand over time.” Taking advantage of a centralized management infrastructure that can maintain, update, and deploy revisions across an automation system is something that we will continue to see advance,” said Bulho.
How to gain control over your maintenance processes: Combating the Circle Of Fire
Joe Anderson, George Williams | Nov 30, 2022 | Plant Services
Are you trapped in a break-fix mode where there never seems to be time to get to the heart of the root cause? George Williams and Joe Anderson of ReliabilityX outline how you can identify and then break free from these never-ending cycles.
A Modern Approach to DC Equipment Life-Cycle Management
Kathie Canning | Nov 29, 2022 | Supply Chain Brain
Distribution centers (DCs) traditionally have taken a react-and-respond approach to equipment life-cycle management. And new construction often was cost prohibitive. The time normally allotted to routine equipment maintenance suddenly disappeared. At times, the DC still will have equipment challenges tied to emergency access and availability of 100% of the equipment, Blair says. “Then it’s really getting them to understand the different KPIs that you’re running through the system,” she says. “ Although they rely on demand data from customers, DCs are not always on the “forward edge” of data-driven technology when it comes to operations within their own four walls, Blair says.
Two New Must-Read Reports on U.S. Trade Policy
Alan Tonelson | Nov 29, 2022 | Industry Today
A study on minority workers inflicted by offshoring-friendly trade policies and a report on the U.S. approach to the international economy. By Alan Tonelson, RealityChek Good things just came in twos on the U.S. trade policy front, in the form of two separate reports that spotlighted a major, vastly under-appreciated result of America’s approach to the international economy for many decades, and that proposed an excellent new idea for shielding U.S.-based workers and businesses from Chinese (and some other foreign) predatory trade practices. So how about USITC folks getting on the horn to their Census Bureau counterparts to get cracking? As ITIF argues, “It should be irrelevant if the domestic company is harmed in the here and now.