All Posts in the Category "ERP/MRP"...
Physical Inventory
January 2012.
Sadly, many companies are going through the annual physical inventory process at this time of year, wasting the company’s money and resources while providing no real value to the business or its customers. Why do they do it? Two reasons: (1) the accountants and auditors insist and (2) there is little confidence in the inventory records because of questionable processes and controls .
Football Season
September 2011.
Advice and Assistance for Manufacturers.
Football season is here and once again I am reminded of one of the most overused but still valid sports
metaphors around . . .
Game Changers
August 2011.
Market Analysis & Communications for the Manufacturing Industry.
It is a rare thing – a new approach or a new product or technology that is beyond the usual. Sometimes it is a technical breakthrough and other times it is simply a new application of something that already exists in another context. Either way, these breakthroughs may not necessarily lead to success.
Small Investment – Big Return
July 2011.
Advice and Assistance for Manufacturers.
Don’t assume that your big investment in system implementation or process improvement is necessary to get a big return (ROI). Have you picked all the low-hanging fruit?
Orlicky’s Material Requirements Planning 3/E
Building on the pioneering work of Joseph Orlicky, this new edition of the classic text on material requirements planning (MRP) reveals the next evolutionary step for materials and supply chain synchronization in the modern manufacturing landscape.
Grabbing Attention
June 2011.
Market Analysis & Communications for the Manufacturing Industry.
I recently ran into some information on a company called Big Ass Fans that makes – you guessed it – fans. Big fans. One of the most interesting things about this company is its marketing strategy –
What’s In It for Me?
April 2011.
Market Analysis & Communications for the Manufacturing Industry.
Having taught hundreds of classes in MRP. ERP, supply chain and related topics, I always try to emphasize the benefits of each function or approach in a very personal way – answering the question “What’s in it for me?” for each and every student.
Tipping Point
Are we on the edge of a new technology cycle?
A recent Wired magazine cover declared, “The Web Is Dead.” How’s that for an attention grabber? The articles inside the issue offered an interesting analysis of how browsing and searching the web today represents less than 25 percent of Internet traffic. Users now are more likely to use specific apps to connect directly with the function, data, or site they want, bypassing browsers such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Advanced Functionality
April 2011
Advice and Assistance for Manufacturers
Manufacturing systems have been with us for several decades, progressing from simple inventory accounting through increasingly complex and comprehensive product suites: MRP, MRPII, ERP, finite scheduling, supply chain, advanced planning and optimization, inclusion of CRM in the suite, and so on.
