Is manufacturing dead in America?

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|October 28, 2011

I was privileged to attend the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Board of Directors meeting in Washington D.C. recently. Attended by some 300 senior executives of American Manufacturing companies, it was like a who’s-who in brand names anyone would recognize. NAM is a very big influencer of public policy on [...]

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Big brother, big data and big analytics

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|September 2, 2011

A lot of ink is being spilled over Steve Jobs leaving Apple. Okay here is a little more. Some of my younger friends and colleagues are surprised I have purchased an iPad. Apparently, to younger folk, most persons of my advanced years seem technologically challenged. But I learned a valuable [...]

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Perception can be reality when it comes to manufacturing quality

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|February 18, 2011

Modern manufacturing has come a long way in employing rigorous quality initiatives, but when a defective toy, electronic – or even a baby diaper – does slip past the quality initiatives, the current customer sentiment climate can make the situation go from bad to worse very quickly. It isn’t easy [...]

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What I really want is a speed boat not a tanker

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|November 8, 2010

SAS recently commissioned the Wall Street Journal to conduct a survey of top manufacturing executives. In this study, we were interested to know what were the top of mind issues or initiatives that they were considering. Nearly ninety percent of the respondents are employed in a managerial position or higher. [...]

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Do cows need analytics too?

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|August 27, 2010

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting one of our small to midsize business (SMB) customers, Oberweis Dairy, a family owned, 90-year-old business located in the Chicago area. Essentially, Oberweis has morphed from a family dairy farm to a significant, regional food manufacturer and retailer. With 39 retail stores, 40,000 [...]

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Supply chain analytics 101

Ritu Jain
Ritu Jain|August 19, 2010

Tough market conditions and a sluggish economy have made manufacturers focus even more on supply chain costs. Per an IDC survey earlier in the year of 400+ manufacturers and about 180 retailers “reducing procurement, production, transportation, and logistics costs” came out to be the number one priority. But cutting costs [...]

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Business Analytics 101: Supply Chain Analytics

Jonathan Hornby
Jonathan Hornby|August 13, 2010

~ Contributed by Ritu Jain ~ Tough market conditions and a sluggish economy have made manufacturers focus even more on supply chain costs. Per an IDC survey earlier in the year of 400+ manufacturers and about 180 retailers “reducing procurement, production, transportation, and logistics costs” came out to be the [...]

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Don’t mess with Mom, especially if she is on Facebook

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|May 25, 2010

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal shows the perils, real or imagined, of product flaws in this emerging age of social media. Proctor & Gamble is a highly admired company especially for its careful stewardship of its many premier brands. Can it be that any American mother, in [...]

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Quality first

Jonathan Hornby
Jonathan Hornby|May 14, 2010

Sooner or later, whatever brand of car you drive, you’ll probably get a recall. According to Automotive Recalls for Consumers, there were 14 cars on the list as of 10 May 2010 … some higher profile than others. Not surprising given the complexity of cars these days – there can [...]

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The day manufacturing died

Michael Newkirk
Michael Newkirk|April 26, 2010

In 1897 a reporter was sent to determine if Mark Twain might have died since some rumors had been circulating to that effect. This prompted Twain to make his famous statement that “the report of my death was an exaggeration.” In 1907, the New York Times speculated that he had [...]

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