Digital Transformation
-
What are the First Steps a Manufacturer Should Take to Modernize?
- October 20, 2021
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Innovation, Manufacturing
No CommentsLast week, I talked about how there’s still a need for old-school manufacturing, but that doesn’t mean that there will always be a need. Some of you old-school manufacturers need to modernize and update your systems. If you’re still running labor-intensive processes and you’re struggling to find labor just to meet your orders, then maybe
-
Apply the “Touch It Once” Productivity Principle to Manufacturing
- June 9, 2021
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Manufacturing, Productivity
I often hear about the “Touch It Once” principle from productivity experts. The idea is that as soon as you pick up an item — say, an email or a piece of mail — you deal with it immediately. You don’t set it down to do later, you deal with it at that moment. That
-
What’s Stopping Additive Manufacturing in the Factories?
- February 3, 2021
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Manufacturing
I’ve been interested in digital manufacturing and additive manufacturing ever since we tore down and rebuilt an entire factory to take advantage of the latest in digital manufacturing technology back in 2007–08. So I like to keep an eye on the latest trends and developments in the field, especially around measurement, hiring, and, of course,
-
Should Manufacturers Use Blockchain
- January 27, 2021
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Innovation, Manufacturing
You’re no doubt hearing more and more about blockchain and how it’s being used in new and different applications. For one thing, you’re probably hearing more about Bitcoin, and you may even know that it operates on the blockchain principles. But what is blockchain? Is it important? Can manufacturers use it? Should we use it?
-
5 Manufacturing Predictions for 2021
- January 6, 2021
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Business, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Manufacturing
Sometimes we’re so close to the trees that we can’t see the forest. We’re so focused on this one tree, not realizing that the forest is growing and changing all around us. I feel that way when I think about all the manufacturing technology changes that have been going on around us in 2020 and
-
Embrace Cloud Computing for Manufacturing
- December 2, 2020
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Management, Manufacturing
A few months ago, I talked about how cloud computing may be a solution for manufacturers to embrace the latest in manufacturing technology. I wanted to dive a little deeper into the idea and talk about some of the ways manufacturers can use the cloud to save time and money and protect their intellectual property.
-
Additive Manufacturing is the Next Industrial Revolution
- November 25, 2020
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Manufacturing
I recently saw an article that called additive manufacturing the next industrial revolution, and I thought they couldn’t be more right. Of course, we all know about the original Industrial Revolution and how it has shaped society today, including working hours, salaries, trade unions, and even the idea of the weekend. Robotics and digital manufacturing
-
How Can You Handle Rush Orders? (Small Batch Sizes)
- September 9, 2020
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Innovation
It doesn’t matter how well you plan, all it takes is one bad inventory count or runaway forklift for a customer to have a rush order for a small number of parts, say 250 brackets. It’s something you don’t make that often and you have to retool and set up for that order which makes
-
Five Improvements Digital Manufacturing Can Make For Your Manufacturing Company
- July 29, 2020
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Manufacturing
Digital media has done a lot for the sales and marketing world. We can quickly and easily create photos and videos, personalize them for people, and even automate that process. Software has done some amazing things to not only allow marketers to reach their customers but to create amazing content to reach them with. The
-
The Value of Smart Manufacturing in 2020
- July 15, 2020
- Posted by: David Marshall
- Category: Digital Transformation, Manufacturing
The pandemic has created unprecedented changes in the American economy for the last several months. Some companies have shut down and furloughed their employees, while other companies that manufacture food, PPE, or medical supplies are seeing skyrocketing demands for their products, and they’re fighting to keep up with the increase in orders. Other companies are