IT and Business Strategy
The IT finger on the customer pulse
In the complex world of global procurement, today’s manufacturers could not function without their IT. John Dwyer talks to three manufacturers, large and small, about their systems
The decade-long explosion in offshoring could not have happened without IT and the internet. Manufacturers of all sizes rely on the combination routinely. And whatever the lean gurus say, for most producers, forecasting – anathema to the...
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Plant and Factory IT
Clocking on
Debbie Giggle reviews developments in HR software and asks how time and attendance packages can assist lean manufacturing
Clocking on is synonymous with the factory environment but today’s systems for monitoring time and attendance are an altogether different animal to those of the past.
“Human resources administration in manufacturing industry is growing...
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Software
The perfect fit
Bespoke ERP systems can be very costly, but Malcolm Wheatley reports on the vendors that supply to niche manufacturing sectors
Dumfries-based Hunter Rubber Company has been manufacturing wellington boots in Scotland since 1856 – owned, throughout that time, by a series of public companies, and most recently bought out of administration by a consortium of buyers....
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Hardware and Infrastructure
Broad appeal
Broadband has taken off in the domestic market, but what benefits can it deliver to manufacturers? Brian Davis reports
UK companies are increasingly adopting broadband services to connect sites, suppliers and customers far more cost effectively and efficiently than using traditional ISDN leased lines. The benefits of ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber...
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Product Design and Development
Grand designs
What is stopping companies collaborating with each other on product design and development? Is it technology, culture or something else? Ruari McCallion went to find out
The global economy demands global enterprises. Global enterprises have to communicate across time zones and continents in order to work. They also need global supply chains – but it isn’t just about geographical miles: non-core functions...
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