Employee owned, customer driven.
This year has proven to be remarkable in many ways. March 2020 was memorable in how it gave the world a glimpse into the workings of the supply chain. As the coronavirus began spreading and taking hold in the U.S., consumers flocked to their favorite big-box retailers and grocery stores to stock up on food …
Continue reading “How JIT inventory and Shelf-ready packaging are helping retailers”
The realities of today’s market for consumer packaged goods (CPGs) are all about meeting the needs of a diverse and fragmented public. It’s not enough to box up your core product and ship identically packed boxes to retailers. Wholesalers, big box stores, dollar stores and convenience stores all have specific requirements, from the size of …
Continue reading “How CPG manufacturers can regain efficiency”
Reducing downtime during changeover is a goal that any cost-conscious manufacturer would pursue. The reality of today’s market is there’s a great variety of products and sizes to meet consumer demands. It’s becoming more common for retailers to set specific requirements about the material and packing methods used, such as shelf-ready packaging. That means the …
Continue reading “How manufacturers can reduce downtime from changeovers”
The world of work is changing rapidly. As manufacturers upgrade to more intelligent machines that can produce goods faster and more cheaply, they’re faced with a people problem. Human workers still needed to operate the machines and optimize the line. Unfortunately, their skills are not keeping pace with the technology that powers the advanced machines. …
Continue reading “What manufacturers can do about the growing workforce skills gap”
Production managers lean on their machine operators to optimize the line. As these workers adjust settings, swap components and troubleshoot faults, their agility and skill keep the line in constant motion. We need these operators to give the right support to the machines so they can support production. In reality, the manufacturers that rely on …
Continue reading “What manufacturers can do to maximize the ability of self-supporting machines”