Trends In Manufacturing: 5 Tangible Technologies are Shaping the Future of Manufacturing Now

Continuous improvement is part of the game in manufacturing. Factories are finding new ways to change how products are made, reflecting an increased need for shorter product life cycles. Among the new trends in manufacturing improving the industry, additive manufacturing and cloud-based systems will push manufacturing forward in 2017. In fact, rapid design and lightning-fast prototyping, reports Mark Dohnalek of Manufacturing Business Technology magazine, will allow manufacturers to design and produce products in a few days, if not hours. Let’s take a closer look at final five trends in manufacturing to watch for in 2017.

5 Tangible Technologies

1. Manufacturers Will Turn to Crowdsourcing For New Ideas.

Crowdsourcing is one of the new trends in manufacturing. As people have grown more comfortable with virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR), the demand for new inventors has increased. As a result, companies are using crowdsourcing to kick start new campaigns for better, faster and smarter technologies, reports Steve Erickson of the Mazella Report. More importantly, crowdsourcing gives manufacturing a chance to judge market value of new products before they are even created. In other words, a strong crowdsourcing response might indicate a product’s future successes before it even hits factory floor.

2. Enterprise Resource Planning Will Move to the Cloud.

Cloud-based systems are quickly replacing legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in manufacturing. The cloud enables automated updating without the pitfalls of downtime. In addition, cloud-based systems can manage whole-system solutions.

For example, a manufacturer’s financial, warehousing, shipping and auditing information can be kept safely in one platform. This is where Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies come into play. These holistic platforms offer increased versatility and flexibility to adapt to fluctuations within markets, and they can eliminate the overhead costs of running an in-house IT department.

Platform SaaS solutions also lead to better visibility across the entire supply chain, asserts Synchrono of Supply Chain 24/7. Essentially, manufacturers can seamlessly integrate existing solutions into cloud-based platforms through a series of increments, lessening the burden of transition. In fact, adoption of cloud-based platforms for manufacturing is expected to grow more than 20 percent between 2017 and 2018. Thus, more manufacturers will be able to reduce costs and eliminate redundancies wherever possible.

3. Additive Manufacturing Will Move to Retailer Locations.

There is a stereotype in manufacturing of keeping product creation away from consumers. But, emerging markets and stronger desire for customization have created a unique paradox for manufacturers. Consumers want more complex, customized, and unique products available immediately, and manufacturers are turning to additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, to meet this demand, reports Industry Week. But, what is 3D printing really?

Technically, 3D printing could be applied to a machine using yarn to fashion a custom accessory in the store. It can use liquid polymers to sculpt home items. The concept of 3D printing really goes back to defining ink and the medium. Meanwhile, think about the basic component of many yarns, polyester. This is a polymer that has been put out in fine threads to create a thick yarn. As a result, tomorrow’s manufacturers might be sitting on store shelves, not based in factories.

4. Manufacturers Will Use “New Tech” to Draw in Millennials.

Millennials want to work with computers, not oily machines. They want meaningful, innovative careers, and manufacturers have taken notice. 2017 will be the year that more manufacturers draw on technology to entice millennials to enter the industry. As mentioned previously, 3D printing is one of these technologies, but other technologies being deployed include greater use of robotics through automated assembly and ultrasonic quality-assurance systems. Ultimately, more technology and relatability between millennials and manufacturers will help to drive growth in the industry throughout the year.

5. Automation Will Reduce Bottlenecks and Improve Accountability.

Customers want more than ever before. They want the Holy Trinity of Manufacturing: getting anything they want, anytime they want it and at the right price. In response, manufacturers are looking to automation to improve customer service, hold the right people and processes accountable and eliminate bottlenecks in production.

For example, manufacturers can use automation to track sales, monitor inventory levels, monitor use of additive manufacturing, maintain control over financial information and manage logistics processes, reports Terri Hiskey of Manufacturing Business Technology magazine. Furthermore, automation will enable lean production, reducing overstocking or understocking issues, explains Ilene Wolff of Advanced Manufacturing Media. This will also help to reduce overhead costs and drive costs down for end-users. Ultimately, lower costs in the manufacturing process through automation will enable growth in response to market-based or political uncertainty.

The Big Picture.

At the end of 2017, manufacturing will still look similar to what it is today. However, the biggest changes in the industry will appear subtle, reflecting changing technology and management software applications. But, each of these trends in manufacturing will work in tandem to create demand-driven manufacturing, empowering the supply chain along the way. Your organization should consider exploring and implementing these technologies and trends before your competitors put you out of business.

By

Cerasis

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Circumstances that Change the Battle Ground

An appropriate improvement programs and structured implementation plan for distribution center advancing to reduces timeframe and promotes the success of programs.

Implementation programs, probably can be invasive, disruptive, and even counter-productive, causing considerable expense, possibilities of wrenching business-process change, and gnawing uncertainty in the minds of employees. Yet surveys show midsize businesses are increasing investment in state of the art of technology for enterprise level system such ERP, WMS, TMS and others to stay competitive, tapped the benefits of integrated data, streamlined processes, managed inventory and other benefits promised. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill guarantees any implementation will be quickly, painless, and successful.

A big automotive parts company, which is one of our clients, has already been successful executed improvement programs and create values without risk of catastrophic failure.

Tempting to rebuild a new distribution center blueprint in terms of both capacity and capability, the new design was cost effectively accommodate future growth and advances in technology. It take into account of foresight and forward thinking to successfully converge equipment, software, people and processes in an expanded “house.” Flexibility and scalability become integral design factors to achieve the perfect balance between initial investment and future expandability.

Related to distribution center design and operation, the algorithms alone are insufficient in determining an optimal solution. Without an objective blueprint for design, it can fall into the trap of designing around the promise of a material handling equipment brand rather than blending the ideal equipment, WMS, WCS and associated technologies according to the specific demands of each company’s unique distribution model.

The four smart programs in a new distribution center blueprints:

# 1  Reduce movement to optimize task efficiency.

“Movement” is considered one of the seven (or eight, depending on who’s counting) wastes of lean manufacturing. According to Paul A. Myerson, Professor of Practice in Supply Chain Management at Lehigh University, waste of movement “occurs when temporarily locating, filing, stocking, stacking, or moving materials, people, tools, or information.”

Unnecessary or excess movement can be the result of a combination of factors, ranging from poorly lay out to placing stocks, pass over product velocity and too long inbound travelling path, to inefficient working methods.

To reduce movement, they need to increase operator efficiency, such as with scheduling system. In its simplest form, Wave Planning is considered a “scheduling system for replenishment & picking operation.”  Wave planning builds upon that principle by setting time windows of the replenishment of stocks and or picking operations on the shop floor at the moment that it’s needed. The result is a timely, even flow of goods and worker assignment that eliminates bottlenecks and interruptions.

To further eliminate excess movement, consider locating inventory stocks closer to the pickers access and strategically positioning stock at velocity based locations to maximize the efficient flow of products.

# 2  Improve supply chain scheduling to reduce bottlenecks.

Things don’t always go as planned. Replenishment & fulfillment flow can be greatly impacted by the availability of stocks or by disruptions, such as late receipts of incoming stock, equipment breakdowns, quality rejects, and other issues during inbound process.

With early detection capabilities and real-time access to storage capacity, availability, and interdependencies of resources needed, system, and data, through Advanced Notification System (ASN), however, they have access earlier to the information needed to adjust schedules to accommodate those disruptions. With the right systems in place, they can even determine if change requests are feasible, estimate the impact of those changes on every aspect of end to end warehouse processes, and minimize potential impact on operation.

For the best result, they should avoid making unplanned changes during procurement vis-a-vis inbound operation, and instead attack supply demand problems directly. The scheduling system allows them to model what-if scenarios, their warehouse man can simulate the alternatives so they can choose the best approach.

# 3  Optimize inventory levels to reduce shortages

The distribution center shop floor can’t be productive if don’t have the materials needed for their fulfillment. When they suffer from inventory shortages (whether it’s a result of late deliveries, unexpectedly high reject rates, or short counts), the proper response is not to increase safety stock levels. Not only does this reduce cash flow and increase inventory carrying costs, but their data has shown that increasing safety stock levels isn’t even a sure guarantee against inventory shortages.

Instead, having accurate and timely visibility into their inventory allows them to know exactly what items are running low in stock, detect potential issues, and rectify them before they become real problems. Also, establishing close working relationships with their suppliers can help speed up fulfillment requests. They prioritized some suppliers connect to their system via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) as well as Web Services. When inventory will run out, then the system trigger automatically to order to supplier for replenishing them.

Sometimes inventory shortages can’t be avoided. In those cases, by the right planning system, they can earlier identify the impact of the shortages and determine how best to redeploy resources in the interim. It’s also a smart idea for them use contingencies built into the plan—such as alternate suppliers and substitute parts—that could be activated on short notice.

# 4  Automate processes with automated data collection

One way to speed up shop floor operations is by automating their shop floor processes with automated data collection tools, like barcoding. With barcoding plus android based mobile devices, key inventory and asset data (such as quantity and location) can be automatically captured and drive the flow of inventory and shop floor assets (such as totes, bins, racks, and pallets). Barcoding and Android based Mobile Devices help speed up data collection and improve data accuracy by bypassing slow and error-prone manual data entry.

Barcoding technologies, can also help reduce processing time of data reading. With barcoding technologies in place, they can automate the gathering and sending of asset information (such as location, product code readings, and storage bin status) without requiring an operator to have direct line of sight or contact with that piece of them. In our proposed plan, the types of information that RFID can gather help them increase capability for identifying patterns by implementing it in the future.

Through complete visibility into every step of shop floor operations, they have access to the information needed to make the most effective usage of constrained resources, find areas where they can increase throughput and efficiency, and promote better material, asset and even their people. Being able to see how all of the pieces fit together—in real time—ultimately helps them operate more efficiently and make better decisions. Onwards, they can identify potential problems earlier, analyze them, discover what’s driving them, and identify solutions before they create bottlenecks.

Project Name & Year : Redesigning The Distribution Center – 2016
Industry Classification : Automotive Parts
Project Location : Jakarta

Sizing up Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP against the competition

​In this Q&A, Gartner analyst Nigel Montgomery discusses Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP and how it compares with SAP and other players in the manufacturing ERP space.

Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP software was revamped and released early in 2016 as a cloud-first ERP system. Manufacturers have a lot to like in the new system, as they contemplate moving to the cloud, according to Gartner research director Nigel Montgomery, who covers ERP systems. In the following Q&A, Montgomery discusses Dynamics AX ERP and how it compares with SAP Fiori UX. He also looks at where Dynamics AX ERP fits in the increasingly crowded cloud ERP landscape.

What do you think about Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP?

Nigel Montgomery: The basics of Dynamics AX ERP are good, the product is good, the visualization and the way that I can engage the data and the system is very good. The UI is exceptional; it’s much more flexible than many others out there in the market, so this is all good stuff. The challenge is that, out of the box, it doesn’t handle project-centric as well as it should … therefore, you may need partner add-ons to cover some of those things. I think that’s a challenge, because a lot of those manufacturing organizations are getting increasingly project-centric in terms of the way that they engage both from a customization perspective for an individual customer and also in the way they think about individual projects. So, even a retailer that’s doing a private label-type situation, it’s a project. There needs to be a little bit more of a focus on a project-centric model and bringing in those capabilities that would be needed in such a model — for example, the costing it out, the planning and even the, ‘Can I do this, or should I do this?’ type [of] scenario. They have the delivery mechanism for the information; they just don’t have the system in such a way to be able to collect that. So, it requires… additional work by a partner, which I think they [should bring in] because I don’t think that’s going to get any easier.

What does Dynamics AX ERP do well, and what could it do better?

Montgomery: As a make-to-stock distribute-type model, it’s a very capable tool and has gotten more capable. I think that the warehousing and transportation functions are very good. One of the challenges that I think that Dynamics has is that it was developed to be relatively generic and cross-industry, which is great in some ways. But, in other ways, [it] means that I need somebody else to fine-tune the things for my particular need. This is where the partners come in, but the challenge is that the bigger they are, the less they want to be working with a small partner to do that; they want the system to be configured the way they need it. It will be interesting over time to see as to whether the GSIs [global systems integrators] either buy those smaller partners with that capability or build it. But it seems, to me, logical that it’s going to come from that GSI layer or business integration layer, if you like.

How do you think Dynamics AX UX compares with competitors like SAP’s Fiori UX?

Montgomery: I think the new UX [user experience] is more flexible than whatSAP Fiori can do at this moment, particularly for the different roles that you’ve got within a business or workloads within a business. However, the problem with it is that’s it’s so flexible that you can actually tie yourself up in knots if you’re not careful. So, unfortunately, one of these challenges is that with this flexibility and agility comes risk and management challenges. SAP’s got something that’s more easily structured and, therefore, can be standardized across business units, whereas with AX, it puts this in the users’ hands a little bit — possibly too much. But, at the same time, one of the best parts about it is that freedom to be able to do stuff; it’s just that it puts a certain amount of business management or systems management control onto an organization.

What about some of the other competitors in the ERP space now?

Montgomery: Infor has a very good overall go-to-market model now. They have revolutionized their thinking in some ways now around how they go to market. If you look at what Infor has got and how they enable, while it’s not necessarily geographically the same, their pockets of capability and their overall story [are] very sound. I think we show them in our vendor rating as a promising vendor, because they have most of the bits that they have to do in place. What they just need to do is prove it through adoption, and that takes time. There’s a lot that they can do about it, but I would say that Infor seems to be doing the right things in the right way to set themselves up; and, therefore, they are competitive in some decent-sized deals. So, I think they’ve got a good story.

Are others doing interesting things in the manufacturing space, particularly with regard to cloud adoption, which has been somewhat slow for traditional manufacturers?

Montgomery: There are some of the other players that I think are interesting that are starting to come into the mix. NetSuite has been in the cloud story for a long time, and they have got some manufacturing capability, but it’s not as deep as AX’s — and it’s not as deep as some of the others around the patch, like JD Edwards [EnterpriseOne] and so on. But it is capable, and they have good distribution, good price-management-type situations. So, right now, [it has] a good solution, with good capabilities for the smaller organization. NetSuite can play, but I think this movement to the cloud or the acceptance of the cloud being a delivery model brings a whole bunch of other players into the mix, likeKenandy and Acumatica, that are actually out there doing something now. As the issue of cloud goes away or the acceptance of cloud comes in, whichever way you look at that, these vendors have got a story to tell and they have opportunity as well. And, in a way, that’s what the likes of Microsoft or SAP have got to guard against.

Do you think manufacturers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of moving to the cloud?

Montgomery: It’s just that companies that were against cloud at their manufacturing and operations level, or were hesitant with cloud, that’s starting to go away. So, the more it goes away, the more a cloud-only solution seems like a reasonable idea. Before it was, ‘You don’t do on premises, so I’m not sure I want to play.’ I still think there’s a fair bit of that, but in a lot of cases, it’s becoming more accepted. It certainly is at the SMB level, so I think, realistically, there’s some opportunity there. That now changes the market dynamics, because instead of having two or three vendors that could be your potential vendors, you’ve actually got quite a number of people that could do it. Then, your challenge is how you’re going to select between them, and that’s where [Gartner gets] involved a lot. We get a lot of companies that say, ‘Help us. We’ve got a list here of people as long as your arm. Just help us narrow it down.’ It’s not just about the product; it’s about licensing [and] it’s about how you set it up as a system from a cloud or PaaS [platform as a service] model.

Written by : 

Jim O’Donnell

News Editor

Source : http://searchmanufacturingerp.techtarget.com/

Ternyata Perubahan itu Penting

Keinginan untuk mendapatkan sistem operasional yang lebih akurat, lebih cepat dan transparan, mendorong salah satu group bisnis spare part otomotif terbesar di Sulawesi ini memutuskan untuk mengimplementasikan aplikasi ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) SAM APROVA.
“Berkaitan dengan implementasi ERP SAM APROVA ini, kami sudah melakukan beberapa langkah perubahan yang signifikan”, demikian kata Ronny, Chief Excecutive Officer.
Perlu penataan ulang atas proses dan organisasi yang ada agar dapat mencapai tujuan diimplementasikannya ERP ini, tambah Ronny.

Penataan Organisasi dan Procees Automation

Konsultan (Penulis) sedang menjelaskan konsep warehouse

Penting bagi company ini untuk melakukan restrukturisasi organisasi, mengingat ERP SAM APROVA bekerja lintas fungsi. Tanpa melakukan penyesuaian dari pola lama ke pola baru, company akan mengalami kendala yang akan mempengaruhi keberhasilan implementasi itu sendiri. Sebagai pucuk pimpinan tertinggi, Ronny berupaya untuk melakukan antisipasi dengan turun langsung ke tingkat operation dengan cara melakukan gemba secara intensif. Hal ini untuk memberikan arahan ke semua team untuk menyemangati sekaligus mensosilisasikan perubahan perubahan yang terjadi, apalagi perubahan ini bukan hanya mempengaruhi pola kerja yang ada saat ini tetapi juga adanya perubahan dan rotasi team pelaksananya. Langkah yang ditempuh ini cukup efektif mampu menjaga ritme implementasi menjadi lebih dinamis.

Salah satu point utama perubahan yang dihadapi adalah pada beberapa proses mengalami perubahan seiring dengan process automation yang di drive oleh aplikasi ERP SAM APROVA. Sebagai contoh, sales order yang turun ke warehouse menjadi instruksi yang dapat dieksekusi oleh picker warehouse saat truck availabel. Proses picking pun dapat dilakukan sesuai dengan skenario dan kebutuhannya, apakah berdasarkan delivery route atau proximity sku atau shortest path si picker. Hal ini mampu meningkatkan kecepatan pelayanan hingga hampir 2 kali lipat dari yang sudah dijalani saat ini. Demikian juga kecepatan informasi menjadi lebih real time sehingga sangat membantu dalam pengambilan keputusan yang lebih cepat, demikian penuturan Ronny.

Lebih lanjut lagi, Ronny menjelaskan selain perubahan diatas perubahan juga terjadi pada beberapa fungsi lainnya :

• Finance dan Accounting

Perubahan konsep yang dianut saat ini dari cash basis dengan pencatatan post transaction ke konsep automated workflow management, sehingga memungkinkan semua transaksi dilakukan secara paperless.

• Sales

Pendekatan sistem untuk mencegah penyimpangan (fraud control) membantu perusahaan untuk menekan kerugian kerugian yang selama ini terjadi di operasional. Dengan demikian akan berdampak kepada kesehatan financial serta pelayanan kepada customer yang lebih baik.

• Human Resources

Saat ini analisa biaya baik per employee maupun pembebanan biaya atas asset menjadi lebih akurat dan detil. Ini sangat membantu memberikan kesempatan kepada HR melakukan program program improvement sebagai upaya meningkatkan produktifitas karyawan.

Warehouse Yang Setengah Warehouse.

Penataan Layout Warehouse Tahap 1

Seringkali dalam proses implementasi menemui kendala. Salah satu yang paling sering muncul adalah sikap resistensi terhadap perubahan yang ditimbulkan. Demikian juga dengan implementasi ERP SAM APROVA ini tidak luput dari kondisi tersebut. Diawali dengan perubahan yang cukup mendasar dalam hal pengelolaan warehouse dari saat terima barang hingga delivery, dan dari klasifikasi barang hingga pengelolaan lokasi /slot management.

Perubahan cara penyimpanan dan penataan barang di lokasi menjadi lebih teratur sehingga dengan algoritma tertentu didalam ERP membantu picker untuk mengidentifikasi barang dan lokasinya. Material handling juga membantu mempercepat proses loading dan unloading barang. Perubahan perubahan diatas menjadikan ketidaknyaman bagi team warehouse, bahkan mendapatkan rejection di awal saat dimulainya inisiatif perbaikan di area unloading. Namun, dengan membandingkan pola kerja (teknik dan pemggunaan material handling equipment) yang baru vs lama membantu team warehouse untuk mengidentifikasikan perbedaan sekaligus melakukan pengukuran kinerja sendiri tanpa melibatkan team lainnya termasuk konsultan (self proofing). Dengan melihat perbedaan yang nyata dan dilakukan sendiri, maka komitmen perubahan menjadi lebih terwujud seperti yang diharapkan.

Kini Kami Telah Siap

Perubahan demi perubahan sudah dilakukan. Selain system automation yang menuntut perubahan pola kerja dan penataan ulang fungsi fungsi yang ada juga melakukan modernisasi infrastruktur baik di sisi operation maupun disisi ITnya. Tanpa upaya yang konsisten serta keterlibatan pucuk pimpinan, perubahan akan membutuhkan waktu lama untuk mencapai titik kesetimbangan baru di sistem. Menurut Ronny, perubahan ini menjadi penting dan perlu, mengingat sifat kompetisi di market yang terus berkembang sejalan dengan inovasi yang ada. ERP SAM APROVA membantu menjadi katalisator perubahan menuju yang lebih baik, dan company lebih siap menghadapi kompetisi ke depan.

Choosing Racking System for Your DC

Ada 10 hal yang harus diperhatikan dan diperhitungkan bila Anda berencana untuk investasi rak baru terlepas untuk ekspansi atau setup warehouse baru. Kesepuluh point ini cukup komprehensif karena menyangkut capacity planning, material handling dan juga sampai ke building facility and environment.

Choosing Racking System for Your DC

A racking system can make or break your warehouse or distribution center. Even if you plan to make some changes and reclaim space in an existing facility, you must consider physical constraints and unique operating requirements before selecting a rack system. Here, Bill Hillebrenner, director of consulting services, CEI Logistics, demystifies the rack selection process.

1. Consider storage density.
By analyzing on-hand storage volumes by SKU, you can identify deep-lane storage opportunities. Deep-lane storage—such as double-deep, drive-in, drive-thru, pallet flow, and push-back racks—can dramatically increase cube utilization within a warehouse.

2. Know your selectivity.
One-hundred-percent selectivity limits your choices considerably. If you must have access to specific pallets at all times, deep-lane storage is not for you. In a space crunch, you may be forced to “bury” pallets. If this practice is limited to the slowest-moving SKUs, the additional labor required to access these loads may be acceptable.

3. Are you FIFO or LIFO?
Understand your requirements before selecting a deep-lane storage alternative. If you require pure FIFO (First in, First Out), consider pallet flow racks. You can use other deep-lane storage alternatives in a FIFO environment under the right circumstances. But carefully evaluate your choices, because buried loads may significantly increase your material handling labor costs.

4. Understand your picking profiles.
What do your orders look like? Are you primarily picking pallets, cases, or pieces? Are you picking from bulk to replenish a forward pick zone? The answers can have a dramatic effect on what rack you select and how you configure it.

5. Consider forklift access.
Fork truck selection is critical, particularly if using specialized storage such as drive-in, drive-thru, or double-deep racks. With select rack systems, always add a minimum of six to 12 inches to the “right-angle” stacking aisle requirement provided by the truck manufacturer. This will help reduce damage to both product and racks, as well as increase productivity and create a safer workspace.

6. Check for rack decking.
Pallet variations are a way of life. Bottom board and fork pocket location, and damage, can impact the safety of both driver and product. You might need additional rack components (pallet supports, decking) to mitigate problems associated with inconsistent pallet type.

7. Identify your seismic zone.
Understand all federal, state, and local codes relative to your location and seismic zone before designing and installing any rack structure. If you are in a high-risk zone for earthquakes, you will have more stringent engineering requirements for all man-made structures, including racks.

8. Think through your warehouse lighting scheme.
Increased accuracy, reduced rack damage, and improved work environment are all factors to consider when lighting a warehouse.

9. The environment in your warehouse has an impact on the type and cost of rack selected.
Consider warehouse climate, wash-down requirements, FDA regulations, and other special product handling needs.

10. Capacity.
Don’t guess how much your heaviest pallet loads weigh. Weigh them! Assume that the heaviest pallet might be placed into any of your storage locations, and build your system accordingly (yes, there are exceptions). This will build flexibility and safety into your storage system.

2-D or RFID: Which is better for item-level marking?

Saat ini barcode sudah tidak asing lagi karena banyak company telah mengimplementasikan dengan berbagai tujuan dan kebutuhan terutama disisi kebutuhan tracebility. Sedemikian jamaknya teknologi ini mendorong vendor barcode menyediakan beragam tipe dan tingkatan teknologi termasuk RFID bahkan saat ini telah berkembang teknology visual barcode. Dilain waktu saya akan posting subject visual barcode.

Pada artikel dibawah ini, Pak James membantu kita memberikan guideline dalam pemilihan teknologi barcode yang tepat. Ulasannya cukup membantu memberikan gambaran secara jelas pros dan cons atas teknologi 2D dan RFID. Semoga artikel ini bisa memberikan manfaat nyata.

 

Each technology has its pros and cons, so the choice will depend on your needs and your price point.

2-D or RFID? That’s the question many companies face when they go to upgrade their item-level product identification systems from one-dimensional (1-D) bar codes. Compared with linear 1-D codes, both 2-D bar codes and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags represent an enormous technological advance. But each system has its pros and cons, and choosing which road to take isn’t always easy. In the end, the choice usually comes down to the user’s intended application and the kind of information it needs to convey.

What RFID has going for it is that the technology does not require a line of sight for item visibility. With a bar-code symbol, whether 1- or 2-D, the machine or person wielding a scanner must be able to get a bead on the symbol in order to read it. There is no such requirement with RFID tags; they convey information wirelessly to an interrogator via an antenna.

Right now, RFID tags are primarily used to provide unique identification for items of fashion apparel or medications. In the case of pharmaceuticals, the tags are deployed to provide traceability, to guard against counterfeiting, and for brand protection, says Michael Liard, vice president at VDC Research. In the case of apparel, the tags are mostly used for inventory control and store visibility.

Historically, the big impediment to wider adoption of RFID technology has been price—and that’s still the case today. According to the Automatic Identification and Data Capture team at the research firm Frost & Sullivan, so-called passive tags (which rely on an outside source for power) cost between $0.40 and $20 apiece, while active RFID tags (which contain a battery as a power source) go for between $10 and $50.

By contrast, it costs just a fraction of a cent to print a two-dimensional bar code on a packaged product. Furthermore, a 2-D matrix code allows users to pack a great deal of information into a small space. Because a 2-D symbol encodes data on both the X and Y axes, it can store more product data than a conventional linear bar code and, for that matter, most RFID tags can. Among other information, a 2-D symbol can encode a product lot number, date of manufacture, expiration date, manufacturer location, and distribution channel.

Another big advantage is that a 2-D bar code can carry a link to a website. A shopper with a smartphone can simply scan an item’s code and be directed to a site for more information about the product. “2-D bar codes are used in marketing where you want to convey more information about the product to the consumer,” says Richa Gupta, a senior analyst at VDC Research.

Although RFID was originally touted as a high-tech way to monitor supply chain movements, most companies using the technology for item-level tagging do so for reasons other than channel visibility. The primary reason companies opt for RFID-based item-level tagging remains asset management and surveillance.

For instance, in a retail store, an RFID tag can trigger an alarm if a shoplifter attempts to walk out the door with the merchandise.

While theft deterrence may justify RFID costs for high-end merchandise, more companies are expected to opt for 2-D codes. “If you can get a line of sight, then the default goes to a 2-D bar code because ink on paper is pretty inexpensive,” says Rick Bushnell, president of the consulting firm Quad II.

Other experts don’t see the two technologies as an either/or proposition; they believe there’s room for both, depending on the intended use. “While 2-D bar codes may be a barrier for RFID in some applications, we expect both 2-D bar codes and RFID to coexist for the most part,” said Frost and Sullivan.

Written By James A. Cooke

2014 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 640 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 11 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Ten Actionable Program You Should Use in Warehouse, Do it !

Managing warehouse are widely discussed and there are many articles and books written by people whose expertise in their fields. All about them brought the same messages, how to manage warehouse effectively.

We spent countless hours observing all. It is important to share one of them. It was very easy to understand and simple to implement. This article is our favorite one. I would say special thanks to Jason Bader from iCepts who has written it.

We strongly recommend these proof strategies for your operation doing as the article said.

Here are a few tips how to manage warehouse effectively.

Clean the Place
It is amazing what you will find in the warehouse when you just clean it on a weekly basis. Mystery inventory such as : returned goods, damaged goods and special buy outs won’t have any place to hide. Beyond the ability to move more quickly in the facility, your team will begin to develop a greater sense of pride in their workplace.
Remember, this is the place where all your cash is stored. we want to develop a team that protects your cash from the outside threats – salespeople, truck drivers, and manufacturer reps.

Give the Warehouse Personnel an Identity
These are the folks who work with your cash all day. Give them shirts that say “Vault Security Team” or “Vault Management Team”. This does a couple of things. First, it reminds them that inventory has value. Second, it help identify those people who belong in the warehouse. A key element in keeping a secure warehouse is to eliminate those folks who have no business in there.

Increase the Size of the Receiving Area
When most people are designing their warehouse, they tend to cram as many racks of inventory into the possible space. As an afterthought, they usually carve out enough room for a little desk by the dock door, run a terminal to it and call it the receiving. If you make a mistake here, 10 additional problems will occur in the company. Start by giving them adequate room to work. You will see your inventory adjustments decrease immediately.

Put Senior People in Receiving
Why do we always put rookies in receiving? As mentioned earlier, mistake in receiving cause multiple headaches down the line. We need to make sure that we get it right coming in the door. Pay your receiving clerks well. Encourage them to stay in this position. Remember you will always have more product coming IN than going out. Receiving is your one place to get it right the first time so you do not have to redo orders later because of receiving errors.

Create Signage in the Warehouse
Don’t assume that your newer employees can navigate your aisles. Help them out. Create colorful signs to direct them to aisles or bins. Warehouse maps are a great way to increase productivity immediately. Clearly label landmarks. Try this exercise. Ask a friend to come into your warehouse and pick an order. If your warehouse is set up correctly, they should achieve a high success rate without asking questions on every line. It needs to be that easy.

Add Lines of Description to Pick Tickets
Most item databases will allow you to add multiple lines of description to any SKU in the system. Use them. Increase the order picker’s chance of pulling the right product. Put in physical descriptions like “the blue one” or “two wheel”. This is very critical when you are talking about minimum quantities. Let them know that an “each” is always the pair in the pack, not one of the two. This simple suggestion will help youbeliminate future dead stock. Don’t worry about killing a few extra trees. They grow back.

Double Check Orders Before They Go Out the Door
A really bad motto in distribution company is ” We fix our mistakes faster than anyone else in the business”. For the typical distributor, the cost to process an order is around $45. It costs and additional $100 to send it out the second time. None of us have enough margin to absorb this cost on a regular basis. In order to get it right the first time, install a method of double checking by one of your seasoned veterans. This is especially important if you have several new people picking orders.

Create Color Coded Delivery Labels
In order to make it easier for your delivery folks, develop a custom colored label for your most valuable customers. Make sure that every package you deliver to them has that label. Your drivers will be able to quickly identify their orders. You don’t want to make mistakes on these orders.

Implement a Days Work in a Day Discipline
This concept simply states, “what is started today, must be completed order”. If you receive it, it must be put away. If an order is put in the system and a pick ticket printed, it must be picked and shipped or staged. In an order to make this happen, we need to create cut off times. Order processing must end at a defines time. We need to give the warehouse a chance to finish off the day.

Implement Cycle Counting
Most of us know what it is. Some of us recognize the benefits. Few of us have made it part of our standard operating procedures. Cycle counting will increase the accuracy in your systems. By examining the inventory daily, you will find those mystery items that have found their way to the shelves. You can correct items that have been put in the wrong place. You can rotate stock. The list can go on indefinitely. Cycle counting is penicillin for distributors because it attacks so many little problems and solves them on a timely basis.

Good customer service begins in the warehouse. Sloppy procedures and a disorganized warehouse show much further than the confines of four walls.

Not-so-obvious Tips for Selecting ERP Software

It is common knowledge within the manufacturing industry that errors made while selecting ERP software packages can doom projects before they even get started. Yet, not much has been written about some of the more subtle aspects of managing the ERP selection process — many of which can make or break anERP implementation.

Learn the manufacturing industry jargon

There are ERP packages that support different types of manufacturing operations. For example, some vendors may state that their packages support companies that use models such as build-to-order or assemble-to-order, build-to-stock, configure-to-order or engineer-to-order. Other vendors claim their system capabilities address discrete, batch, repetitive and lean manufacturing. Adding to the confusion is the fact that many companies do a little bit of all the above. Moreover, none of these attributes are unique to the manufacturing industry and can mean different things to different people (including many ERP vendors).

Prior to choosing an ERP package, project leaders should become educated on the industry definition of these operational models and practices to prepare the company for the software evaluations that lie ahead.

Define what, not how, when selecting ERP software

When implementing a new ERP system, it is important to recognize that things will change. Even if everyone loves the old system, the new system will not look like the old one. Also, keep in mind that any new business processes that were defined prior to selecting ERP software are rarely implemented as originally envisioned.

When developing a list of software requirements, focus on what the software must do, not exactly how it should do it. Remember, at this stage we are trying to select the best software tool, not implement it. Focusing too much of the “hows” can limit the flexibility of any package to address the requirements, since there is usually more than one way to efficiently accomplish a task. It can also lead to the potentially false conclusion that a particular package is not a good fit, when really the requirements are too rigid.

Avoid a software ‘beauty contest’ when choosing ERP

ERP software demonstrations are where the rubber meets the road. If these sessions are not managed correctly, bias and subjectivity will taint the evaluation process as vendors attempt to turn the demos into a beauty contest. Beyond a list of software requirements and process scripts for the vendor to demonstrate, the evaluation team leader must take the following additional steps:

1. Create an equal forum for all vendors. The meeting place for the demos, the agenda and the delivery method — sales team on-site or remote — should be the same for each vendor. This is about leveling the playing field. For example, if one vendor performs a demo on-site and another does theirs remotely, which vendor do you think has the advantage?

2. Request that each vendor send their A-team If the ERP software demonstrator is not familiar with the software, he or she can make a good package appear inadequate. It is in your best interest to understand what the software can really do.Vendors should demonstrate the software you plan to implement.

3. Avoid demos using software and technologies that are not representative of the actual product or a version that will be used. The evaluation team leader must be a referee. Vendors and clients come from different worlds and use different terminology, thus much can get lost in translation, leading to invalid software conclusions. During the software demos, make sure the vendor is demonstrating the software, not just talking about the software’s capabilities.

4. Educate the team on how to properly apply the package scoring system. For example, the highest possible score for a requirement is achieved only if the system fully addresses the need right out of the box, with no procedural workarounds or client modifications.

5. Do reference checks beyond the marquee accounts. Remember, the objective of a reference check is to uncover issues, and most marquee accounts will not fully disclose them.

While it is valuable to understand all the good things about the software, it’s important to understand the bad things as well — so ask for and check other references.

Source : SearchManufacturingERP.com
Written by Steven Phillips
Steven Phillips is an ERP professional with over twenty-seven years of implementation experience. He is the author of the book Control Your ERP Destiny, available at Amazon, Google Books, Barnes & Noble and through many other international booksellers.

Five Reasons to Stick with Your Legacy ERP

During the darkest days of the recent recession, most companies hunkered down and pulled back IT spending, including enterprise application investments. It would have been foolhardy to replace a legacy ERP system and deploy a new one with the future looking so uncertain. Now that conditions have improved somewhat, many manufacturers’ IT budgets have thawed and companies are considering replacing their legacy ERP systems with Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, for example, or migrating to different on-premises platforms. The features available in a new ERP deployment can be enticing, and it’s tempting to just walk away from a quirky system that barely meets your needs.

Some experts say not so fast. Rejuvenating your existing system is most likely less risky, costly and disruptive to your organization than a wholesale swap-out. Budgets may be a little looser now than two years ago, but the economic picture is still clouded at best, making it wise to hold down spending. Though sticking with your existing system is not the sexy choice, these experts cite five good reasons to stay the course and skip a new ERP system deployment.

This may not be obvious, especially if your head has been turned by the new SaaS ERP offerings. Switching to a monthly operating expense instead of maintaining the capital equipment required to run your ERP on-premises appears to be more cost-effective — there’s no hardware to buy and no maintenance.

But SaaS is only cheaper if you are starting from scratch, and its cost advantage diminishes over time, according to Eric Kimberling, president of Panorama Consulting Solutions, an ERP consultancy based in Denver. Kimberling said it doesn’t require an analysis to determine that migrating to a new on-premises system will cost big bucks. “It’s usually less expensive to stick with your current system as long as you’re not passing up business benefits,” he said.

 “With rip and replace, there is a significant amount of risk,” Kimberling said. Implementing and learning a new system will cause major disruption to the organization, and change management and training are often given short shrift. “There is a comfort level with the old system,” he said.

Often, the organization can get as much benefit for lower cost and risk by upgrading ERP to the current version (most companies run on older ERP versions) or by simply using features that have been sitting on the shelf and then optimizing business processes accordingly, Kimberling added.

In fact, most companies still view SaaS ERP as too risky, according to an annual survey conducted by Panorama. Only 17% of the 200 Panorama clients that participated in the survey had adopted SaaS ERP.

Exciting new social media features may dazzle, but reliability is more important, adds Paul Ziliak, founder at xkzero, an ERP implementation partner in Rosemont, Ill.

When it feels like your legacy ERP system has run out of gas, do a quick assessment to see if there is any hope.

First, does your system have useful features that you implemented but never turned on? If so, you should be able to enlist a consultant or even an in-house superuser to train people to use the features.

Second, what version are you running? If you are more than one or two release cycles from being up to date, you can expect to get a major boost from upgrading, Kimberling said.

Third, are any of your important business processes broken? If so, optimizing them can work wonders. In fact, implementing an upgrade in concert with process improvements can reap major rewards at much less cost and risk to the organization than a migration.   

Your ERP vendor may be willing to pull out all the stops to keep you on its platform. Most vendors will offer migration credits for upgrading, for example, or free licenses for additional users. Beyond that, some vendors are even hiring consultants to help customers ensure they are getting the most out of the system. This might seem extravagant, but from the vendor’s point of view, it is worth it to keep key customers in the fold.

“We have been paid good money to help [vendors’] existing clients automate little pieces of their business that might not previously been automated,” Ziliak said.

As with many things in life, when you’ve spent years with one thing, it’s common to lust for change. But when it comes to ERP, in an uncertain economic climate, your biggest priority should be to keep your back office and other critical functions running. Unless your system is completely broken down (and if it is, you clearly must make a change), there are many ways to improve around the edges to minimize business impact and hold down costs.

Original source :
ManufacturingERP
By Lauren Gibbons Paul, Contributor
Published: 04 Oct 2011