“Lean manufacturing or lean production, which is often known simply as “Lean”, is the practice of a theory of production that considers the expenditure of resources for any means other than the creation of value for the presumed customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. In a more basic term, more work with fewer people. Lean manufacturing is a generic process management philosophy derived mostly from the Toyota Production System.”
Source: Wikipedia

The Lean Manufacturing philosophy names seven major wastes that should be dealt with

• Over-production,
• Transportation,
• Waiting time,
• Processing,
• Motion,
• Inventory,
• Scrap.

The idea here is that when you are able to control the waste you will be able to control earnings and expenditure.

Lean, as in free from superficial baggage, aims to help manufacturers become more cost efficient and less wasteful. The principle follows a domino effect. If waste is reduced, the quality of the product is increased. If the quality of the product is increased, the production time and the production cost decreases. This whole scenario ends up with an increase in total revenue from sales.

If the process is able to minimize or eliminate any of the following listed below, then the production will be said to be “lean”. Also, with Lean Manufacturing follows greater income, greater quality, and less waste an interesting for any company whether they are already pulling down a good amount of revenue or if they are flagging in their sales.

Defects, Overproduction, Transportation, Waiting, Inventory, Motion, Processing

Process planning should adapt to current situations and should be critical of itself. Only then can there be any meaningful and productive change in the processing system.

By: David Gass

Businesses whose operations rely on supply chains have to manage inventories of a large variety of assorted items. Traditional systems of inventory management lead to many inefficiencies. Adapting newer technology can largely eliminate these. To this end, many companies are exploring silent commerce or exploiting the benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags combined with wireless communication and sensors.

Advantages of Using RFID Tags

RFID is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. An RFID tag or transponder is a microchip attached to an antenna. It stores a serial number that identifies a person or object. The RFID is the size of a grain of sand and sends out an electronic signal when it is near a sensor. Production costs have been significantly lowered and RFID tags are now finding a host of applications in industry. Their use in lowering costs in the supply chain is of particular significance. Typical applications include the following.

• Items with RFID tags reaching a warehouse will not have to be registered manually. The information lodged on the tag is read automatically and entered into the inventory database.
• Physical counting and sorting is eliminated. Damaged items or those nearing expiration will be automatically identified.
• Packing instructions will be displayed automatically on a reader for the warehouse staff to act upon.
• Costs can be cut down substantially as many clerical functions and labor intensive processes are eliminated.
• Greater warehouse efficiencies are possible due to greater accuracy in order fill rates, faster inventory turnover, and increased customer satisfaction.
• It is easy to track lost or misplaced products, thus enhancing security.
• Availability of reliable data makes it possible to do demand forecasting and replenishment applications with greater accuracy.

Data Management Issues

Implementation of silent commerce and associated analytic capabilities raises data management issues that companies must address. Below is a list of the issues

Standards: The Auto-ID Center, an organization comprising more than 90 manufacturers and companies is doing work on Electronic Product Identification Codes (EPC) that will replace the existing Universal Product Code (UPC). This will enable companies to track products on a real-time basis along the entire supply chain globally.

Data Sharing: Organizations are presently in the initial stage of using RFID tags in their supply chain systems. Most implementations exist in closed system environments. As the systems proliferate and companies realize the advantages of cost saving even in closed systems, they will increasingly be convinced about sharing data with trading partners.

Privacy: Having a chip in various products creates unforeseen privacy issues that have to be addressed. Theoretically, anyone with a scanner will be able to locate any product. There are ways to overcome this, but it does highlight the serious nature of the problem.

Modern technology offers many ways to bring about operational efficiencies in a company’s processes and systems. Using RFID tags can bring about substantial cost savings in an enterprise’s logistics systems. Firms planning to use silent commerce can think of starting a pilot business to business project before implementing the technology on a global scale.

By: Tony Jacowski

No matter what, your business and supply chain will benefit from Six Sigma certification.

Six Sigma Certification – Will It Really Benefit Your Organization?

The success of Six Sigma certification and implementation depends on many factors. It requires nothing less than a relentless effort and dedication to see that it succeeds. Although specific procedures may be in place, an equal responsibility lies on upper management to dedicate 100% of their time and resources to this mammoth task. The top and bottom ends of your business, and all those in between, need to come together with single minded contributions to make Six Sigma certification and implementation successful.

Benefits To Your Business and your Supply Chain

Six Sigma certification benefits are both tangible and intangible. Intangible benefits can be in the form of customer loyalty that will follow the life of your business. Below we examine some of the benefits of Six Sigma certification.

1. Increase In Your Bottom Line: Six Sigma certification results in improved processes, better utilization of resources like finances, time and materials and reduction in the cost of production. On the customer side, there is higher satisfaction with products/services. This improves your bottom line substantially.

2. Six Sigma Certification Increases Shareholder Value: Fundamentally, this results from increased revenues, but in addition to this, there is increased customer loyalty and confidence that raises the stock values as well as the value to shareholders (to whom you are responsible).

3. Total Customer Satisfaction: Customers get more than what they asked for on the product/service side, at a lower price or higher value.

4. Decreased Employee Attrition: Six Sigma training boosts employee morale due to a reduced workload. Six Sigma certified employees realize the positive returns of quality work, which keeps them motivated. This reduces employee turnover and burnout.

5. Six Sigma Certification Creates A Win-Win Situation For The Supply Chain: In converting supplier-customer relationships to long-term partnerships, both parties win. Six Sigma training and certification accelerates this process with its focus on quality; prices come down and both the product quality and life cycle time improve.

IT Support Contracts and how they help you

IT support contracts should be complete and transparent, and should not confuse you with obscure wording. If there is some unavoidable legalese that you don’t understand, discuss it with your IT support contractor and get clarifications in writing and agree the level of service you require so that the contractor can supply an appropriate service level agreement (SLA ).

IT support covers a wide range of requirements and you might not need all the services offered. You should preferably select a contractor who allows you to tailor the kind of support to your specific needs.

One point you should get clarified in particular is the kinds of response you can expect to support requests. Support companies and your expectations can vary widely in this matter.

With the above general outline, let us delve into the major specifics of IT support contracts.

Typical Terms of an IT Support Contract

The contract should be clear about the items supported.

• EQUIPMENT: An IT setup will typically have servers, PCs, Laptops, Printers and so on. Which specific items will receive support?
• AGE LIMITATIONS: Are there any clauses that put a limit on the age of the equipment that will be supported?
• SOFTWARE: You will be using many kinds of software such as server software, desktop OS, functional software like Payroll, system protection software like Anti-Virus, etc. Installing and configuring some of these pieces of software can be a daunting task. The software can crash during operations. Identify which software will be supported? What kind of support will be provided, e.g., will there be any support for installation and configuration or upgrades?
• HOME USERS: Under flexible working arrangements, many users might be working with company equipment from their homes. Will they be supported?

The next important issue is how the support will be provided.

• HOW: Typically, support is provided over the telephone first, assessing the the extent of the problem, where possible guiding the user to rectify the problem by themselves. If this proves unsatisfactory, remote support by accessing the clients system from the support company’s system may be attempted. To enable such remote support, the support company might install a VPN connection or remote desktop support client. If this also proves insufficient, a site visit may be needed. Understand exactly how a support request will be handled, and how the service level will be escalated to a higher level.
• WHEN: Response times can differ with different kinds of problems. Server problems will need to be attended without delay. How much delay is provided in the contract? Desktop problems can afford some delay. Don’t insist on expensively short response times for these.

IT support contracts will typically also contain certain obligations on your part. Some major obligations are listed below. Check that you have made arrangements to meet all such obligations.

• Designating a specified person as the person responsible for the preliminary fault identification and troubleshooting. This person will be the main contact person with the IT support company.
• Try not to make system changes without prior consent of the support company
• Doing regular housekeeping activities like backups, testing the backups, and so on (check who is responsible for these tasks and who is responsible for data recovery should the need arise).
• Paying bills as agreed in the contracts

There will also be certain exclusions from the scope of support. Pre-existing faults and support for functional software such as accounting are examples of typical exclusions.

Finally, there will typically be a clause on how to resolve disputes.

Network Support : How should it be done?

Big companies often have a large network that they need to manage and maintain. This type of system management requires staff that has a computer technical education as well as network training. Without this type of extensive system management large companies would be unable to function as a working whole. Network training gives someone the skills and training that they need to manage and control a large network, as well as make decisions regarding the network that can affect the entire company.

Many of the details pertaining to network management have to do with the security issues surrounding the computer network of a company. There are many issues that have to do with the security of a company that uses computers as one of their main forms of communication with the outside world. This communication via the Internet means that individual computers, as well as the entire network, are at risk when ports to the outside computer world are opened. Network training gives people the skills that they need to maintain a secure system and keep track of the computer network. With secure network management the communication network of a company can be managed and maintained.

The number of network management positions within a company will be determined by the size of the company. The larger the network of computers the more system administration will be needed to keep track of all the system tools and computers. Studies show that companies without any type of network management in place will soon be plagued with issues of down time as their computer system fails to run efficiently. Studies also show that hiring a computer technician, network consultant or IT Consultant without proper network training can lead to an inefficient system as well. As more companies rely on their computer system for communication with their clients and customers, the importance of adequate and superior network management will increase.

Choosing the right network support is crucial to the success and growth of any business therefore make sure you pick the right team and in many cases outsource the network support to specialized teams or companies who will dedicate their time and effort on keeping your network up and running.

The benefits of IT Consultants

IT consultants are expert professionals who hold the in-depth knowledge and concept of internet marketing to the fullest to serve the virtual needs of any business. These consultants understand the emerging demands and requirements of the market and business.

In other words, it is not wrong to say that consultants are the driving force behind increasing your market value. Along with clearer concepts and skills, these people are acquainted with adopting newer technologies and tricks. These experts add their valuable contribution by understanding the needs and studying the prospective solution for meeting the arise demands. As a result, IT consultancy has considered as an essential role to play in the working of the IT businesses.

Benefits of IT Consultants

As we have already stated consultants can drive your business into the real path of growth, success and profit. There are some major benefits of choosing their services; including saving time and money, requirements analysis and much more

Contacting consultants will help a company to save its valuable time and resources in valueless marketing strategies.

Sometimes, a company fails to realize what it actually requires. Hiring IT consultancy will help a company to understand the emerging situation.

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The first MRP systems of inventory management evolved in the 1940s and 1950s. They used mainframe computers to explode information from a bill of materials for a certain finished product into a production and purchasing plan for components. Before long, MRP was expanded to include information feedback loops so that production personnel could change and update the inputs into the system as needed. The next generation of MRP, known as manufacturing resources planning or MRP II, also incorporated marketing, finance, accounting, engineering, and human resources aspects into the planning process. A related concept that expands on MRP is enterprise resources planning (ERP), which uses computer technology to link the various functional areas across an entire business enterprise.

MRP works backward from a production plan for finished goods to develop requirements for components and raw materials.MRP begins with a schedule for finished goods that is converted into a schedule of requirements for the subassemblies, component parts, and raw materials needed to produce the finished items in the specified time frame, Thus, MRP is designed to answer three questions: what is needed? how much is needed? and when is it needed?

MRP breaks down inventory requirements into planning periods so that production can be completed in a timely manner while inventory level and related carrying costs are kept to a minimum. Implemented and used properly, it can help production managers plan for capacity needs and allocate production time.

Business owners don’t want to risk their companies to just anyone, trust pays an integral part when it comes to outsourcing IT. At Canda Systems we not only offer trust but also expertise, availability and reputation. Canda offers a breadth of expertise with extensive experience in all kinds of technology, handling hardware, software and all your data needs. You can rely on Canda for big concerns such as strategic advice, budgeting, security and software as well as smaller advice like setting up screen savers. Canda have enough resources at hand to handle any emergency or sudden, short-term project. With all the resources available, Canda have a team that can scale up when you need it and scale down when you don’t. Of course, you want a reputable company, and many of Canda’s customers are a result of word of mouth, this has been key to bringing in new business. We know our customers refer us because they’re pleased with our work.