Best in Manufacturing – November 13, 2016
Each Sunday, we publish a list of top articles and other content related to manufacturing in areas like quality control, product development, supply chain management, sourcing, auditing and law.
1. Cellulose nanocrystals in green manufacturing
I don’t know how familiar you are with biology. Personally, I’m not all that great with the subject. But if there’s one thing I know, it’s that the biology of plants is truly remarkable. Although my high school science teachers might be mad at me for 
forgetting, I was recently reminded that cellulose is one component of plants that gives them their impressive strength.
And now, in what sounds like something out of science fiction, scientists are turning to cellulose for ways to harness that quality for industrial applications.
When you hear someone say that it’s possible for stronger, tougher, lighter and more environmentally friendly products, it’s only natural to have a little bit of skepticism. But cellulose nanocrystals offer precisely that to the world of manufacturing. They can act as environmentally friendly filler when blended with synthetic materials and plastics. Additionally, since they reduce the weight of products, that’ll mean less energy consumption at various stages of the supply chain.
The technology is still under development for now. But can you imagine a world where everyday products all incorporate cellulose nanocrystals? For all we know, virtually anything that’s synthetic or plastic could benefit from them, leading to a reduced impact on our planet. Businesses might enjoy cost savings as well, since the substance can serve as filler in a variety of goods.
Although it might be a while before consumers are using items infused with cellulose nanocrystals, it’s hard to say how fast the technology will evolve and touch our lives. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’ll appear on the market in the next five years. I hope I’m wrong and it appears even sooner.
If you’d like to learn more about this advance in green manufacturing, check out the full article in the link below:
Nanocellulose in Medicine and Green Manufacturing – American University, Science daily
2. Vaulting over manufacturing problems with CRM
Some manufacturing businesses might only focus on outward considerations to improve competitiveness. What price are our rivals offering? How many different products do we have compared to them? What’s their market penetration like versus ours? In looking outward, however, you might overlook a way to improve competitiveness from the inside: customer relationship management (CRM).
Implementing a fancy CRM system, though, doesn’t mean much if there’s nothing to back it up. A handful of people might even think that it’s a waste of money, an expensive piece of software that doesn’t add meaningful value. Thankfully, a recent survey of more than 400 manufacturing professionals revealed that CRM:
- Increased efficiency;
- Increased productivity; and
- Increased the satisfaction of customers
Competing in the era of Industry 4.0 doesn’t mean you have to fully automate a factory and slap sensors on every conceivable piece of equipment. But there are definitely some basic competitive advantages, like CRM, that keep you in the manufacturing game.
To learn more about the specific data that led to these conclusions and if a CRM solution is right for you, check out the full article in the link below:
Overcoming Common Manufacturing Issues with CRM – Anthony Smith, Manufacturing.net
3. The future of Lean strategy
Within the realm of Lean manufacturing, eliminating waste is the ultimate objective. Whenever someone is idle, materials are squandered or the production line stalls, waste is the culprit, and everything must be done to eliminate it.
But in the quest to get rid of waste, the author of this article makes the point that it’s very easy to simply point to a process that’s wasteful, fix it and think everything is alright. The problem with this thinking, though, is that if removing the waste doesn’t actually shorten overall lead times for production, what good is it?
As the author states,
…only when those lead-times go down will Lean projects positively impact big hitter financial exhibits such as pre-built/pre-positioned Finished Goods Inventory; safety-stock Raw Material Inventory; Warehousing, Transportation and Material Handling; etc., etc., etc.
These metrics are ultimately used to sway executive level decision makers, especially those that deal with the numbers of the business, like accountants or the CFO. And when you have the support of upper management, that means you can really work toward Lean manufacturing. You can also improve order fulfillment and the critical paths of products in a way that has a real impact on the company.
Fully implementing Lean manufacturing is not something you can accomplish overnight. But with this author’s advice, you can take a leap in that direction.
If you’d like to learn more about Lean strategy, check out the full article in the link below:
Next Generation Lean Strategy – Paul Erickson, Industry Week
4. Enhanced factories of the future
Nations with low costs have served the manufacturing industry well for the past decade. By taking part in globalization, many firms and customers have benefitted from the cheaper products and savings the countries offer. And although globalization has encouraged many manufacturers to operate internationally, that’s going to change with Industry 4.0.
There are definitely some challenges to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But by focusing on these four areas, the authors believe that factories can significantly improve.
- Intelligent sensors – Equipment with sensors on it will allow operators to predict maintenance rather than react to the need for it. They’ll also record and transmit data in real time to help deliver valuable insights and optimize operations.
- Standards and protocols
- Network, application and data security
- Plant design – To achieve a more flexible plant, you need to design for the new era of manufacturing. Talking about a real transition to advanced technology is useless unless actually you plan to optimize a factory for “cyber-physical processes”.
Not everyone needs all the advanced technology offered by Industry 4.0. For some companies, it’s beyond budget and simply unnecessary. Yet for others, it’s absolutely essential to surviving and remaining competitive in this part of the 21st century.
Do you think the next industrial revolution is all it promises to be or is just a bunch of hot air?
To learn more about the other two aspects to consider for building better factories, check out the full article in the link below:
4 Steps toward Faster, Smarter Factories – Sudhi Bangalore & Saksham Khandelwal, Manufacturing.net
5. Making the most out of trade shows in China
In the digital age, where you can browse thousands of products instantly and filter them effectively with the click of a mouse, it may seem like attending trade shows is outdated. But browsing the internet for everything you need isn’t always 
best. Sometimes, you simply need to be present somewhere to really advance your business.
Trade shows give you the opportunity to meet suppliers face-to-face and see where your industry is heading. In the particular case of China, meeting your potential manufacturing business partners is also vital to establishing 关系 (guānxì), which means “relationships” in Chinese. Without actually connecting with prospects in person, you risk not giving them the opportunity to determine if they can trust you.
Guanxi isn’t the only aspect to consider. Attending Chinese trade shows means you need to prepare to connect with suppliers to get their undivided attention. The way to do it? Download WeChat and talk with them there. It’s a popular messaging platform used by more than 800 million people, and it’s extremely popular in China. In fact, asking for someone’s WeChat to connect is often more common now than asking for someone’s phone number. And by using WeChat, you’ll typically get responses much more quickly than email.
Don’t you want to make the most of your trips to Chinese trade shows?
To learn about what else you should keep in mind while attending Chinese trade shows, check out the full article in the link below:
Benefits and Tips for Attending Trade Shows in China – INS Global Consulting
We’re constantly scanning the web for top manufacturing stories and news. But if you’d like to submit an article for consideration for our weekly Best in Manufacturing, send us a message and let us know.
