You can’t fix what you can’t see on the factory floor

April 13, 2021

The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is the channel of information from the shop floor to the top floor in a manufacturing organization. An Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) is often not enough to understand what is actually happening in the factory.

Spotlight

International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global leader in packaging and paper with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and North Africa. Its businesses include industrial and consumer packaging along with uncoated papers and pulp. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company employs approximately 55,000 people and is strategically located in more than 24 countries serving customers worldwide. International Paper net sales for 2014 were $22 billion.

OTHER WHITEPAPERS
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An Industry 4.0 Framework to create Smart and Sustainable Factories

whitePaper | September 10, 2022

From the very beginning, SmarterChain’s vision has been to democratize top-tier supply chain knowledge and expertise. Through the years, we have been fortunate to work with best-in-class organizations and academic institutions and understand the importance of easy and systemic access to practical, top-tier strategic advice. As a plan of action designed to achieve a longterm ambition, strategy is what makes or any type of organization from a company, a nation, or an individual. The word ‘strategy’ itself comes from the ancient Greek words for ‘army’ (‘stratos’) and ‘lead’ (‘egy’) – it means leading your army into battle. And, as such, strategy is about the leadership required to make big ambitions a reality. For centuries, the biggest, most influential organizations and companies have led with radical approaches that have shaped the way we do business, as well as how we teach business to future generations.

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Agile Manufacturing

whitePaper | March 8, 2023

Agile Manufacturing is a manufacturing philosophy that emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness in production processes. It is an approach that allows manufacturers to quickly respond to changing market demands and customer needs. The term Agile refers to a set of principles and practices aimed at delivering high-quality products that meet the needs of customers in a fast-changing environment. The term Agile Manufacturing was first coined in the early 1990s, during a time of increasing global competition and rapidly changing market conditions. As a result, manufacturers began to explore new ways to improve their competitiveness and responsiveness to changing customer needs, leading to the development of the Agile Manufacturing strategy. In January 1991, the term appeared in an important report entitled “21st Century Manufacturing Enterprise Strategy” by the Iacocca Institute at Lehigh University in the United States.

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Facts about the true state of the art of 3d construction printing

whitePaper | December 13, 2019

Winsun has a 3D construction printer installed in their factory in Suzhou, China, that produces elements by 3D printing. The elements are then transported to and assembled at the building site to form the building structure. Hence, Winsun is actually 3D printing precast elements and do not 3D print on the building site. Therefore, when Winsun claimed to have done 10 buildings in 10 days, it actually meant, that they assembled 10 buildings in 10 days, out of elements 3D printed in the factory long before.

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Digital Transformation: Why and How to Build a Digital Future

whitePaper | February 4, 2022

Digitalization is an evolving process that took roots several decades ago. The first business computers and data storage units emerged in the 1950s. In the 1960s, companies invested in databases and automated processes to make reservations and plan materials or to gain easier access to schedules/inventories, MRP was born in response to the Toyota Production Systems and Methods. In the 1970s, banking experienced its first digital advancement with the invention of ATMs, which ignited a major digitization trend

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INDUSTRY 4.0 THE ROLE OF IIoT IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR

whitePaper | October 6, 2022

Is “Industry 4.0” an increasingly hyped term or a real change in the manufacturing sector? This question arises when we examine the true value of Industry 4.0. This White Paper is an attempt to analyze the theoretical and practical aspects of the concept, which has made its way into the Polish market as well as others. The paper will present detailed analysis and presentation of the practical side of Indust

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Why are Manufacturing Companies Keen on Adapting Finance Automation Solutions?

whitePaper | May 11, 2022

The first industrial revolution transformed the manufacturing sector, helping it take the first steps toward automated operations. The fourth industrial revolution, today, is modernizing various sectors of manufacturing operations with artificial intelligence(AI). The use of AI in the manufacturing industry has helped process the account receivables data, tackle delayed payments, missing invoices and addressed various challenges caused by labor-intensive processes.

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Spotlight

International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global leader in packaging and paper with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and North Africa. Its businesses include industrial and consumer packaging along with uncoated papers and pulp. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company employs approximately 55,000 people and is strategically located in more than 24 countries serving customers worldwide. International Paper net sales for 2014 were $22 billion.

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