Virtual commerce: Serious gaming is becoming a real business tool

This week IBM introduced Innov8 2.0, the second generation of its serious gaming application. The Web-based application presents users with real-world business scenarios and challenges them to derive solutions that achieve bottom-line results.

Sidney Hill, Jr.: Let’s fix our economic state of mind

These are tough times to be in manufacturing. All of the factors contributing to the current global recession have fallen right on top of this sector. The tightening of credit and consumers' fear of losing jobs has brought automobile production to a screeching halt. Manufacturers of other durable goods, such as household appliances, are booking fewer orders these days.

An evolutionary process: Rockwell Automation unveils a broad-based solution platform

The new PlantPAx portfolio systems and solutions platform from Rockwell Automation underscores the vendor’s commitment to developing common systems and solutions umbrellas to deliver even greater market innovation and value to process industry customers.

Beyond process automation: Invensys Process Systems hails its consulting successes

While nearly every vendor in the industrial automation space now claims to be a “solution provider” rather than a mere technology supplier, Invensys has something to support this claim that most of its competitors lack: its own global consulting organization.

Sidney Hill, Jr.: The next planning variable may be carbon control

Constraint-based planning is a basic tenet of supply chain management. It calls for identifying factors that can slow the movement of goods through a supply network and developing solutions to overcome those limitations, or constraints, as they are called in supply chain vernacular. Typically, the goal is ensuring that all customer orders are filled correctly, on time, and at a cost that allows...

Consumption management: Schneider Electric generates huge savings by monitoring energy use 

Schneider Electric, the well-known supplier of electrical distribution and automation and control solutions, replaced roughly 7,000 lighting fixtures in 21 U.S.-based facilities and instantly found itself spending $580,000 less a year on electricity bills. It also picked up $196,000 in federal tax benefits. And that was just the beginning.

The word of the day: Lean has become an end-to-end business process

Aamer Rehman, VP of Lean Solutions & Services, with supply chain management software supplier i2 Technologies, says Lean’s expansion beyond the shop floor is a natural response to global economic forces that are putting pressure on manufacturers to do more with less.

Sidney Hill, Jr.: China PR: a heck of a job

The United States has long had what I consider a strange relationship with China. For decades, American consumers have gorged on goods made in China because the prices are low in comparison to similar items produced in other countries. Many U.S.-based manufacturers also rely on Chinese companies to supply them with parts or raw materials, or even to produce finished goods on their behalf.