In the first post about how to product by value analysis, we gave you the initial steps of a value analysis method or technique which will allow you and your manufacturing facility to conduct a brainstorm first by understanding the goals and gathering information. Ultimately, once you then

The following post on safety in manufacturing is applicable to most businesses, not only manufacturing facilities. However, there is an important role safety plays in manufacturing facilities to ensure your company is maintaining the highest levels of output. Without safety as a top priorit

This is the first in an ongoing series about Lean Manufacturing and the elements of 5S to provide a framework of efficiency and continuous improvement in order to make your work more efficient, thus creating better systems and impacting both worker happiness, communication, and ultimately y

On Friday’s post I went over Lean initiatives from a high level, and how the elements of 5S are an integral part of a lean initiative. Lean thinking and methodologies are an important part of creating efficiency, increasing collaboration, and ultimately increasing customer satisfactio

I continue my series on Lean manufacturing today by answering the question, “What is KANBAN and how can it aid in Lean Manufacturing?” Do you remember the theme to this LEAN series? It is that “There is always a better way to do anything.” When I introduced you to kick starting

According to the IDC Manufacturing Insights Report for 2014, the two main things manufacturers need to focus on over the next year is technology and operations. Those two words loud and clear state the real focus for manufacturers is efficiency. One of these efficiencies manufacturers need

Streamlining your manufacturing process (and quality processes) will result in greater profits — the key is knowing how to improve without reducing the quality of your product. Streamlining involves reducing waste, improving quality and using the technology available to keep all team member

We have been confronted again and again with the message that Manufacturing must evolve to and become more innovative. But according to this criteria, where is the future of manufacturing headed? What is the new-growth factory for a company? In this article I intend to indicate the manufact

In international social and political discourse, there are some subjects that should be considered universally important. Without doubt, human impact on the environment is one such subject. Though it has taken many years for global warming to capture public awareness in a way that truly ref

As the U.S. economy continues to recover, the manufacturing industry faces a new crisis: hundreds of thousands of unfilled positions (also referenced as the industries skills gap). The following infographic from Tulsa Welding School shows numbers from March 2013 exhibiting a year to date ga

Editor’s Note: Cerasis, as a third party logistics company, has a core tenet of continuous improvement of our people, processes, and products. We fully believe that an efficient manufacturer and manufacturing base is set to stay competitive and sustain. We keep manufacturers competiti

Editor’s Note: If you are a regular reader of the Cerasis blog, you know that we are a third party logistics company who specializes in transportation management through technology (a web based transportation management system) and managed transportation services to include freight ac

The phrase “Made in China” embodies cheap labor, the outsourcing of American manufacturing jobs, and China’s transformation into one of the world’s economic superpowers. However, it seems the end of the Made in China manufacturing era may be in sight. Labor Costs Dri

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, tripping, falling, and slipping account for the majority of “general industry accidents.”  In fact, statistics show slip and fall accidents make up 15% of all accidental deaths, 25% of all injury claims, and – shockingly – 95 million lost wo

Customer expectations of reliable quality and rapid delivery forces today’s manufacturers to either shorten cycle times or lose business. Customers simply switch suppliers when others are more capable of delivering within their preferred timeframes. Lean systems have provided a formid

If you are a regular reader of the Cerasis blog, you know our goal is to educate and inform those in the manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, logistics, and transportation space with best practices, trends, and industry news so that we can create a community of people. This community

A traditional viewpoint of manufacturers reveals many flaws in the efficiencies of standard shipping, transportation, and other logistics processes. Inherently, manufacturing and logistics go hand in hand. Manufacturers must receive raw material inbound and send out product to customers out

Take a moment to think about offshoring. Offshoring is basically when a company moves manufacturing to a foreign country in an attempt to save money. For a time, this model of manufacturing seemed to be the paragon of effective business. It was cheaper than producing products in the US, man

There is probably no better way to describe augmented reality than with Pokemon Go. Augmented reality turns your surrounding into an interactive realm that could be in the form of a game or anything else that is objective-based. It will add a touch of digital elements, objects, and another

Editor’s Note: This article comes from Steve Wright who works for Whirlwind Steel and shares his knowledge on manufacturing plant site selection. There are a number of factors to consider in manufacturing plant site selection to ensure you have the best location for your new plant. Un