Automotives: Fueled by Information

Trends in the automotive industry keep manufacturers on their toes. In the past, for example, suppliers manufactured individual parts for the OEMs; today, those same suppliers must provide much more complete assemblies, requiring them to coordinate production with their individual parts suppliers.

This Tier .5 supplier trend, as well as more dependence by OEMs on automotive sequencing, makes timing of production and deliveries absolutely crucial. Top performers produce products under demanding specifications and schedules, while continuing to increase output through higher efficiencies and elimination of waste. They reduce product lead-time and costs, and are able to focus on their core competencies with the help of self-empowered teamwork, value-driven performance measurements, and consolidation of operations. Lean manufacturing practices and integrated information systems are at the core of these cost-containing improvement efforts.

Electronics: Precise Coordination Enables Flexibility

OEMs are under constant pressure to introduce innovative products that are more appealing, reliable and inexpensive. The pace is relentless and requires cross-functional and cross-entity communication to get the right volume of product to the marketplace. The challenge becomes even more problematic in the electronics industry, which is characterized by short product lifecycles, long procurement lead-times, indirect channels and complex supply chain networks.

The constant challenge for this industry is to optimize output and maximize efficiencies while dealing with the underlying reality specific to electronics — outsourcing. More and more electronics companies are outsourcing much of the manufacturing processes. Contractors provide turnkey design, production, sourcing and repair services. Effective collaboration is a requirement and OEMs and contractors must rely on standard processes and technology solutions that integrate information on a global scale to maintain control.

Fabricated Metal: Being flexible and shaping your company to meet demands

Gaining market share for fabricated metals manufacturing presents extraordinary challenges and opportunities. Acting as extensions of their customers' engineering and manufacturing operations, fabricators are relied on for flexible capacity, continuous replenishment, collaborative designs and their ability to vertically integrate sourcing on a global basis.
It's important for fabricated metal manufacturers to strengthen customer service by creating a feeling of seamless extension with their customers. Knowing that everyone is working toward the same goals and objectives is critical. To accomplish this across departments and among business partners, integrated processes and systems are developed to complement the manual workflows from design and product lifecycle management to after sales service and customer relationship management.

Finding creative ways to restructure operations and cut non-value added costs is key to improve operations costs.

Replacing ineffective legacy systems and implementing standardized and centralized software solutions are giving fabricated metal manufacturers literally a new view into their own businesses.