Manufacturing Industry White Papers & Research | IndustryWeek

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Manufacturing Roundups

Free Guide: The Quiet Revolution of Sensor Data
Manufacturers have been using sensors in their plants for years. But there's a quiet revolution starting, as companies learn how to use sensor data for boosting efficiency, improving product development, and gaining market insight. Read about the findings from a recent IndustryWeek/SAS survey of 500 manufacturers, and learn how companies are using sensors, how to become more competitive thanks to sensors, and how to deal with the influx of sensor-related data. Learn More!

Take Control of Your Suppliers and Distributors
Visibility into critical activities in your supply chain is vitally important. Learn how PC maker Lenovo keeps track of its complex supply chain. In this free IndustryWeek guide, you'll also learn how you can take control of your suppliers and distributors, building a connected business network that enables transactions, collaboration, and analytics. Read it now.

To a Lean Operation, Downtime is Costly. Learn to Avoid It.
Idle lines do not add value. Restarting production after unplanned downtime takes a lot of effort. To avoid this waste, implementing strategies to eliminate unplanned downtime is critical for a Lean operation. In this free IndustryWeek guide, learn how manufacturers are preventing critical application outages from stopping production. Read it now.

Current white papers

- White Paper
  
  Generate Greater Cash Flow by Optimizing Opportunities
  
  Unlocking existing contingency funds can boost operational agility and give your company more room to develop future profit. This report explains how visibility and increased governance is key to reducing risk. It contains the latest findings from The EPPM Board. You'll learn how business value can be gained from greater executive oversight into performance....More
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  The Future Of Procurement Collaboration White Paper
  
  Virtually all companies are under intense pressure to find the next generation of cost savings given both the commoditization of their products and mandates from customers to deliver more. This is particularly true for manufacturing companies, most of whom have wrung out costs for the past decade. Learn the implications for logistics procurement....More
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  CEOs Are Increasingly Being Held Accountable
  
  How susceptible is the CEO's reputation to poor performance across the project portfolio? What impact can delivery failures have on the executive board, and what are the challenges they face to introducing greater accountability? These are the central questions behind this research report, which examines how a lack of operational visibility, allied to the inherent risks that accompany any large capital investment, can have a direct impact on bottom line results -- and by extension the career prospects of senior executives....More
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  How Share Price Affects a Company's Senior Leaders
  
  Senior executives are more accountable than ever before for operational failings that contribute to poor share price performance. In this independent report, you'll see the intrinsic connection between long-term capital investment and short term market performance -– and how this can impact the profit outlook. It examines existing research, industry examples, and explores practical approaches to maintaining effective visibility and control over key operational metrics....More
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  Supply Chain Segmentation Enabled Why Focusing on Operations and Using New Technology Makes All the Difference
  
  Today's supply chains -- stretched by globalization, outsourcing, and the rapid proliferation of SKUs and product configurations -- are exceedingly complex. They're also exceedingly hard to manage. Companies know that in order to provide customers with more customization, more service, and more intimacy than ever, they need to segment their supply chain. But most still rely on a "one-size-fits-all" approach....More
- White Paper
  
  Big Data and Big Analytics for Product and Process Quality
  
  A comprehensive IndustryWeek survey of manufacturers reveals a key opportunity: collecting and sharing quality-related data across the entire organization can transform manufacturing....More
- White Paper
  
  Choosing the Right LED Product for Industrial Applications
  
  The way to reduce that massive energy expense is to upgrade to intelligent industrial LED lighting, which can reduce lighting energy use up to 90%. This white paper provides a comprehensive overview of industrial LED alternatives....More
- White Paper
  
  Shift Your Focus - Exploring the Future of Manufacturing Execution Systems
  
  If manufacturing drives your business, then business should drive your manufacturing IT. Forward-looking manufacturers are shifting the focus of manufacturing IT from operational tactics to a holistic business strategy. HP takes a closer look at today’s most advanced Manufacturing Execution Systems....More
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  Reengineering the Foundation for B2B Information Exchange in the Supply Chain
  
  Cloud platforms represent a truly radical shift in how companies exchange information with one another. Examine the shortcomings of yesterday’s technology and how new platforms based around the economics of cloud are enabling companies to become agile and hyper-efficient networked organizations. Without the extra-enterprise nervous systems to see and control the supply chain, companies are at a strategic disadvantage in their markets, and this paper explains why....More
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  Industry Edge: Aerospace Edition ezine
  
  The aerospace industry is navigating challenges and opportunities: ranging from going global, seeking growth markets, overcoming complexities, and driving innovation and differentiation. Learn how HP helps aerospace and defense companies harness the new style of IT with solutions that enable innovation and growth....More
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  Accelerating Speed to Market in the Highly Competitive Automotive Industry
  
  Dramatic changes in the auto industry are making speed a necessity for product development and production. You need a funnel for innovative ideas and resource management -- to accelerate your time to market. Learn why timely product releases are growing in importance throughout the automotive world, and how your company can ensure speedy product launches....More
- White Paper
  
  5 Core Principles of Supply Chain Excellence
  
  Supply chain management has evolved into a science, and achieving an efficient supply chain from end to end is a priority. Read about the 5 core principles of manufacturing supply chain excellence (including customer centricity, differentiated services through segmented supply chains, and more) in this free white paper....More
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  Minimizing the Impact of Recalls
  
  More than half of supply chain and operations executives say they wouldn't be able to execute on a recall quickly. The stakes are high, since the average recall cost for food and consumer products companies is $10 million -- and that doesn't count damage to brand reputation and lost sales. Learn why traceability is so important, and how you can protect your company and your customers....More
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  On the Clock: The Possibilities of Workforce Mobility
  
  Your workers use smartphones and tablets during their time away from work. So at work, why are they still relying on a bulletin board in the back room, filling out paper forms, and making phone calls to request a day off? Workforce mobility is changing the way companies operate, and the ROI is quick. Read this free white paper to learn how companies are enjoying greater productivity thanks to mobility....More
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  On the Trail to Traceability
  
  Today's supply chains are more complex, and that makes supply chain traceability a huge challenge for manufacturers -- since only 54% are fully compliant with existing traceability rules. In this easy-to-read presentation complete with data and charts, you'll see why companies should be worried about their current tracking capabilities, and where the opportunities are....More
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  Capitalizing on Sensor Data Opportunities
  
  Product-embedded sensors are proliferating and provide an unprecedented amount of granular data on how customers use products and how products perform. But to turn this data into actionable knowledge, manufacturers need to have an integrated business analytics platform. Otherwise, sensor-generated data will not return full benefits.....More
- White Paper
  
  Designing Security into The Connected Industrial Enterprise
  
  New technologies that securely connect plant information with enterprise systems and the Internet can improve productivity, asset utilization, and decision-making. But connecting plant-floor data with the enterprise and the cloud poses Cybersecurity risk....More
- White Paper
  
  Cloud Information Technology: A Model for the Networked Company
  
  Cloud technology is rapidly changing the way B2B interactions are carried out. It provides a benefit that no amount of investment in traditional software can obtain — the exponential effect a robust network of companies with a common goal has on the quality of the technology and its users. As companies move to cloud-based software, their IT teams must correspondingly adapt the department’s structure....More
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  Post Accident Cost Control and Accident Prevention
  
  What’s the best way to minimize the cost of an injury? The answer is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. The simple truth is that workplace accidents will happen. What happens next, however, can significantly impact the productivity and profitability of any company—large or small.....More
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  Manufacturing Solutions Enable IT And Business Execs To Address Key Strategic Priorities
  
  Today’s leading manufacturers are aggressively implementing wireless solutions throughout their industrial facilities and using these wireless solutions to enhance agility. This study focused on identifying key strategic and business priorities of IT executives and business decision-makers enabled by WLAN/Wi-Fi and other wireless infrastructure technologies....More
- White Paper
  
  5 Tips for Enterprise Asset Management Software ROI
  
  How can enterprise asset management (EAM) software deliver return on investment (ROI)? Learn the five ways EAM delivers ROI, so you can plan your selection and implementation around these deliverables. Download this white paper to take advantage of the cost savings and revenue enhancement features EAM offers, and avoid the potential problems....More
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  What’s Missing from Your Lean Initiative? TPM’s integral role, with 5 takeaways to guide your strategy.
  
  Most business owners and general managers recognize just how critically important proper equipment maintenance is, particularly in an asset-oriented work environment. Simply put, poorly maintained equipment leads to production downtime, lost revenue, dissatisfied customers, and low morale. Yet, in the context of lean initiatives, debates crop up regarding the role of preventive and predictive maintenance versus Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). Read more......More
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  When Disaster Strikes
  
  Disasters that affect the supply chain will never be avoidable – but the operational and financial havoc created by them can be. Globalization and the concept of a lean supply chain exposes companies to more risk from major disasters than ever, and companies must plan for and act confidently when they occur. Hear stories of disruptions and the best strategies for handling them with cloud technology....More
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  Manufacturers Take Risky Bets on Supply Chain Resiliency
  
  A recent BBK and IndustryWeek survey indicates manufacturers may not realize the risks that lurk within their supply chains. Findings from the BBK/IndustryWeek Supplier Risk Survey indicate a deficiency gap in the perceived strength of supplier risk management systems and the actual knowledge of potential problems that exist throughout the supply chain. While many manufacturers expressed confidence in their company’s supply chain processes, they cited challenges that could negatively impact their networks. These include a lack of talented supply chain professionals, little visibility into supplier finances, logistics issues and capacity and resource constraints....More
- White Paper
  
  A U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance
  
  Renaissance Era = Evolving customer priorities, an expanding marketplace, and rising competition Manufacturing’s new era is about transformation - in how you view the market and adopting a new approach to doing business....More
- White Paper
  
  Comau and Siemens Collaborate to Develop a Revolutionary “Digital Factory” for Automobile Manufacturing
  
  At Comau, a $1.8 billion global provider of advanced vehicle production systems, a game-changing modular, automated design enables time-saving parallel production, reduces work-in-process, improves material logistics, saves energy and reduces floor space up to 50%....More
- White Paper
  
  UPS 2012 Change in the (Supply) Chain Survey; Exporting & Global Trade
  
  The Change in the (Supply) Chain survey provides new insights on the future of U.S. exports and global trade, which is crucial to stay competitive in today's market....More
- White Paper
  
  Manufacturer IT Applications Study
  
  What kinds of downtime problems are manufacturers currently facing, and what are they doing to prevent downtime from impacting their operations? Read the results of this IndustryWeek study to pick up insights into companies' downtime woes, and to learn about the strategies and best practices manufacturers are using to prevent it....More
- White Paper
  
  Five Steps to a High-Performance Supply Chain: A Guide to Reaching New Levels of Agility by Enhancing ERP Software with Collaborative Cloud Technology
  
  Traditional ERP systems are no longer enough to make the cut in this complex global manufacturing arena. To extend the functionality of their legacy software, companies are plugging into a cloud-based supply chain network – one that connects partners, shows a complete supply chain picture through better visibility and data quality, and allows for a new level of collaboration and efficiency....More
- White Paper
  
  Is it Time to Purchase a New ERP?
  
  According to data collected for the Mint Jutras 2011 ERP Solution Study, 62% of businesses with ERP installed are running the first solution ever implemented in the company. Why? Because for years most people equate replacing ERP to brain surgery....More
- White Paper
  
  Kaikaku: Moving Beyond Kaizen One Organization’s Story of Radical Process Change using 3P
  
  3P is a method by which teams develop and deploy radical improvement in product and process design....More
- White Paper
  
  Selecting ERP for Engineer to Order (ETO) Manufacturing
  
  Most enterprise resource planning ERP software was not designed for a project-oriented environment like ETO. How do the needs of ETO manufacturers differ from more traditional manufacturers?...More
- White Paper
  
  Unlock Innovation: Create a Collaboration-Driven Ecosystem to Accelerate Innovation from Idea to Product
  
  Today, product-based companies face tremendous business challenges—driven primarily by continued worldwide economic uncertainties that contribute to weak and fluctuating product demand....More
- White Paper
  
  Smart Manufacturing and Competitiveness; How technology-driven productivity improvement is shaping the future of U.S. industry
  
  Special Report: Smart Manufacturing and Competitiveness; How technology-driven productivity improvement is shaping the future of U.S. industry....More
- White Paper
  
  Treating Maintenance as an Asset, not an Expense
  
  In today’s competitive manufacturing environment, everyone from top floor to shop floor is being asked to do more with less. That expectation is requiring companies to explore new approaches for maintaining lower operating budgets while increasing efficiency....More
- White Paper
  
  Selecting and Implementing Secure Mobile ERP
  
  Is Mobile ERP Security an oxymoron? With bring your own device (BYOD) comes the realization that data from enterprise applications like ERP will wind up on mobile devices. In this white paper, IFS CTO Rick Veague discusses technological, process-based and cultural ways to handle this change in how enterprise data is handled....More
- White Paper
  
  Data Usage in Manufacturing
  
  This metrics-rich report is based on a survey conducted by IndustryWeek to investigate data collection and usage among manufacturing companies....More
- White Paper
  
  Why ERP Fails at Enterprise Project Management
  
  Most ERP does a poor job with enterprise project management (EPM), management of enterprise-wide projects like engineer-to-order, engineering procurement construction and process manufacturing initiatives....More
- White Paper
  
  Siemens Integrates the Drive System for Optimized Efficiency
  
  The ARC Advisory Group has researched how the industry sources, designs, specifies, deploys and maintains industrial drive trains, across a number of industries around the globe....More
- White Paper
  
  U.S. Manufacturing Outlook for 2013 and Beyond
  
  While most small and mid-sized manufacturers expect to grow revenues in 2013, they’re less optimistic about the prospects for the economy as a whole....More
- White Paper
  
  Has Your BOM Solution BOMBED?
  
  In the world of product design and manufacturing, the bill of materials (BOMs) is a critical product information record for both the engineering and manufacturing teams. Managing BOMs with the wrong tools can cause product errors, delays and compliance failures....More
- White Paper
  
  Plan In Perfect Sync With Customer Demand
  
  Some companies have gotten away from putting the sales and marketing perspective into executive sales and operations planning (ES&OP); however, this is risky business in today’s economy....More
- White Paper
  
  Mobile Initiatives for Manufacturing Executives: A How-To Guide
  
  From sourcing to production, distribution to customer service, manufacturing companies have tirelessly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations to increase responsiveness and profitability. Mobility takes these initiatives ever further, uncovering untapped ROI in your enterprise processes and systems....More
- White Paper
  
  3 Key Areas to Reduce Costs with Lean Techniques
  
  Continuous process improvement is more critical than ever for manufacturers to become lean. One key area of focus is on the flow of product from supplier to customer....More
- White Paper
  
  The Case for Cloud ERP in Manufacturing
  
  With its roots in Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has long been used by leading manufacturers to uncover untapped efficiencies, reduce costs, and provide visibility to enable managers to make in formed decisions....More
- White Paper
  
  7 Habits of Quality Obsessed Manufacturers
  
  A compelling read that at times is light-hearted and funny, 7 Habits of Quality Obsessed Manufacturers is written for top performing quality professionals that want to give their company an edge....More
- White Paper
  
  Data and Decision-Making: Connecting the Big Disconnect
  
  Operational Excellence alone is no longer adequate to maximize ROI, free up cash, and grow revenues....More
- White Paper
  
  Maximize ERP Value with Inventory Optimization
  
  This white paper examines why challenges emerge as manufacturers and retailers make the transition to using analytical and optimization approaches for inventory and supply chain management...More

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