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In many cases, sales strategies designed to drive ambitious rates of growth in top line revenue have an underlying supporting tactic: maintaining maximum customer demand satisfaction regardless of the customer profile. This tactic is executed by a robust investment in inventory to meet the widest spectrum of customer preferences. If you think that investing in […]

Business intelligence for manufacturers is becoming more accessible as technology evolves. And today, a top business intelligence strategy–item stratification–is no longer a best-kept secret for how manufacturing businesses are growing profitably. Many in the manufacturing space are adopting both item and customer stratification as they move toward profitable growth, and this blog will cover ways […]

As manufacturers plan for optimal organizational performance, priority should be given to understanding the role their inventory plays in overall growth and profit generation. And it’s through regular use of predictive analytics that manufacturers are able to perform smart inventory analysis and associated decision making.  Item stratification is one type of predictive analysis. Item stratification […]

When an ERP system is implemented effectively, it can become the foundation for performance excellence — ”foundation” being the operative word. However, out-of-the box functionality can only go so far. Investing in the right business improvement applications to augment your ERP’s standard capabilities can produce a game-changing combination that in the end fuels both growth […]

Manufacturing optimization is defined as the practice of utilizing data to build better products more efficiently, all with the goal of creating and sustaining a competitive advantage. Applying manufacturing optimization methodologies to core functions such as inventory management will, in the end, drive top-line revenue and bottom-line profit. It’s a smart investment that will future-proof your […]

There are many aspects of smart manufacturing and its promises of improved business performance that may lead some to the opinion that the role and contribution of ERP will progressively diminish over time as the means to apply smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 concepts continue to become more readily available to the marketplace. The thinking […]

Best Practices for Boosting Sales Margins. A survey by Earnest & Associates (E&A) has affirmed the critical need for distributors to spend less time with their poor, profit-draining customers – a key to boosting sales margins. Over one hundred decision makers at small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) in the wholesale/distribution trade participated in the […]

ProMat is the industry’s largest trade event for manufacturing and supply chain innovation.  During this year’s ProMat event hosted by the Material Handling Institute (MHI), attendees from 1,000 of the world’s leading supply chain solution providers gained a front-row seat to what the future holds for manufacturers. Through several hands-on demonstrations and educational seminars, I […]

Make a Difference… In almost every career, your success can be tied directly to how well you know the tools of your trade.  For a wood worker, it’s table saws and jigs; for software developers it’s languages, directives, libraries, and technologies.  People who know their tools create success in business.  Those who lack detailed knowledge […]