Shop floor chaos can feel inevitable when priorities change by the hour and everyone is chasing the latest crisis. Why does it keep happening, and can you actually stop it? Yes – when you give people clear, real-time priorities they can trust. At LillyWorks, we see the same pattern in discrete manufacturers of all sizes.… READ MORE
The Misunderstanding About Throughput Most manufacturers equate an increase in throughput with running machines faster or adding capacity. But that approach often leads to more work-in-process (WIP), more chaos, and the same output at the end of the day. The truth is, throughput in manufacturing isn’t just about doing more – it’s about keeping flow… READ MORE
Manufacturers today are often inundated with dashboards displaying a dizzying array of key performance metrics for manufacturing. From overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and yield rates to first-pass quality and inventory turnover, the sheer volume of data can be overwhelming. But amidst all the numbers and charts, which key performance metrics for manufacturing truly signal the… READ MORE
Every manufacturer knows they need to calculate process capacity to understand their production limits – how many units can a machine produce per hour, how many orders can a work center handle in a day. These calculations provide a theoretical ceiling, a benchmark against which performance is often measured. But knowing your theoretical maximum is… READ MORE
Today’s manufacturers are awash in shop floor data. Sensors, systems, and reports generate more information than ever—machine performance metrics, real-time inventory levels, and employee productivity tracking. The promise is that this wealth of data will deliver greater visibility and more effective shop floor management. But is it really improving decision-making and outcomes? Or are we… READ MORE
Many manufacturers invest in sophisticated advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems, hoping to create the perfect production blueprint – a meticulously crafted sequence of operations designed to optimize resources and ensure timely completion. The promise of these systems lies in their ability to foresee potential bottlenecks and proactively allocate capacity. But what happens when the… READ MORE
In the world of manufacturing, efficiency is paramount. One of the biggest hindrances to a smooth manufacturing process is what’s known as a ‘bottleneck’. This term refers to the point in the production line where work accumulates faster than it can be processed. Fortunately, scheduling software has emerged as a powerful tool to address and… READ MORE
Tracking progress on the Shop Floor can help to adjust to changing production scheduling conditions as they occur in real-time. In the previous article in this series (part 3 of 5), we talked about the importance of planning. By way of example, we planned an ordinary drive to work. We then discussed the implications of our… READ MORE
Effective shop floor production planning and execution is a tough gig. While there isn’t a shortage of technology or methods to help shops plan for an ideal production picture — execution is another ballgame entirely. From failing to account for real-time conditions to expecting a scheduling algorithm to magically solve all of your production problems,… READ MORE
EASTECH 2017 — Jaffrey, NH — May 16, 2017 — Graphicast, Inc., innovative casting producer for medical equipment and other industrial users is dealing with a “problem” many companies would love to have – a sudden, unexpected influx of new orders! According to Val Zanchuk, Graphicast President, “We have been a Visual ERP user for shop… READ MORE
These articles are portions of a lecture presented to APICS by our friend Gene Caiola. How did we get here? Manufacturers have long contended with trying to deliver on-time. Meeting delivery commitments is one of the most primary characteristics of a good supplier. Not meeting these commitments can result in poor supplier ratings that may… READ MORE
Last week’s blog discussed how there is no such thing as an optimal production schedule; it is in fact, an impossible problem to solve even for today’s most powerful computers. So, today’s production scheduling tools found in ERP or as bolt-on software use ‘heuristics’. Wikipedia’s definition of heuristic or a heuristic technique is especially appropriate: “any approach to problem solving… READ MORE