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
The recurring nightmare for an owner of a small to medium-sized manufacturing business is the cost, complexity and lack of ROI of a traditional ERP system. However, new thinking and new cloud-based technology have given manufacturers lower risk and better tools to improve their performance. Read the full article at Freedom from “The Old Way” – Industrial… READ MORE
Manufacturing Webinar Let’s face it, “Manufacturing” was dropped by software vendors when MRP II turned to ERP in the mid-1990’s. The default functionality for managing production in ERP then and still today is traditional MRP and finite scheduling from the 1970’s and 80’s. And neither has changed much since then – over 40 years ago.… READ MORE
No matter which traditional planning methods manufacturers use, the schedules generated by capacity-loading software often lead to frustration. This is because the majority of shop production scheduling software allocates capacity in a way that doesn’t align with actual execution priorities. Using the due date to sequence jobs from earliest to latest, these systems take all… READ MORE
New integration will offer customers more robust scheduling functionality to improve on-time delivery ECI Software Solutions, a leader in cloud-based business management solutions, today announced a new strategic relationship with LillyWorks, Inc. to deliver Protected Flow Manufacturing™ (PFM) to its Macola® ERP software users. This new add-on will offer manufacturers a robust scheduling option to… READ MORE
Critical Ratio is arguably the best of the traditional priority alternatives for managing work flow in the plant. Once called “ingenious” by none other than Joe Orlicky because it establishes relative priorities accurately, Critical Ratio (divide the days available until the due date by the days of work left to be done on the job)… READ MORE