Manufacturing And Warehousing IT News For VARs — July 28, 2014
By Trisha Leon, contributing writer
In the news, an article explores the impact open-source technology could have on manufacturers and distributors. Also, 3D modeling can give your warehousing customers a chance to test options before they buy, and keeping up with new trends that center on the convergence of the Internet with IT will be vital to your customers’ competitiveness.
The Impact Of Open-Source Technology On Manufacturing
An article in Manufacturing.net by Chris Fox, “Open-Source Could Be A New Avenue For Manufacturers,” explores open-source technology and the possible role it plays in digital commerce. Fox explains what open-source means, saying “Open-source means that a program, firmware, or hardware is free to the public, with the encouragement to improve the product, so long as they don’t sell the improved/updated version and continue the openness,” adding, “while this seems counter-intuitive to making money, many companies have found success in the model — I would argue that manufacturers could see a new market open up from business models like this.” Fox predicts that, due to this trend, manufacturers and distributors will eventually be focused on making components to keep individuals buying, rather than retailers.
3D Modeling Can Increase Efficiency For Your Warehouse Clients
“Try your warehousing options before you commit,” a Manufacturers’ Monthly article, recommends testing warehousing options with 3D modeling software before choosing. Glenvern’s director Alec Poulton told Manufacturers’ Monthly, “We have had Demo3D in Australia for a few years now but I would say it’s been in the last two years where people are really standing up and taking notice of the software’s abilities, adding, “as the whole manufacturing and warehousing scene becomes more competitive and everyone is looking for that edge to help reduce costs and optimize design layouts, process flow, and resource utilization.” VARs can assist their clients to create the most efficient warehouse designs with 3D modeling.
When Does Engineering Simulation Have Value?
Nicholas M. Veikos, president of CAE Associates Inc., Middlebury, CT, details ways companies can best introduce engineering simulation into an organization. As he writes in R&D, “It’s important to formulate an implementation plan. Simply telling the engineering team to “have at it” doesn’t generally lead to positive results. Every plan will be different, but all can benefit from some basic considerations.” He explains that by keeping a plan simple, ensuring proper training and experience, and being flexible, among other things, will help develop a solid plan that “has been vetted, verified, and which forms a firm foundation for a given simulation initiative.”
9 Automation Trends — That Might Become Essentials For Your Customers
Paul Miller of Manufacturers’ Monthly lists nine trends that will play a major role in the evolution of automation in the manufacturing sector. He says, “Many of the hottest technology trends today represent a convergence of largely Internet- and IT-based enabling technologies. This convergence is likely to remove many existing constraints to help transform the way manufacturers and other industrial enterprises operate and collaborate, both internally and across their extended value chains — and do so to a degree that we have not witnessed in recent decades.” He adds that failure to implement new technologies could well put organizations at a competitive disadvantage versus their peers that do embrace new technologies to be able to implement more agile and effective information-driven manufacturing.
Manufacturing And Warehousing IT Talking Points
According to Industrial Distribution, President Barack Obama signed bipartisan legislation that includes five innovative skills-training provisions from the Senate’s Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), who leads Manufacturing Jobs for America, said ““To keep America competitive, we have to make sure our workers have access to effective and relevant job-training,” adding, “the most in-demand skills vary by region and industry, and training programs need to reflect those diverse and evolving needs. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will better align workforce training programs with local demand and ensure workers have the skills manufacturers are looking for.”
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Manufacturing And Warehousing Tech Center.