Manufacturing And Warehousing News — June 23, 2014
By Trisha Leon, contributing writer
In the news, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has released the “State of Logistics Report,” and the Advanced Design and Manufacturing and Impact Forum announces its 2014 conference. Also in the news President Barack Obama pledges to boost American manufacturing and to give entrepreneurs greater access to production tools.
Logistics Report Shows Growth In The Transportation Sector.
The CSCMP released its 25th Annual “State of Logistics Report,” presented by Penske Logistics. Rick Blasgen, president and chief executive officer of CSCMP states in Industrial Distribution, “The statistics and industry insights contained in this report will help companies better prepare for the business demands that lie ahead,” The report shows that despite challenges the transportation sector made a modest gain—2.0 percent. An improving freight sector will continue to drive demand for trucking, warehousing and supply chain related solutions. Marc Althen, Penske Logistics president, says, “As the economy rebounds, an efficient supply chain can be a major competitive advantage to companies nationwide, as it allows them to deliver high levels of service while simultaneously controlling and often reducing costs.”
Advanced Design And Manufacturing Conference Announced
The Advanced Design & Manufacturing and Impact Forum has announced its 2014 conference which takes place August 17-20, 2014 at the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo, NY USA. The four-day event will highlight opportunities for participants to realize the full potential of advanced manufacturing solutions. Attendees will participate in conversations on emerging technologies, applications, and solutions required to compete in the global advanced design and manufacturing marketplace. Some topics include: design, advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing, computer aided engineering, robotics, among others. Registration opens soon.
President Obama Pledges Support To Manufacturing
According to Industrial Distribution, during a visit to Pittsburgh, President Obama pledged to boost American manufacturing and to give entrepreneurs greater access to production tools that would help bring their ideas to fruition. The visit is part of Obama's renewed emphasis on how to create jobs and improve wages. He is looking to cut through the current foreign policy flare-ups with an emphasis on working families, manufacturing, wages, and the need for greater spending on infrastructure projects. In addition to these efforts, five federal agencies will spend more than $150 million in research to support the Material Genome Initiative, a government and private-sector partnership designed to speed up the development of innovative materials. The administration is paying special attention to manufacturing, a current bright spot in the economy which has grown at a pace nearly twice that of the overall economy.
New Report Boasts Potential Of 3D Printing
An article in Industry Week, “How 3D Printing Could Redefine The Supply Chain,” by Tom Angel references a report by PwC US in conjunction with The Manufacturing Institute that highlights “the prospect of the supply chain being shortened to almost one link — eliminating those connecting development, prototyping, production, delivery, and warehousing of parts. The survey shows that 30 percent of manufacturers believe that for some industries and some products, the concept of ‘on-demand’ manufacturing could radically change business models and supply chains.”
Manufacturing And Warehousing IT Talking Points
Manufacturing Digital writer Joseph Wilkes states in the article “How to Lean Your Supply Chain” that companies are realizing the positive effects of applying Lean principles in manufacturing to their operations. He writes, “Lean manufacturing is a management philosophy that seeks to preserve value for the customer with less work, and considers the expenditure of resources on anything that doesn’t create value as waste.” He details the seven areas in which companies experience waste and ways in which to combat such waste. VARs can provide solutions that assist clients to identify waste and apply LEAN principals to their supply chain model.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Manufacturing And Warehousing Tech Center.