MRPeasy Manufacturing Podcast

Pipeline inventory consists of goods that a company has ordered but which have not yet arrived in the facility. Managing this type of inventory can help schedule production or shipments in advance, reduce standing inventory levels, and avoid stock-outs.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Discrete manufacturing implies producing distinct items that require assembly along a production line, whereas process manufacturing produces goods in bulk, with the raw materials being mixed together in the manufacturing process. In this article, we will explore key differences between the two and look at examples of each.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Quality control is the process of fulfilling and checking the conformance to quality standards. There are many different approaches to quality control, but an important part of every one of these is regular inspection of the goods. Besides dedicated QMS software, some ERP/MRP systems offer the required functionality to small businesses.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

For the financial departments of manufacturing companies, few things are as important as inventory valuation. Due to the effect on the gross profit of a company, choosing the right inventory valuation method is a crucial step in ensuring the financial health of your company.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are used to facilitate and standardize trade processes, especially logistics and shipping. As of today, there are 11 different Incoterms that all allocate different responsibilities to both parties of a transaction.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Inventory optimization is the act of balancing inventory costs, service levels, and the complexity of inventory management. While there is no single magical solution for keeping your stock optimized, different methods and techniques are brought together in ERP/MRP systems.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Decoupling inventory is the strategic buffer stock of subassemblies and WIP that could be used when suppliers are unavailable, when there are internal disruptions like machinery breakdown, or when demand is greater than expected. It allows companies to prevent all-around stoppages and mitigate the bullwhip effect.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

While e-commerce is growing at a break-neck pace, companies are looking for better inventory management solutions than what e-commerce platforms are offering in their basic packages. WooCommerce is one platform that is continuously expanding its selection of third-party extensions.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

In distributed manufacturing, production facilities are scattered throughout an extended geographical area, each one serving their local market, with their work coordinated with the help of cloud-based software. Distributed manufacturing is gradually gaining ground thanks to providing benefits such as shorter lead times and lower distribution costs.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Intuit has announced that they will be retiring their inventory management system QuickBooks Commerce (previously known as TradeGecko) in June 2022. Here is what will happen and what the options are for their current user base.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Batch records are documents that detail the journey of raw materials becoming batches of finished goods. Even though the term is mostly associated with process manufacturing, especially the pharma industry, every company that manufactures its products in batches or series can benefit from keeping batch records. Here is how to do it.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Industrial equipment and machinery manufacturers are the cornerstone of the manufacturing industry. Building the technology used to increase efficiency in other businesses, industrial machinery builders have always been at the forefront of industrial innovation. Today, these changes are especially profound.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Push systems and pull systems are supply chain management strategies that are used depending on the uncertainty of the demand for a product. While push and pull are very different approaches, many companies also adopt a hybrid push-pull strategy.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Excel and other spreadsheet applications have been used for production planning for decades. Even though they are a viable first step solution for micro-companies, a growing business should already look for something more scalable.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Even with an ERP/MRP system in place, it might be difficult to keep tabs on inventory requirements, production plans, and other important areas of the business. This is where low stock alerts and other manufacturing and inventory notifications come to your aid.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Recent years have seen unprecedented disruption in the global economy. Large-scale events such as trade wars, tariffs, COVID-19, and port throughput issues have created massive pressure on the company’s supply chains.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Just-in-Time manufacturing is a business methodology that is targeted towards minimizing lead times, inventory, and the costs associated with the production and storage of goods. JIT also helps companies uncover inefficiencies that are being masked with excess inventory.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Determining which products to continue selling and which ones to discontinue is a challenge most businesses need to face at some point. Because there are many aspects to consider before cutting your product catalog, the process of SKU rationalization is here to help you find a balance between too many and too few SKUs.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

Production control is the process within manufacturing whereby the production operation is monitored, and actions to control processes are undertaken. This may include demand planning, capacity planning, scheduling, work center assignment, inventory control, costing, and shop floor monitoring, and many more.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.

The goal of every manufacturing business is to be as efficient as possible. But without being able to accurately gauge your efficiency, it is hard to know where you stand and what goals to set. Here is where manufacturing KPIs come into play.

You can learn more about it from this episode or read the article here.