MRPeasy Manufacturing Podcast

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.

Lean warehouse management is a methodology that takes the lean principles widely used in manufacturing environments and applies them to warehousing. Putting an emphasis on removing waste, lean warehouse management helps companies optimize and continuously improve their inventory processes.

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

A stocktake is the act of counting and recording the quantities of goods in stock to compare the results with available inventory data and find discrepancies. It is a crucial part of any business that holds inventory and that is why the process of performing a stocktake needs to be rigorously organized.

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

Inventory costs make up a substantial part of any manufacturing or distributing company’s total expenses. To ensure the good financial health of your business, it is necessary to know how to make sense of these expenses and how to balance them.

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

Agile manufacturing is an approach to manufacturing that aims to increase product quality and service while reducing cost by implementing feedback-based design, planning, and production practices. Digital technology is at the heart of this modern manufacturing methodology.

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

Cycle inventory is the stock that is used to respond to regular sales and demand forecasts, as opposed to the safety stock used when there are fluctuations in demand or supply. Properly managing cycle stock is therefore a crucial part of any well-functioning business.

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

The bullwhip effect is a supply chain phenomenon related to sudden changes in demand signals, when a slight movement in demand can cause large swings throughout the supply chain. To avoid a destructive “whip crack” at the end, companies need to be prepared to mitigate the effect.

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

Lot tracking, also known as batch tracking, is an important process for ensuring quality, most commonly for traceability and recall purposes. It is a crucial part of doing business in highly regulated industries, but it has its advantages regardless of the product.

Vendor-managed inventory is a supply chain management method wherein a supplier is responsible for replenishing the inventory of the buying company. This approach can lead to better inventory optimization, reduced costs, and stronger relationships between companies.

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

Batch production is a type of manufacturing process where products are made in batches, meaning that goods go through production steps in groups. Batch production allows for manufacturing goods flexibly in large quantities while reducing manufacturing costs and improving quality.

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

Vendor management is a set of tools that companies use to ensure profitable and efficient relationships with their suppliers. Coming a long way from traditional phone calls, faxes, and emails, today even small businesses have started to utilize software to manage their communication with vendors.

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

Even though MRP systems are quickly becoming the norm even among SMEs, manufacturers need to be aware of their advantages and disadvantages before deciding to implement new software. Apart from the general benefits and downsides that can be applied to most MRP systems, there are also aspects that can drastically vary from provider to provider.

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

Inventory tracking means monitoring stock movements to increase visibility in the company’s supply chain. This added transparency helps businesses improve their ordering and overall inventory management practices, ensure traceability, and make sure that goods reach the production floor and the customer at the right time.

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

Job costing means tracking the costs related to individual orders. This allows accounting to measure the profitability of each project separately and to use it as a basis for customer quotes and financial planning.

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

Dead stock consists of inventory items that your business cannot use according to their original purpose. There are many different types of dead stock and various ways to either eliminate it or avoid it in the first place.

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

The world has experienced historic supply chain disruptions during the last years. From trade wars and COVID-19 to semiconductor shortages and the Suez canal blockage – there are few industries that have not been affected. The lesson learned is to be better prepared and to remain flexible.

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

Capacity planning is an essential tool used in well-functioning manufacturing companies. It determines the necessary capacity required to meet demand and as such, it is a prerequisite for efficient production scheduling, supply chain planning, inventory management, and any other aspect of the business.

The master production schedule is a production planning tool that defines how much of a product needs to be manufactured at different periods. This simple schedule can be used as a basis for further planning and scheduling throughout the business.

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

When looking for ways to track your inventory, you will undoubtedly arrive at the dilemma of whether you should use barcodes or QR codes. Even though the basic concept behind the two options is the same, there are notable differences between the two.

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

When a manufacturing company reaches a certain point, order management becomes too complex to be done manually. This is again where digital solutions come to the aid of the manufacturer.

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