Continuous Improvement (CI) programs have achieved wide acceptance among manufacturers.

  “Knowledge was their treasure.” Indiana Jones

  Even in the best of times, state and local governments face revenue constraints and pressures to optimize tax collection efforts.

 It’s a half decade since Automation World was launched, and in that time, it has established its own special stamp of style and significance in a somewhat staid and stodgy business.

  Over the last several years, growing cyber threats coupled with the ongoing discovery of new vulnerabilities has demanded a lot of attention within the manufacturing community.

 Recently, I attended a conference where an information technology (IT) manager, in his presentation, stated: “We don’t need those heavy documents that consultants write.”

 Manufacturing companies are facing many new challenges today to become more flexible and agile as business models change.

  The German philosopher and poet Goethe said:Concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

 When I decided to launch a new magazine in 2003, it was during a downturn in the economy, and people suggested that I was crazy to try this.

  Products in the automation industry have traditionally been sold with “cost-based” pricing—selling price is based on manufactured cost, with target gross and net profit margin multipliers.

 Machine safety in the traditional sense refers to add-on electrical and mechanical components that protect personnel from injury or death while working in or near industrial machinery.

 A metal plating company relies upon independent drivers to transport its finished goods to customers.

  A select group of industrial equipment companies are executing a formula for success that peers may want to take note of, if they plan to remain competitive in the emerging global market.

 Paul was a conscientious employee. He would do a little extra and try to save the company money.

  In order to improve your manufacturing performance, you should put in a manufacturing execution system (MES) system and integrate to your enterprise resource planning (ERP)—right?

  Somewhere between enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) you will find the manufacturing execution systems (MES) layer.

  In order to reach their maximum potential, manufacturing companies must be efficient at coordinating and controlling personnel, materials and equipment across different operations and control systems.

  Miami is a great place to spend part of February. Especially when you’re looking over the famed Blue Monster golf course at Doral.

  Research shows that globally integrated operating models are the key to value creation and high performance in the industrial equipment industry.

 Network security expert Eric Byres pulls no punches when speaking about information technology (IT) security. Hacking on control systems is serious, “a problem that costs companies millions of dollars,” says the chief technical officer of Byres Security Inc. (www.byressecurity.com), located in Lantzville, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. “That’s usually kept very quiet. So no one believes it can happen until it does happen.”