Manufacturers Gain Greater Control Through Pull-Based Systems According to New White Paper
St. Paul, MN (PRWEB) July 23, 2013 -- Synchrono, a leader in demand-driven manufacturing software, today issued a new white paper outlining the differences in Push and Pull-based manufacturing systems. The paper is targeted towards manufacturing operations and supply chain professionals who may be reviewing such systems as they look for strategies to enhance efficiencies as well as their competitive position.
Adaptive manufacturing, the smart factory, Lean and demand-driven manufacturing are all terms used by industry experts to describe the factory of the future where, according to an IDC survey, the emphasis on production capabilities, flexibility, globalization and more will require manufacturers to rethink their processes and invest in new plant floor technologies.
At the heart of this movement are some ideological shifts in planning and execution strategies which are explored in the new Synchrono white paper. “The planning process in traditional MRP systems doesn’t easily adopt to variations in demand without creating disruption among planning, procurement, supply chain, logistics and shop floor personnel. It’s difficult to increase capacity and stay competitive in this type of environment”, notes John Maher, Synchrono vice president of product strategy. The paper outlines the traditional, Push-based MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) process where plans are pushed out to sales, operations and supply chain teams based on forecasted demand. This is in contrast to Pull-based environments that are customer-order driven and can more easily adapt to the variations in demand inherent among today’s manufacturers.
The paper also outlines Kanban pull-based inventory replenishment systems as a flexible plug-in solution for manufacturers looking to implement or expand upon a Lean/demand-driven environment in an efficient and relatively non-disruptive way. Maher explains, “eKanban software is a great way to bridge the gap between legacy Push and more progressive Pull-based systems. Upon implementation, we have witnessed immediate benefits including inventory reduction, shorter lead times, greater on-time performance and more.”
The paper, Gaining Control: Exploring Push v Pull Manufacturing, is the first in a series of papers exploring the nature of Pull-based manufacturing systems and specifically, Kanban systems. The focus of this first edition is at the system, or workflow level, while subsequent papers will review Pull/Kanban systems from a management, customer and competitive standpoint.
About Synchrono
Synchrono is leading the movement in demand-driven manufacturing software with a portfolio of applications that focus on enterprise and operational management – from supply chain and inventory management to production and execution systems. All delivered through a real-time, dynamic and web-based technology platform.
Bringing Lean and Constraints Management principles to life, the company’s inclusive, yet modular approach allows for continuous, real-time information integration and flow throughout the plant and beyond to the extended supply chain ecosystem. With Synchrono, manufacturers gain visibility across their organization for greater clarity while enterprise-focused tools help control costs and variability driving on-time performance and a clear competitive advantage. http://www.synchrono.com.
Pam Bednar, Synchrono, http://www.synchrono.com, 651.783.5145, [email protected]
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