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GIW Industries, a KSB subsidiary in the U.S., implemented Synchrono® SyncManufacturing, demand-driven production planning, scheduling and execution software in their facility. GIW's main demand was based on manufacturing slurry pumps for dredging work. Prior to implementation of Syncrhono software, on-time performance was 45%, cycle times were 18 to 20 weeks, and inventory turns were 4.5. Today GIW uses Synchrono SyncManufacturing software to optimize product flow and assist in controlling cycle times and delivery performance. The system integrates pattern information, flask, combination equipment, engineering revisions and capacity to produce a schedule that is predictable and reliable.

Demand Driven Manufacturing aligns people, processes, machines and materials around the demand signal. When these elements are synchronized, orders continuously flow through production - from the point of inception to on time customer delivery. According to Synchrono, the leader in Demand Driven Manufacturing technology, other components that drive flow are effective constraints management and real-time visibility into what is happening at all layers of the manufacturing operations and extended supply chain.

John Maher, Synchrono VP of Product Strategy recently discussed how continuous improvement is one of the key elements that drives manufacturing production flow on a new episode of the Demand-Driven Matters podcast. Listeners learn best practices for approaching and focusing manufacturers' continuous improvement efforts.

Manufacturers' waste-reduction initiatives are rarely as effective as they could be. When reducing waste, inventory is often the main target. Right-sized inventory in an environment of constant variability can be accomplished via eKanban, reports manufacturing journalist TR Cutler in the current issue of Quality Digest.

When integrated under the Synchrono Demand-Driven Manufacturing Platform, lean and demand-driven initiatives achieve new levels of excellence, transforming businesses by synchronizing people, processes, machines, materials, and data to drive production flow from order inception to delivery.

The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) monitored in a Demand-Driven Manufacturing environment track the demand signal through the entire organization. The results measured are those related to flow, velocity, throughput, and other measures of movement throughout the supply chain. These KPIs are often used to guide the organization to areas of focus for continuous improvement. The true key performance indicator for Demand-Driven Manufacturers is on-time delivery.

Manufacturers' waste-reduction initiatives are rarely as effective as they could be. When reducing waste, inventory is often the main target. Right-sized inventory in an environment of constant variability can be accomplished via eKanban, reports manufacturing journalist TR Cutler in the current issue of Quality Digest.

Constraints Management is critical to discrete and ETO (engineer-to-order) manufacturers. Because Demand-Driven Manufacturing environments are more agile and adaptive, they are in a better position to manage and leverage constraints in the system. According to Synchrono leadership in some environments, a particular machine or work cell may be a constraint. Demand-Driven Manufacturers know how many units the constraint can handle at a time and release work into the system accordingly. Doing so keeps flow at its peak throughout the production process, eliminating bottlenecks, aging WIP and inventory.

Synchrono defines Demand-Driven Manufacturing as a manufacturing method that enables a synchronized, closed loop between customer orders, production scheduling, and manufacturing execution - all while synchronizing the flow of materials and resources across the supply chain. The key components are synchronization and flow. Demand-Driven Manufacturing is associated with response planning and "Pull" manufacturing and supply chain methods. The two main continuous improvement approaches that advocate the Demand/Pull method are Lean Manufacturing and Constraints Management.

In the current issue of Robotics and Automation News, manufacturing journalist, Thomas R. Cutler, revealed that robot-to-person solutions are on a rapid trajectory for 2017 and beyond. In the feature article, Cutler discussed how discrete manufacturing organizations which initiate material replenishment automation programs (without properly analyzing processes and priorities for internal and external stakeholders) find far less value than anticipated.