MTConnect Exec: Standards Help See Into Future, Integrate Diverse Equipment July 20, 2020 Russell Waddell, managing director at the MTConnect Institute, dives into why so many standards exist, what manufacturers can gain from a digital factory project, and how they can cut through the hype—to at least achieve shop floor monitoring. MTConnect, a standard with more than 10 years of history, frees up manufacturers to focus on value-add functions instead of normalizing data. And it has been installed on more than 50,000 devices worldwide. Today, the use case is not just what happened or what is happening “what is going to happen: looking at … anything that is forward-looking and anticipating what will happen next.” Perhaps most important, embracing standards allows for quick and easy integration of all types and brands of equipment.
What Supply Chain Professionals Are Learning From The Pandemic March 31, 2020 Smart Manufacturing magazine Contributing Editor Karen Haywood Queen speaks with Sridhar Tayur about what supply chain players are learning from COVID-19. The Carnegie Mellon professor covers the roles AM and cobots are playing. He also looks at what manufacturers should consider doing to be prepared for the next hugely disruptive event.
Getting Supply Chain Risk Under Control June 8, 2020 William Crane, CEO of IndustryStar, an on-demand supply chain services and software technology company, dives into what manufacturers concerned about supply chain risk can do to worry less. In his estimation, “on-demand supply chain risk management resources have really been taking off.” It is possible, he said, to build a “supply chain competitive advantage.” Heard of agile supply chain? If not, he explains it.
Pivot International CEO on Ways to Alleviate Global Trade Tension February 19, 2020 Pivot International CEO Mark Dohnalek talks with Smart Manufacturing magazine’s Brett Brune about the China Deal First Phase, USMCA, Brexit—and ways to alleviate trade tension.