Resource capacity plan is the balancing act of getting your available capacity to meet your forecasted demand. In this article, we look into what it is and how you can implement it into your business. Figuring out the ideal time to start production can be a headache when managing your shop floor.  But you can cure those aches by adopting resource capacity planning into your business, a model that’s going to help you determine the most realistic approach to manufacturing.   In this article, we look into what is resource capacity planning, how it works, and ho ..read more

When looking to improve your shop floor control, it’s important to understand what is MES and how it compares to other software. In this article, we explore the world of MES manufacturing and how you can get more shop floor control. What is MES?              Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) help manufacturers track and record the transformation of raw materials to finished goods on the shop floor.   When defining what is MES, you can think of it as a tool that manufacturers can use to moni ..read more

In this article, we look into the 10 ways you can improve your Shop floor scheduling and the best tools for the job. Manufacturing processes need different approaches when manufacturers are working on their shop floor scheduling.   This is due to the set-ups from one factory to another factory being vastly different.   And how they satisfy orders can be different too, depending on if they make to order, or make to stock.       Perfecting your shop floor scheduling is essential otherwise you're going ..read more

In this article, we explore the world of shop floor planning, from the advantages, the different aspects you need to consider, and how you can implement it into your manufacturing business. Shop floor planning and control is the process of using methods and tools to track, schedule, and report the status of work-in-progress (WIP) manufacturing from your floor-level, giving you a clear channel of communication between your operators and managers on the production line.   Shop floor activity control is an essential tool for the effective impleme ..read more

There’s a new generation of digital disruptors shaking up the retail industry as we know it. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, selling everything from make-up and mattresses to sunglasses and sneakers, are competing with some of the biggest businesses on the planet by rethinking the traditional approach to retail.   As their name suggests, D2C brands sell directly to the end-consumer via an online medium, cutting out the middlemen typically associated with traditional retail. This means they can maintain end-to-end control over manufacturing, marketing, and distribution, therefore ope ..read more

Manufacturers using Xero will quickly realize there are some limitations with using it to monitor batch production. That's why we put together this article on Xero tracked inventory, the issues, and the solutions to optimize your manufacturing with it. Batch (sometimes referred to as lot) and expiry tracking is a system for grouping and monitoring a set of stock, and monitoring the expiration date of the items.    It’s a good rule of thumb to have these tracking processes in place, but for manufacturers, with perishable inventory, it’s an essential requirement as it’ll help the ..read more

Manufacturers get set up with QuickBooks to solve two of their problems: tracking finances and inventory. Unfortunately, those who track perishable inventory will find QuickBooks Online lot tracking lacking features. That’s why we’ve looked into the limitations and solutions so you can start manufacturing with QuickBooks. Lot tracking, also referred to as batch tracking, is the process of tracking materials and products, from start to the end of your supply chain, that will help you:  — Track expiration dates of products;     — Trace any defective items back to the ba ..read more

Food traceability is not only going to be a massive benefit to your business, but a good system will give you the tools to easily perform product recalls. In this article, we look into why food traceability is important and how you can get implemented with a system. Traceability is the ability to track the movement of your items, forward and backward, across your food production supply chain.     Upgrading your food traceability processes will allow you to:   — Improve inventory management;   — Be compliant; and   —&nb ..read more

Perishable goods require a lot of attention from you and your staff. In this article, we’re going to look at the tools you can use, and the benefits of adopting them into your business. This article will look at how to monitor shelf life management and the benefits of having the proper processes in place.    But, first, let’s quickly define what is perishable inventory.   What is Perishable Inventory in Manufacturing?               Perishable inventory&nb ..read more

The eCommerce business market is constantly expanding. Most businesses are joining the eCommerce revolution. New studies projected towards the global eCommerce market predict that eCommerce retail sales will hit $4.9 trillion by 2021. Packing is an important cornerstone of the eCommerce industry and its demand is ever-increasing as the eCommerce industry expands at unprecedented rates. According to Smithers, a recognized provider of strategic market research reports, “The comprehensive research employed in The Future of Global Packaging to 2024, shows that packaging demand will grow steadily ..read more