The Brief – December 2016

Achieving Consistent Produce Quality: Applying Quality Management Methodologies to the Cold Chain

By Bill McBeath

Thursday, December 15, 2016

For decades, manufacturers have used statistical process control and related process disciplines to continually reduce process variation, minimize waste, and reliably create products consistently conforming to precise specifications. In contrast, the produce industry does not have a tradition of strong process controls. There is a major opportunity to dramatically improve produce quality and shelf life by adopting modern process disciplines. [ Read: Achieving Consistent Produce Quality: Applying Quality Management Methodologies to the Cold Chain ]

Supply Chain Networks Are More Than Technology

Networks have been the focus on a revival in technology architecture for the last five years in supply chains. But not all networks are the same. The business partnerships and processes that are catalyzed by these federated models, create a profound path to business value. [ Read: Supply Chain Networks Are More Than Technology ]

Ten Signs It’s Time for WMS: Part Two — An Incremental Approach to De-risk WMS Implementations

The leap from manual systems to a WMS can be trepidatious. However, the risks can be controlled by taking an agile, incremental, approach to implementation and by ensuring change management issues are proactively addressed. [ Read: Ten Signs It’s Time for WMS: Part Two — An Incremental Approach to De-risk WMS Implementations ]

Autodesk University 2016 — A Window into the Future of Design, Construction, and Movie-Making

Generative design, machine learning, virtual reality, robotic systems, 3D printing, Internet-of-Things, and integrated project coordination and collaboration were key themes at Autodesk’s annual conference. [ Read: Autodesk University 2016 — A Window into the Future of Design, Construction, and Movie-Making ]