No one relishes ripping and replacing major business systems, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet. Brian Tinham looks at recent developments as part of WM's IT Shortlist 2013 guide
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There's more to energy saving than switching the shopfloor onto switching off. Annie Gregory finds out how the best are doing it.
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ERP has grown massively in functionality in recent years.
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A bankrupt owner, a bad rep and a crisis of confidence – Ellesmere Port was down and very nearly out 18 months ago. But a radical flexible working deal between bosses and unions has delivered a stunning turnaround.
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It's instructive to find that, even in 2013, new sensing technologies are being developed that can transform industrial measurements.
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When Hillier Nurseries' existing ERP system started to creak at the seams, it sought out a new solution that would be reliable, flexible and meet its every requirement.
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Sherlock Holmes locked horns with Professor Moriarty; Batman went 'kapow' with the Joker; now you must do battle with the dastardly, difficult employee.
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We're at the dawn of a new era of business process mapping and automation that promises to put the reins of ERP back in the hands of the business.
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Bosses across the globe are failing as leaders: their direct reports would rather suffer a bad hangover, do housework or see their credit card bill arrive than face sitting through a performance discussion with them.
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Reengineering a business's processes can have a major impact on efficiency. But when doing so, too many manufacturers are working in the dark, says Infor's Phil Lewis
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Is your kaizen board buried beneath a thick layer of dust? Do your employees cling to the 'but we've always done it that way' excuse? Time to reinvigorate your CI with the best tips from the WM Manufacturing Conference.
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It was billed as a brave new dawn in government support for UK manufacturing. But the industrial strategy, and the minister Michael Fallon who'll help deliver it, left site managers seriously underwhelmed at WM's Outlook roundtable debate.
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Banks say they have billions available to borrow, yet SME manufacturers claim cash is being bound up by draconian security demands. Max Gosney asks how we can finally end a long-running cold war with financiers in 2013
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The banks are backing government growth plans for manufacturing by looking to boost lending to SMEs, says Richard Holden, head of manufacturing at Lloyds TSB Commercial
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In WM's Shop Talk column, Alan McLenaghan of Saint-Gobain Glass describes his perfectionist's journey from Glasgow to Minnesota – and a fondness for Scottish bread
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As energy costs rocket, Annie Gregory discovers it pays not to ignore the bleeding obvious
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As 2013 beckons, Brian Tinham examines some of the system choices and issues manufacturers probably should be reviewing, if they want their IT to enable business development, rather than hinder it
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In times of austerity, summoning the courage to start an ERP project may well be a step too far. But it doesn't have to be like that, says Guy Amoroso, who urges a different kind of boldness
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Manufacturers are often missing vital business-transforming integration opportunities, warns Neil Rushby
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Harsh business realities have consigned best-of-breed systems to history, argues Rue Dilhe
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These trends are impacting how manufacturers leverage IT, explains Antony Bourne. Ignore them at your peril
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Too many businesses buy enterprise applications not designed for their industry, warns Phil Lewis. And 'Facebook for manufacturing'? You'd better believe it
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To see where companies' IT priorities lie, look no further than the latest economic statistics, says Gordon Fleming
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Planning a big IT project? Watch out for the effect on the factory floor, warns Kevin Luxton
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Patrick Mroczak, operations director at beverage maker Aimia Foods, catches up with Max Gosney after leading his team to the Factory of the Year prize at this year's Best Factory Awards
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