SearchManufacturingERP.com's podcasts provide insight on the topics that
matter to manufacturing IT professionals. These downloads include interviews with industry experts
and analysts on hot manufacturing IT topics such as ERP software selection, ERP implementation and
upgrades, supply chain management, product lifecycle management and more.
SearchManufacturingERP.com's podcasts are your guide to the world of ERP software for
manufacturing. Click on the links below to subscribe or download these podcasts to your PC or
favorite MP3 player.
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Subscribe to these audio downloads.
Know when to replace legacy MES - September 27, 2011
Manufacturing execution system (MES) software is critical to some manufacturers’ production operations. But many MES software systems are outdated or poorly integrated with ERP, prompting their owners to wonder if it’s time for a replacement.
Applying business process management to manufacturing operations - July 21, 2011
Sanjeev Pal, Research Manager for Product, Project and Portfolio Management Solutions at IDC Manufacturing Insights, reveals which BPM technologies work best for a continuous improvement and lean manufacturing strategy.
Applying lean techniques to quality control - May 25, 2011
Dr. Michael Grieves, a professor at the University of Iowa, explains how Lean Six Sigma can be used to analyze and redesign quality-control workflows and automate them for greater accuracy and efficiency.
In an age of offshored production and new opportunities in fast-emerging markets like as China and Brazil, manufacturers are challenged more than ever to master the global supply chain. In this podcast, logistics expert Evan Armstrong gives an overview of the technologies, strategies, and services companies can use to manage global production, shipping, and sales.
ERP selection advice for midmarket manufacturers - April 21, 2011
Massive ERP systems aren’t usually a good fit for midmarket manufacturers. A whole category of ERP vendors targets this segment, and high-end vendors have long struggled to give smaller companies easily deployed versions of their flagship ERP offerings. Forrester's China Martens offers buying advice.
Cloud computing options for manufacturing IT demystified - March 29, 2011
Cloud computing provides manufacturers with access to shared computing services over the Internet, potentially reducing IT infrastructure and labor costs. But with the emergence of variations like private clouds, and new Software as a Service applications arriving every day, choosing the right technology can be challenging. In this podcast, Liz Herbert, principal analyst at Forrester Research, explains the options, and how to fit them into your ERP and supply chain strategy.
Best practices and tools for global manufacturing - February 24, 2011
IDC Manufacturing Insight’s Joe Barkai responds to questions about the most effective tools and strategies for standardizing global production while meeting the emerging demands of overseas consumers.
Where is the ROI in improving supply chain visibility? - August 19, 2010
Strong supply chain visibility is essential to running a smooth supply chain, but its ROI isn't always apparent. In this podcast, industry expert Julie Fraser will explain how to find the ROI in improving your supply chain visibility. You'll find out the basics of supply chain visibility software, learn how to evaluate your current strategy, discover how to build a business case for supply chain visibility and find best practices and common mistakes.
Who should manage BPM? - July 28, 2010
Business process management can be an effective methodology for improving a manufacturer’s cross-functional business processes. BPM software suites and other technology help to accelerate and standardize faster, more accurate methods for such daily operations as invoicing and shipping. Who should be responsible for managing and using BPM? How do you train and motivate employees to get the most out of BPM tools? Clay Richardson, a senior analyst at Forrester who has implemented numerous BPM projects around the globe, will answer these questions.
Change management tips for ERP upgrades - July 28, 2010
ERP upgrades are more than just technical operations. Just like a brand-new implementation, an ERP upgrade project can bring major changes to a manufacturer’s business processes and to the daily lives of workers. So an effective upgrade plan should include organizational change management as a key component. Change management can mean anything from ensuring employee buy-in to organizational design to communications and training. It might include cultural and organizational assessments, executive alignment, and many other topics.
Making
a business case for BI in manufacturing -- June 3, 2009
Manufacturers building a case for a business intelligence (BI) deployment face unique challenges,
because the argument for deploying BI doesn't always translate well to a environment linking shop
floor data with spreadsheets and data historians. In this podcast, manufacturing industry expert
William McKnight explains what roles a manufacturer's ERP system and IT department play in building
a business case for BI, how manufacturers can calculate the ROI of a BI implementation and when to
expect to see results, the benefits of SaaS BI software and the importance of having a master data
management (MDM) plan during BI implementation.
How
to plan an MES-ERP integration project -- May 20, 2009
Interest in integrating manufacturing execution systems (MES) with enterprise research planning
(ERP) software is growing among manufacturers. In this podcast, manufacturing industry analyst
Simon Jacobson explains the benefits of MES-ERP integration, how to create an MES-ERP integration
timeline and budget, how to build a project team and what current MES-ERP integration industry
trends manufacturers need to react to.
Getting
started with demand-driven manufacturing -- May 18, 2009
As manufacturers look to improve their production techniques, interest in demand-driven
manufacturing is increasing. In this podcast, Roddy Martin, vice president and general manager of
the Value Chain Strategies Service of AMR Research, explains how demand-driven manufacturing can
help organizations thrive in tough economic times. In this podcast, you'll learn the benefits of
demand-driven production models, what types of manufacturers are becoming demand-driven, how
demand-driven manufacturing and lean manufacturing are related, strategies and best practices for
creating a demand-driven network and how ERP software and Demand Flow Technology work with
demand-driven manufacturing.
Operational
performance management for manufacturers -- May 5, 2009
Manufacturing intelligence -- business intelligence (BI) for manufacturing firms -- has lagged
behind BI for the enterprise. The primary reasons for this have been the complex nature of plant
floor data and the incompatibility of diverse plant floor resources. However, this is starting to
change. Now the big question is how can manufacturers most wisely deploy manufacturing intelligence
solutions to increase operational performance management and get more visibility into plant floor
metrics. Trends in operational performance management are examined in this podcast with Julie
Fraser, president of Cambashi, Inc., an engineering and enterprise IT applications consulting firm.
Industry analyst Fraser specializes in manufacturing strategies and plant floor solutions.
Supply
chain management technology and implementation trends for a lean supply chain -- April 9,
2009
As the need to cut costs and boost efficiency continues to grow in this economy, manufacturers are
looking for ways to improve their supply chain management. Implementing lean manufacturing into the
supply chain is one solution. In this podcast, SCM expert Anil Gupta offers listeners advice on how
to apply lean principles to their supply chains and shop floors, implement lean technology in their
supply chains and shop floors and leverage existing SCM technology to make a leaner supply
chain.
How
to build a business case for ERP in today's economy -- April 6, 2009
In the current economic crisis, many companies are hesitant to take on new software implementation
projects. The right ERP software system, however, can be well worth the investment. Ray Wang of
Forrester Research offers insight on how to build a business case for ERP in today's economy. In
this podcast, find out how to evaluate your organization's ERP needs, save money during ERP
implementations and upgrades, negotiate ERP vendor contracts and decide whether you should consider
SaaS and open source ERP software.
The
ROI of PLM: Charting the value of PLM in today's economic climate -- April 6, 2009
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software can be an expensive investment, especially in the
current economic climate. Roy C. Wildeman of Forrester Research offers manufacturers insight on
utilizing PLM software. In this podcast, you will learn how your business can get the most value
out of a PLM implementation, how to build a business case for PLM and how to calculate the ROI of a
PLM investment and plan for the cost of PLM projects.
The
future of RFID: What's in store for the next generation of RFID -- December 22,
2008
RFID is rapidly evolving, as early adopters learn more about how to best use and deploy the
technology -- and technologists develop new and interesting RFID innovations. And, as more
companies experiment with RFID, more potential use cases are emerging around how RFID technology
can be used to solve real-world business problems. In this podcast, get some inspiration and
insight about the future of RFID. SearchManufacturingERP.com talked to Ken Traub, independent
consultant and a recognized expert to find out what's in store for RFID and learn more about the
most interesting developments going on today in RFID.
Is
your organization really ready for RFID? -- December 16, 2008
RFID can be a major benefit to manufacturing organizations -- but as with any project with unique
complexities and significant costs, it's not for everyone. In this podcast, we discuss how to
determine if your organization is ready for RFID. Will RFID offer your organization the kind of
benefits you're after? Does your company have the right infrastructure in place for RFID? What
common mistakes should you avoid in planning for RFID? Hear more about how to determine whether
your organization is truly ready for RFID, in this discussion with an experienced RFID
expert.
Is
RFID worth the time, cost and effort? -- December 12, 2008
RFID is innovative, interesting technology, but it's also notoriously complicated and expensive to
deploy. So, is it worth all of the time, cost and effort required to find true ROI from RFID? In
this podcast, we explore how to assess whether your manufacturing organization will benefit from
RFID -- covering some of the common use cases, typical project costs and what to consider when
deciding whether RFID is a worthwhile investment for your company.
Leveraging
ERP software's workflow management capabilities: Tips and advice for getting started -- December
12, 2008
Workflow management has evolved over decades. Today, there are many options for workflow
management, especially in ERP environments, and the benefits can be compelling. Companies can find
notable improvements in efficiency and profitability when they truly understand cross-functional
business processes -- and have a method to link and manage these processes across their
organizations. So, in this podcast, we explore how organizations can effectively leverage workflow
management in ERP environments and how to get a project off the ground.
Best
practices for leveraging ERP to support changing business requirements -- December 3,
2008
Business requirements can change quickly -- especially in today's competitive economy. So, how can
manufacturers meet these new requirements, which may require quickly implementing system and
process changes? ERP can help, according to Ray Wang of Forrester Research, by providing a
framework to assist manufacturers in implementing the changes needed for new business requirements.
In this podcast, find out more about best practices for leveraging ERP to support changing business
requirements. In this podcast, appropriate for both business and IT professionals, listeners will
hear more about why -- and how -- business requirements may be changing more than ever, find out
how ERP systems and processes can help manufacturers quickly and efficiently react to changes and
learn best practices for managing change, including how to communicate internally about required
changes.
Midmarket
ERP software evaluation tips -- October 3, 2008
More and more midmarket manufacturers are turning to ERP to help them better compete in the global
market, according to experts. But now, organizations find themselves with a wide range of ERP
software choices. Navigating the ERP market, selecting and evaluating technology can be a major
challenge -- especially for midmarket manufacturers with unique needs, changing business
requirements and rapid growth plans. In this podcast, get expert tips and advice from Jim Shepherd,
senior vice president of research for AMR Research. Find out how to narrow down the options, and
learn what to do (and what not to do) to effectively evaluate midmarket ERP software.
SaaS
ERP for manufacturers: Top 10 things to consider -- September 17, 2008
Is Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP really a viable option for manufacturers? The SaaS model has
proven successful with applications such as customer relationship management, but can it support
the complex functionality inherent in ERP -- especially the unique requirements of manufacturers?
In this podcast with Ray Wang, vice president with Forrester Research, both IT and business
professionals will learn the pros and cons of SaaS ERP for manufacturers, find out the most
important evaluation criteria when considering SaaS ERP software, get valuable insight into
navigating the SaaS ERP market today and learn about the state of SaaS ERP adoption in the
manufacturing industry.
What is a podcast?
Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio (and possibly other media) files for
download to digital music or multimedia players, such as the iPod. A podcast can be easily created
from a digital audio file. The podcaster first saves the file as an MP3 and then uploads it to the
Web site of a service provider. The MP3 file gets its own URL, which is inserted into an RSS XML
document as an enclosure within an XML tag.
Once a podcast has been created, it can be registered with content aggregators, such as podcasting.net or ipodder.org, for inclusion in podcast directories. People can browse through the categories or subscribe to specific podcast RSS feeds which will download to their audio players automatically when they next connect. Although podcasts are generally audio files created for digital music players, the same technology can be used to prepare and transmit images, text, and video to any capable device.
This definition was provided by our sister site Whatis.com.
This was first published in June 2009