US Manufacturing Sector - Productive, but #2

In 2010, the US Manufacturing sector contributed $1.9 trillion to the US economy, growing by 12% over the previous year. The overall US economy at $15 trillion in GDP is by far the largest in the world, dwarfing #2 China at $6 trillion. However, in 2010 China claimed the title of the largest manufacturing economy, displacing the US from that position that it has claimed for the past 110 years. If there is any solace for US manufacturers, it is that they produce roughly the same amount of products with 1/10th of the labor that China does. That high productivity means that US manufacturers are well positioned in industries utilizing automated or high tech processes. Source: IHF Global Insights

Just a little history lesson

For twenty-five years, Manufacturing Information Systems, developed a manufacturing solution for Accpac accounting software. It sold well with more than 7000 installations in over 40 countries. MISys was recognized as the Accpac Development Partner of the Year FIVE (5) times (1996, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004). It was, and remains, a great relationship.

Then in 2005 MISys developed another manufacturing solution, based on its existing functionality but on a .NET platform, and which integrated with other accounting packages (Peachtree, QuickBooks, Simply, Adagio). Some Accpac resellers perceived that MISys was not supporting Accpac anymore. MISys adapted its new software (MISys SBM) so that it would also fully integrate with Accpac, demonstrating that it was fully supporting Accpac customers. Still there was confusion. After more than 2 years of marketing efforts to show that MISys supports Accpac, we see signs that the messaging is working. Accpac dealers are recommending MISys SBM to their manufacturing clients at a steady and increasing rate. It took some time, but it is working.

Marketing to existing customers to change their perceptions is more difficult than to market a new idea to potential customers. It takes persistent and consistent messaging and demonstrating the commitment through actions.

Serial/Lot Tracking Could Save Your Manufacturing Business

CNN reported today that Ford is recalling thousands of trucks due to a faulty module that could potentially start a fire.

Ford discovered the fault on the assembly line and decided to investigate. It was traced to a single part called a body control module; a part manufactured by Lear Corp. As Lear investigated, they were able to find out that this specific part failed because "a new hire failed to clean a soldering machine over a 6 day period in October".

Wow! Now that's an impressive level of detail. This recall could have been much wider... maybe millions of vehicles. But instead, its limited to 6 days! How did they know? It's because they use software similar to MISys Manufacturing that provides visibility and detail into their manufacturing processes.

Because Lear was able to isolate and track down that specific part to a specific source location - which led to a specific place and time in the manufacturing process - they were able to quickly tie it back to the vehicles that received these parts and limit the damage and cost.

Mistakes happen. And when they do, make sure you have the right tools in place to fix it!

Visit http://www.misysinc.com and take the 6-Step tour.

“So, exactly how old are you?”

Sometimes this is an easy question to answer. Sometimes it isn’t. For MISys Manufacturing, we first started selling our manufacturing software in 1977 when we were based in Massachusetts. Then in 1983 we moved to God’s country and registered our company name in the Green Mountain state of Vermont. We tend to consider that as the beginning of our company, though we were already in the business for 6 years by that time.

So, we are 33 years old by one way of thinking, and 27 by another. We like to think of it as being in business for “over 25 years” and leave it at that. Maybe it makes us all feel a little younger that way.