by Gary Mintchell | Feb 27, 2010 | Automation
This information comes through a PR contact I’ve known and respected a long time. It just came, so I’m still thinking about its implications. Unfortunately, the press release was filled with nice-sounding, but inherently meaningless, buzz words. But it was short and worth parsing through. Apex Manufacturing Solutions, a systems integrator that calls itself “an end-to-end provider of manufacturing control and automation solutions,” is expanding its offerings. Previously not unlike many if not most systems integrators, it focused on the products of one major supplier. Now it will work with the products from Invensys Wonderware, Rockwell Automation, Siemens Energy & Automation (actually now called Siemens Industry Inc.), GE Intelligent Platforms, Schneider Electric, and more.
The “end-to-end” part is because Apex is not just an MES or automation specialist, but it offers manufacturing execution solutions (MES); factory automation services; continuous improvement consulting and implementation; support and maintenance services; manufacturing IT infrastructure systems; and project management.
What’s intriguing to me is whether this is a signal of the need for diviersifying for integrator company growth. Is the market for implementing just one supplier’s products too limiting for building a larger company? This may be a trend worth watching. Does this give an integrator entre into additional accounts, or will this spur additional competition among suppliers?
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 27, 2010 | Automation, Operations Management
I wasn’t aware of this one before, but the message came from someone I’ve known a long time. Looks interesting. Check it out if you qualify. Applications for the 2010 North American Maintenance Excellence (NAME) Award are now available on the award’s web site. The NAME Award honors manufacturing, processing, and service industry sites that have achieved world-class excellence in their maintenance, reliability, and capacity assurance.
To qualify for the award, a site must first meet a minimum level of accomplishment as determined by the award’s board of directors based on the information provided in the application. Those sites that qualify at this level are then offered an onsite audit conducted by award representatives and reviewed by the entire board of directors. Any site meeting the award’s standards of excellence may be honored with the NAME Award. All applicants receive valuable feedback based on the submitted information and the evaluations by the board of directors.
Deadline for 2010 NAME Award applications is June 30. Initial application fee is $500 for 2010 entries. Fees for onsite audits of finalists are based on actual costs. Additional information about the NAME Award, contact information, detailed instructions, and the application form are all available on the Web site.
The North American Maintenance Excellence (NAME) Awards are a program of the Foundation for Industrial Maintenance Excellence, a nonprofit, volunteer organization.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 27, 2010 | Automation, Podcast
I review the upcoming Pack Expo, news from MESA and WBF, and Toyota and the need for visionary leadership.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 26, 2010 | Automation, Events, Wireless
Wireless
Carl over at the Profiblog has a pet peeve–saying “wireless” as though it’s just one thing. He identifies four types ranging from local area networks (LAN) to sensor networks. He’s right. We tried a magazine on wireless last year at Automation World. There was lots of “smoke” about wireless, but no “fire” in terms of companies actually pursuing it in terms of competitive supplier landscape. But I tried developing the theme from an application point of view–sensors, control (not much there), mobile workers, broadband. So, wireless just means connecting without wires. Then there are the myriad ways of implementing.
MESA Conference
The official release is out and we can talk it up. And they are trying out one of my pet ideas–an “Unconference.” The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) announced that Ford Motor Co. will host MESA’s North American Conference, June 21 to 23, 2010 at the Ford Conference and Events Center, in Dearborn, Mich. Nationally-known conference speakers from industries including continuous process, batch and discrete will focus on best practice methods and strategies for unlocking potential for operations excellence — with an audience anticipated to be more than double previous years’.
“This conference is an educational and networking ‘must-do’ for anyone who holds a stake in improving their organization’s production performance. It will take attendees deep into some of the most pressing challenges and provide real-world, actionable steps that companies can take immediately,” said John Dyck, Board Chair of MESA International.
This year’s conference, themed “Unlocking Your Operations’ Potential,” provides an opportunity for production leaders and professionals to collaborate and share best practices across a broad range of industries within the discrete, batch, mixed and continuous process environments. Sessions will focus on topics such as lean, quality and compliance, asset performance management, tying operational metrics to financial metrics, and sustainability. An “Unconference” portion of the event will feature attendee-chosen and -led interactive sessions — with a goal of working together to better understand what’s possible in operations to improve profitability, business value, agility, and customer satisfaction.
WBF
WBF is recovering from its brief fling with the Automation Federation and the loss of income from the annual conference that was cancelled in 2009. It had a successful meeting during the ARC Forum this month, and plans are underway for the 2010 conference to be held May 24-26 in Austin, Texas. The conference focus is “Achieving Operations Strength.” Keynote speakers will include Dr. Thomas Edgar, chair of the Chemical Engineering Dept. at UT-Austin and expert on process monitoring, modeling, and optimization, as well as Dr. Patrick Kennedy, CEO of OSIsoft, a software company focused on connecting people with the right information, at the right time, to analyze, collaborate, and act.
As always, the centerpiece of the conference will be many presentations by engineers and technicians that discuss how procedural control standards ISA88 and ISA95 have recently been implemented at companies such as Pfizer, Lubrizol, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Dow Chemical. Topics will include not only batch process control, but continuous and discrete — manufacturing areas that also benefit from the application of these standards.
Additional conference activities will include the Control Magazine Hall of Fame dinner, a vendor showcase and reception, and tutorials on Make2Pack and B2XML. Visit the organization’s Web site for more information and to register. See you there.
