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International trade conflict has brought about a global resurgence of tariffs and other trade restrictions. This trend has driven reams of high-level commentary on the macroeconomic effects of these disruptions to existing international commerce flows. 

In this blog, we set aside that high-level policy discussion to take a look at the practical business problems created for manufacturers by tariffs—and how technology can be used to respond.

When managing a portfolio of enterprise applications, choosing the right support option presents a chronic strategic dilemma. While vendors offer unmatched expertise for new product offerings, their commitment to past versions of the same software can fade fast. Meanwhile, third-party support providers introduce opportunities for more customization (and broader cooperation across different applications and projects). 

Manufacturing companies face pressure from just about every direction to keep their business moving forward despite huge IT challenges like tight budgets, retiring staff and limited resources. But for those who are using a legacy system transitioning to a new ERP system can be an even greater challenge. 

Industrial Internet of Things, Manufacturing 4.0, Smart Manufacturing, The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Industry 4.0 — these are all pseudonyms that generally refer to the same concept — technology that enables connected operations and production systems that can predict or adapt to changes in the facility or broader environment to provide a better outcome. It is a mouthful with powerful implications. The advantages of a full connected production and delivery system with automated data collection is very appealing to those in the food and beverage industry.  

Disaster recovery can be a business lifesaver. It can also lead to a realization that great technology alone isn’t enough without the right test plan.

Here we’ll share the story of two organizations who recently implemented the same disaster recovery solutions, each one harnessing the same IBM i technology. Both organizations planned for a seamless failover with near zero impact to the users. Yet the results for each organization were drastically different. Why?

Quite often, the terms value chain management and supply chain management are used interchangeably. While they overlap and are ultimately complementary, they are in fact two separate yet critical terms that impact your organizational success.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the cornerstone of virtually every manufacturing business, enabling it to plan, allocate, and track the resources required to manufacture and distribute products cost-efficiently. To accomplish all this, it is essential to choose and utilize an ERP system that can enable greater efficiency and increased automation throughout the manufacturing process while providing information that can drive better decision-making and ultimately profitability. 

You've heard it countless times – the Internet of Things (IoT) is going to change the way business is conducted. As consumers, we can see this unfolding in our everyday lives. Shoppers love the flexibility of checking out when they are ready from an associate with an iPad that already knows what they’re purchasing vs. waiting in line for a cashier. As business professionals, then, the question is: when can we use IoT in our organization’s operations?

Like it or not, system migrations often come with the territory in today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape. Often they are perceived of as a necessary evil. Nobody wants to rock a steady boat – things are working now and a migration just opens the door for a range of risks and unknowns.

Effective supply chain management (SCM) in today’s technologically-advanced manufacturing environment can be a daunting task. However, according to Dr. Donald Radliff, executive director of Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, efficient supply chain and logistics operations backed by a solid supply chain strategy can reduce costs by as much as 10-40 percent. The trick is following ten rules for successful supply chain management: