* This article originally appeared as a guest post on the OFS blog. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) isn’t just for the big guys. Small and medium businesses can get the edge by getting smart with OEE. Here’s how. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) has long been associated with larger businesses, mainly because it was created during the […]
Dr Angeline Achariya, CEO, Monash Food Innovation Centre * Macrotrends and disruptions are shaping the food industry like never before. Indeed, no “Planet B”, 60 being the new 20, and “reductarians” are just three of the many influences on a global consumer who is at the intersection of health, wellness, nutrition and digitisation. As a […]
By Samantha Blake, Director, Industry Affairs, Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) * Australia’s FMCG market presents myriad challenges for both suppliers and retailers – geographic scale and distance, relatively high costs of transportation, population density, supply chain complexity, and the diverse and fast-evolving expectations of our customers. In this environment, standardised, retailer-agnostic supply chain […]
By guest author Roland Thomas, CEO of OFS* There is significant chatter about Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution. All the analysis bodies – such as Capgemini, Fujitsu, Gartner and PWC – appear to have been researching and reporting on what Industry 4.0 is and what prize awaits us if we join the revolution. […]
Whether you are established in the manufacturing industry or looking to enter it for the first time, buying an existing manufacturing business can be an excellent investment and growth strategy. As with any industry, there is a range of legal factors that you need to consider when it comes to buying a business, so it’s […]
No matter what industry you’re in, small and medium-sized businesses can often benefit from new equipment, machinery or vehicles. However, it’s very common for business owners to put off buying new equipment because of the cost involved. Upgrading your existing equipment or purchasing new machinery can provide a tangible return on investment (ROI) through improved […]
If your business can’t afford foreign contaminants in your products, then the chances are high that you need an X-ray product inspection machine. Predominantly, the food processing, pharmaceutical and packaging industries rely on these high-tech, yet surprisingly affordable, machines to detect potentially harmful foreign contaminants along the production lines. But they are also essential equipment […]
By guest author, Mario Soccio* You know what they say: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. For decades, many manufacturers have relied on a “fail and fix” approach for equipment, waiting until the very moment it breaks down before fixing the problem. However, there’s a growing school of thought that an alternative “predict and […]
By Llewellyn Stephens FAIP* There are a multitude of packaging options available for beverages in the local market. Compared with a global scale, the Australian market is small, plus has the challenge of significant transport distances. Producers also face a retail environment dominated by two major players, and where margins for commodities are low. Each […]
By guest author, Ron Mines FAIP* Last year I participated in a training day at Woolworths Minchinbury DC (in Sydney), facilitated by IDG, the Australian Institute of Packaging AIP and Woolworths. The previous day, most of the trainees had gone to a Woolworths supermarket to see how shelf-friendly packaging (SFP) was being used in the […]