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. […]
Are you using plastic-free packaging? What happens to packaging once it’s in consumers’ hands? How can you help reduce food waste? As sustainable manufacturing gains momentum, these are just some of the questions facing manufacturers. What is sustainable manufacturing? There is no single common definition of sustainable manufacturing, but the OECD sums it up as […]
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a powerful metric. Considered the gold standard for measuring manufacturing productivity, the OEE key performance indicator (KPI) brings together data on availability, performance and quality to tell you the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive. How to calculate OEE OEE is measured as the product of three factors […]
The waste industry has called for $150 million “circular economy and action plan” to fix recycling uncertainty. So, what is a circular economy and why is it important for Australian manufacturers? Here’s what you need to know. If you haven’t heard by now, there are big changes afoot in the world of waste. China imposed […]
They say that if you can measure it, then you can improve it. In manufacturing today, measurement is critical to success. You need to have a strategy in place to measure and improve your performance (and your bottom line). OEE should be a part of that plan. So, what does OEE stand for? What is […]
Specialisation makes a market small. Globalisation makes it big. Imagine the possibilities if you combine the two. That’s what’s on offer for manufacturers who find a niche in the global supply chain. We live in a global marketplace – as the arrival of Amazon has confirmed. And it’s quickly becoming apparent that the Australian market […]
June 30 is creeping up fast. With it comes the inevitable question of whether it’s time to invest in new equipment or wait until the next tax year. This question is even more urgent for small and medium businesses who are counting the final days of the $20,000 instant asset write-off, arguably one of the […]
Amazon – friend or foe? That’s the question facing Australian manufacturers. Here, we weigh up the opportunities and challenges presented by the online retail giant’s arrival, and how manufacturers can stay ahead of the game. In case you missed it, here’s the story so far. In 2017, online retail goliath Amazon announced it would […]
Is it possible to trace an individual turkey from farm to table? Last year, US agricultural conglomerate Cargill Inc. did exactly that using blockchain technology. So how does blockchain fit into the future of food traceability? In a campaign perfectly timed for Thanksgiving, the company allowed shoppers to type in the code from their store-bought […]
The technology behind bitcoin could improve food traceability. Unsure how that could be possible? Here’s how. If you’re a food manufacturer and you haven’t got to grips with blockchain technology, it’s time to start. Blockchain is the underlying enabling technology developed for the cryptocurrency, bitcoin. But beyond that, there’s a growing buzz around blockchain and […]