Congratulations to one of our favorite customers, Gabriel Ride Control, for its 2012 Manufacturing Leadership award. The award was presented by the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance last year at its annual convention.
Gabriel Ride Control Earns 2012 Manufacturing Leadership Award
August 28, 2013
by Scott Stone
Posted in Manufacturing, News| No Comments »
Industrial Automation and The Flexibility Problem
August 22, 2013
by Scott Stone
Earlier this year, Food Logistics published a provocative article, “Automate or Die”.  Do you have to automate? Of course not. But it brings to mind a good question: where is the point of acceptable ROI for automation projects? When does it make sense? What aspects are potential pitfalls?
We’re  inside warehouses, distribution centers, commercial operations, and manufacturing facilities every day. We don’t see full scale automation in all — or even most — of these operations. We’ve even seen some companies who have automated go back to picking with carts. We’ve seen others thrive due to their automated projects. The point is, you certainly won’t “die” if you don’t automate. But that doesn’t mean that you should not automate some or all aspects of your operation.
In some cases, we try to make the case that automation isn’t needed. In others, we try to help these companies understand when a capital investment in automation equipment and/or software will save money, increase productivity, reduce problems, and improve their business. It’s not  something that you can do from a distance.  It requires a command of the facts on the ground, in the servers, and throughout the supply chain.
So, the question is, why automate?Â
Posted in Automation, Inventory Management, Material Handling, Robotics, ROI, Supply Chain, Warehousing| No Comments »
When Is a Mezzanine Not a Mezzanine?
August 4, 2013
by Scott Stone
What a difference a name can make.
People tend to call any elevated platform a “mezzanine” in this industry, but that may be a mistake. When you are installing or otherwise specifying a platform, you need to be aware that the word “mezzanine” can cost you money and cause headaches when applied incorrectly.
Tags: Building Permits, Mezzanines, storage problems, taxes, warehousing
Posted in Mezzanines, Space Optimization & Planning, Warehousing| No Comments »