Future of Manufacturing

Anatomy of a data-driven supply chain

By Jonathan Attia, Managing Director, Wiise Data is what drives informed business decisions. It’s crucial to have key data points across your supply chain to get complete visibility, and maximise efficiency and resilience. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, as soon as there’s an external environmental impact to the supply chain, every facet gets impacted. Businesses have not only had to throw out their forecasts but suddenly experienced major supply-demand issues. Either they had too much stock that was no longer in demand, or they had the right stock that was in demand, but couldn’t keep up with supply. Data is vital in such a situation. Being able to access inventory levels across different locations and warehouses enables business owners and staff to see exactly where they might have extra stock to help supply demand. If you can see exactly what stock is where, you can easily move it around as needed and get it out of the door sooner. Real-time optimisation of your distribution keep both customers and suppliers informed and happy. Data is also important to understand which customers have purchased in the past, and which customers are your top buyers. This enables you to specifically target them with promotions to help get stock out the door faster. For manufacturing businesses, understanding cost of sale is particularly critical to success. You need to be instantly account for changes in shipping fees, for example, so that you’re always selling your products or manufacturing your goods at a profitable level. Profit is key. This means knowing exactly what items you need to produce something, how much it costs to produce it (while taking into account all of the hidden costs such as labour and so on) and how much you should sell it for. To do this, you need the […]

A little ray of sunshine as 2021 economic survey points to brighter times ahead

Peter MartinVisiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Suddenly, economic forecasters are optimistic. Six months ago the forecasting team assembled by The Conversation was expecting Australia’s recession to continue into 2021, sending the economy backwards a further 4.6% throughout the year. This morning, in the survey prepared ahead of the Reserve Bank board’s first meeting for the year and an address by the Reserve Bank governor to the National Press Club on Wednesday, the same forecasting team is upbeat. It expects the recovery that began in the September quarter of last year to continue, propelling the economy forward by a larger than normal 3.2% throughout 2021, with growth slowing to more sedate 2.1% per year by the middle of the decade, still well above than dismal 1.7% per year expected six months ago. The unemployment rate is now expected to remain near its present 6.6% throughout 2021, instead of soaring to almost 10% as expected six months ago. But improvement in the unemployment rate is expected to be slow, and as house prices and share market prices climb, most of the panel expect the Reserve Bank to lose its patience and begin to lift interest rates from their emergency lows before the end of next year, ahead of its published schedule. The 21-person forecasting panel includes university-based macroeconomists, economic modellers, former Treasury, IMF, OECD, Reserve Bank and financial market economists, and a former member of the Reserve Bank board. Economic growth Only two of the panel expect the economy to shrink further in 2021. The rest expect the economy to grow, two of the panel by at least 5%, something that isn’t out of the question given that the economy shrank by 7% during the worst three months of the 2020 coronavirus restrictions and clawed back only 3.3% in the three months that followed. Panellist […]

Mulcahy signs with Epicor to build digital manufacturing platform and turbocharge growth

One of New Zealand’s leading metal manufacturers, has signed a $1 million dollar deal with Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth. The deal will see Epicor deliver a modern end-to-end digital manufacturing platform, allowing Mulcahy to further its digital transformation and be a leading adopter of Industry 4.0 technologies. Mulcahy is one of the country’s largest fabricated metals manufacturing company, partnering with clients in the food and dairy, materials handling, original equipment manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture, and architecture industries. From design to production, Mulcahy partners with product leadership companies helping turn their ideas and intellectual property into a reality, acting as a one-stop manufacturing partner. Innovative technologies from Epicor, which are already helping manufacturers around the world streamline their business processes and break down barriers to growth, will deliver an end-to-end manufacturing platform for Mulcahy to automate its business processes and truly embrace the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution. The solution will provide much greater visibility and traceability – from organisation wide capacity planning and scheduling, job tracking throughout the facility to scheduling machine total productive maintenance (TPM) – helping the organisation gain efficiencies. The Auckland-based, family-owned business, which celebrates 40 years this year, has grown from a small facility with five employees in Gleneden, to a 6,000 square metre plant in Avondale and a team of 140. Ongoing investment in technology is a key part of Mulcahy’s strategy, having invested in state-of-the-art machinery and boosted data capabilities to optimise business operations over the years. However, disparate legacy systems to manage finance, payroll and CAD capabilities developed over the past 20 years are limiting Mulcahy’s ability to gather consolidated data into its SQL database and draw actionable analytics from its connected machinery. With ambitious plans to double […]

Indigenous WA business a formidable force in PPE supply chain

In the picture: Tim Bray (Nextsite) Matt Rear (Spinifex Protect) Jonathan Shih (Nextsite) Adam Barnard (Spinifex Protect). Spinifex Protect is a majority Aboriginal owned business established as part of the response to the Prime Ministers “Call to Arms” for Australian manufacturing with relevant capabilities to join the fight against COVID 19. During the peak COVID 19 period, Spinifex Protect was formed as a joint venture between Spinifex Brewing Company (Majority owned by Rivergum Aboriginal Corporation) and Limestone Coast Brewing. Pivoting immediately Spinifex Protect was able to supply significant quantities of Hand Sanitiser and in July 2020 completed what has now become the largest ethanol manufacturing plant in Western Australia with capacity approaching 50,000 litres per week. “Following months of negotiations Spinifex Protect are pleased to announce today the launch of our latest project entering the supply chain for the provision of the full range of PPE for the Resources, Hospitality and Medical/Aged Care sectors says Rivergum Aboriginal Corporation Chairman and Yamatji man Mick Little” Powered by Nextsite, Spinifex Protect PPE has partnered with major brands such as Mongrel Boots (Aussie born and Bred) Blundstone, FXD, CAT, Bisley Workwear and Typhoon Tools. For further information including launch capability statement for the resources sector visit www.spinifexprotect.com.au

AUSPACK 2021 postponed, relocating to Melbourne May 2022

After careful consideration, the APPMA Board has made the difficult decision to postpone AUSPACK 2021 in Sydney, and re-schedule the next event for Melbourne 2022. Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) Chairman Mark Dingley said, “With an event of this scale and significance, the most important factors in our decision were if we held the event in 2021, the uncertainty around protecting the health and safety of our industry community when it comes together, and preserving the experience and value that exhibitors and visitors alike receive from attending an event the calibre of AUSPACK. “This exhibition is known for the depth of products and services on the show floor, and the unique networking opportunities available from the many events held around the show. With the continuing uncertainty around domestic state-border openings, and the very likely reality that international flights will not be allowed until the second half of 2021, we felt we could not deliver this experience to the same high standards as previously. Moving the event to 2022 was, therefore, the right thing to do from the perspective of human health and the financial and marketing value that exhibiting businesses would receive.” Mr Dingley said the APPMA Board did not want to add to the congestion created by other commercially focused exhibitions moving dates from 2020 to mid-2021. “It’s not really ideal for the industry to have a slew of shows held so closely together, and we believe the value to exhibitors and visitors will be vastly reduced. As an industry-based association, the APPMA believes moving AUSPACK to a later ‘quieter’ date provides the best outcome for industry, including the best financial ROI for exhibitors and visitors.” Jon Perry, Event Director with organiser Exhibitions & Trade Fairs, said, “The last edition of AUSPACK in 2019 at the Melbourne […]

Why choose local manufacturing?

The case for local manufacturing has never been stronger. While some SMEs do, of course, benefit from regular contracts outside of their own back yard, for many the income from local trade is what keeps them afloat. This holds as true for B2B as it does for B2C. In fact, for small and medium sized businesses, choosing local manufacturing options, while perhaps a little more expensive in the short term, brings about many advantages. The case for staying local The Australian manufacturing industry is experiencing its biggest shake-up in decades. After years of languishing in the doldrums, the government has finally put in place many financial incentives and grants to allow SMEs to innovate and expand. The needs of Aussie organisations are somewhat unique. This is in part due to the geographical location, but also because of the proximity and ease of cheap imports from nations, such as China. Local manufacturing can rarely, if ever, compete on price with commodities from outside the country. However, cost alone shouldn’t be the driving factor. Choosing a local manufacturer for your needs comes with multiple advantages: Better understanding between manufacturer and customer: This is crucial to ensure that the product is as you expect. Being local and able to meet up in person and throughout any process is hugely valuable – something that can’t be done if your items are being produced thousands of miles away No shipping or customs barriers: Local companies can usually turnaround orders in a far more timely manner than those that are shipped in from another country/continent The personal touch: Face to face conversations lead to better communication. It also enables easy tracking of orders or chasing up should any issues arise The strict adherence to national and international standards: When it comes to health and safety, it’s […]

Achieving carbon neutrality: One company’s lessons learned

– Eric Rondolat, CEO, Signify Committing to carbon neutrality can trigger wide-ranging changes in how any company operates. Lessons learned from Signify can help any company understand the challenges and opportunities ahead when tackling emissions. Signify, formerly the lighting business of Philips, achieved carbon neutrality last September, delivering on a promise forged at COP21 in 2015. During the decade, the company also reduced its CO2 emissions by 70%. Achieving carbon neutrality is not for the faint of heart and it’s all the more taxing if you have a multi-national presence, with a global manufacturing footprint and supply chain. We benefited from an early start, having recognized the need to check our emissions earlier in the decade. Still, we learned a lot on our path to carbon neutrality that can help others and speed their efforts. What follows are some nuggets of advice, hard-earned through experience. 1. Embrace systems change First off, success on emissions reductions is dependent on making it core to your strategy. This means drafting business goals that align with and can be accomplished through efforts to reduce emissions. Other steps are also key, including establishing science-based targets, dissecting every aspect of your operations to save energy and emissions, and investing in measurable, worthy projects that offset unavoidable carbon emissions. From the outset it’s important to involve teams from supply chain management, manufacturing, business travel, human resources, energy procurement and real estate, as decisions made by them will directly impact your carbon footprint. Leave no stone unturned. We broke down and reviewed energy use across all our operations. Then we set about transitioning to energy efficient technologies in our offices, manufacturing, and logistical sites. Naturally, installing our own energy efficient LED lighting was a no-brainer. But significant investment was made in energy efficient manufacturing technologies and more efficient HVAC […]

Why it pays to join the circular economy

We all know that the current linear economic model is not sustainable. Materials are extracted, manufactured into products and then discarded into landfill – it’s a system that wastes valuable resources, causes environmental damage and will make it near impossible to satisfy the demands of the 3 billion new consumers in developing nations, who are expected to join the middle class by 2030. The concept of the circular economy is about decoupling growth from resource consumption – and maximising the positive environmental, economic and social effects. It’s about designing products so that they are easier to reuse or recycle, like Timberland’s Earthkeeper shoes. It’s about making sure that every product ingredient is biodegradable or fully recyclable, like the chemicals company that has replaced fossil-fuel feedstocks in their production methods. It’s about maximising useful product life by repairing or remanufacturing, like Caterpillar’s parts-refurbishing programme. The circular economy is about new business models that have shifted from selling products to selling services, such as the tyre company that offers a per-km tyre-leasing service. It is about eliminating waste from production, and making sure any waste is recovered as a valuable resource, whether it’s heat, slurry, nutrients, organic material, metal, salt – whatever. It’s about engaging your customers throughout the life cycle of the product, instead of the few minutes during which they make a purchase; and, ultimately, it’s about gaining competitive advantage. The scale of the competitive advantage is startling. Against a backdrop of resource prices that have more than doubled over the past 10-12 years, erasing the commodity-price decline of the 20th century, our material-saving potential is expected to reach around $1 trillion per year by 2025. The opportunity presented by the circular economy in Europe and the US pales into insignificance compared with what is at stake in developing nations, […]

An environmentally friendly alternative for polystyrene

While it is used all over the world as a light packaging and insulation material, EPS (expanded polystyrene) is a problem as waste. This is why VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative for polystyrene from PLA bioplastic, which is derived from organic sources. The annual production volume of EPS is 5–6 million tonnes per year. Usually this non-biodegradable material ends up on waste tips or is disposed of by burning, which results in compounds that are hazardous to health. PLA (polylactide) is a bioplastic made from renewable materials with the help of lactic acid. VTT is investigating methods of foaming bioplastics to make beads that are further refined into products such as insulation sheets, using methods typical of EPS manufacturing processes. The expansion of the bioplastic by foaming is carried out with consideration for the environment, using carbon dioxide. The density and heat insulation properties of the new biomaterial are similar to those of polystyrene. VTT plans to take its development work closer to industrial processing and to proceed from laboratory work to factory testing. Therefore, in order to collaborate in this development it is now looking for partners from among companies operating in the field. PLA products similar to polystyrene already exist, but their problem is their high price. In collaboration with companies operating in the field, VTT will be looking for new and more efficient production methods to enable the manufacturing of affordable products. VTT is also developing a process for PLA based on extrusion foaming, in order to replace polystyrene in traffic and packaging applications, for example.

Victorian construction industry utilising first Australian Bluetooth contact tracing solution

The Victorian construction industry is forging ahead on the road to recovery and taking advantage of the latest Bluetooth contact tracing technology, becoming the leaders in Australian safety. Despite a year of constant setbacks, The Commonwealth and Victorian governments have committed to supporting construction jobs across Victoria by jointly investing an additional $525 million to deliver infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades. Within the past three months, Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) and their construction partners Decmil, Fulton Hogan Industries Pty Ltd, John Holland Group Pty Ltd, McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd, Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd and Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty have all implemented a new contract tracing system as part of a rigorous COVID safe plan across their sites to keep these critical projects on track and Victorians in work. Over 8,700 Contact Harald cards have been distributed across these worksites, with more to follow. Contact Harald is a wearable contact tracing card that is given to all on site visitors including workers. The technology then records and stores interactions that last over two minutes and within a 1.5 metre radius. If a visitor declares symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, only the recorded users in close proximity to the suspected or confirmed case will be sent an SMS and email via the secure Contact Harald database, owned and administered by the construction company – removing the need for external agencies and nullifying cyber security concerns. In the event of a suspected or confirmed case, this new contact tracing system will notify only those with recorded close contact – this advancement enables construction to continue with minimal disruption. Director of Health and Product at Contact Harald Elissa Reid, said: “Now is the time for key infrastructure to take shape as we ease back into day to day […]

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Future of Manufacturing