We're at the Steel Show!

Preparations are made and Mark, David, Kevin and John will be attending the NASCC next week in Phoenix. We're giving away an iPOD shuffle and holding a workshop on how barcode data collection can improve worker productivity. Mark's getting pretty good at presenting. Seems that improving productivity is a hot topic today. There are more details on radley.com and you can even pre-register for the workshop. Or, if you can't make it to the workshop then sign up for the free webinar that we will be scheduling sometime this spring. Oh, and it's not just for the steel industry.

QAD User Group Meeting in Bay Area on Monday 3/9/2009

We are participating in the QAD California User Group's Spring Conference next Monday and Tuesday at the Training Center for QAD Corporate in Summerland (Santa Barbara). Terry and Mark from our Grand Rapids office will be attending, as well as Gerry who doesn't have to travel quite so far as he resides in the Los Angeles area. I believe this is the first time either Terry or Mark has attended this conference. It's a long plane ride from Grand Rapids, Michigan to the Pacific Coast, but they seem happy to go.

The Real ROI - Integrating Automated Data Collection with Business Applications

In the not too distant past business software consisted of spreadsheet applications, word processors, and the occasional database for the technical elite. Business systems were manual systems – powered by printed copies of reports, spreadsheets, and documents upon which business decisions were based. Over time, competitive pressure, compliance requirements, corporate consolidations, mergers and acquisitions, budget restraints, and many other factors, combined to create the current environment that demands a laser-sharp focus on ways to cultivate business productivity.

In response, business software has grown more sophisticated and today includes applications for supply chain management, inventory management, purchasing, quality systems, process control, shop floor control, manufacturing execution shipping/ distribution, warehouse management, maintenance management, and virtually any other area that could be required to efficiently and effectively operate a business.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) provide this functionality through tightly integrated modules on a common platform. To some degree, most manufacturing and distribution companies have by now implemented one or all of these types of systems. Many also
have acquired business applications that are not part of their core system of record. These applications may use different technologies, reside on multiple platforms, and often use separate or multiple databases. Moreover, ERP, WMS, legacy, quality, manufacturing execution systems (MES), SCM and other business process/ execution applications have evolved in application breadth, functional depth, navigational complexity, transaction processing volume and database size.

An often overlooked challenge of these increasingly complex business applications is the impact they have had on data entry requirements. In the past, when business information was stored on shelves in scores of notebooks that quickly became outdated and useless, it was a generallyaccepted rule that files would be updated with the most current information available before generating reports. This is still true today.

Without consistent, timely, and accurate input of data, the value and integrity of any business software system decreases dramatically. And this is where it becomes apparent that the real ROI of any business software comes down to a tightly integrated, scalable and robust automated data collection system.

American Fan Co selects Radley WorkForce Productivity Suite as Mobile Computing System for Inventory Control, Labor Tracking, Time and Attendance

January 9, 2009 - Grand Rapids, MI - American Fan Company manufactures a wide variety of high-performance centrifugal and axial fans for the Air Movement and Air Climate industry. Their Fairfield, OH, location recently selected Radley Corporation to provide a QAD-integrated advanced mobile computing system for inventory control, labor tracking and time and attendance. The Radley Solutions will be implemented on stationary, touch screen, thin-client data collection stations, as well as, on Intermec touch-screen, wireless, mobile computers. Through time clock entry, users will be able to report crew labor and production specifics, as well as, inventory receipts and movements, among other gained efficiencies. All transactions will be controlled with direct-to-QAD validations and updates. Directly integrated with the American Fan payroll provider, Radley Time and Attendance application is also meshed with the Labor Tracking system, enabling American Fan management access to detailed information and will experience improved control through timely visibility of accruals and exceptions.

New www.Radley.com Site Map

A site map was recently added to the Radley Website. This is not a dynamically generated page so it will be a work in progress that will change often, but probably not often enough.

A little organizational assist: http://www.radley.com/sitemap.htm

Recession Proof - Time Flys When You're Having Fun

Every manager and executive who has been through challenging economic times in the past, knows that it will end. You also know that as you downsize and try to become more efficient during this period, you need to be prepared to handle increased volume when the economy improves.

Just this morning, I again read that one of the top ways to come out on top at the end of this recession is to take advantage of technology to become more productive. No matter how you measure it, it seems like common sense that the highest ROI can be achieved through streamlined and automated business processes - enabling fewer to do more with less.

What you don't want to do is sit around and worry or worse panic and take an ax to the business you worked so hard to build. Take the "glass half full" perspective and consider this downturn as a great opportunity. Take the time to get to know your processes, examine the status quo, identify where you can improve, and then take the steps to prepare for the days when your "huge sales will solve all your problems." You will be surprised at how quickly this recession will pass.

Welcome to WorkForce Productivity for Manufacturers

Productivity increases the value of the output of your work force. Productivity is all about managing all of your resources wisely and efficiently. This means different things to different people and positions but it's important to all of us. Whether you are an owner, a manager, a line worker, or any other worker, it appears to be time to start sharing our best ideas for productivity so that we can all succeed.