Archives for "May, 2010"
Social product development takes product research to the next level
Joe gave some great advice in his series of posts on how to gather and apply useful product feedback. Quirky, a “social product development start-up” that builds and sells consumer products takes it a step further. The company uses crowdsourcing to determine first which products get designed and then which products get manufactured. A recent [...]
New IDC survey cites importance of improving product quality
An article in Supply & Demand Chain Executive reports on new research from IDC Manufacturing Insights and IDC Retail Insights. The “Business Strategy and Supply Chain Innovation” report finds that: Improving product quality is the top supply chain initiative for manufacturers and retailers this year, a reflection of the growing number of recalls in categories [...]
The Sally Centrifuge could save lives in developing countries
Two Rice University students have created a low-cost product that could allow doctors to save lives in developing countries. Sophomore Lila Kerr and freshman Lauren Theis assembled a working centrifuge out of a salad spinner, some plastic lids, combs, and yogurt containers. The “Sally Centrifuge” could be an invaluable tool for clinics in the developing [...]
AMT & AMTDA report first quarter manufacturing technology consumption up 33.7%
The American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA) and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) report that March U.S. manufacturing technology consumption (USMTC) totaled $258 million. According to the AMT website: This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 58.1% from February and up 49.5% from the total of $172.59 million [...]
Trendwatch: Manufacturers & ERP software
A recent post on the Software Advice blog offers a bit of trendwatching from a panel of ERP vendors & consultants. The summary is that when it comes to ERP software, manufacturers are showing an increased preference for software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, integrated ERP suites and the ability to integrate their local facilities with overseas plants [...]
3 steps to getting cheap, easy and relevant product feedback (Step 3: Live it)
This is the final installment on how to gather and use relevant product feedback. In an earlier post I laid out this three-step framework: Go get it. Share it. Live it. In Step 1 I offered advice on how to collect good market information, and in Step 2 I described the importance of sharing that [...]
Track this! Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is everywhere
If you have ever purchased a DVD, you may have noticed a sticker with a barcode and a metallic ring of some sort attached to the DVD or packaging. That sticker is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and this technology is becoming increasingly cheap, versatile, robust and ubiquitous. RFID is basically a 2-part system [...]
3 steps to getting cheap, easy and relevant product feedback (Step 2: Share it)
In the start of this series, I laid out a framework for gathering and using relevant product feedback: Go get it. Share it. Live it. Gathering the information is the critical first step in the process and it can be very rewarding. It’s great when people validate our ideas and it’s even better when they [...]
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