Ncell Systems

Managers have discovered that increasing speed and expanding production hours do not guarantee increased part velocity. They have discovered latency on their shop floor. To minimize latency requires systems to manage it, both within and outside of work centers.

>Laser Precision LLC was a relatively small fabricator in 2004. Over the past 13 years the company has transformed the way it processes information. The result: Sales increased by more than 500 percent, and on-time delivery is nearly perfect.

The evolution of the smartphone has provided the opportunity to improve notification systems to include vital information along with the standard message. Imagine having real-time access to machine and production status from home or the cabin. But like an iceberg, there is more to it than meets the eye, and what you don’t see is far more important than what you do.

At Impulse Manufacturing, operators double as quality assurance personnel. The company tracks efficiency and quality via an innovative Web-based shop-management system. The company's mantra: If you don't measure it, you can't improve it.

Can a four-man job shop keep up with the demands of its manufacturing customers? IMS, Shakopee, Minn., will make you think about that and give you reason to question other practices going on in your job shop.