an electronic Kanban that turns the manual card system into a powerful closed-loop Kanban through supplier collabora- tion and the real-time flow of order, shipment and receipt information. The electronic Kanban is workflow-controlled and it allows for several metrics to be automatically computed, resulting in the next important step of lean—referred to as Kaizen, or continuous improvement. ME: How important is lean to today? Laksham: Lean in its purest form is removal of waste. Manufacturing is more competitive than ever with shorter lead times, higher service levels, exploding number of finished goods SKUs and thinning margins. Over the last couple of decades, the focus of leaning in manu- facturing was concentrated on streamlin- ing the factory floor, aligning of produc- tion lines, optimization of space and standardizing of operating procedures. One key area which was not touched was the supply chain material replenish- ment. Given that purchase parts could be as high as 60% of manufacturing costs, applying lean methodologies to this process is critical. As excess inven- tory eats the margins, part shortages re- duce customer service levels and result in lost revenues. Today, leaning efforts have been applied only to areas where companies have full control, such as the shop floor; however, it is high time they start applying lean principles to areas where they have less control, such as supplier and customer collaboration. ME: How has going to the cloud and employing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) changed the software industry? Laksham: SaaS is an evolving pro- cess. Even though in principle it follows the utility market, the software purchas- ing process needs to follow this evolu- tion. Over the last 50 years, we have transitioned from leasing the software (during the mainframe era) with a dumb
terminal, to purchasing the license outright and customizing it. With SaaS, customers can transition to a ‘use as you need’ and ‘pay as you use’ model. This is a big change of mindset, as the software is not controlled by the customer but only by its usage.
Introducing the All-New Gen VI Servo Automatic Cutoff Lathe.
The compact cast iron slide unit offers rigidity with the speed and serviceability of linear technology. The precision ground, ball- screw driven slides with high torque digital drives provide easy set up and increased tool life. An optional two axis servo slide is available for simple turning, boring and drilling operations. These systems can handle material .25” to 8”. Call us today to get on the fast track of increased productivity with our new generation of servo automatic cutoff lathes.
Features: • Two Axis Slide • High Torque Digital Drive • Menu Prompted Touch Screen • Digital Read Out or Servo Positioned Heavy Duty Stock Stops
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