Manufacturing TipsProduction planningSupply Chain Push System vs. Pull System in Manufacturing Profitable manufacturing depends on having the right parts and finished goods available when needed—without excess inventory tying up cash. While most manufacturers rely on push or pull systems, there’s a third approach that can often deliver better results. By Steve Maurer, IME 17 min read
Manufacturing Tips Agile Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for Small Manufacturers If you’re a small or mid-sized manufacturer, adopting an agile approach can help you respond to changing customer requirements and fast-moving markets. In this article, you’ll learn what agile manufacturing is, whether it’s a good fit for your business, and how to put it into practice. By Shane Dubbelman 16 min read
InventoryManufacturing TipsSupply Chain The Bullwhip Effect – How Does It Affect Your Supply Chain and Profits? It started as a study on baby diaper consumer demand variability by Procter & Gamble in the 1960s and was quickly adapted into a role-play simulation by the MIT Sloan School of Management called “The Beer Game.” But the bullwhip effect’s impact on manufacturers and supply chain management is anything but fun and games. By Steve Maurer, IME 16 min read
Manufacturing TipsSupply Chain Food Traceability – An Expert Guide for SMBs Traceability is of vital importance in the food and beverage industry as it may directly impact consumers’ health and well-being. When a defective product or contamination is found, whether before or after shipment, finding the source of the problem expediently is the top priority to ensure public health. By Steve Maurer, IME 17 min read
Manufacturing Tips OEE – What is Overall Equipment Effectiveness and How to Leverage It Your equipment is running. Your team is working hard. But for some reason, production numbers don’t match what the specs promised. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) solves this puzzle by measuring the true productivity of your manufacturing equipment. By Steve Maurer, IME 19 min read
Manufacturing TipsProduction planning The Small Manufacturer’s Guide to Co-Manufacturing and Co-Packing For many growing manufacturers, outsourcing is the key to scaling up without investing in massive facilities or specialized equipment. Co-manufacturers make this possible, but they also introduce new management challenges. By Madis Kuuse 8 min read
Manufacturing TipsProduction planning How to Calculate Capacity Utilization: A Manufacturer’s Guide Measuring how much of your production capability you’re using is critical. Use too little, and you’re wasting resources. Push too close to the limit, and you risk failure and loss. Tracking capacity utilization helps you discover the sweet spot in your operation. By Steve Maurer, IME 19 min read
Manufacturing Tips Top 10 Manufacturing KPIs in 2026 The goal of every manufacturing business is to be as efficient as possible. But without being able to accurately gauge your efficiency, it is hard to know where you stand and what goals to set. Here is where manufacturing KPIs come into play. By Madis Kuuse 13 min read
Manufacturing Tips Root Cause Analysis in Manufacturing: What is RCA and How to Do it? It’s great when production runs smoothly. However, when problems arise, SMEs must delve deeper than surface symptoms and conduct a root cause analysis. Without identifying the underlying causes of failure, you’re trapped endlessly in putting out fires, wasting time and money on temporary fixes. By Steve Maurer, IME 21 min read