AccountingManufacturing TipsSales Job Order Costing – Achieving Accurate Margins in the Job Shop Job order costing tracks the materials, labor, and overhead of each individual job instead of averaging them across production. For make-to-order manufacturing business owners, it’s the difference between quoting a job profitably and eroding profit without realizing it. By Steve Maurer, IME 15 min read
AccountingManufacturing Tips Product Costing: A Complete Guide for Manufacturers Most manufacturers can quote a selling price to the penny. Far fewer know what each product truly costs to build. Product costing closes that gap, and the number it produces drives nearly every decision that protects your margin. By Steve Maurer, IME 15 min read
Choosing a SoftwareManufacturing TipsProduction planning Production Planning Excel Template: How to Build a Production Schedule and When to Move to MRP? Excel spreadsheets can be a good place to start with production planning. They give manufacturers a simple way to organize everything. That works well until production gets more complex and the schedule starts changing faster than the spreadsheet can keep up. By Steve Maurer, IME 19 min read
InventoryManufacturing Tips 8 Inventory Optimization Tips and Techniques for SMBs Few things disrupt an operation faster than inventory that doesn’t match demand. Overstock ties up money. Stockouts delay deliveries and production. Real-time visibility through effective inventory optimization makes inventory management easier. By Steve Maurer, IME 13 min read
Manufacturing TipsSupply Chain Copacking – What is Contract Packaging and How to Manage It? Copacking gives manufacturers a practical way to handle packaging without taking on the full cost of more equipment, labor, or floor space. It can add flexibility and expand capacity, especially when specialized packaging is needed. But it only pays off when the process is managed well and is cost-effective. By Steve Maurer, IME 11 min read
Sales Order Management: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Breaks Down Managing orders can be easy when your operations are small. But when you reach a certain point, order management can become too complex to be done manually. This is where digital order management solutions are essential. By Shane Dubbelman 14 min read
InventoryManufacturing TipsSupply Chain Inventory Tracking – An Essential Guide Inventory tracking means monitoring stock movements to increase visibility in the company’s supply chain. This added transparency helps businesses improve their ordering and overall inventory management practices, ensure traceability, and make sure that items are exactly where you need them, when you need them. By Madis Kuuse 11 min read
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
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 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
Manufacturing Tips Maintenance Management Guide for Manufacturing SMEs Fix it before it breaks. That simple idea sets the basis for maintenance management and makes the difference between a manufacturing facility that’s constantly putting out fires and one that runs like clockwork. Preventive maintenance isn’t rocket science, but it does require changing how we think about equipment care and maintenance activities. By Steve Maurer, IME 10 min read
