Do I really need an ERP for my small business?
Enterprise Resource Planning, better known as ERP, takes many forms. If you are a small business owner, perhaps you have cobbled together a variety of spreadsheets, word documents, slide decks,…
Quick Visual Data Analysis with Excel Sparklines
Charting data in Microsoft Excel for visual analysis can be quick and easy, thanks to sparklines! Just last week, I was evaluating some demand data and wanted to visualize which…
Beginner Value Stream Mapping
Each supply chain is a bit different. There have been numerous occasions where I have heard variations of the phrase "we cannot apply [insert given concept here] because we are…
Optimizing Power Automate Cloud Flows
I received an email recently stating one of my Microsoft Power Automate cloud flows had been throttled because it was making too many calls to the connector API. Since this…
Unlock the Power of Dolibarr ERP: An Introduction to the Open-Source Solution for Streamlining Business Operations
Enterprise Resource Planning, commonly known as ERP, usually refers to a software package which helps your organization with accountability of people, processes, inventory, finances, and more. Some of the larger…
The Importance of Capacity Planning in Manufacturing
You have a Master Production Schedule (MPS), you have verified your Bill of Material (BOM) and have all components ready to go for your manufacturing/work/production order. Now, how much time…
Tips for Optimizing Production Scheduling
Production scheduling provides the sequence of production which manufacturing and operations teams should follow to best serve the customer. Some manufacturing environments (continuous or repetitive manufacturing) might be more concerned…
Continuous Improvement through Creative Experimentation
One of the most powerful statements which has been said to me when expressing an improvement opportunity to a leader is "go ahead and try it; let me know how…
How to Get Started with Microsoft Power Platform
Microsoft has developed some amazing tools for improving individual and team productivity. I was first introduced to these tools (beyond the MS Office suite of products) in 2016 but did…