FIRST

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 4/1/2000

Manufacturing productivity hits a home run

Strong for some time now, manufacturing productivity in the fourth quarter of 1999 posted its strongest gain in 17 years. During the final quarter of last year, manufacturing sector productivity increased at a 10.3% annual rate, reflecting a 6.6% rise in output and a 3.3% drop in the number of hours worked. The last time stronger numbers were posted was in the second quarter of 1982 when productivity advanced at a 12.3% annualized rate. The fourth quarter of 1999 was notable on one other scale too; the 10.3% increase is the third strongest in the past 30 years.

More choice in roll-up doors

Dynaco USA, Inc., a supplier of fully self-repairing roll-up doors, is now offering its durable doorway access products to plants and distribution centers across North America for the first time. The company will sell through distributors supported by the company' s administrative offices and manufacturing facility in Northbrook, IL. Eddy Baele, Dynaco USA' s commercial director, will head up the company. Baele says the company' s line of push-pull, high-speed doors is well suited to high-speed, high-volume materials handling traffic through both interior and exterior doorways.

Do you B2B?

A new nationwide poll of American industrial firms indicates that despite technology advances, most manufacturers are still not using extensive business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce. That' s according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the nation' s largest and oldest broad-based multi-industry trade association.

"No one questions the importance of B2B e-commerce, yet relatively few manufacturers are participating in it," says NAM President Jerry Jasinowski.

Jasinowski says that of the 2,500 companies that were surveyed, 68% of respondents said their company currently is not using e-commerce as a forum for business transactions.

"While 80% claim they have a Web site, the vast majority offer only an information storefront," he says.

What does that software really do?

Armstrong & Associates, Inc., a logistics management consulting firm, has

created a guide that seeks to clear the confusion about what logistics software can actually deliver. "Who' s Who in Logistics Software? Armstrong' s Guide to Supply Chain Management Systems" answers questions concerning warehouse and transportation management software.

The guide includes in-depth analyses of major logistics software companies and their supply chain management capabilities. It also aids in the selection of supply chain software.

The principle features of the guide are: company background & financial information, software prices, customers & case studies, product descriptions, product specifications, and detailed functionality.