Professional Development
Dick Hill and CONTROL Magazine's Walt Boyes discuss professional development and how to get new, younger people into manufacturing and automation.

Moderated by: Walt Boyes, Editor in Chief, CONTROL Magazine
Analyst Speaker: Dick Hill, VP & GM, Manufacturing Advisory Services

Trends and Direction for the Automation Marketplace

The automation and manufacturing sectors still hold a lot of promise and are expected to grow again at a healthy rate this year. The need for modernization of the North American industrial infrastructure, growth in the hydrocarbons sector, and growth in other industries such as life sciences and primary metals, will drive overall growth in North America through the end of 2008. This podcasts discusses the trends and directions the automation marketplace is taking.

Moderated by: Allen Avery, Analyst Automation
Analyst Speaker: Larry O'Brien, Research Director Process Automation

Top 50 Automation Companies

ARC Research Director Larry O’Brien and Editor in Chief of CONTROL Magazine Walt Boyes discuss the top 50 automation companies in the industry according to CONTROL Magazine's December 2007 Top 50 cover story. Check out which companies made the list, as ARC and CONTROL Magazine count down the Top 50 automation companies in the industry. Find out the implications the Top 50 have for manufacturers and others.

Moderated by: Walt Boyes, Editor in Chief, CONTROL Magazine
Analyst Speaker: Larry O'Brien, Research Director Process Automation

Growth in Transportation Management Systems Exceeds Expectations

The Transportation Management Systems (TMS) market surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time in 2006, and the market is poised to grow at least 7% in 2007, based on year-to-date results. What is driving continued growth in this market? What are companies looking for in a TMS? How will this software technology evolve over the next few years and what benefits can users expect? These questions and more are answered in this podcast.

Moderated by: Alan Williams, Vice President, Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker: Adrian Gonzalez, Director, Logistics Executive Council

Thoughts on 'Green' Supply Chains

It seems like everybody is jumping on the 'green' bandwagon these days, including everyone in supply chain management. In late October, Adrian Gonzalez chaired a track on "Sustainability: Creating 'Green' Supply Chains" at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Annual Conference. Speakers from Herman Miller, HP, Whirlpool, Campbell Soup, Stonyfield Farm, Dow, Corporate Express, and other companies presented excellent case studies on this topic. In this podcast, Adrian shares his main takeaways from the CSCMP presentations and the research ARC has conducted to date.

Moderated by: Alan Williams, Vice President, Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker: Adrian Gonzalez, Director, Logistics Executive Council

The Future of Industrial Ethernet Switching

Ethernet continues to grow its footprint in manufacturing automation.  Due to this growth, ARC has recently published a new market outlook study covering industrial Ethernet switches and other industrial Ethernet networking infrastructure.  This market is only a small part of the enterprise Ethernet switching market, but ARC finds that it has already doubled in the past 2 years.  In this podcast, ARC Senior Analyst Harry Forbes discusses this market and talks about its future.

Moderated by:  Chantal Polsonetti, VP Advisory Services
Analyst Speaker:  Harry Forbes, Senior Analyst Automation

Operations Management

Manufacturers are making significant investments in software and technology for their production operations.  To manage manufacturing operations in harmony with business and supply chain needs, manufacturers need to re-examine their conventional thinking about manufacturing software and technology.  What is behind it?  Why now?  What kinds of solutions are being implemented and what do they mean for the manufacturing industry?  Listen to this podcast to learn more about this dynamic $8 billion market.

Moderated by:  Ralph Rio, Research Director
Analyst Speaker:  Greg Gorbach, VP Collaborative Manufacturing

Today’s End-to-End PLM:  Collaboration Across the Product Lifecycle

This podcast examines the current state of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market from the perspective of the technology available, the industrial sectors using PLM, and the business drivers that are dictating the direction and trends for PLM solutions.  The business requirements of today’s global manufacturing operations and how PLM suppliers are responding to the demands of this highly collaborative business environment are also be examined.

Moderated by:  Ralph Rio, Research Director
Analyst Speaker:  Dick Slansky, Senior Analyst, PLM & Discrete Manufacturing

Best Practices for Machine Builders in Automation Supplier Selection

As machine building OEMs continue to seek improved business performance in sales, design, and field support, the underlying automation solution used to control the mechanics has become increasingly important to delivering value to customers.  Whether it is packaging, injection molding, metal cutting, or robotic machinery, every business leader needs to develop an objective method for choosing an automation supplier that optimizes business potential.  This podcast discusses best practices specifically for selecting a machine building automation supplier.

Moderated by:  Ralph Rio, Research Director
Analyst Speaker:  Sal Spada, Research Director

The State of Automation Appliances

What is an Automation Appliance? What is their role on the factory floor?  What kind of technology infrastructure is required?  Can they exchange data between dissimilar products and devices?  Will they affect the ability for IT and plant personnel to work together?  This podcast addresses these questions as well as provides insight into current automation appliance technology, its uses and benefits, and take a look into their future.

Moderated by:  John Kuenzler, Director Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker:  Craig Resnick, Research Director

Improve Your Operations with Plant Asset Management Solutions

Plant Asset Management (PAM) solutions enable workers to monitor, analyze, and optimize the operation of plant assets to increase production availability. On-line PAM systems monitor assets in real-time and predict potential failures and recommend remedial actions to extend the life of plant equipment. PAM has evolved significantly in the past few years from niche solutions for automation and rotating equipment to solutions that monitor virtually all assets installed on the plant floor. Condition monitoring for rotating and reciprocating equipment, the largest segment of PAM solutions, has become just one of many categories in today’s diversified PAM solution. Listen to this podcast to learn more about PAM and how these solutions can improve your operations.

Moderated by:  Paula Hollywood, Senior Analyst, Process Automation
Analyst Speaker:  Wil Chin, Research Director, Automation

Process Alarm Management

Ten years ago the next process alarm cost about $1000, today it’s free.  This has driven many operators into alarm overload and seriously compromised their effectiveness.  This podcast discusses how a good alarm management program can help operators regain their effectiveness.

Moderated by:  Larry O’Brien, Research Director, Process Automation
Analyst Speaker:  Dave Woll, Vice President, Consulting Services

Best Practices in Packaging Operations

What is the current state and future direction of best practices in packaging operations automation?  Are packaging operations helping you to meet your business objectives?  Are they as efficient and flexible as you need to meet your customer requirements?  This podcast discusses packaging machinery in the non-durable, fast moving, consumer goods manufacturing industries.

Moderated by:  Craig Resnick, Research Director
Analyst Speaker:  John Blanchard, Principal Analyst, PLM and Automation

Intelligent Assembly Best Practices and Technology

Assembly is one of the last frontiers in discrete manufacturing to automate and significantly reduce cost because it is so complex.  But today, manufacturers regard making improvements in sub-assembly and final assembly as one of the biggest opportunities in becoming more competitive.  Intelligent Assembly can make this happen.  The next generation of assembly systems and technologies integrate assembly processes, people, equipment, and information using both virtual and real-time methods to achieve dramatic improvements in productivity, lead time, and agility.

This podcast discusses how the emergence of Intelligent Assembly technologies, such as the next generation of safe robots, intelligent production systems, and powerful simulation tools, will help engineers to solve many of the challenges of automating assembly and design systems with the optimal balance of automation and people.

Moderated by:  Dick Slansky, Senior Analyst PLM & Digital Manufacturing
Analyst Speaker:  Jim Caie, Vice President, Consulting

Fieldbus Operational Cost Benefits

Foundation Fieldbus has found mainstream acceptance in the world of automation, but little is known about the real world operational and lifecycle cost benefits that are being realized by end users.  ARC recently conducted a survey to ascertain a more accurate view of the operational, maintenance, and engineering benefits related to Foundation Fieldbus and how they relate to a business value proposition for end users.  This podcast discusses and analyzes the results of the survey.

Moderated by:  Paula Hollywood, Senior Analyst
Analyst Speaker:  Larry O'Brien, Research Director

ARC's New Research on Best Practices for Continuous Improvement Program Management

This podcast discusses ARC's new research on best practices for managing Continuous Improvement programs, including Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma.  The factors that contribute to successful Continuous Improvement programs are analyzed, focusing on four important perspectives:  people and organization, use of recognized practices, technology, and metrics to track performance.

Moderated by:  Tracy Doyle, Director Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker:  Ralph Rio, Research Director

Logistics Service Provider Market
Sales of Transportation Management Systems to Logistics Service Providers (LSP) grew by over 11 percent in 2005, significantly outpacing sales growth to Manufacturers and Retailers.  While the long-term significance of year-over-year results is limited, the data, nonetheless, suggests that LSPs are starting to take a strategic view of their IT requirements and infrastructure.  Based on ARC market studies and current trends, LSPs are forecasted to spend over $900 million in enterprise and supply chain software solutions by 2010.  However, this forecast assumes that software vendors will increase their commitment to the industry and add more LSP-specific functionality to their solutions; it also assumes that the LSP industry has truly reached the IT investment tipping point, where a growing number of service providers (not just the very large ones) will seek to replace their proprietary, outdated, and non-scalable solutions.  This podcast discusses the overall Logistics Service Provider market.

Moderated by:  Alan Williams, VP & GM Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker:  Adrian Gonzalez, Director Logistics Executive Council

New Developments and Important Market Trends in Enterprise Asset Management
The biggest news in 2006 for the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and CMMS markets is the extensive consolidation among the many leading suppliers. Most of the market share changes in 2006 can be attributed to the many mergers and acquisitions among these suppliers. The market uncertainty has forced customers to look for better maintenance and support to protect existing investments until the status of future releases is determined. The extensive market consolidation changes should drive customer decisions to either upgrade or seek new alternatives to satisfy their EAM/CMMS requirements.

In addition to the market consolidation, asset management has never been more challenging for organizations. Aging assets, tougher regulatory compliance, and increasing security requirements are driving up costs while budgets are continuously being cut. Professional asset managers have implemented most of the conventional practices and need new ways to drive improved asset performance and lower costs. This podcast discusses these new developments and market trends in EAM, and how solution providers are addressing the challenges.

Moderated by:  Tracy Doyle, Director Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker:  Houghton LeRoy, Senior Analyst Enterprise Software

Service-Oriented Architecture's Impact on Manufacturing
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an approach to architecture that includes a common registry of services, applications that provide out-of-the-box functionality, tools to create services from legacy products, and finally, tools and applications that will browse and use services to create new applications, integrations, dashboards, etc. This podcast discusses SOA, its impact on manufacturing, and what questions manufacturers should ask in order to match SOA benefits to their needs.

Moderated by:  Alan Williams, VP & GM Strategic Services
Analyst Speaker:  Robert Mick, Vice President Emerging Technologies

RFID in Manufacturing Operations
The need for manufacturers to comply with supply chain and retailer mandates for tagged finished goods has led to rising interest in RFID for internal manufacturing applications that promise greater ROI.  But the number of pilot projects that actually result in full-blown implementations will be a key determinant of the rate and timing of overall market growth.  This podcast takes a look at RFID used in manufacturing and explores areas like the prospects for new applications for RFID in manufacturing, the impact of increasing competition among different types of RFID, and where Wi-Fi-based solutions will find the most success.

Moderated by:  Harry Forbes, Senior Analyst
Analyst Speaker:  Chantal Polsonetti, Vice President

Offshore Services for Manufacturers
Because of an aging work force, increasing global cost pressures, and the need for new skills on the factory floor, requirements for services to support manufacturers have escalated.  But outsourcing of services that support manufacturing  has been much less common than IT oursourcing and manufacturing managers remain cautious.   Suppliers using an onsite-offshore model are growing quickly, but what do manufacturers need to know?  Based on extensive research, this podcast reviews:

• The type of work outsourced
• The level of complexity of service provider engagements
• Inhibiting factors of using a service provider
• Drawbacks of using an onsite-offshore service provider for manufacturing
• Metrics to be used to evaluate outsourced solutions
• Offshore management best practices

Moderated by:  Steve Banker, Service Director, Supply Chain Management
Analyst Speaker:  Russ Novak, Research Director

Wireless Networks in the Flat World

Wired and wireless networks must be integrated throughout the manufacturing enterprise from corporate offices to distributed sites. At the same time, external access to all types of manufacturing systems has become a necessity for business processes — commerce, collaboration, visibility — as well as for operations support. This podcast discusses practices for managing manufacturing and IT assets, taking into account the realities of manufacturing operations, such as the high cost of downtime, the growing need for safety and security, application diversity, and the large number of legacy systems.

Moderated by: Wil Chin, Research Director
Analyst Speaker: Harry Forbes, Senior Analyst

Benchmarking for Continuous Improvement

As companies strive to compete in a dynamic global market, continuous process improvement involves comparing to best practices and taking steps to making your processes more efficient and effective. Today’s global companies must move at Internet speed to respond to shifting market needs and competitor’s tactics. Continuously benchmarking your company’s processes allows you to dynamically measure your performance, even as companies around you are changing. ARC's Maurice Wilkins shares insight on best practice benchmarking, including how to begin, what to benchmark, how to evaluate results, and the impact it has on businesses.

Moderated by: John Wason, VP Consulting and Advisory Services
Analyst Speaker: Maurice Wilkins, Vice President Consulting