Articles
At TXM we believe it’s vital to keep up to date with what’s happening in our industry.
TXM Principal Tim Mclean regularly contributes articles to relevant publications to generate discussion on matters of interest. and is often keynote speaker at events around Australia.
Lean Manufacturing – Turning the Tide of China Sourcing Cost Increases – June 2011 - Download
Buyers of goods in China have faced unprecedented price pressure in the past year. Spiralling wages and other costs and a rising currency mean that outsourcing to China is no longer a guaranteed way to save costs, particularly when the total cost of ownership are considered. Tim McLean from TXM discusses how lean approaches are being used to keep Chinese suppliers in the game.
Managing Projects in Operations – February 2011 - Download
Poor project management can have a devastating impact on your business and your customers. TXM Managing Director, Tim McLean provides ideas on how to avoid these disasters on your next project.
Lean Daily Management – Developing Your Front Line Lean Leaders – November 2010 - Download
Lean Daily Management brings together a range of lean tools and processes to create a daily management system for front line leaders.
Agile Manufacturing Article October 2010 - Download
The focus for operational improvement needs to shift from reducing cost to increasing value for customers. Agile Manufacturing means providing customised products to customers when they want them at a competitive price.
Making Materials Flow - Download
Over the years many manufacturers have adopted lean tools focused on improving the efficiency of production processes. Set up time reduction techniques, 5S, total productive maintenance and a range of other preventative maintenance approaches are well understood and widely adopted. However, often despite these efforts manufactures still suffer downtime, poor productivity and missed deliveries. The cause is the inability to get materials to the right place in the right time and in the right quantity
Larnec Doors Lean Processes Deliver Quick Turnaround – October 2010 - Download
By introducing a lean production system into its manufacturing process, Australia’s leading manufacturer of steel personnel doors achieved productivity improvements of up to 50%.
Lean Enterprise In a Low Volume Jobbing Environment – February 2009 - Download
It is surprising how few low volume manufacturers have made any progress towards adopting lean principles. This may be because of a mistaken perception that the lean approach (developed by Toyota for building cars) is best suited to mass production and will not work in low volume jobbing manufacture.
Competing with China Manufacturing – November 2008 - Download
If you have been facing the blowtorch of Chinese competition in recent years, then you will be well aware of China’s advantages.
Plant Layout Manufacturing – July 2008 - Download
TAKING a bit of time to get a factory’s layout right can pay big dividends. Here are some valuable guidelines
manufacturers can easily adopt when deciding where to put things.
The Age – Jan 28 2007 - Download
James Kirby Says Blundstone made the right move in moving to Asia and suggests all Australian manufacturing rightfully faces a similar fate.
Lean vs MRP Manufacturing – Nov 2006 - Download
AS a former plant manager and manufacturing and supply chain consultant, one issue I find that troubles a lot of manufacturers is deciding the best way to plan
their production to meet their customers’ needs.
Inventory Manufacturing – October 2006 - Download
ONE of the biggest costs in a manufacturing business, and often the largest commitment of cash, is inventory.
Lean Packaging Packaging News – June 2006 - Download
IN THE PAST DECADE “Lean Manufacturing” has become a buzzword in Australian Manufacturing. With the bestselling book Lean Thinking, state government sponsorship such as the “Agenda for Manufacturing” in Victoria, and the success of recognised “lean” pioneers such as Toyota, slimline has become the preferred look of manufacturing across many industries.
Surviving The Challenge of China Plastics International – May 2006 - Download
In my role as a Supply Chain Consultant and Project Manager, I am finding that an increasingly broad range of products are impacted by Chinese competition. In running procurement projects for major clients, it is clear that the local suppliers tendering for business have a challenging job competing with suppliers from countries where labour costs are a fraction of our own (see the diagram above for labour cost comparisons).
Plant Relocation Packaging News – April 2006 - Download
CONSOLIDATION HAS BEEN a consistent theme in the packaging industry over the past decade – the number of players has reduced, plants have got larger in size and fewer in number.
