Having been in the trenches executing complex automated material handling systems for the last 23 years certain “lessons learned” become etched into my mind. The difference between a great project manager and a mediocre project manager directly impacts: the ability to complete the project on time, overall profitability, and most important customer goodwill… which translates to the future revenue stream with that customer. I would offer the following 10 characteristics of a perfect project manager for your consideration…

Energy conservation initiatives have received widespread attention in the logistics and distribution world these days. Most of us have had to learn to do more with less as we’ve felt the effects of the global recession, and many of us have sought ways to reduce our energy consumption as part of our effort to drive down operating expenses. Many of our customers today take into consideration the sustainability and overall carbon footprint of the equipment they purchase for their facilities. That said, it’s our responsibility to assist them in selecting the most energy efficient, reliable and cost-effective products for their operations.

The good news is that this long talked about concept has been proven within the last few years. You can hardly be in business anymore without being impacted by the need to deliver only what your customer needs. The days of shipping excess are over and everyone is looking to eliminate waste in their supply chain process.

As robots continually penetrate our daily industrial lives to improve productivity, reduce waste and inefficiencies and raise quality, one would expect that they would demand more, not less compensation for their hard work. Quite the contrary – the costs are reducing!

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) have historically been extremely hard to justify for everyday distribution applications. They are burdened by the high cost of a custom engineered vehicle and the fear of supporting a one of a kind piece of equipment. Kollmorgen has recently come up with an impressive solution to this problem…

A recent discussion thread on LinkedIn suggested that fast tracking a project – i.e. the practice of partnering in a design-build relationship instead of using the competitive bidding approach – would add in the range of 15% to a program.

The primary rationale for this critique is based on the old “fox and henhouse” design conundrum. After all, everyone knows that “…suppliers are out to take advantage of the naïve and inexperienced buyer…”, so competitive bidding is a way to keep everyone honest.

Before you misinterpret my response, let me point out that I have spent a good deal of my career helping customers prepare designs and bid documents, and evaluate bid responses. Still, I see a great deal of value in the Fast Tracking process. Let me explain…

In the industrial world, few words cause people to cringe more than the word “startup”. It is common for people to associate startups with 18 hour days and plenty of frustration. Startup of an automated system is an extremely important phase of the project, as typically the Return on Investment (ROI) is based on a certain date to realize savings, but more important is the down time required to install the system and get it up to speed.

At BMH Robotics, we understand how critical this phase of the project is and for that reason, we have put several key processes into place to ensure that startup at your facility is as smooth as possible…

BMH is proud to be a sponsor of the 9th Annual NorthTX WERCouncil Warehousing Resource Convention! The Warehousing Education & Research Council (WERC) is a professional organization focused on educating warehousing and supply chain related professionals.

Location: Grapevine Convention Center-1209 South Main Street, Grapevine, TX 76051
Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010
Time: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

For the second year in a row, Blue Arc Engineering has been named to Indianapolis Business Journal’s Top 25 list of Fastest-Growing Indianapolis-Area Private Companies.
This list includes independent, privately held corporations, proprietorships or partnerships with revenue in fiscal year 2007 of more than $1 million and revenue increases each fiscal year from 2007-2009. Companies are ranked by percentage of revenue growth from 2007-2009…

Before making a robotic system investment, companies have begun to require feasibility research through simulations in order to demonstrate the system’s working process. This is accomplished through accurate data driven animations that graphically represent the proposed system and product flow. Customers use the robotic simulation to detect early risks and develop contingency plans from the early design stage. This allows them to take into account the future growth of their company and ensure they will have a viable system for years to come…