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by Stephanie Neil, MA Editorial Staff Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007 3:15:26 PM   | Abstract: | Manufacturers are working to unify their myriad business practices and technology deployments across business units — and, in some cases, continents — to meet the need for speed and agility. But the task is proving to be anything but simple. |
Every manufacturer has a mission statement. It's typically phrased in a way that emphasizes the company's commitment to its customers. At PolyOne Corp., a maker of plastics, colorants, and specialty additives, the corporate mantra is: "We help people work wonders with polymers." But that's the external message. Internally, the corporate slogan has a bit of a different ring. It goes like this: "Simplify, integrate, and automate." PolyOne has been working since the 1980s to standardize processes and automate parts of its business. The goal has been to reduce costs in the organization, produce product as efficiently as possible, and meet customer needs. Back in the 1980s, however, things were much different. While companies like PolyOne have long held a vision of cutting costs and building a better business, they have had to improvise methods to achieve those ends. Often, departments had to take the initiative themselves, resulting in little more than islands of best practices. [Click to continue] |