OpenTrac Blog http://www.opentrac.com info@opentrac.com http://www.getmura.com Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:43:26 -0400 en-us The Black Box Problem http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/the-black-box-problem/ http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/the-black-box-problem/#comments C9DC9F10-C4A8-7641-50BC285FE82932AF Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:39:16 -0400 During my schooling in Computer Science, one of the recurring ideas that we dealt with was Black Box vs. White Box processes. If you’ve never had to deal with them, a Black Box process is one where we know what goes in and comes out, but not what happens in between. Conversely, a White Box process is transparent and all the internal workings can be examined.

When it comes to Supply Chain Management, especially in the cases of Toll Processing and Toll Manufacturing, dealing with processors or manufacturers as Black Box processes in the Supply Chain can be a risky proposition...

]]> How Can Computer to Computer Data Exchange Make Your Supply Chain More Efficient? http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/how-can-computer-to-computer-data-exchange-make-your-supply-chain-more-efficient/ http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/how-can-computer-to-computer-data-exchange-make-your-supply-chain-more-efficient/#comments 7C680A74-A9AA-664D-D840CFE9CA64873B Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 In most supply chain scenarios, there are many parts of the supply chain that need to work smoothly  together to make sure you have the most efficient and cost effective strategy to manage your supply chain.  EDI (or Electronic Data Interchange) is a very broad term that can be defined as a structured way to send electronic information between computers without any human intervention.  There are many different protocols and technologies that can be used today to transmit this information. 

]]> Document Handling Costs - Why Going Paperless is the Better Choice http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/document-handling-costs/ http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/document-handling-costs/#comments A08650D0-9158-1038-F0CA2BC4B5B98CE5 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Ever wonder the actual cost of handling all that paperwork everyday? New research has it at more than $50 a document! Here's some information on how to reduce this overhead burden.

]]> Why Cloud Computing Helps Improve Your Bottom Line http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/why-cloud-computing-helps-improve-your-bottom-line/ http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/why-cloud-computing-helps-improve-your-bottom-line/#comments 66FE676D-F9FC-D9B5-1FA5DC93C7E1DDF2 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 We’ve all heard it stated that Cloud Computing can help save your business money, and you’re probably skeptical about the claims of savings. Well, we’re here today to break down those savings for you. We’re going to start by examining seven key categories of system implementation and upkeep that can be applied whether we’re talking about implementing an on-site solution or a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) remote implementation in the Cloud, like OpenTrac:

]]> Smartphone Article Featured In Metal Center News http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/smartphone-article-featured-in-metal-center-news/ http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/smartphone-article-featured-in-metal-center-news/#comments 3438403E-C355-E40A-1DC9A8408676086C Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Northrup Grumman was recently featured in the article Smart Phone Apps for Service Centers in the Metal Center News Summer 2010 IT Solutions suppliment.  Please check out the article over on their website for more details on how Northrop Grumman is pushing the envelope with new technology to help you manage your business.

]]> Welcome To The OpenTrac Blog http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/welcome-to-the-opentrac-blog/ http://www.opentrac.com/index.cfm/blog/welcome-to-the-opentrac-blog/#comments D70DD872-E3E4-3F6A-757A635D3894E4DF Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 After more than a decade of applying our expertise to the metals industry, Northrop Grumman Supply Chain Services is taking to the blogosphere and share in some of our experiences in adapting to the ever-changing needs of metals supply chains and creation of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications to meet those needs.

Check back with us soon for posts on supply chain visibility, EDI management, JIT/Pull Signal/Kanban management processes, reporting and business intelligence (BI), mobile application development, SaaS deployment considerations and much more.

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