QR (Quick Response) codes

Posted on August 10, 2011 by colimmy

A QR or Quick Response code is a two-dimensional barcode. These are often used for adding web links to a printed page. When you scan such a QR bar code using a web cam or mobile phone camera, the QR reader application takes you to a Web site, a YouTube video or some other web content. QR codes are an easy way of sending people to a site without having to type a URL.

Next to being used for linking to share links, QR codes can contain other types of information:

  • A QR code on a business card can contain an electronic version of thecontact information. Scan the code and the reader application adds the contact to your address list.
  • A QR code can contain event information. Scan the code on a poster for a concert and the app automatically adds its name, date and location to the agenda on your smartphone or PC.
  • A QR code can contain an SMS with phone number and text. Scan the code and the scanning app lets you automatically participate in some contest to win fabulous prices.
  • A QR code can contain an e-mail message with a subject and message text. That message can be a request for information so that in return you might get a reply email with additional information and attached files.
  • A QR code can contain a geographical location. Scan the code on a poster advertising for a restaurant and its location becomes available to your navigation software, informing you how to get to that place.
  • A QR code can contain WIFI configuration data. Scan the code and your Android device automatically configures itself to use the wireless access at the hotel.

Description of Quick Response bar codes

The Japanese corporation Denso-Wave created the QR matrix code  in 1994. It is an open standard for which no license fee has to be paid. The physical encoding of QR codes is nowadays in the hands of various standards bodies, including JIS and ISO (e.g. the ISO/IEC 18004:2006 standard). The standard for encoding URLs was established by NTT docomo, the Japanese telecom company.

QR codes contain information in both the horizontal and vertical axis. Compared to ‘regular’ barcodes, this allows for much larger amounts of raw data to be embedded. These can be numeric, alphanumeric or binary data – of which up to 2953 bytes can be stored. Only a part of each QR bar code contains actual data, including error correction information. Below you see the above QR code with the URL data stripped away. As you can see quite a large area of the bar code is used for defining the data format and version as well as for positioning, alignment and timing purposes.

Positioning, alignment,... data in a QR code

The more data need to be embedded, the larger the barcode becomes. Below is the QR code for this page. Since the URL is longer than that of the home page, the bar code has also grown. The barcode after it doesn’t contain a URL but the first 5 sentences of this page.

QR barcode with two lines of text in it

The smallest square dot or pixel element of a QR code is called a module. Like with other types of bar codes, it is recommended to have an empty area around the graphic, which makes it easier for devices to read the bar code. This quiet area is ideally 4 modules wide.

The minimum dimensions of a QR code depend upon the resolving power of the cameras that are used to scan the code. According to a Kaywa white paper, it is recommended to use a minimum size of 32 × 32 mm or 1.25 × 1.25 inches, excluding quiet zone, for QR codes that contain a URL. This guarantees that all camera phones on the market can properly read the bar code. Changing the size to a width and height of 26 × 26 mm or roughly 1 square inch still covers 90% of the phones on the market. The latest camera models, which have improved macro capabilities, can however already deal with QR codes that are less than 10 mm (0.4″) wide and high.

For good reader accuracy good contrast between the background and the bar color itself is very important. The bar code should have a dark color on a light background. You cannot go wrong by treating the QR code as line art, using black on white. If the background needs to be in color, make sure that it is a solid color, not a screened tint. Avoid using cyan or magenta but a 100% yellow background should work fine. Very light Pantone colors might also work, as long as the contrast with the bar code is high enough.

How to read a QR code

To read a a hardlink or physical world hyperlink, a smartphone or computer equipped with a web cam needs to have the correct reader software. It will interpret the scanned image and launch a browser to visit the programmed URL. Do a web search using the keywords “QR reader” and the make of your phone to find such applications.

Some interesting links:

qrcode

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Amazing Bicycle

Posted on July 1, 2011 by colimmy


Similar Product in Amazon

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Configure a Windows Server 2003 VPN on the server side

Posted on June 25, 2011 by colimmy

Add the Remote Access/VPN Server role to your Windows Server 2003 system

To add the Remote Access/VPN Server role, go to Start | All Programs |Administrative Tools | Configure Your Server Wizard. The first screen of this wizard isfor informational purposes only and, thus, is not shown here. Click Next. Thesame goes for the second screen, which just tells you some things you need tohave completed before adding new roles to your server.

On thethird screen of the wizard, entitled Server Role, you’re presented with a listof available roles for your server along with column that indicates whether ornot a particular role has been assigned to this machine. Figure A shows you a screen from a server on which just the IIS Webserver role has been added.

To add a new role, select the role and click Next

To add theRemote Access/VPN Server role to your server, select that role and click theNext button to move on to the next screen in the wizard, which provides youwith a quick overview of the options you selected.

Figure B

Take note: This selection just starts anotherwizard called the Routing and Remote Access Wizard, described further below.

The Routing and Remote Access Wizard component

Like mostwizards, the first screen of the Routing and Remote Access wizard is purelyinformational and you can just click Next.

The secondscreen in this wizard is a lot meatier and asks you to decide what kind ofremote access connection you want to provide. Since the goal here is to set upa PPTP-based VPN, select the “Virtual Private Network VPN and NAT”selection and click Next.

Figure C
Select the VPN option and click Next

The nextscreen of the wizard, entitled VPN Connection, asks you to determine whichnetwork adapter is used to connect the system to the Internet. For VPN servers,you should install and use a separate network adapter for VPN applications. Networkadapters are really cheap and separation makes the connections easier to secure.In this example, I’ve selected the second local area network connection (see Figure D), a separate NIC from the onethat connects this server to the network. Notice the checkbox labeled”Enable security on the selected interface by setting up Basic Firewall”underneath the list of network interfaces. It’s a good idea to enable sinceoption it helps to protect your server from outside attack. A hardware firewallis still a good idea, too.

Figure D
Select the network adapter that connects your server to the Internet

With theselection of the Internet-connected NIC out of the way, you need to tell theRRAS wizard which network external clients should connect to in order to accessresources. Notice that the adapter selected for Internet access is not anoption here.

Figure E
Select the network containing resources needed by external clients

Just likeevery other client out there, your external VPN clients will need IP addressesthat are local to the VPN server so that the clients can access the appropriateresources. You have two options (really three — I’ll explain in a minute) forhandling the doling out of IP addresses.

First, youcan leave the work up to your DHCPserver and make the right configuration changes on your network equipment forDHCP packets to get from your DHCP server to your clients. Second, you can haveyour VPN server handle the distribution of IP addresses for any clients thatconnect to the server. To make this option work, you give your VPN server arange of available IP addresses that it can use. This is the method I prefersince I can tell at a glance exactly from where a client is connecting. Ifthey’re in the VPN “pool” of addresses, I know they’re remote, forexample. So, for this setting, as shown in FigureF below, I prefer to use the “From a specified range ofaddresses” option. Make your selection and click Next.

Figure F
Your choice on this one! I prefer to provide a range of addresses

If youselect the “From a specified range of addresses” option on theprevious screen, you now have to tell the RRAS wizard exactly which addressesshould be reserved for distribution to VPN clients. To do this, click the New button on the Address Range Assignment screen. Type in the starting and ending IP addresses for the new range andclick OK. The “Number of addresses” field will be filled inautomatically based on your entry. You can also just enter the starting IPaddress and the number if IP addresses you want in the pool. If you do so, thewizard automatically calculates the ending IP address. Click OK in the NewAddress Range window; your entry appears in the Address Range Assignment window.Click Next to continue.

Figure G
You can have multiple address ranges, as long as they are all accessible

The nextscreen asks you to identify the network that has shared access to the Internet.This is generally the same network that your VPN users will use to accessshared resources.

Figure H
Pick the network adapter that gives you access to the Internet

Authenticatingusers to your network is vital to the security of your VPN infrastructure. TheWindows VPN service provides two means for handling this chore. First, you canuse RADIUS, which is particularly useful if you have other services already usingRADIUS. Or, you can just let the RRAS service handle the authentication dutiesitself. Give users access to the VPN services by enabling dial-in permissionsin the user’s profile (explained below). For this example, I will not be usingRADIUS, but will allow RRAS to directly authenticate incoming connectionrequests.

Figure I
Decide what means of authentication you want to provide

That’s itfor the RRAS wizard! You’re provided with a summary screen that details theselections you made.

Figure J
The RRAS wizard summary window

This alsocompletes the installation of the Remote Access/VPN Server role.

User configuration

By default,users are not granted access to the services offered by the VPN; you need togrant these rights to each user that you want to allow remote access to yournetwork. To do this, openActiveDirectory Users and Computers (for domains) or Computer Management (forstand alone networks), and open the properties page for a user to whom you’dlike to grant access to the VPN. Select that user’s Dial-In properties page. Onthis page, under Remote Access Permissions, select “Allow access”. Notethat there are a lot of different ways to “dial in to” a WindowsServer 2003 system; a VPN is but one method. Other methods include wirelessnetworks, 802.1x, and dial-up. This article assumes that you’re not using theWindows features for these other types of networks. If you are, and you specify”Allow access”, a user will be able to use multiple methods to gainaccess to your system. I can’t go over all of the various permutations in asingle article, however.

Figure K
Allow the user access to the VPN
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Cheque Printing Software

Posted on June 18, 2011 by colimmy
Cheque Printing Software Specification
a. Payee Accounts Master

Cheque Printing Software allows users to maintain the particulars of the Payees.
b. Bank Accounts Master

Bank Accounts Master maintains the Bank Accounts Information including Bank A/C No., Name of the Bank, Address, Phone No., Fax No. & etc.
c. Currency Table

Cheque Printing System supports any currency from different countries. User need only need to define the currency table.
d. Payment Entry

Payment Entry help user to organize the check printing records. System will kept historical records on issued checks. User can add notes and memo on the payment entry for reference purposes. The friendly search function in system help user to locate checks easily.
e. Check Format Template

System supports multiple check format templates. User can save check format as check template by bank. The template will be used to print the check automatically when a check is prepared, and it makes the check preparation much simpler.
f. Check Layout Setting

System provides multiple users define check layout. User can design their own layout simply click and drag on the column. System also allow user to customize the font setting for each subjects. The designed format can then be saved as template for check printing purposes.
g. Check Layout Setting – Font Size, Font Type, Color & etc.

The Check Layout Font characteristic like font type, size & etc can be easily define by users.
h. Print Check

System print check in any printers including Laserjet, inkjet and even Dot-Matrix Printer. It also provide batch printing function to print a sequence of checks in batch.
Import

From Excel

System also provides batch input of the check entry into the system via Excel. A standards input form in Excel format is provided to enable user to input to the column provided, and import into the system. Verification will be done by system & prompt user on the successful and unsuccessful import transactions results.
i. reports
Check Register
Check Listing By Date
Check Listing By Payee
Post Dated Check Listing
Void Check Register
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Apple’s cloud music could finally make piracy pay

Posted on June 9, 2011 by colimmy

LOS ANGELES: Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs on Monday introduced more than just a cloud storage system for songs that fans buy legitimately through iTunes. He unveiled a system that might finally get music lovers to pay for the songs they got through less-than-proper means.

Aside from offering to freely distribute new and old iTunes purchases on all of a user’s devices, the Apple impresario unveiled “iTunes Match,” a $25-a-year service starting this fall that will scan users’ devices and hard drives for music acquired in other ways, store it on distant computer servers and allow them to access it anywhere.

The service acknowledges a well-known fact – that most music on iPods, iPhones and iPads was ripped or swapped. Apple reached a deal that gives recording companies more than 70 percent of the new fees, addressing a dark secret that has crippled the music industry, and provides them with some economic payback.

Where Apple is able to identify and match songs from its 18 million-song database, it will transfer them into the user’s iCloud, a storage area housed on servers, including those at a massive new data center in North Carolina.

“The chances are awfully good that we’ve got the songs in our store that you’ve ripped,” Jobs said.

Where songs can’t be identified – say of bootlegged concert recordings – users can manually upload them to the cloud and gain the same access.

Jobs called it “an industry-leading offer” compared with similar song-uploading storage services recently introduced by Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. The limit of “iTunes Match” is 25,000 songs, and the service will update lesser-quality song files to iTunes standards. ITunes purchases do not count against the limit.

Industry observers said the new service could translate into big bucks for both Apple and the recording companies.

Apple has about 225 million credit card-backed accounts on iTunes. If only 10 percent signed up for the convenience of accessing music they hadn’t bought there, it could turn into more than $500 million a year in new revenue, said Jeff Price, CEO of TuneCore Inc., a company that helps independent artists sell their music on iTunes and other digital music outlets.

The best thing is that consumers get the sense that they’re paying for convenience, not for things they already own, he said.

“It allows for revenue to be made off of pirated music in a way that consumers don’t feel that’s what they’re paying for, and that’s what I find fascinating about it,” Price said.

Both the free and the paid cloud services address a pressing need – to access music, documents and photos that are now stored on various devices – without the need for connecting wires to a computer. Such syncing has been a headache for music fans.

“If you’re a music fan, the greater the fan, the greater the frustration,” said Eric Garland, the CEO of online media measurement company Big Champagne LLC.

Garland said that he expected “iTunes Match” would allow consumers to stream music to themselves if they have any Internet connection by the time it is released in the fall, a capability not mentioned in Monday’s presentation.

Such streaming capabilities are part of the cloud services recently launched by both Amazon and Google. But those technology giants failed to come to an agreement with the recording labels.

Therefore, both of those services require users to upload music from their computer before playback, which can take hours depending on the size of one’s library. Apple said it can match users’ songs in the cloud in “just minutes.”

Amazon and Google felt they didn’t need that ability to launch their services, but they may soon find they do if Apple’s service takes off.

Recording companies Warner Music Group Corp., Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group, EMI Group Ltd. and Sony Corp.‘s Sony Music Entertainment are hoping their deal with Apple will bring those holdouts back to the table, said Eric Custer, a music and entertainment lawyer with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

“It may light a fire under them to now try and conclude those deals,” he said. – AP

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ASUS – EEE PAD TANSFORMERS

Posted on June 9, 2011 by colimmy

ASUS – EEE PAD TANSFORMERS

ASUS Transformer

Specification:
CPU : NVIDIA Tegra 2
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Storage: eMMC – 16GB
Display: 10.1″ LED Backlight WXGA (1200×800)
Camera: 5MP Rear Camera with 1.2MP Front Camera
Wireless Data Network: Bluetooth V2.1+EDR and WiFi
Interface                     : 1 x 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone/Mc-in)
: 1 x mini HDMI 1.3a
: 1 x Card Reader (microSD)
Audio: SRS Premum Sound
Operating System: Android Honeycomb (3.0)
Battery: 9.5 hours; 24.4Wh Li-Polymer Battery
: 16 hours with dock
Mobile Docking : Keyboard, Touchpad, 2xUSB2.0, 2xDocking
: Port, 1xCard Reader (MMC/SD/SDHC),
:1×24.4Wh Battery
SRP : RM 1,799
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Tsunami – Earthquake Hit Northern Japan

Posted on March 11, 2011 by colimmy

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has hit northern Japan, prompting the country’s meteorological agency to issue a tsunami alert for the northeastern coast.It warns that a tsunami of about 20 inches (50 centimeters) will hit the coast around noon Wednesday.

The quake struck at 11:45 a.m. local time and was centered about 90 miles (150 kilometers) off the northeastern coast—about 270 miles (440 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo—at a depth of about 5 miles (8 kilometers), Japan’s meteorological agency said.

A 24-inch (60-centimeter) tsunami reached the coastal town of Ofunato, in Iwate prefecture, with other towns reporting smaller waves reaching shore about 30 minutes after the quake.

“We have confirmed that small tsunami have come up on the shores, but we have no reports of damage at this point,” said Shinobu Nagano, an emergency and disaster response official in Iwate. “We are still trying to determine the impact of the quake.”

Some train lines in the area were temporarily stopped after the quake, but they were restarted shortly after noon. Tohoku Electric Power said there was no damage at its nuclear power facility in the region.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected.

There was a 6.3 magnitude aftershock shortly after the main quake, the meteorological agency said.

In Tokyo, office buildings swayed and creaked for about 30 seconds during the quake.

State seismologists raised a tsunami alert over at least 19 areas in the Philippines on Friday afternoon after a magnitude-8.9 quake hit Japan, the biggest to hit that country in seven years.

19 Philippine provinces are facing the threat of tsunami, in red below:

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Tsunami Alert Level 2, warning of possible waves reaching Philippine shores between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

The Phivolcs advised the public to be on alert for unusual waves, which may be as high as one meter.

Malacañang on Friday ordered the mandatory evacuation of the residents living 10 to 40 meters from the shoreline of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos, Isabela and 15 other provinces.

At a press briefing in Malacañang on Friday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said based on the alert level 2 raised by the Phivolcs, a four-meter high tsunami is expected to hit the 19 provinces around 5:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m.

He said alert level 2 means a mandatory evacuation of the residents near the shoreline.

Lacierda said President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is urging all the affected residents to cooperate with authorities for their own safety.

“Mahalaga po ito, nakikiusap kami sa mga kababayan na lumikas na. May sapat pa pong panahon all the local government officials have been notified,” he said.

He added Aquino has been receiving updates from the authorities here in the country.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred at 1:46 p.m. near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said in an interview on dzBB radio the areas in the eastern coastline include:

  • Batanes Islands
  • Cagayan
  • Ilocos Norte
  • Isabela
  • Quezon
  • Aurora
  • Camarines Norte
  • Camarines Sur
  • Albay
  • Catanduanes
  • Sorsogon
  • Northern Samar
  • Eastern Samar
  • Leyte
  • Northern Leyte
  • Surigao del Norte
  • Surigao del Sur
  • Davao Oriental
  • Davao del Sur

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    Sustaining the Gains from Lean Manufacturing

    Posted on February 13, 2011 by colimmy

    Lean manufacturing is becoming a popular and widely used set of techniques and approaches aimed at boosting profitability and increasing competitiveness among major companies worldwide.

    Because the world economy has somehow been subjected to various crises and turmoil from political and other economic hurdles, companies around the world are currently on the receding trend.

    That is why companies do acknowledge the importance of integrating within them and adopting the helpful and effective strategies and principles of lean manufacturing.

    Since lean manufacturing is basically involved in obtaining the right things, putting them to their proper and right places, during the right time, at the same time in ample and sufficient quantities, companies adopting them should really be careful in implementing them.

    Lean manufacturing fundamentally aims to reduce waste and make companies more competitive by helping them turn into flexible firms which are open and subject to positive developments, innovations and changes.

    Hence, the real challenges faced by all firms adopting the lean manufacturing principles are those that revolve around how to sustain gains from lean manufacturing.

    Gains from lean manufacturing

    There are several identified benefits that can surely arise from successful and effective implementation of lean manufacturing principles.

    It is apparent and logical to state that lean manufacturing can have positive, direct and immediate influence and impact on companies. Implementation of lean manufacturing measures and techniques will surely and undoubtedly bring about numerous and significant gains and benefits to companies.

    Lean manufacturing is sure to get companies reduce or slash manufacturing time without sacrificing output number and quantities. Experts believe that by implementing lean manufacturing principles within operations, companies can have a 50% to 90% reduction in overall manufacturing time.

    That gain from lean manufacturing can be sustained only by continuing to implement effectively the helpful and effective principles of lean manufacturing.

    Space gains

    Another gain sure to be brought about by effective implementation of lean manufacturing is the reduction or lessening of floor space requirements.

    Because lean manufacturing also involves the effective and strategic elimination of wastes and unproductive equipment in the work place, companies are expected to maximize space, making worker freer and faster to move around the work stations.

    That could be sustained by preventing to buy unnecessary equipment. Redundancies and duplication of machines’ purposes and intent should also be avoided.

    Increased benefits

    If lean manufacturing reduces manufacturing time and floor space requirements, it can, on the other hand, increase a number of gainful aspects.

    For one, productivity of companies increase by using and adopting the lean manufacturing principles and techniques. As mentioned earlier, because disruptions and unnecessary wasteful machines are taken out of the work place, personnel are more free to move around.

    The comfort given to employees make them more efficient and thus make them more produce more outputs. In turn, that could be to the advantage of the company.

    That lean manufacturing gain can be sustained by maintaining the smooth and effective implementation of lean manufacturing strategies and techniques.

    Other gains of lean manufacturing

    Companies adopting and integrating lean manufacturing techniques in their operations are also expected to improve their overall customer and client focus, boost the leadership potentials of their key personnel and make up for a leaner structure of the business.

    What benefits would it be if companies achieve these gains? Of course, the overall profitability, competency and image of the company will be significantly boosted.

    That would really count amid an intense competition, hard economic environment and overall rising of operational costs among companies.

    To sustain such gains, it would be really imperative for companies to really maintain their focus on their goals and priorities upon implementing lean manufacturing techniques and principles.

    Companies should remember that reaping benefits from such strategies upon initial successful implementation should not be a guarantee that the gains would keep on pouring.

    Strong will power and determination would really keep companies afloat and surviving. Sustaining gains would be as hard an activity as seeking profit improvements and boosting competitiveness, but it is one concept and aspect, companies should really strive to get into.

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    Free Training on Lean Manufacturing

    Posted on February 13, 2011 by colimmy

    Lean manufacturing is a holistic and effective set of approaches, principles and business strategies that aims to maximize productivity by minimizing unnecessary, unproductive and wasteful practices, tasks, activities and behaviors in the work place.

    The modern work place is bugged by many issues, with labor relations and labor concerns affecting both employee and employer relations and of course, the production of companies.

    Because the times are ever so trying and challenging with all kinds of crises affecting the society, the political landscape and the working industry as a whole, firms around the world complain and suffer from declining profitability and narrowing margins.

    The issue of labor relations are becoming so common worldwide, with all sorts of companies in all sectors and industries launching and introducing job cuts, streamlining efforts and restructuring efforts left and right and every now and then.

    Thus, productivity, both in the company and the employees’ ends should be significantly boosted and improved to ensure the survival of businesses and of course, laborers.

    Lean manufacturing

    All companies from around the world are recognizing the value of implementing and adopting various and effective techniques to improve and help their businesses survive amid all crises.

    The Japanese are the pioneers in introducing innovative and practical techniques, strategies and methodologies in business improvement. From the industrialization era in the 1980s to the modern and dotcom era of the 1990s up to the present, they never falter.

    Experts could not really pin point the origin of lean manufacturing principles and concept as a whole, but analysts see lean manufacturing as somehow related and interconnected to the Japanese 5S working guide.

    Basically 5S eliminates unnecessary and interrupting situations by ensuring that cleanliness, orderliness and systematic processes are in place in the workplace.

    Lean manufacturing is somehow similar to that.

    Learning more about lean manufacturing

    There are various platforms and means on how people, especially managers, employers and work personnel, can significantly and efficiently learn and absorb lean manufacturing techniques.

    There are various consultancy and training firms that offer long courses and mostly, short or crash courses about lean manufacturing.

    It is important to note, however, that most training offerings for lean manufacturing are also costly, with the justification that savings and cost reductions to be generated from its implementation will surely make up for the training costs.

    Lean manufacturing trainings are somehow viewed by modern companies as one of the business aspects and areas where investments should really be poured in.

    Online, there are also a number of online sites that offer online trainings, but rarely can you find free training for lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing training has surely become a profitable and money-generating business itself.

    Free trainings

    It is not only rare, but to say, impossible, for you to find online sites offering free training on lean manufacturing.

    Indeed, some companies and experts on lean manufacturing have realized that their expertise and knowledge about the principles are becoming so in demand. Thus, it opens opportunities for earning and generating additional income.

    Because it is important to know lean manufacturing strategies and techniques so companies can improve efficiency and production, free training and courses on lean manufacturing has become a dream that can totally be unachievable.

    However, because free training for lean manufacturing will not be available online and in personal consulting and training venues, companies resort to invest on it by sending key personnel to costly and paid lean manufacturing training.

    After that, these key personnel are expected to relay the message and the whole lean manufacturing training, of course, to the whole staff.

    That is basically a practice adopted by companies trying to save on costs and operational investments.

    Through that, lean manufacturing training is somehow being made free.

    Lean manufacturing free training, an impossible dream?

    Because most companies around the planet are struggling and striving to survive in these trying times, free training on lean manufacturing has hope.

    Because most experts and lean manufacturing proponents are capitalizing on their knowledge, making free training on lean manufacturing an impossible dream, governments are expected to get in.

    Because governments around the world aim to protect their constituents by ensuring people have jobs, they would strive to help local companies especially nowadays when businesses are on the brink of collapsing.

    That is why some governments are expected to subsidize training on lean manufacturing and make them free for all companies to learn and implement.

    For sure, that would not be far from happening.

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    Learning the Basics of Lean Manufacturing and Processing

    Posted on February 13, 2011 by colimmy

    Lean manufacturing and processing has been an important strategy and basic technique in helping companies improve their profitability and competitiveness.

    The fundamental function of lean manufacturing and processing is to reduce wastes and unnecessary work practices and behaviors among workers of a particular manufacturing company.

    Because the times have really gone hard, demanding and intense due to political and turbulent concerns affecting all nations, firms are currently facing challenges to be able to keep their profitability and efficiency.

    In principle, there are seven identified ‘forms of waste’ within the work environment and systems that lean manufacturing and processing principally aims to alleviate, if not totally eliminate. These are over production, over processing, transportation, motion, inventory, waiting and scrap and defects.

    Lean manufacturing and processing principles not only reduce operational costs but also aims to boost, restore and drastically improve the competitiveness of a troubled or struggling, even already good-performing, company.

    That is basically why learning about lean manufacturing and processing has somehow become imperative for major and global companies.

    The era of complete globalization is at hand. That contributes more pressure for companies to start acting right away to be able to survive the rough and hard operational and company challenges ahead.

    Lean manufacturing and processing

    Lean manufacturing and processing surely gets companies moving along and enjoying huge benefits of really reducing operational costs. If savings are generated, the saved amounts can be used for further capital requirements and investments that could further help companies expand and grow organically.

    Lean manufacturing and processing, however, is not very easy to implement and adopt. The companies involved should really and religiously pay particular attention to details to  be able to ensure the success of the efforts.

    The number of companies adopting lean manufacturing and processing principles is surely and is apparently on the rise, no doubt about that.

    But the thing is, firms adopting lean manufacturing and processing techniques are most of the time, not achieving target and aimed results because they are not doing the strategies and techniques properly.

    Insufficient and ineffective implementation of lean manufacturing and processing principles and techniques will surely make the companies’ efforts and capital infusion for the initiative futile and wasted.

    It should be noted, also, that lean manufacturing and processing principles would not stand on its own. Companies adopting and embracing them should also strive harder to attain their goals.

    Learn about lean manufacturing and processing

    Experts advise companies to really get involved in and further learn more about lean manufacturing and processing. It is a logical and surely beneficial effort because lean manufacturing and processing can surely help companies get on with the current challenges and concerns affecting all firms around the world.

    There are many ways on how companies can get to learn more about lean manufacturing and processing principles and techniques.

    For one, they can hire lean manufacturing and processing experts and professionals who are credible and knowledgeable on the subject and who can really help the companies attain and maximize the benefits of such strategies.

    However, hiring lean manufacturing and processing professionals will entail additional costs and investments from companies. They should not really mind it, because the benefits from lean manufacturing and processing implementation will surely offset the little and minimal costs of learning it.

    Another thing, companies can designate key personnel to specifically and intently learn lean manufacturing and processing principles and techniques.

    It is a common practice by companies around the world currently. The arrangement sees the key personnel attends seminars and get books to really know or learn the lean manufacturing and processing principles.

    After that, the designated and assigned personnel will relay the message and everything he learned to the whole staff. It is up to him whether he will make the learning process for his officemates fast-paced or low-paced.

    What is important is that the skills and knowledge are distributed and communicated to the entire organization. That way, lean manufacturing and processing principles are really and seriously imbibed by all personnel, to make the strategies work overall for the company.

    Lean manufacturing and processing should be learned by all companies because the benefits it assures them, is nothing compared to the costs of absorbing them, which are not really that significant.

    Wise, isn’t it?

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