Vicinity Blog

Every project, no matter the size, has a certain level of risk – the bigger the project, the bigger the risk. The best way to manage project risk is to understand the causes of project failure. In the 1990’s, I read an article that resulted from a study commissioned by APICS. The article spoke about how…

Every formula manufacturer performs some level of scheduling. Without a schedule or a plan, no plant could function for very long. Based on our experience at Vicinity most of the schedules are manual in nature. However, as a manufacturing company keeps growing, the manual processes become burdensome and a drag on the manufacturing process. Generally, you…

From 1985 through 2000, BatchMaster software ruled the roost when it came to batch manufacturing software. Especially for the paint industry. So, what happened to the product and where does it stand today? BatchMaster is currently offered in two flavors. BatchMaster Enterprise by eWorkplace (renamed to BatchMaster Software Corporation out of India) and BatchMaster Platinum by Sage (renamed…

One of the most overlooked sources of profit in a formula manufacturing organization is in the existing business processes. There is much attention spent on gaining new sales or adding new products. However, little energy is focused on existing practices. A crucial element to the success of any company is adding new sales.  However, immediate…