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The Digital Thread

Your blog feed for manufacturing resources, in-depth features, and industry news.

Past 'Supply Chain' posts

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Approved Vendor List
Supply Chain
17/10/2024

Checking the Boxes on Your Approved Vendor List

10 reasons why Protolabs should be on your Approved Vendor List (AVL).
By Protolabs
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boat with shipping containers

Architecting a Manufacturing Framework for the Future

Manufacturing is changing. In the past, manufacturing was all about mass production and economies of scale, but now shifting consumer demands are driving a transformation of the industry. In this blog, we break down some of the key trends piloting these changes.
By Protolabs
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mass production
Supply Chain
27/06/2024

The Theory, Advantages and Disadvantages of Just-In-Time Manufacturing

For the manufacture of goods, efficiency is paramount. A process that reaps lean operations and inventory management is just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. Learn more.
By Protolabs
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shop floor machines
Supply Chain
14/03/2024

What is Lean Manufacturing? And What are the 5 Principles?

Lean Manufacturing (or Lean Production) has been around for years (since 1450 to be precise), but what is lean manufacturing and why is it important? Learn more
By Protolabs
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Supply chain resilience with JIT Manufacturing
Supply Chain
12/02/2024

How a Modified Just-in-Time Manufacturing Approach Evolved for Supply Chains

Just-in-time manufacturing was created to cure supply chain woes, but something happened…
By Protolabs
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Design process
Supply Chain
13/11/2023

How can design firms get the best from their manufacturing partnership?

As a design firm how do you choose a manufacturing partner? And how do you ensure you get the most out of that relationship? This blog post explores the answer.
By Protolabs
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CAD design
Supply Chain
13/11/2023

How to choose the right design firm for your needs

You need someone to help you get that part designed in CAD, prototyped, tested and out to market; where do you start? This blog looks at the answer to this.
By Protolabs
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supply chain resilience
Supply Chain
25/04/2023

Building supply chain resilience: five solutions for strengthening your supply chain

As the complexity of supply chains continues to grow and the number of unforeseeable disruptions increases, it is essential for businesses to develop a risk management strategy to address future disruptions. For organisations looking to build a resilient supply chain, this blog focuses on five key elements necessary for preparing for future disruptions.
By Protolabs
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satellite in space
Supply Chain
13/03/2023

How to select the right production partner to get your parts into space

Selecting the right manufacturing partner is vital to ensure your project's success, but how can you be sure that you are making the right decision? We've listed three things you must consider when selecting your production partner.
By Protolabs
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Protolabs manufacturing warehouse
Supply Chain
01/11/2022

Manufacturing Start-ups - Effective Partnerships

Forming the right partnerships in the early days could make the difference between success and failure.  This blog explores where you can go for help from the early stages of your business through to manufacturing.
By Protolabs
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Protolabs ISO certified
Supply Chain
19/09/2018

Why Your Parts Supplier Should be ISO 9001 Certified

Protolabs' quality system starts when a customer uploads a part file and runs through the entire manufacturing process and into shipping.
By Stephen Dyson
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CNC machines at Protolabs
Supply Chain
05/09/2018

Finding the right purchaser-supplier match

While you’re searching for the perfect supplier-purchaser match, you’ll need the answers to several key questions… so what questions should you ask?
By Laura Reeves
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