Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/8/2006 -- The current issue of Automation.com includes a feature article by contributing editor, Thomas R. Cutler about Kanban and Linux. Thomas R. Cutler, who founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium in 1999, has grown the participation from 300 journalists to more than two thousands key clients, journalists, editors, trendsetters, and key business leaders worldwide. Cutler has authored more than 1000 articles for a wide range of manufacturing periodicals, industrial publications, and business journals including most of the leading monthly trade publications. Cutler is the author of The Manufacturers’ Public Relations and Media Guide. Cutler was voted #1 Manufacturing Journalist for the third year in a row. The firm has forty-two employees worldwide. TR Cutler, Inc., (www.trcutlerinc.com), is the nation\'s largest manufacturing marketing and public relations firm, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Reducing lead times through detailed flow techniques is the concept of a kanban system with a “push” manufacturing environment. IT managers are asked to develop methods for implementation of digital kanban systems, because a leaner production method is not created by paper (or card) kanban instructions that result in lost orders, duplicated orders, or supplier confusion. Constant breakdowns in information flow are a common problem in the manufacturing sector. While there may be no obvious connection between Digital Kanban and Linux, according to Justin Diana, Vice-President of Datacraft Solutions, “Linux makes better economic sense to develop or run a digital kanban solution versus Windows.” According to Diana, “There is a paradigm shift in the investment and development community relative to “open source” technologies. The benefits that come from a global base of developers have made many of the open source technologies move to the forefront in many application areas.”

Automation.com with nearly 200,000 visitors weekly, is for manufacturers and suppliers of industrial, factory and process automation, motion control, machine control, process control and instrumentation products and services. Automation.com attracts engineers, programmers, designers, technicians and other professionals who specify, purchase and use control systems, software, robotics, sensors and other supporting products to automate machines, equipment and factories in both discrete and continuous manufacturing processes.

TR Cutler, Inc.
http://www.trcutlerinc.com
Thomas Cutler
954-486-7562