25 January, 2021 Tennessee is a hotbed of manufacturing. We are so proud of our state! As of 2017, nearly 350,000 Tennesseans were employed in manufacturing. During this time, the state exported nearly $32 billion worth of manufactured goods. Additionally, at a national level, U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders totaled $383.8 million in October 2020, an increase of 3.7% from September 2020. “All metrics point to a continuation of economic recovery in the manufacturing technology sector,” said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT (the Association for Manufacturing Technology). The past 24 months have seen an even greater shift to onshore manufacturing....

05 January, 2021 Putting all your IT eggs in one basket is risky. And it often delivers poor results for the business. Therefore, a strong team approach is critical to success. Meet External Super GuyOften, the “guy” is a technology contractor or vendor.  They are branded as both an expert in business AND an inexpensive outsourced solution. The problem is that 99% of IT companies only focus on IT components. They don’t know how a manufacturing company works. They also don’t know what is required to deliver the ERP and business software. Business software is the foundation of the business....

15 December, 2020 As 2020 wraps up, we wanted to share some year-end best practices for closing out your Fourth Shift ERP. This has been an exciting and productive year in manufacturing! The below checklist will guide you through items that will help get your business set up to hit the ground running in 2021! Fourth Shift ERP:Lot Trace: — Review Retest and Expiration dates for lot numbers and move them to corresponding location — Purge Lot Trace history as needed, keeping in mind compliance and retention requirements: LHIP (Perform Fourth Shift Backup prior to any purge) Purchasing: — Review...

11 December, 2020 ICG, along with the manufacturing sector, continues to grow and expand our services. ICG recently added two new employees to our team and we would like to take this opportunity to introduce them to you. Meet Deron HuffDeron joins ICG as our Business Development Professional. He is a skilled relationship builder and has worked for nearly 10 years in sales technology. He prides himself on building loyalty and long-term relationships with his customers. Deron grew up in the Northeast, and lives in Rochester, NH with his wife, three kids, and two dogs. When he’s not working, Deron...

01 December, 2020 ICG has been a leader in providing manufacturing technology solutions for over a decade. In that time, we have also grown our portfolio of IT services. It’s vital to have a solid technology foundation driving and supporting the business. Without that, any investment in technology may be doomed from the start.   In this three-part series, ICG CEO Jeff Bronson, shares pitfalls seen in a company’s approach to IT. Namely, there’s a common misconception that there is one person or one system that can solve all problems. Jeff calls it the “I got a guy” method and...