Business

Ways Manufacturers Can Make Better Use of Data

Published

5 years ago

July 24, 2020

Big data is a buzzword you hear used by ever more companies across many different industries. For manufacturing companies, using data in smart and modern ways can improve processes and procedures, encourage growth in ways that would have been impossible in the past, reduce costs and raise profits.

Data are the facts or information about every aspect of manufacturing processes. Using IoT devices to record the manufacturing process, companies can avail themselves of all sorts of data. Unfortunately, many manufacturing companies, at best, don’t understand how to gather, analyze, and use all this data that is now available to them or, at worst, choose to entirely ignore it. If your company is not currently using data to drive production and make better decisions, you are missing out on major opportunities to improve your company. Here are 3 ways manufacturers can make better use of data to improve their processes.

Set Clear Goals

Manufacturing is all about setting goals for your machinery and manpower in order to produce the greatest quantity of good quality products as efficiently and quickly as possible. How clear are your goals? Are they passive and driven only by orders or are they based on data that allows your company to work in a way that is scalable and customizable when it needs to be? Some manufacturers struggle with these questions, especially when times get tough. The ones who set the clearest, smartest goals will be the ones that prosper.

Using data and basic analytics allows you to see the whole picture and be proactive about manufacturing goals. Using machine-level data you can learn incredibly important points such as when and how often you are producing different products, how long it takes, and how much money goes into producing each item. You can also get data on tiny seemingly insignificant information that will show you the times and conditions that generate the most profitable outcomes. When you know these data points, you can work to set goals that recreate the most profitable outcomes as much as possible to maximize your manufacturing efficiency.

Data provided by IoT devices in the manufacturing process can also help companies better understand cycle time and how it improves with more data and updated procedures. Cycle time measures the span of time from when an order is placed until it gets into a customer’s hand. With solid data to help you improve cycle time, you can start making clearer goals on customer timelines which will lead to improved customer relations and feedback.

Have Well-Defined Procedures

With clearly established data-driven goals, more data is used to help companies meet and exceed those goals. Manufacturers can do this in several different ways. As more data about their processes is gained, one of the best ways to achieve goals is to speed up production. When you do that, however, more errors can occur. Using big data companies can determine methods for going faster but with fewer errors.

To accomplish this seemingly impossible task, you must collect and analyze all the data at hand. Using error-rate data you can see who and what in the process is linked to the most errors and start creating a mix of products and workers that leads to the smallest number of errors. This will save money on unusable goods and while speeding up the process of hitting goals. It can also help to create employee incentive and training programs that will lead to a faster and less error-filled process.

Another way big data analytics generated during the manufacturing process by IoT devices can help companies adapt their processes to the modern environment, is by increasing their ability for customization. In 2020, manufacturing customization is more desirable for clients than ever before and data is the key to offering more of this. To start, knowing data about all of your manufacturing processes allows you to manufacture goods in the most efficient way possible. When you have a client looking for customization, you will quickly be able to make a data-based decision on whether or not you are able to do what is requested and how it will affect your bottom line.

Track Data Comprehensively

The manufacturing process is not merely about using data drawn from the machines, people, and products you make. Some data from all around you can be mined for better outcomes. In addition to acquiring and processing data from the tangible materials around you, you can also use environmental data to create a better manufacturing process and hit your goals. In some manufacturing industries – ones that make very precise and sensitive products – this data is a “must-have”.

Using a cloud-based monitoring system is one way to maintain widespread data visibility in complex systems. For manufacturers in such fields as the aerospace industry, where parts need to be produced and stored in precise environmental conditions, being able to collect precise environmental data about things like temperature, humidity, and pressure is vital. Dickson is an example of a company that offers data loggers and management software that can be implemented in this manner.

Using these types of data loggers allows the aerospace industry to maintain optimal conditions for making the products they produce; that helps them safely deal with volatile materials. Since they produce products using all types of electronics, metals, plastics, synthetic compounds, and other sensitive materials, precise conditions must be maintained. How they maintain these conditions varies greatly between facilities of different sizes, setups, and located in different climates, which is why comprehensive data tracking is so important for each facility that creates aerospace products.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the ways manufacturers can make better use of data. Big data is the new frontier of manufacturing and the companies that use it best will see quicker, larger, and longer-lasting improvements to their processes and outcomes than companies who don’t. Integrating IoT devices into the manufacturing process is the best way to start capturing and utilizing this data today.

Business

Ethical Affiliate marketing : Defining the Conflict

Published

22 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Affiliate marketing in the online casino industry walks a fine line between commercial interest and editorial integrity. Affiliates earn commissions when players register or deposit through affiliate links, yet these same affiliates often publish reviews claiming to guide users toward the best and safest operators. This dual role creates a potential conflict of interest: can a reviewer remain truly objective while being financially rewarded for player conversions?

This ethical tension is not hypothetical, it defines the entire casino review system. Readers expect independent recommendations, while advertisers aim for visibility and sign-ups. The challenge, therefore, lies in ensuring that commercial necessity never compromises editorial honesty. Without clear ethical structures, the trust between affiliate and reader quickly collapses, breaking the foundation of any long-lasting brand in the iGaming space.

The Ethical Solution: Editorial Firewalls

Responsible affiliates have developed a structural response to this dilemma known as the “editorial firewall.” This principle strictly separates commercial operations (such as partner negotiations and commission management) from editorial teams responsible for content, ratings, and recommendations. By preventing advertisers or commercial staff from influencing content, affiliates safeguard the objectivity of their reviews.

Antti Virtanen, Editor in Chief of Kasinohai, explains this responsibility clearly:
“My primary responsibility is to maintain the editorial firewall. If an advertiser’s payment can influence a casino’s star rating, we have failed our readers, and that short-term gain will instantly destroy the decade of trust we have built.”

The editorial firewall functions much like journalistic separation between newsroom and advertising department. Editors work with established criteria: licensing, game variety, payment methods, and player protection measures. Without any interference from commercial targets. When this discipline is followed, affiliates can confidently assure readers that ratings reflect evidence-based quality, not marketing budgets.

Maintaining such independence often comes with short-term sacrifices: rejecting lucrative offers from less trustworthy operators or declining to modify reviews to appease advertisers. Yet, for ethical affiliates, these sacrifices strengthen the brand’s reputation and guarantee the long-term viability of their business model.

Prioritizing Safety and Trust

True ethical affiliation starts with a single non-negotiable principle: only promote casinos that are safe, licensed, and compliant with responsible gambling regulations. Trust begins at selection. Every casino under review should pass a rigorous safety audit, covering valid gaming licenses, secure payment processing, transparent bonus terms, and the presence of responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits and self-exclusion options.

Antti Virtanen underlines this commitment:
“The ethical commitment begins at the gate: our first and most important filter is licensing and player safety. Any operator that fails our rigorous background checks on responsible gaming tools, fair terms, or payment security will never be promoted, regardless of their commercial offering.”

By excluding unsafe or unlicensed platforms, affiliates act as front-line gatekeepers, shielding players from potential fraud or exploitative practices. Ethical affiliates must also stay proactive, regularly updating their databases and removing any operators that lose licenses, alter fair terms, or develop unresolved consumer complaints. This proactive maintenance shows readers that the site’s focus is not only on visibility but on genuine player well-being.

Ethics in affiliate marketing also extend to how bonuses and offers are presented. Affiliates must reject misleading promotions that hide behind fine print or impose unrealistic wagering requirements. Fair representation of bonus terms not only protects players but also differentiates responsible affiliates from competitors who prioritize click volume over credibility.

Transparent Disclosure

Transparency is a cornerstone of ethical affiliate marketing. Readers deserve to understand how affiliate links work and how they affect the content they see. A clear, accessible disclosure explains that the affiliate may receive compensation when users register or deposit through referral links. However, this relationship should never impact the user’s cost, terms, or overall experience on the casino site.

The purpose of transparency is twofold: it builds trust with readers and aligns with regulatory expectations for advertising disclosures. A good disclosure statement is not hidden in small print; it’s presented as part of the site’s editorial ethic. It assures visitors that commercial partnerships never influence ratings, reviews, or recommendations.

In practice, this can appear as a brief statement at the start or end of a review, linking to a detailed explanation of the site’s business model. Clear communication empowers readers to make informed decisions and it alleviates the underlying skepticism that often surrounds online casino reviews.

Transparency also extends to responsible gambling communication. Affiliates should remind readers that gambling involves risk and provide visible links to national helplines, self-exclusion tools, and player protection resources. When ethical values are embedded not only in compliance checklists but also in editorial tone, the brand earns genuine user respect.

Long-Term Value

The ultimate goal of ethical affiliate marketing is sustainability building a relationship of long-term trust that outlasts the allure of short-term profits. A single misleading recommendation might boost conversions temporarily, but the resulting loss of credibility can permanently damage a brand.

Antti Virtanen captures this philosophy:
“In the end, ethical affiliate marketing is not a high-volume business; it’s a high-trust business. Our long-term success isn’t measured by the conversion rate of a click, but by the number of players who return to us because we saved them from a poor or unsafe experience.”

This perspective reframes success away from mere performance metrics toward qualitative measures: user satisfaction, returning readership, and brand reliability. Ethical affiliates understand that authority and trust cannot be purchased—they are earned through consistent transparency, careful editorial standards, and user-focused decision-making.

Long-term value also aligns with broader industry goals of promoting responsible gambling and sustainable player engagement. Affiliates that champion these principles contribute positively to the reputation of the iGaming industry as a whole.

Ethical affiliate marketing is not a static policy it is an ongoing commitment to transparency, responsibility, and respect for the audience’s trust. Establishing strict editorial firewalls, prioritizing player safety, and maintaining open disclosure practices form the blueprint for sustainable success. In an environment driven by competition and revenue potential, ethics are not a hindrance but the very strategy that distinguishes credible affiliates from the rest.