Plex Team
About the Author
Plex Systems, Inc., a Rockwell Automation company, is the leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world’s manufacturers to make awesome products. Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track and analyze every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, Industrial IoT and analytics to connect people, systems, machines, and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility.
Dial in Quality with Smart Manufacturing
Traditional manufacturing has always sought to build quality into the process. Initially, these systems focused on quality control which required manual data collection and analysis and lots of inspection done by people. As systems improved, companies sought to move beyond quality control and toward quality assurance to prevent defects....
Read MoreWalking a Tightrope: How Automotive Manufacturers Find Balance in Digital Transformation
Watching aerial artists walk a tightrope is both thrilling and nerve-wracking. Whether over a raging waterfall, between skyscrapers, or across cliffs, we marvel at the skill and balance of the person on the rope....
Read MoreHow Smart Manufacturing Lets You Create the KPIs You Need
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for manufacturing. They are signposts that help you determine which areas of your operation are performing to expectations and which need improvement.But KPIs can be challenging to create if you’re unsure what data points you should track or if your manufacturing operation has unique requirements based on your industry, level of connectivity, or…
Read MoreWhere Did My Product Demand Go?
We've all been there.One day, demand is high, forecasts are rosy, and life is good. The next, demand has plummeted, and you're sitting there with a mountain of inventory and booked capacity with no demand to support it.Wild swings in demand have always been a headache. But with supply chain volatility and complexity increasing, it's becoming harder and harder to prevent these swings....
Read MoreA New Look at the Cost of Quality
The cost of quality has been a manufacturing KPI for generations. By understanding the cost of waste, rework, and scrap, companies can develop continuous improvement strategies that reduce or eliminate defects.Many manufacturers rely on technology to strive for 100% quality, which lets them focus on continuous improvement and leads to significant savings when combined with the right tools and…
Read MorePlan – Do – Check – Act: An Essential Quality Management System Framework
What makes a good Quality Management System (QMS) tick?After all, you want to be able to rely on a QMS to help you achieve and maintain the highest level of quality control and quality assurance while meeting the modern needs of your manufacturing enterprise. It’s a big ask from any software system, but when your QMS employs the Plan-Do-Check-Act method, or PDCA, it can turn your current state…
Read MoreUsing a Smart Manufacturing Platform to Empower Overall Equipment Effectiveness
Manufacturing equipment is one of the most expensive costs for any manufacturer. These machines have long lifespans, and companies strive to achieve the shortest ROI to justify their expenses. Once a machine is in place, how it’s utilized, operated, and maintained will drive production output.One powerful tool for managing equipment utilization is overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). With the…
Read MoreYour 6 Steps to Quality Management Success
Meeting customer demand, maintaining regulatory requirements, and competing in a global market all hinge on one critical aspect of your manufacturing business: product quality....
Read MoreCure Your Downtime Blues with Smart Platform Views
Efficiency and downtime are two of the most recognized words in manufacturing. These two words are taught and enforced formally and informally from the executive boardroom to floor supervisors to an operator in their first week on the job.While efficiency has a lot of variables and is calculated as creating as many finished units with the least amount of resources, downtime appears to be simple…
Read MoreERP KPIs: Not Just for Execs Anymore
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software helps companies manage their core business processes, including HR, finance, supply chain, and manufacturing. Companies can manage their business processes more efficiently by integrating them into a single software solution.Today, most ERP systems are cloud based and use cutting-edge technology like AI and machine learning to deliver insights to…
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