Jerry Foster
Chief Technology Officer, Plex Systems

About the Author
Jerry Foster is CTO and leads our technology strategy, along with research and design initiatives focused on next-generation cloud solutions for the manufacturing enterprise. A founding member of the Plex team, Jerry has been instrumental in the entire evolution of Plex, overseeing the technical transitions in each phase of our growth. Jerry earned his degree in Computer Science at Liberty University.
Despite Spike in COVID-19 Cases, Global Manufacturing Production Reaches New High
Although COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the world, the global manufacturing community experienced its highest jump in production levels (5% over the previous two weeks) and is now producing at a record high of 108% of pre-pandemic activity. Global manufacturing data set Global production gap...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturers Close the Pandemic-Produced Production Gap
Global manufacturers are now operating at 103% of pre-COVID rates of activity. This effort is steadily closing the production gap caused by the pandemic earlier this year (with this gap defined as the difference between the anticipated 2020 production volume based on historical data compared to real-time activity). As of mid-November, manufacturers are seeing a 31% cumulative production loss to…
Read MoreManufacturers Maintain Momentum, Make Progress on Production Losses
Global manufacturing data set ...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Continues to Expand; Reaches 104% Pre-Pandemic Rates of Activity
Global manufacturing data set ...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Community at 102% of Pre-Pandemic Rates of Activity
Global manufacturing data set ...
Read MoreU.S. Manufacturers Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels of Production Activity
The U.S. manufacturing industry reached a significant milestone last week as manufacturers surpassed pre-COVID-19 rates of activity for the first time since the effects of the pandemic took hold in early March. Romania also exceeded its pre-pandemic rates of activity as of last week, while average activity in Europe continued to climb. China saw another week of growth as well, contributing to…
Read MoreTrends Indicate Return to “Normal,” China Sees Uptick in Activity
Much of the U.S. and Canada recognized Labor/Labour Day on Monday, September 7, resulting in an anticipated drop in manufacturing production in the past two weeks. However, this should be viewed as good news, as it indicates a return to pre-pandemic, or “normal” trends. While the U.S. and Canada saw a temporary decline, China, Europe and Asia overall continued to expand in the last two weeks,…
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturers Reach 99% Pre-COVID Production with 90% of Workforce
Global manufacturing is at 99% of pre-COVID levels of production as of August 30, while unique users logging in to the company’s system of record per week is now at 90% of pre-COVID levels. This data suggests that on average, manufacturers have been able to increase their productivity over time with a reduced workforce. Global data set ...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Activity Increases for Fourth Consecutive Week
Global manufacturing production is now at 95% of pre-pandemic levels of activity after demonstrating growth for the fourth consecutive week. While the overall increase is slower compared to last week, China and Mexico are continuing to see relatively higher rates of growth, with Mexico becoming the first country to exceed pre-pandemic rates of activity. We are also seeing evidence that European…
Read MoreGlobal Production at 94% of Pre-COVID Activity Levels
Global manufacturing activity continues to climb, reaching 94% of pre-pandemic rates of production as of August 9. Global data set ...
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