Smart Manufacturing Blog

Welcome to your source for all things smart manufacturing. Whether you’re looking for expert insights, hard data, or actionable tips for your plant floor, we’ve got you covered every week of the year.

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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.

Mobile Smart Manufacturing Platforms: The Parkour of the Plant Floor

Plex Team April 26, 2022

There was a time when making changes in manufacturing was like trying to move a sleeping elephant using only a skateboard. Lack of communication, time-lagged and siloed data, and manual record-keeping made the task slow and lumbering....

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Why Manufacturers Should Consider Cloud-Based MES Solutions

Plex Team April 20, 2022

Everything you do is focused on the shop floor. A manufacturing execution system (MES) provides the foundation for operations to schedule, manage, and track each step during production....

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What Plex’s ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Security Certification Means for Manufacturers

Plex Team April 13, 2022

A lot of organizations talk about Information security, but what are they doing about it? And where’s the proof that they employ best practices and safeguards? As manufacturers adopt technologies to get ahead, they’re increasingly targeted by cyberattacks. However, fear of an attack shouldn’t hold back an organization. Plex customers trust us and our platform to keep them safe because we don’t…

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Solving the Downtime Riddle

Plex Team April 12, 2022

Riddles. They’re mysterious, mind-bending puzzles that throw in an element of misdirection to throw you off course. They can be fun and even educational in your personal life, but riddles are not a puzzle piece you want to see in your manufacturing environment....

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Seeing Through the Sales Pitch: 10 Questions to Ask ERP Vendors

Plex Team April 6, 2022

Shopping for any big-ticket item is never easy, whether in your personal or professional life. But there’s a big difference between buying the wrong oven for your house vs. buying the wrong ERP for your company. One will burn your dinner, while the other will burn quality, customer relationships, and the bottom line....

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The People Behind the Platform: Diana Robbins, Customer Communications and Programs Manager

Plex Team April 4, 2022

You might love the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform, but do you know the people who make it possible? Talented Plexians have been working hard behind the scenes for decades. They’re what make this company great, but few get the chance to step into the spotlight they deserve – until now. This month, say hello to Customer Communications & Programs Manager Diana Robbins. Tell us about your…

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Utilizing Automation in Manufacturing Processes: The Future Is Here

Plex Team March 15, 2022

Driven by the rapid growth of technology, automation in manufacturing processes has significantly evolved over the years. Where traditional manufacturing was once utterly manual, more and more manual functions were reinvented with automated production. This included innovation in conveyance, limit switches, and eventually programmable logic controllers....

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The People Behind the Platform: Drew Flint, Distinguished Engineer

Plex Team March 7, 2022

You might love the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform, but do you know the people who make it possible? Talented Plexians have been working hard behind the scenes for decades. They’re what make this company great, but few get the chance to step into the spotlight they deserve – until now. This month, say hello to Distinguished Engineer Drew Flint. Tell us about your role at Plex....

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Understanding the Impact of the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Calculation

Plex Team March 1, 2022

So, you’ve decided to embark on an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) project to increase equipment effectiveness and develop process improvements that maximize efficiencies. You’ve got your spreadsheets and clipboards ready (you don’t really need those, but more on that later). You’re ready to go. Now what?...

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Monitoring, Tracing, and Tracking Manufacturing Processes: What’s the Difference?

Plex Team February 16, 2022

The rise of cloud-based software and advanced analytics has helped manufacturers drill further into Lean and Six Sigma methodologies that improve efficiency and lower costs....

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