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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Streamlining Production with the 2022 Business Operations Transformer Impact Award Winner

Plex Team September 19, 2022

We live in an ever-changing world and sometimes business must change with it. Faced with a changing business after a recent spin-off from a larger company and a global pandemic, this company responded by implementing Plex and completely transformed their business....

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Preparing for the Future with the 2022 Industry Leader Impact Award Winner

Plex Team August 29, 2022

To be a leader, you must set the bar for your industry and redefine the way that companies succeed and grow in your field. By leading within your specific industry, you can exceed expectations and break out of the box....

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Feetures and Benefits: Lessons in Change, Growth, and Giving Back

Plex Team September 27, 2021

It happens a lot: strangers walk up to Hugh Gaither and take off their shoes. Awkward, right? Not for Hugh. He’s the founder and CEO of Feetures, America’s top running sock brand. And if enthusiastic customers want to show off their Feetures socks, he’s all for it....

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How to Speed Up Your Recall Response—and Transform Your Entire Business

Plex Team December 16, 2020

Can your food and beverage manufacturing company run a mock recall in 20 minutes or less? If you said no, you’re far from alone. In a recent online poll conducted by Plex during a webinar, 38 percent of respondents said “no” to this question. All other respondents said “not sure.” Not one webinar participant said “yes.”...

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Food and Beverage Manufacturer Shows Off Benefit of an Agile Manufacturing Process

Plex Team November 3, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit manufacturing, it quickly became clear the companies that would succeed would be companies that could pivot on a dime. One of those companies is Plex customer Olde Thompson. Headquartered in Oxnard, California, the company is the world’s largest manufacturer of salt and pepper mills and a leading manufacturer of private label and branded dry spices and seasonings.…

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The Value of Continuing Project Education During a Crisis

Todd Kisaberth April 9, 2020

As COVID-19 continues to impact business of all shapes and sizes across the globe, we are seeing upheaval in society we thought only existed in popular works of fiction. With more than 80 percent of the global workforce affected by full or partial workplace closures, it goes without saying that many companies are trying to figure out the best way to get work done....

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How Shop Floor Innovation Sparked Coastal Automotive’s Business Process Innovation

Lori Zoellner January 30, 2020

Have you ever heard of IMPAXX™ foam? Even if you haven’t, there’s a good chance it has helped protect you while riding in a vehicle. IMPAXX foam is the flagship product of Plex customer Coastal Automotive. It’s an energy management foam that is used to provide stable and consistent impact response, and virtually every North American automaker puts it into its vehicles. What sets IMPAXX foam…

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Auto Industry Evolution Sparks Eurotranciatura Mexico’s Growth

Lori Zoellner November 19, 2019

The atmosphere in the global automotive industry is becoming more electric—literally. The Global EV Outlook 2019 reports that the global electric vehicle fleet exceeded 5.1 million in 2018, up 2 million from the previous year and almost doubling new electric car sales. Those numbers are expected to grow exponentially....

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FABTECH: What We Are Learning from Our Manufacturing Leaders

Kaitlin Rebella November 13, 2019

When you think of metal stamping and fabrication, you might not immediately think about the industry’s use of cutting-edge technology with precision metal design. But the fact of the matter is, the smart application of manufacturing technology is a key trait among manufacturers that succeed....

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