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Innovation and Technology
Plex Manufacturing Blog
Big Questions About Big Data
Big data is everywhere. It seems everyone is talking about it, but there’s still so much confusion around it. To top it off, more data is coming in every day, faster than before, and in formats not easily synchronized. Businesses need ways to store it, access it and turn it into a competitive edge. But how?...
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Guest Post: The Turning Tide of Acceptance for Cloud ERP in Manufacturing
Even though cloud ERP has been able to gain traction across most industries and company sizes, manufacturers have been notoriously slow to come on board. Manufacturers were first to utilize ERP itself, but have been somewhat reluctant to move away from what has worked for them in the past. I experienced this firsthand last year when I presented some of my research on cloud ERP to a group of…
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Evolution of the IT Department in the Age of the Cloud
There’s no question that the cloud presents a disruptive technology that inevitably leads to rethinking – and often restructuring – the objectives of internal IT departments. An internal IT department – once considered critical to the success of the business enterprise – has, in many cases, become obsolete....
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Making Cloud Security a Competitive Advantage in Aerospace and Defense
As aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturers balance agility and speed with the need for ever-increasing vigilance and security, they are also facing the daunting task of keeping IT systems aligned with their changing business strategies. This conflict of speed versus security is especially challenging in the area of cloud computing....
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How Cloud-Based Business Intelligence Is Redefining Industrial Manufacturing
It’s time for manufacturers to quit using analytics like a rearview mirror and more like a compass that points them in a more profitable direction. Analytics and business intelligence (BI) are the catalysts that give manufacturers the ability to break down the silos that separate departments, divisions and processes, and galvanize their business around customers....
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Ten Predictions of How Cloud Computing Will Revolutionalize Aerospace and Defense in 2014
Bottom line: Security, suppliers’ ability to scale production quickly, and an intense focus on the cost of quality will dominate aerospace and defense in 2014. Deloitte is forecasting the global aerospace and defense industry will experience 5% growth in 2014, with the majority of growth being driven by projected record-setting replacement cycles of obsolescent commercial aircraft....
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Ten Ways Cloud Computing is Revolutionizing Aerospace and Defense
Synchronizing new product development, supply chain, production and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) strategies across Aerospace and Defense (A&D) manufacturers while reducing costs continues to make cloud platforms a viable option in A&D....
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Mobility Boosts the Data Accessibility Benefits of the Cloud
Automotive manufacturers don’t succeed by standing in place. In an industry focused on motion, today’s suppliers need to apply the same speed and agility to their manufacturing operations that they expect from the products they build....
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Common Concerns About Running a Manufacturing Business in the Cloud: What is the Reality?
Many people assume that high performance real-time manufacturing processes require an on-premise solution and are not a natural fit for the cloud. In a manufacturing firm, everything starts from the plant floor – so the core Manufacturing Execution System, well integrated into the rest of the enterprise solution(s), is critical....
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Why Now is the Time to Move to Cloud ERP
Manufacturing has changed forever. Manufacturing businesses face intense competitive pressures. Dynamic supply chains and hyper-accelerated production cycles are just a few of the factors that require them to minimize costs, improve productivity and speed time-to-market....
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