Announcement
Now Available!
Get your copy of the 7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing and hear from 300+ manufacturers in this new survey report!
News & Culture
Plex Manufacturing Blog
PowerPlex 2019: Highlights and Key Takeaways
It is hard to believe that last week’s PowerPlex 2019 has come and gone. More than 1,000 manufacturing technology professionals gathered to connect on evolving trends including Industry 4.0 and smart factories, the latest in cloud ERP and MES, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), as well as the challenges and opportunities they face each day....
Read More
PowerPlex 2019: What Manufacturers Love About Their Industry
When you walk into a room filled with manufacturers, one thing stands out: they really love what they do. You can feel the passion in the air. This was true while walking through the Plex Experience Lab & Solutions Expo, as you listen to conversations between sessions, and at networking events during PowerPlex 2019....
Read More
Reflecting on a Year of Plex Team Pride and Community Contributions
The year is quickly coming to a close, which means that it’s time to reflect back on what we’ve accomplished as a team here at Plex. As a culture that prides itself on fostering the professional development, well-being, and happiness of our people, here are a few things we’re particularly proud of, and what helps make Plex such a unique and innovative company....
Read More
Plex and Life Remodeled's Detroit 2018 Volunteer Project
Since I’ve been at Plex, I’ve noticed something special about the people at this company: they care. They care about the community we live in and about giving back. One example of this is a recent project with the Life Remodeled organization. The mission of this organization is to identify inner-city neighborhoods in Detroit and remodel a community asset, repair owner-occupied homes, and…
Read More
How Innovation in Manufacturing Can Help You Leverage the Benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
As a manufacturer, you need to do more. Not only to grow, but because your customers are demanding more of you—year after year. Even if you’re focusing on continuous improvement, you may need to add in manufacturing innovation to differentiate because it is a certainty that your competitors are doing more....
Read More
PowerPlex 2018 – Back to Detroit
Introduction After hosting PowerPlex 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, PowerPlex 2018 returns to its roots in Detroit, Michigan, one of the nation’s biggest manufacturing hubs. CEO Don Clarke welcomed the audience in his Opening Keynote, “Makers Making an Impact,” recognizing the Plex community of manufacturing professionals who are positioned at the intersection of manufacturing and technology....
Read More
Innovation – Plex Customers “Making Things”
One of the lessons learned in Jerry Foster’s Innovation Keynote at PowerPlex 2018 is that innovation can take many forms. While we most often think of product innovation, there is also business process innovation, innovation in the way we communicate, and many other lenses through which we can view innovation. Here are several compelling examples of innovation highlighted at Plex 2018....
Read More
PowerPlex 2018 – Innovation in Manufacturing Keynote
As Jerry Foster, Plex CTO, sees it, “all in on innovation today will own the competition tomorrow.” However, innovation isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about manufacturing. We tend to think more about technology companies as being innovative – or companies that have introduced new business models such as Amazon, Uber or Airbnb....
Read More
General Data Protection Regulation and Plex Customers
The European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is set to take effect May 25, 2018. Now is a good time to discuss the capabilities Plex offers to help customers meet their GDPR obligations. What is GDPR?...
Read More
5 Things Manufacturers Will Take Away from a First-Time Experience at PowerPlex 2018
If you are a manufacturer and want to improve your operations with the help of technology, you may want to consider attending PowerPlex 2018. Why? This event is the world’s largest gathering of cloud manufacturing professionals who are driving the industry into the future. There are so many things you will take away from your experience attending for the first time, including:...
Read More
Active Planning at Plex and How Manufacturers Can Leverage It Too
Most businesses do planning and budgeting using spreadsheets. Everyone knows how to use them and they provide a good enough tool but, they are error-prone and time-consuming when it comes to sharing and collaboration. Links get broken and formulas have to be manually copied and pasted. Not a great solution when business moves at light speed or when things change, and they always do....
Read More
Connected Manufacturers are Driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution
While some continue to herald the coming of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in manufacturing, many of today’s manufacturers are proving that it’s here already. Manufacturers are taking advantage of available technology to disrupt markets, accelerate innovation, and transform customer relationships. Yet, challenges still remain, like finding talent with the right skills and adjusting to…
Read More
Automotive Manufacturers See the Future in Big Data
Recently, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to participate on a panel at the recent inaugural SpeedNews AeroAuto Conference. For the past five years, SpeedNews focused its conference solely on the aerospace industry. This year, organizers brought professionals from the automotive industry together with leaders from the aerospace industry to share best practices....
Read More
Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Provide Endless IIoT Opportunities
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has a potential economic impact of $1.2-$3.7 trillion a year in 2015. Because of this enormous opportunity, many of metro Detroit’s technologists are talking about ways to integrate IIoT – where they can apply it, how they can benefit from it, and even how it can be used in their products and by customers....
Read More
PowerPlex 2017 - Manufacturers Share Ideas, Discuss Skills Shortage and Give Back
Skills Shortage In conversations with attendees at this year’s Plex conference, the industry-wide skills shortage was a common frustration. Many businesses are using Plex to automate processes that were previously done manually, enabling some shop-floor activities to be done with fewer people, allowing reallocation of resources throughout the company. ...
Read More
For Plex Customers, the Future of Manufacturing is Now
At this year’s PowerPlex 2017, participants were abuzz with ideas about where new technologies and emerging market trends will take them. I attended keynotes and break-out sessions and had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with individuals who “make things.” In doing so, I identified several common themes that provide insight into where manufacturing is headed and how customers will get there....
Read More
2017 Plex Impact Award Winners: Manufacturing Pioneers
Plex loves its customers. All of us at Plex are passionate about their work, and we’re eager to see how each of them are shaping the future of manufacturing in their own innovative way. That’s why choosing the Plex Impact Award winners, which annually recognizes industry leaders, innovators, and transformers, is an exciting process for the Plex team....
Read More
Plex Supports mikeroweWORKS Foundation and America’s Hardest Workers
If you follow Executive Producer and TV Host Mike Rowe on Facebook or listen to his podcast, The Way I Heard It, you’ll be treated to stories about America’s skilled trade workers and how they’re making a difference. These stories inspire all of us at Plex who are privileged to support the manufacturing community....
Read More
Shop Floor Data Means More Business Insight for Hatch Stamping
For many manufacturers, finding a way to improve reliability, extend reach, and minimize time to value feels like the old adage “cheap, fast, or good: pick two.” In many scenarios, that’s the reality—but not all....
Read More
Firstronic Named an IndustryWeek Best Plant Award Winner
A holistic approach to Lean Manufacturing led to big results for Plex customer, Firstronic. Firstronic, a premier electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider serving the automotive, aerospace, commercial industries, has been named a Best Plant Award winner by manufacturing publication IndustryWeek....
Read More