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Plex Manufacturing Blog
Cloud Manufacturing Software: Understanding SaaS Solution Availability
Cloud-based software is all around us. From the social networks you use to connect with family, to the app that you use to pay your friend back for lunch, the cloud enables the technology that we rely upon to process incredible amounts of data....
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2019 PMA IoT Experience: What Metalformers and Fabricators Can Do with Shop Floor Data
I was surprised while speaking at the IoT for Manufacturers event held by MetalForming Magazine, how many people raised their hands when I asked who was attending their first IoT conference: nearly the entire audience....
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Canada APMA 2019: Survival of the Fastest—and Most Adaptive
I recently had the privilege of speaking at Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association (APMA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Windsor, Ontario and what struck me was the amount of change happening within this industry. One example of this is for the first, time conference organizers added an entire day to the schedule dedicated to technology....
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3 Things About ERP Implementations Most Manufacturers Don’t Know
A recent survey conducted by Mint Jutras and commissioned by Ultra Consultants looked at ERP implementations—whether they are doomed to fail or whether ROI expectations are high enough. For small- to mid-sized manufacturers, ERP is an endeavor that becomes necessary as the business grows since managing a complex operation with spreadsheets is unsustainable....
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6 Myths About an Industrial IoT Implementation
As more manufacturers take a serious look at the benefits of Industrial IoT, understanding what an implementation will involve becomes important. But before we get into the list of myths about an Industrial IoT implementation, I’d like to reiterate what I’ve said about Industrial IoT before:...
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Women Leaders in Manufacturing and Technology: Facing Challenges, Taking Action, and Bridging the Gap
The shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing is the biggest challenge facing the industry right now. In the U.S., some estimated two-million jobs will need to be filled in manufacturing over the next decade—and six out of 10 positions are currently unfilled.1 Women constitute one of US manufacturing’s largest pools of untapped talent; however, they still represent less than 30 percent of the…
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Romeo Power Innovates for a Clean, More Sustainable Future
Romeo Power is a battery technology company looking to create an emission-free future. The company designs more energy efficient, lighter lithium-ion battery packs that take electric vehicles (EV) further without gas or emissions. Romeo Power also designs scalable energy storage systems that help businesses and utilities save money, survive and prevent power outages, and harness wind and solar…
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Hype vs. Reality: What’s Really Happening with Industrial IoT in Manufacturing?
Reading any of the major technology media outlets, you will find stories of big manufacturers that are heavily investing in Industry 4.0 projects. Stories like these would make anyone believe that U.S. factories are filled with robots, machines, and sensors that transmit real-time data about everything from product engineering to quality to production performance—and that the data is being used…
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How to Create the Next Generation of Manufacturers
Us technologists solve problems...we can always wait for politicians or lawyers...but why wait? Inventor and entrepreneur and FIRST® founder Dean Kamen closed his keynote at PowerPlex 2019 with this call to action, referencing not only the role of science and technology in solving problems through innovation—but also the astounding shortage of skilled workers manufacturers face today....
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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....
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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....
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PowerPlex 2019: Navigating Frenetic Change - How Manufacturers Can Thrive During Technology Disruption
Ever think about how far we’ve come since AOL was introduced? Plex CTO Jerry Foster does. As the leading innovator at a manufacturing cloud software company, Jerry knows firsthand how technological advancements help companies drive and respond to rapid change. The pace of business is picking up, and nobody has seen this more than manufacturers....
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Why Should You Care About Industrial IoT?
You are a manufacturing supplier that prides yourself on quality performance and on-time delivery. You’ve invested heavily in production equipment and have the best people to help your run the business. You have a manufacturing ERP system that keeps all of your departments connected to the latest information and enables them to work effectively from customers to suppliers and from the top floor…
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Manufacturers: The Future Workforce Starts with First
It’s no secret: the future of manufacturing depends on workers. And right now, manufacturers are facing an astounding worker shortage. Experts predict the skills gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million manufacturing positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028, putting manufacturers at serious risk of not being able to keep pace with customer demands. ...
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The Top Five Things to Know from IndustryWeek’s Manufacturing and Technology Show
In early April I joined hundreds of manufacturing and technology professionals at the IndustryWeek Manufacturing & Technology Show in Pittsburgh both as a presenter on the role of leadership and culture in business transformation, and as an attendee....
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3 Ways Manufacturers Are Tackling the Skilled Worker Shortage
You’ve told us that finding and keeping a skilled workforce is one of your top challenges. And we know the gap is only going to increase with 25 percent of U.S. manufacturing employees are 55 years old or older and Baby Boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 people per day.[1] If that wasn’t challenging enough, you also might be missing out on additional revenue streams because you can’t hire…
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How G and W Products Meets Manufacturing Challenges with People, Processes, and Technology
Pride. You sense that the minute you walk into G&W Products’ manufacturing headquarters in Fairfield, Ohio. You understand it when you talk to employees about their careers, their customers, and their resolute focus on quality products. I was fortunate to witness this firsthand by spending a day with G&W’s Director of Enterprise Technologies, Jeff Karan, walking their facilities,…
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2019 PMA Leadership Conference: Forming Our Future
One thing became very clear to me attending the 2019 PMA Leadership Conference, there is no shortage of challenges facing the manufacturing industry right now. Tariffs are making raw materials so expensive it’s difficult to compete. The skilled worker shortage continues to be a thorn most manufacturers are still grappling with. And the need to innovate while driving efficiency is always critical…
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Connectivity and Visibility in the Supply Chain Critical for Global Manufacturing
Supply chain visibility helps manufacturers drive down the cost of operations and speed time-to-market. Visibility is difficult to achieve however without connectivity. Connectivity between systems enables more visibility throughout the supply chain—from demand to order to delivery and everywhere in between....
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Data Analytics Use Maturing Among Manufacturers
The face of manufacturing looks very different in 2019 than it did 10 years ago; increased competition, downward pricing pressures, tougher supply chain requirements, ageing infrastructure, and a diminishing manufacturing workforce—manufacturers have been challenged to look for ways to do more with less in order to remain competitive. ...
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