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Precision Metalforming
Plex Manufacturing Blog
Survey Says: Manufacturers, Choose Technology Wisely
There are thousands of technology innovations now available to manufacturers, from new equipment to robotics, software, business intelligence tools, wearables, and sensors. The sheer number of choices available means manufacturers must work harder than ever to find the signal in the noise....
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Manufacturing and the Digital Thread to Industry 4.0
Change is not a word that many people think of when it comes to the manufacturing industry. Words like precise, quality, reliability, efficiency are more commonly associated with manufacturing. But change is happening, and it’s increasing in speed. Manufacturing, as a sector, is changing dramatically and strategically. ...
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CES 2019: Emerging Technology for Use in Manufacturing
CES is the annual consumer electronics show held every January in Las Vegas. It is “the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies.” This year’s event, CES 2019, took place January 8-11, 2019....
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The Strength of the Plex Community
An ERP implementation is a big deal for any company. It’s essentially a heart or brain transplant since the system affects nearly all areas of the business. So, it’s understandable when manufacturers enter into an ERP selection and/or implementation with much trepidation. The last thing you want to do is upset production with a massive change management project....
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See Better Results with Plex: 3 Successful ERP System Customer Stories
What does a job well done look like to you? If you’re on the shop floor, it probably looks like a record production rate or an increase in inventory accuracy. If you’re on the top floor, it might look like a boost in your company’s profits....
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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....
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Future of Manufacturing Roundtable: The future is bright, but comes with growing pains
Plex Systems recently brought together industry analysts and its customers for the second Future of Manufacturing Roundtable (FoMR). This collaborative day seats manufacturing technology leaders on Plex’s customer advisory board next to experts who write about enterprise software day-in and day-out, which always leads to a lively conversation about the future of the manufacturing industry....
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Designing an Adaptable User Experience for Manufacturing Today (and Tomorrow)
Technology is in transition. Technology is always in transition, but today that transition is noticeably changing how we operate. One of the biggest changes we are adapting to in manufacturing is the move from desktops and workstations to handheld devices....
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FABTECH 2018: Manufacturing Set to Grow--Finding Workers Still a Challenge
While at FABTECH 2018, North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing show in Chicago, we noticed that the industry is on the growth path. Production in the U.S. is estimated to grow 2.8 percent from 2018-2021.1 We’ve also seen that optimism within the manufacturing industry is at an all-time high. ...
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Wondering How to Select an MES Vendor? Consider the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant for MES
At the end of the day, your main concern is delivering on customer demands as efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible. The systems that run your business are essential to making this possible. Your investment is not trivial, and those systems need to be reliable so there are little, if any, disruptions to production. ...
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A Halloween Haunting: Scary Stories for Manufacturers
We love the manufacturing industry. And some of us also love celebrating Halloween. What if we combined these two things by re-imagining some of today’s most popular thrillers set in a manufacturing environment? It’s not that farfetched. Let’s explore some ideas....
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Plex Customer Talks About the Importance of Manufacturing Day
Manufacturing Day is an annual celebration of modern manufacturing and is meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers, and occurs the first Friday of October. Created by the Founding Partner Fabricators and the Manufacturers Association in 2012, this event has steadily grown to showcase what manufacturers, like you, do every day to make the things that impact our world....
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Breakthrough Technologies Impacting Manufacturing and the Way We Make Things
Technology has seen rapid advancements in the past decade—and it only seems to be happening faster as each year passes. When it comes to breakthrough technology, manufacturing certainly has seen its share, most recently due to trends like Industry 4.0 and transformative connectivity made possible by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)....
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4 Things You Need in a SaaS-based Manufacturing ERP and MES Solution
As more businesses move to SaaS (software-as-a-service) applications, some manufacturers still have some uncertainty about data safety and security, as well as uptime and reliability in the cloud. If moving your operations to the cloud seems foreign to you, or if you aren’t sure how to evaluate cloud versus on-premise ERP and MES systems, just remember these four things: availability,…
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Fastener Manufacturers Focus on On-Time Delivery to Stand Out
Metal products like screws and bolts are often seen as a commodity but if you can become a preferred supplier to large OEMs, the opportunity is ripe to take advantage of higher margins. Finding reliable suppliers is a lengthy and tedious process for large OEMs....
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What Makes Plymouth Foam an Industry Leader? Innovation and Family
Back in 1978, foam products weren’t commonplace in Plymouth, Wisconsin. However, Tecwyn “Tec” Vance Roberts, a local engineer, realized that area industrial and commercial builders could benefit from a foam insulation product. Seeing this opportunity in the market, Tec set out to bring it to them....
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A Collaborative Approach Spells Success in the Plex Manufacturing Cloud
Diversified metal component manufacturer JD Norman Industries has a goal to grow. With its main strategy being mergers and acquisitions, that means its manufacturing technology team must rely on an integrated ERP/MES solution that scales with the company, connecting each new operation to the enterprise....
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Manufacturers: Risk is an Opportunity, Not a Cost Driver
As a fastener manufacturer, delivering high quality ensures (among other things) that scrap rates are kept low and first pass yield remains high. But did you know that it could also influence which business you’ll win next?...
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How a New Manufacturing System Improves Employees’ Lives
When A&K Finishing, a provider of plastic paint solutions for the automotive, office furniture, electronics, and commercial industries, selected the Plex Manufacturing Cloud as its system of record in 2016, the team expected to see improvements in their scrap rates, inventory management and quality control....
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4 Manufacturing Efficiency Ideas to Consider This Summer
Summer is usually a slower time for manufacturers. In fact, you’ve probably already decided to take some time off and get out of town. Nobody will fault you for that. Everybody needs a break. But before you go, make plans to do something else with your summer: carve out time to gain a better understanding of your business. ...
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