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Plex Manufacturing Blog
How Manufacturers Survive and Thrive in Turbulent Times
Uncertain economic times have one of two effects on the manufacturing psyche. Many companies hunker down and ‘weather the storm’ by limiting technology investment until the chaos subsides, trying to time their investment to high-growth periods. Very difficult to do....
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How Manufacturers Survive and Thrive in Turbulent Times
Uncertain economic times have one of two effects on the manufacturing psyche. Many companies hunker down and ‘weather the storm’ by limiting technology investment until the chaos subsides, trying to time their investment to high-growth periods. Very difficult to do....
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The Connected Plant Floor – Automated and Efficient
One of the things I liked best about the recent PowerPlex 2016 conference was hearing first-hand feedback from customers. Many stories centered on the increased productivity and efficiency that a connected plant floor offers and how the Plex Manufacturing Cloud enables that connectivity....
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PowerPlex 2016: Women Leaders in Manufacturing and Technology
This event was the second annual PowerPlex session devoted to women. This year’s panel included a cross-section of strong, articulate, and successful women in executive positions who had great advice for women pursuing careers in technology and manufacturing. ...
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Debunking Cloud Myths: Security and Reliability
At every trade show we attend, someone comes up and says, “I just don’t trust that the cloud is secure or reliable.” This myth comes from years of misinformation and, frankly, perceptions created by software vendors that have poor cloud solutions and are desperately playing catch-up....
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PowerPlex 2016: #WeMake Things
This year’s PowerPlex conference April 25-28 in Detroit, Michigan had 1,200 attendees—that is to say, 1,200 “makers of things”— the largest gathering of cloud manufacturing professionals in the world. Each attendee’s badge told us, “we make automobile braking systems” or “we make beer” or “we make innovative ideas,” highlighting the manufacturing focus of Plex, as well as the company’s customers…
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Analytics: The Key to More Efficient Operations and Better Products
Paul Wright, VP, Information Technology and CIO of Accuride, a leading global supplier of commercial vehicle wheels and wheel end components, shares his perspective on how Big Data and analytics has helped Accuride improve customer satisfaction and product quality, while at the same time improving efficiency and driving down costs....
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IIoT and Smart Connected Manufacturing - Only in the Cloud
Manufacturing is evolving right before our eyes with companies looking for ways to make faster, more accurate decisions. The need for better automation and data communication, combined with the availability of smart technology to support it, has piqued the interest of companies looking to take that next step in modernizing production capabilities. ...
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Manufacturing in Uncertain Times: Flexibility is King
Over the last few years, there’s been an exciting upturn in the interest that large US and European corporations have had in the manufacturing industry. There have even been signs of “on shoring” manufacturing capabilities. There are lots of economic reasons why a change in heart has happened, not least the desire to better serve customers through faster deliveries, more customization and better…
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Legacy ERP Leaves User Communities Alone in the Wilderness
Customer communities can provide a great way to extend ERP value. Vibrant communities provide a venue where users collaborate on everything from desired roadmap functions to best practices, processes, templates and tricks of the trade....
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Legacy ERP Vendors Make You an Offer You Can Refuse
One of the worst situations manufacturing IT groups routinely deal with is having to upgrade ERP software. This may not seem like a big deal, but consider how intertwined ERP is in a manufacturing company, from finance to production to logistics. ...
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The Legacy ERP Money Pit
Manufacturers face churning market conditions – changing commodity prices, fluctuating energy and transportation rates, and labor challenges. Avoiding unanticipated expenditures, focusing on driving down costs, and improving agility are imperative....
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Five New Year's Resolutions for Manufacturers
It’s that time of the year: time to set resolutions that’ll guide you through 2016. As a manufacturer, your goals might be to leverage plant floor data to improve efficiencies, streamline processes and more. Check out our New Year's Resolution infographic to see the changes manufacturers can implement to make 2016 a success....
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Five Business Benefits Driving Manufacturing Cloud ERP Solutions
Business needs drive technology adoption, not the other way around, and more and more manufacturers are turning to a modern cloud ERP solution to address those needs. Cloud ERP software solutions, particularly SaaS, have passed into mainstream adoption. It is not a matter of if your company adopts it, but when and to what degree (at the plant level or across the entire enterprise). ...
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Two Low-Cost Technologies are Transforming Plant Floors
Manufacturing facilities are filled with expensive equipment. Multi-million-dollar investments can make, or break, a company’s ability to compete and grow. But in today’s connected shop floor environment, smaller, low-cost tools are delivering competitive advantage....
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Why Cloud? SaaS Matters.
When you consider cloud-based services, it’s important to understand not just the features and functionality of the solution, but also the differences in the underlying delivery model. Consider a cell phone as compared to a land-line: they both perform the same function, but one allows you to roam untethered. ...
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Know Thy Cloud: 3 Pillars That Define Cloud
Prospects and customers constantly ask us to help them cut through the noise and understand why SaaS-based ERP delivered via native cloud is different, and how it can benefit their business. Many flavors of cloud exist even within the specific realm of cloud ERP solutions, but native cloud, or cloud applications specifically and exclusively delivered as a service have unique and impactful…
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Techonomy Detroit: The Transformational Power of Tech
Recently I had the privilege of participating in Techonomy Detroit, a gathering of business, civic, nonprofit and academic leaders, where I was able to take a step back from my daily focus on the Plex Manufacturing Cloud and think about the broader impact of technology and manufacturing on communities and society....
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The Cloud: Transforming Global Manufacturing
“It used to be that you had to be a pretty big company before you had multiple plants and before you were serving Asian markets and European markets. That's not the case today,” says Jim Shepherd, vice president of Strategy at Plex. “Even our smallest customers often have multiple sites in multiple countries. ...
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Plex Benchmarks: Driving Insights through Community and Cloud
The cloud is moving the manufacturing industry forward, improving the performance of manufacturing operations management in the process. Manufacturers heavily rely on industry benchmarks such as surveys and other publicly reported data to measure the success of their organization. ...
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