Smart Manufacturing Blog

Welcome to your source for all things smart manufacturing. Whether you’re looking for expert insights, hard data, or actionable tips for your plant floor, we’ve got you covered every week of the year.

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Plex Manufacturing Blog

How Manufacturers Survive and Thrive in Turbulent Times

Plex Team June 13, 2016

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

Plex Team June 13, 2016

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

Jane Clabby June 6, 2016

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

Plex Team May 31, 2016

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

Jim Shepherd May 23, 2016

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

Plex Team May 17, 2016

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

Plex Team April 19, 2016

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

Plex Team March 23, 2016

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

Andrew Hughes March 21, 2016

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

Jim Shepherd March 9, 2016

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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