Smart Manufacturing Blog

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Plex Manufacturing Blog

Restarting Plex ERP After An Unprecedented Shutdown

Monti Piccioni May 1, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the manufacturing industry across the world, including organizations that leverage the Plex smart manufacturing systemplatform. Fragmented supply chains have become significantly harder to manage. Demand in many industries has fallen. Manufacturers have found themselves hobbled as they try to sustain current operations or shut down entirely for an undetermined…

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Manufacturing Production Holds Steady While Automakers Plan to Reopen

Jerry Foster April 30, 2020

Declining manufacturing production turned a corner last week – starting to flatten in most regions around the globe – and seems to be holding steady according to our most recent data.   Global data set  ...

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Medical Device Manufacturers Answer the COVID-19 Call

Plex Team April 23, 2020

Medical device manufacturers like Okay Industries are finding ways to support healthcare individuals and industries by becoming more creative and resourceful....

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Declining Manufacturing Production Turns the Corner

Jerry Foster April 22, 2020

This week’s global data marks a turning point: the decline of manufacturing production is starting to flatten, and in some regions and industries, even shows an upturn in activity. For instance, let's first look at two of our bigger data sets – manufacturing in the United States and China, both of which are showing signs of improvement (see graphs below). U.S. data set...

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Manufacturing Leaders Share COVID-19 Response

Plex Team April 17, 2020

In today’s volatile global environment, manufacturers around the world being tasked with adapting to fluctuating supply chain demands, meeting new regulatory requirements and addressing shifting customer needs – all while protecting the health and safety of their workers....

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Global Manufacturing Community Activity Diverges from China Recovery Model

Jerry Foster April 15, 2020

Global manufacturing activity continues to drop – now producing at approximately 20% of where rates were four weeks ago, when we saw the start of a steep decline in activity....

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Auto Companies Pivot Production to Make Much-Needed Healthcare Supplies

Plex Team April 14, 2020

Some of the most critical healthcare supplies needed to protect frontline workers and the machines needed to help those affected by coronavirus, such as access to N95 masks, face shields, gloves, and ventilators, are in short supply. This dire need is hitting as the U.S. prepares to experience peak cases of COVID-19 the weeks of April 6 and April 13. Some of the companies that have stepped up…

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Worker Health and Safety Becomes a Global Conversation

Plex Team April 13, 2020

Any plant manager will tell you that the health and safety of their workers has always been a top priority. But as the COVID-19 crisis wages on, manufacturers around the world are having to quickly adapt their already robust safety initiatives to include strict protocols to prevent the spread of the virus....

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While New COVID-19 Cases in Asia and Europe Flatten, Manufacturing Recovery Lags

Jerry Foster April 8, 2020

According to the latest Plex data on global smart manufacturing production, overall manufacturing activity (see graph, below) is still dropping, while reports that the rate of new COVID-19 cases in some Asian and European countries we’ve been tracking are flattening and slowing, respectively. ...

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Thoughtful Supply Chain Planning in the Face of Rapid Change

Ara Surenian April 7, 2020

There’s little that could properly prepare the world for the magnitude of global events such as the COVID-19 global pandemic. These situations not only impact us as individuals, but often highlight critical vulnerabilities in our business processes. ...

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