Announcement
Now Available!
Get your copy of the 7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing and hear from 300+ manufacturers in this new survey report!
Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM)
Plex Manufacturing Blog
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. ...
Read More
North American Auto Manufacturing Suppliers: Why You Need to Digitize Your APQP Processes
To be compliant with some automotive OEMs, you must show that you meet advanced product quality planning (APQP) standards—or you can’t compete. If you’re like a lot of the automotive industry suppliers we talk to, producing necessary documentation is mostly likely a time-consuming paper chase between customers, engineering, quality, and others. ...
Read More
3 Must-Do Steps for Manufacturers to Cut Costs and Still Grow
Squeezing every dime out of operations in the name of optimal efficiency is a key strategy for today’s manufacturers. But running a bare-bones business makes it difficult to handle the increased demand that comes with growth. So how can manufacturers continue to cut costs without inhibiting their infrastructure’s ability to expand and grow?...
Read More
5 Tips on Selecting an ERP from Manufacturers Who've Been There, Done That
If you are in the midst of choosing an ERP system, we understand your struggle. You’re trying to please executives and end users alike. You have dozens of possible platforms to consider. And it’s important for you to get this right, because you want your system to last at least 10 years (or more). We’ve helped many companies through the ERP evaluation process. Here are our top five ERP selection…
Read More
How to Build a Solid Business Case for a Quality Maturity Program
“Quality is Job One” was the mantra Ford put forth in the memorable 1980s advertising campaign, and improving quality still ranks number one on executive agendas at many manufacturing companies in nearly every industry. Delivering high quality products to the market is no longer a differentiator—it’s an imperative....
Read More
What’s Next for Wearables: Google Glass and Ring Scanners Find Practical Uses in Manufacturing Operations Management
Why wearables? We’re at an unprecedented time in technology evolution, where things like battery capacity, processor performance, display quality, cloud computing, wireless communication and sensor precision are all coming together to enable whole new classes of smart, connected devices....
Read More
Guest Post: Can You Afford Unprofitable Customers and Products?
During a visit to a local manufacturing company, I learned that the company had recently undergone a difficult transition. After taking a close look at their business and their customers, it had become obvious that margins were significantly different between one group and another. Some products and customers were profitable to serve; others, not so much....
Read More