Smart Manufacturing Blog

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7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing

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Get your copy of the 7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing and hear from 300+ manufacturers in this new survey report!

Supply Chain Management

Plex Manufacturing Blog

Where Did My Raw Materials Go?

Plex DemandCaster March 22, 2023

In the age before computers, supply chain visibility depended on telephone calls, snail mail, verbal agreements, and even intuition. As technology advanced, these functions were computerized to give supply chain professionals better control over data and information....

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Where Did My Product Demand Go?

Plex Team March 9, 2023

We've all been there.One day, demand is high, forecasts are rosy, and life is good. The next, demand has plummeted, and you're sitting there with a mountain of inventory and booked capacity with no demand to support it.Wild swings in demand have always been a headache. But with supply chain volatility and complexity increasing, it's becoming harder and harder to prevent these swings....

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From Farm to Factory: How Fertilizer and Material Shortages Affect Food and Beverage Manufacturers

Plex Team January 17, 2023

It’s become a perfect storm. Massive disruption of supply chains for food products is becoming a regular threat. Driven by lingering COVID-19 impacts, the war in Ukraine, and other factors, there’s a global shortage of fertilizer....

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Quality Management in an Age of Disruptive Supply Chains

Plex Team December 14, 2022

Once upon a time, it was easier. For decades, supply chains stabilized globally, allowing companies to source components confidently and manage their supply chain plans with Lean methodology. And while supply chain complexity increased during this time, the ability to span the globe and know their materials would arrive on time....

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Leverage Your Data to Unlock Hidden Capacity and Supercharge Processes

Plex Team November 29, 2022

Capital equipment is one of the most significant variables in calculating a manufacturing company’s capacity. The higher the capacity, the more business a company can take on. Optimizing that capacity means a more substantial ROI, which leads to higher profits and less new equipment in the future....

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Your Answer for Managing Major Manufacturing Disruption

Plex Team September 27, 2022

In past decades, business continuity was mainly considered to respond to the dangers of natural disasters like fires, floods, or hurricanes. The dawn of the internet brought a new focus to continuity; it broadened its definition as companies raced to protect data from cyberattacks and breaches that could shut them down and leave them without critical information....

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The Digital Thread and Regulatory Challenges for Food and Beverage Manufacturers

Plex Team August 16, 2022

Imagine an evening newscast about a tainted food or beverage product. Recalls, bad press, and public safety concerns are the immediate nightmares of a food and beverage producer. Once the crisis is fully underway, they may be responsible for the transportation, safe disposal, and rapid replacement of tainted goods, all of which are unplanned costs. This crisis is followed by inspections and…

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How Do 300+ Manufacturers Feel About Supply Chain Planning?

Ara Surenian May 25, 2022

The last few years have not been kind to supply chain planning professionals. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, a pandemic, numerous sea freight issues, and the war in Ukraine are some of the many issues that have affected global supply chains....

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Digital Connectivity: The “Key” to Empowering Manufacturing Teams

Plex Team May 24, 2022

Have you ever been to the Florida Keys? The area is home to some of the world’s best beaches, snorkeling, and fishing, but getting there hasn’t always been easy. To move from island to island, visitors and locals had to island-hop by boat or ferry....

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Key Takeaways From the 7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report

Gerry Abbey March 16, 2022

Responding to market adversity with agility, improved processes, and technology adoption Welcome to the 2022 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, the most robust edition yet. Based on surveys from 321 manufacturers from across the globe, the results reflect general consistency in major factors impacting manufacturers....

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