Jerry Foster
Chief Technology Officer, Plex Systems
About the Author
Jerry Foster is CTO and leads our technology strategy, along with research and design initiatives focused on next-generation cloud solutions for the manufacturing enterprise. A founding member of the Plex team, Jerry has been instrumental in the entire evolution of Plex, overseeing the technical transitions in each phase of our growth. Jerry earned his degree in Computer Science at Liberty University.
Global Manufacturers Reach 99% Pre-COVID Production with 90% of Workforce
Global manufacturing is at 99% of pre-COVID levels of production as of August 30, while unique users logging in to the company’s system of record per week is now at 90% of pre-COVID levels. This data suggests that on average, manufacturers have been able to increase their productivity over time with a reduced workforce. Global data set...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Activity Increases for Fourth Consecutive Week
Global manufacturing production is now at 95% of pre-pandemic levels of activity after demonstrating growth for the fourth consecutive week. While the overall increase is slower compared to last week, China and Mexico are continuing to see relatively higher rates of growth, with Mexico becoming the first country to exceed pre-pandemic rates of activity. We are also seeing evidence that European…
Read MoreGlobal Production at 94% of Pre-COVID Activity Levels
Global manufacturing activity continues to climb, reaching 94% of pre-pandemic rates of production as of August 9. Global data set ...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Production at 91% of Pre-Pandemic Rates
In the last two weeks, global manufacturing production has continued to climb, reaching 91% of pre-pandemic rates of activity as of August 2. As reported last month, activity in 2020 (indicated by blue line, below) continues to resemble trends seen in 2019 (see orange line, below). However, not all regions are experiencing the same rate of growth. A variety of different influencers are impacting…
Read MoreManufacturing Production Activity Begins to Echo 2019 Trends
While some regions around the world continue to see surges in coronavirus cases, including the U.S. and Mexico, the global manufacturing community has largely remained insulated from these spikes, with trends in activity now more closely resembling those seen in 2019. However, the levels of production within some individual countries are not as immune....
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Not Slowed by COVID-19 Spikes, Outbreaks
Despite COVID-19 spikes experienced in the U.S. and new outbreaks documented in China, production activity among manufacturers continues to climb, if at a slower paced than we tracked in June....
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Production Activity Grows by 10%
Our latest unique smart manufacturing data shows that global production activity continues to gain momentum, increasing by 10% since last week. As of June 21, the food and beverage sector has now exceeded pre-coronavirus levels of activity, and activity among automotive manufacturers is at 80% of pre-coronavirus production....
Read MoreRobotic Process Automation (RPA) for Manufacturers Drives Automation
With efficiency as an ever-present strategy for modern manufacturers, automation can be a key component to achieving success. Automation reduces strain on resources required for data entry and review, allowing teams to focus on higher value activities, such as re-investments in the company, streamlining the supply chain, or continuous improvement.It’s not just individual manufacturers who sees…
Read MoreFood and Beverage Manufacturers Lead the Charge in Return to Pre-COVID-19 Levels of Activity
Global manufacturing data set ...
Read MoreGlobal Manufacturing Production Continues to Increase, North America Leads the Way
In the last week, global manufacturing production activity experienced its second biggest growth spike since the recovery began in early May at 48% week-over-week. According to our most recent data, this increase is only slightly less than the largest surge in production levels to date, which occurred the third week in May. ...
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