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 Team

About the Author

Plex, by Rockwell Automation, is the leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world’s manufacturers to make awesome products. Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track and analyze every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, Industrial IoT and analytics to connect people, systems, machines, and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility.

The Edge of Tomorrow: Unveiling the Potential of Edge Computing

Plex Team July 26, 2024

The landscape of technology has continually evolved. From the early mainframes of the 1950s and the initial days of server rooms to the expansive possibilities of the cloud, we have always pursued the next technological plateau. Our journey has now taken us to the edge—a place where technology converges to create a new horizon: edge computing....

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How to Win a Food Fight with the Competition: Yield Management & Materials

Plex Team July 15, 2024

Almost everyone loves French Fries. They go with many other foods and are a staple in restaurants around the world. But while many people enjoy them, most never think of what’s involved just to bring those fries to your plate. The process to deliver fries that meet customer expectations is complex. The size of the potatoes can cause excess waste if too small. Blemishes and spots can create…

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How to Win a Food Fight with the Competition: Quality & Compliance

Plex Team June 18, 2024

Have you ever sat down at a local restaurant and ordered your favorite meal, only to discover a change in the recipe or ingredients has completely altered the taste? You’re now a thoroughly unsatisfied customer – even if there are plenty of good reasons for menu changes behind the scenes....

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Interactive Work Instructions Redefine What Workers Can Achieve

Plex Team June 12, 2024

Even with the most carefully designed manufacturing processes in place, the actual outcome of your operations rests with your team on the floor. They rely on work instructions to carry out both unique and routine tasks – referencing a variety of documents and resources. But what happens when work instructions become a burden instead of a benefit?...

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Unlocking Supply Chain Success: 6 Tips for Seamless Implementation

Plex Team May 29, 2024

Supply chain planning solutions offer incredible opportunities over their predecessors. Today, most are cloud-based, automatically updated, and easy to customize to specific industries. The best solutions provide advanced analytics to deliver real-time insights and reporting to those who need them. ...

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Overcoming Challenges to Becoming a Supply Chain Leader

Plex Team May 21, 2024

Complex manufacturing environments can be difficult to navigate. Pressures unique to each industry, constant fluctuations in demand, and disruption on an unprecedented scale make these settings even more challenging.  Over time, these issues can take their toll on supply chain management. ...

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Overcoming Challenges to Becoming an Operations Leader

Plex Team May 7, 2024

Leadership within a complex operational structure has never been easy. Now, new pressures are making this level of responsibility even more challenging....

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Bring Your Production Schedule into the Modern Era Using Smart Manufacturing

Plex Team April 30, 2024

Production scheduling is an essential component in any manufacturing operation. It synchronizes operations so everyone is on the same page and uses the same game plan....

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Digitization: Getting the Whole Story from Your Data

Plex Team April 23, 2024

Today, digitization across most industries is driving the next industrial revolution in manufacturing. As companies and OEMs seek to build digital capabilities within their production systems, smart manufacturing becomes standard for anyone looking to get ahead....

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How AI Is Revolutionizing the Present and Future of Inventory Optimization

Plex Team April 14, 2024

Companies today are faced with upward pricing pressure from multiple fronts. In addition to continuing disruption and labor shortages, inflation is a crucial driver affecting almost every decision.Perhaps nowhere is the impact felt more painfully than in inventory management, where inventory inaccuracies can result in significant loss....

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