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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Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

Plex Manufacturing Blog

Manufacturing Execution Systems: How MES KPIs Inform and Predict

Plex Team November 9, 2022

Global manufacturing is increasing in complexity as new challenges arise, customer expectations change, and best practices evolve. This complexity makes it more challenging than ever to manage a production floor effectively. With traditional manual tracking, this process is inefficient and costly. Today, most companies turn to technology in the form of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to…

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The Shift to Electric Vehicles and Its Impact on Automotive Suppliers

Bernard Cohen September 21, 2022

The inevitable shift to electric vehicles is here and its impact on automotive suppliers will be drastic. OEMs are making major commitments to reduce their carbon footprint and eliminate their internal combustion engine (ICE) fleets. General Motors, for example, has made a commitment to be completely carbon neutral in their global products and operations by 2040 and eliminate tailpipe emissions…

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Why Manufacturers Should Consider Cloud-Based MES Solutions

Plex Team April 20, 2022

Everything you do is focused on the shop floor. A manufacturing execution system (MES) provides the foundation for operations to schedule, manage, and track each step during production....

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Preview the Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ Study

Plex Team August 30, 2021

Cost savings and business benefits enabled by the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform in a study commissioned by Plex...

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Unpacking the Forrester Consulting TEI™ Study: What Does 412% ROI Really Mean?

Plex Team July 7, 2021

Picture any tool at your disposal, whether it’s a machine on your shop floor or the phone in your pocket. How much is that tool worth to you? It’s hard to put a value on solutions that can have a wide impact on your operations. It’s also hard to find an objective opinion. We know that the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform can transform your business, but why should you believe us? And why should…

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What Is An Additive Manufacturing Execution System?

Plex Team June 10, 2021

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the industrial production name for 3D printing. Using computer aided design (CAD) or 3D object scanners, additive manufacturing allows for the creation of three-dimensional objects by depositing materials, usually in layers. As production continues to grow and additive manufacturing industrializes, manufacturers require effective strategies to help them manage their…

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What You Should Know about the Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP): Up to $100k in Tech and Training Grants

Alena Barreca September 3, 2020

Automotive manufacturers in Ontario, Canada can now receive funding support when they introduce new lean manufacturing or technology to their businesses through the recently opened Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP). Funding via the program is to help modernize Ontario’s automotive supply chain and make it more competitive against national and international markets....

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How to Error-Proof Your Plant Floor

Plex Team August 28, 2020

There’s a better way to protect your company from costly errors that take place on the plant floor. COVID-19 has raised the stakes higher than ever – making visibility and control a must-have, not a nice-to-have. In our Ebook, “6 Ways Error-Proofing Protects Your Manufacturing Business,” we outline the leading ways smart manufacturers can leverage technology to drive the following outcomes....

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PowerPlex 2020: Learnings and Insights

Plex Team May 29, 2020

In these trying times, please know that we are…you know what? Is anyone else sick of hearing companies talk about “these trying times”? Every commercial and every social post, it seems, while meant to convey a sense of comfort, is constantly reminding you that we are battling an invisible enemy and is starting to do the opposite. Let’s stop that. We’re not here to talk down to you. In fact, let…

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Plex’s No BS Guide to MES

Ben Stewart May 27, 2020

Are you struggling with a lack of visibility and control across your manufacturing operations? Does it feel like you are being left behind while your competitors move forward? Either way, you’re not alone....

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