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.

Announcement
7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing

Now Available!

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

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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How to Speed Up Your Recall Response—and Transform Your Entire Business

Plex Team December 16, 2020

Can your food and beverage manufacturing company run a mock recall in 20 minutes or less? If you said no, you’re far from alone. In a recent online poll conducted by Plex during a webinar, 38 percent of respondents said “no” to this question. All other respondents said “not sure.” Not one webinar participant said “yes.”...

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ERP Inventory Management Must-Haves: Attribute- and Date-Code System

Joseph Puglia November 13, 2020

Country-of-origin. GMO. Non-GMO. Organic, transitional, non-organic. Heavy metals. Allergens. Inventory management of customer-specific quality parameters is growing more complex by the day. Having the capability through a single digital system to easily manage these attributes alongside expiration date is a must for food and beverage plants. We do mean “a must.” Whether you use FIFO (first in,…

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Food and Beverage Manufacturer Shows Off Benefit of an Agile Manufacturing Process

Plex Team November 3, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit manufacturing, it quickly became clear the companies that would succeed would be companies that could pivot on a dime. One of those companies is Plex customer Olde Thompson. Headquartered in Oxnard, California, the company is the world’s largest manufacturer of salt and pepper mills and a leading manufacturer of private label and branded dry spices and seasonings.…

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How Manufacturers Can Use Data to Build Future Resiliency

Graham Immerman September 22, 2020

In this difficult time, while some manufacturers have been forced to change strategies temporarily, others have a need to double down on what you do best. By enabling mobile workers, industrial companies are better able to ensure the safety of their workers while continuing to serve their customers. Many of our customers have been on the front lines delivering solutions during this crisis and…

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3 Reasons Why Traceability is Key to Reducing Errors on Your Plant Floor

Plex Team September 15, 2020

High profile recalls have increased in recent years and manufacturers have paid steeply not just in money but also the impact on their reputation. Paper based records are prone to errors, difficult to manage, and may be impossible to find which means days of delays in responding to a recall. A clear way to reduce errors on your plant floor and to avoid a recall, is implementing a system that…

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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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Hausbeck Pickles is Proud to Be a Strategic Business Partner for Its Customers

Lori Zoellner March 26, 2019

Celebrating over 90 years of making quality pickles and peppers proves that Hausbeck Pickle Company must be doing it right. This family-owned and run business has a proud history of delivering what its customers want, when they want it....

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