Vice President; Head of Product Management, Application Group
About the Author
Anthony is Vice President and head of Product Management for the Application group and is responsible for Plex's core customer facing products such as ERP, MES, and QMS. Prior to Plex, Anthony worked in manufacturing, holding a variety of roles across functions such as IT and software development, Logistics, Operations, and General Management. He has a deep passion for manufacturing and Plex's customers and engaging with them to solve key problems and deliver competitive advantages.
Success with Suppliers: How to Ensure Your Partner & Supplier Network Meets Your Quality Standards
In most industries, product quality is a primary factor determining whether businesses are successful or not. Of course, there are many things that impact product quality, from quality leadership to employee talent to company culture. All of those apply in the manufacturing sector, but manufacturers also depend heavily on their partner and supplier networks to build good products that their…
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Great Leadership Builds Great Culture. Great Culture Creates Great Products.
In every business – no matter the industry – quality is a two-way street. The way a company is managed directly impacts the products and services they develop. Every business wants to deliver a quality product. But an organization can only deliver that great product if executives are great at managing and leading the company. Culture, in particular, is an essential part of this equation. To…
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The Benefits of ESG Initiatives in Manufacturing
Sustainability and Environmental, Social, and (Corporate) Governance (ESG) policy is growing in importance across all industries, and especially in manufacturing. The public concerns around climate change, social justice, corporate responsibility – including increased regulations, emission reductions, and responsible governance – are increasingly driving more businesses to take action....
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Automotive Manufacturing Is More Resilient Than Ever
When production halted in 2020, automotive suppliers and OEMs showcased their business agility by banding together and pivoting to develop much-needed supplies for frontline workers. Ford Motor Company produced clear plastic shields, Creative Foam Corp manufactured foam parts for ventilators, and Desin, a manufacturer of Human Machine Interface (HMI) sensors, added a production line to make face…
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Overcoming Challenges in the Food and Beverage Industry
Due to the shift in consumer demand driven by increased pressure from large-scale competitors, direct-to-consumer trends, and an ongoing pandemic, food and beverage manufacturers like you face unprecedented change and increasing adversity. The challenges are many, including pressure for automation to control costs and address labor shortages, the need for visibility into production yield, and…
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Smarter, Together: Connecting Customer Influence to Positive Business Outcomes (Part 4 of 4)
In earlier posts of this series, we talked about Plex’s core principles of customer influence, how we approach influence, and how we capture it:...
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Smarter, Together: Measuring Customer Influence at Plex (Part 3 of 4)
In the first post of this series, we explored the concept of customer influence that permeates the culture here at Plex - how we and our customers influence one another through open dialog and feedback using four essential actions: focus, listen, share, and engage. The second post discussed the platforms in which Plex captures this valuable customer input – the purpose of which is to deliver…
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Smarter, Together: How Plex Customers Influence Product Direction (Part 2 of 4)
In the first post of this series, I discussed the definition of influence - adapting behavior, products, and processes based on communication, information, and shared understanding - and the four ways that Plex approaches customer influence. Here in part two, I’m going to dive into how we capture and eventually measure it. Importantly, there is no ‘one metric to rule them all’....
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Smarter, Together: What Does Influence Mean to Plex? (Part 1 of 4)
Influence, at its core, is adapting behavior, products, and processes based on communication, information, and shared understanding. In order to influence and be influenced, you have to have a deep understanding - an empathy - for the audience. That comes from having walked a mile (or 20) in another person’s shoes. ...
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