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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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Innovation and Technology

Plex Manufacturing Blog

Making Cloud Security a Competitive Advantage in Aerospace and Defense

Plex Team September 12, 2013

As aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturers balance agility and speed with the need for ever-increasing vigilance and security, they are also facing the daunting task of keeping IT systems aligned with their changing business strategies. This conflict of speed versus security is especially challenging in the area of cloud computing....

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How Cloud-Based Business Intelligence Is Redefining Industrial Manufacturing

Plex Team August 29, 2013

It’s time for manufacturers to quit using analytics like a rearview mirror and more like a compass that points them in a more profitable direction. Analytics and business intelligence (BI) are the catalysts that give manufacturers the ability to break down the silos that separate departments, divisions and processes, and galvanize their business around customers....

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Ten Predictions of How Cloud Computing Will Revolutionalize Aerospace and Defense in 2014

Plex Team August 22, 2013

Bottom line: Security, suppliers’ ability to scale production quickly, and an intense focus on the cost of quality will dominate aerospace and defense in 2014. Deloitte is forecasting the global aerospace and defense industry will experience 5% growth in 2014, with the majority of growth being driven by projected record-setting replacement cycles of obsolescent commercial aircraft....

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Ten Ways Cloud Computing is Revolutionizing Aerospace and Defense

Plex Team August 22, 2013

Synchronizing new product development, supply chain, production and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) strategies across Aerospace and Defense (A&D) manufacturers while reducing costs continues to make cloud platforms a viable option in A&D....

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Mobility Boosts the Data Accessibility Benefits of the Cloud

Plex Team July 30, 2013

Automotive manufacturers don’t succeed by standing in place. In an industry focused on motion, today’s suppliers need to apply the same speed and agility to their manufacturing operations that they expect from the products they build....

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Common Concerns About Running a Manufacturing Business in the Cloud: What is the Reality?

Bill McBeath June 26, 2013

Many people assume that high performance real-time manufacturing processes require an on-premise solution and are not a natural fit for the cloud. In a manufacturing firm, everything starts from the plant floor – so the core Manufacturing Execution System, well integrated into the rest of the enterprise solution(s), is critical....

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Why Now is the Time to Move to Cloud ERP

Jim Shepherd June 20, 2013

Manufacturing has changed forever. Manufacturing businesses face intense competitive pressures. Dynamic supply chains and hyper-accelerated production cycles are just a few of the factors that require them to minimize costs, improve productivity and speed time-to-market....

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Technology and Growth: Which Is the Chicken and Which Is the Egg?

Jim Shepherd May 10, 2013

American manufacturing is definitely bouncing back. This year’s growth is expected to exceed both 2012 rates and GDP increases. There’s no question that things are looking up. There’s also no doubt that manufacturers are exploring new tools to manage growth, including advanced technologies....

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The Cloud in the Room: Considering Cloud ERP for Your Business

Plex Team March 7, 2013

It’s there, swirling around, and it’s getting harder to ignore. It’s been the center of manufacturing conversations for quite some time, but perhaps you’re not sure what to make of it, or how you can apply it to your business. What is it?...

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Cloud ERP Implementations: One Year Later

Chris Bishop January 11, 2013

As you plan ahead for your manufacturing company in 2013, take a long, hard look at your systems. Traditional enterprise systems often take many months, or years, before they’re fully implemented – then more months and years before they make any real impact on overall business performance....

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