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Supply Chain Management
Plex Manufacturing Blog
Inflation: Saying the "I" Word Out Loud
Inflation - it’s the dreaded “I” word. After decades of historically low rates, it came back with a vengeance and continues to disrupt operations everywhere.There are virtually no sectors of the economy nor any industry untouched as prices have risen across every category. Most of these categories, like energy, transportation, raw materials, labor, and others, impact manufacturing directly,…
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Is Your Manufacturing Operation a Haunted House?
A door opens with a creaking sound. Faint groans are heard just around the corner. And the distinct sight of a completely bandaged entity is seen shuffling down a corridor. Is it a haunted house? A scary abandoned building? Or is it your manufacturing process?While haunted houses can be a fun way to celebrate Halloween, they’re not so fun when they reflect a harsh reality within your plant. That…
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How Demand Drives Execution
In traditional manufacturing models, there needed to be more connection between the ability to meet customer demand and manufacturing execution. Subjective data-gathering on demand coupled with manual processes and manual data collection in manufacturing obscured the real demand picture....
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Best Maid – An Automation Fair Sneak Peek
Sometimes, opportunity awaits those who reach for it. Other times, it can be part of a dynamic shift to a new way of doing business and a new way of thinking. When Best Maid needed to refine and sharpen its performance and inventory accountability to take in the growth it was experiencing, Plex was the answer....
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Where Did My Supplier Performance Go?
Supplier performance drives a significant portion of a manufacturing company’s success. As the starting point of a company’s raw materials and components, it’s crucial to the quality of the final output of finished goods.Because of its importance, supplier performance management is a critical part of Supply Chain Planning (SCP). And supplier performance management software is essential for…
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Where Did My Audit Data Go?
Modern manufacturing is complex. It requires proven, repeatable processes to ensure that finished goods are produced efficiently and defect-free. Regular audits to monitor and assess production processes are also critical to maintaining high quality....
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Where Did My OEE Go?
The manufacturing industry is driven by efficiency and productivity, and the search to fulfill these goals requires KPIs that light the way for improvement. One of the key metrics used to measure the performance of manufacturing equipment is Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).What is OEE?OEE is a metric that measures the effectiveness of manufacturing equipment by comparing the actual…
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Where Did My Plant Performance Go?
An ERP system must be fed with insights from several data sources or software systems, and that data must be accurate. Plant performance suffers if the data tracking and analysis are manual or the software is inaccurate. Even if companies use software, it’s critical to use the right combination of software to improve performance....
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Where Did My Forecast Accuracy Go?
Many people use GPS to navigate to their destination. It is fast, accurate, and uses advanced satellite technology to deliver people to a precise location on a map. But imagine a world where GPS only gives drivers a vague direction to point their car in with no set path or even distance. Chances are, it would fall out of favor quickly....
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Where Did My Machine Data Go?
Labor and capital equipment are usually the two most expensive manufacturing operating costs. And in terms of expenditures, capital equipment can often run into the millions. Machinery is considered a long-term investment that will remain in service for years or even decades.With so much on the line, it would make sense that every manufacturer would drill down as deeply as possible to ensure…
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