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Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
Manufacturing Execution Suite (MES) is a comprehensive manufacturing software solution that provides real-time, paperless production management to drive enterprise-wide compliance, quality, and efficiency.
Quality Management System (QMS)
Quality Management System (QMS) is a cloud-based digital quality solution for manufacturers that standardizes and automates quality documentation, processes, and measurements.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a full-featured, scalable, cloudbased ERP that automates front- and back-office processes.
Supply Chain Planning (SCP)
Supply Chain Planning (SCP) combines data from your Plex ERP and multiple departments across your business to sync up demand and supply planning to improve inventory accuracy and production management.
Connected Worker
Connected Worker empowers frontline manufacturing teams with real-time digital tools to improve productivity, reduce errors, and enhance collaboration. It connects your people, to purpose, people, productivity, and processes to drive continuous improvement and workforce agility on the shop floor.
Production Monitoring
Production Monitoring provides seamless connectivity to machines on the plant floor, delivering transparent, real-time operational KPIs and dashboards to drive continuous improvements.
MES Automation & Orchestration
MES Automation & Orchestration connects your Plex MES to the plant edge to control information flow, processes, and workcenter setup adding efficiency, saving costs, and eliminating manual errors.
Asset Performance Management (APM)
Asset Performance Management (APM) combines process, operational, and machine-level data through highly visual dashboards to proactively monitor machine and plant health to ensure optimal uptime, throughput, and maintenance needs.
Finite Scheduler
Finite Scheduler is an advanced production scheduling tool that helps manufacturers optimize resources, reduce bottlenecks, and improve on-time delivery. It enables dynamic, constraint-based scheduling to align operations with real-world capacity and demand
Platform
Smart Manufacturing Platform Overview
Discover how our integrated platform connects, automates, tracks, and analyzes your operations.
Cloud Infrastructure & Security
Enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure with industry-leading security and compliance.
Mobile Application
Access critical manufacturing data and controls from anywhere with our mobile apps.
Availability & Performance
Industry-leading uptime and performance with 99.5% availability guarantee.
Manufacturing Automation
Seamless integration with Rockwell Automation and other manufacturing systems.
Industries
Aerospace Auto and Tire Food & Beverage Industrial Manufacturing Plastics & Rubber Precision Metalforming
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AWE: Another Indicator the Wearables Are Coming… for Manufacturers

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Wearables aren’t just for gaming anymore.

While that statement shouldn’t be a surprise, you might be surprised to learn—as I was—at the sheer number of AR, VR and XR devices now available on the market, and the industries they’re being applied to. From playing volleyball, to learning to ballroom dance, to owning and feeding a virtual pet, to being able to pilot and land a plane in an emergency – it was all at Augmented World Expo.

This expo, held a couple weeks ago in Santa Clara, California, is marketed as the world’s largest and longest-running AR and VR conference. I was invited to share insights on an “XR in Manufacturing” panel, joining experts from aerospace and defense leader Lockheed Martin, agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO and Johnson & Johnson, one of the world’s largest medical, pharmaceutical, and consumer product companies.

Here are a few takeaways from our session:

  • A successful technology implementation (regardless of AR, VR, etc.) has as much to do with preparing and adapting to (or, proactively adapting) your company culture and its established learning methods, as it does with executing the perfect solution. Without consideration for the people who are going to be expected to use and benefit from the technology, an ill-fitting solution will fall flat, quickly.
  • Problem solving should always be the first step. Fully understand the problem, have a systematic approach to solve it and answer the ever-important question: is this a problem that needs to be solved with technology?
  • Know the ROI. This one might be straightforward enough, but if you don’t know what you’ll gain from it, it’ll make investments in new tech harder to substantiate to your leadership team.

So, what’s the bottom line?

AR/VR/XR solutions (whether they be glasses, goggles, backpacks, binoculars, etc.) are no longer a fad or a curiosity. They’re a possible, and probable, innovation that will change the way manufacturers work. Today, we’re seeing manufacturing applications for RealWear Smart Glasses, DAQRI Smart Glasses, Google Glasses, and Microsoft HoloLens. Given the rate that hardware devices are maturing, and diversifying, we’ll soon have a greater array of options appropriate for an industrial environment than ever before.

Topics: Aerospace Automotive Food & Beverage High Tech & Electronics Industrial Manufacturing Plastics & Rubber Precision Metalforming

Jerry Foster
Jerry Foster
Chief Technology Officer, Plex Systems
Jerry Foster is CTO and leads our technology strategy, along with research and design initiatives focused on next-generation cloud solutions for the manufacturing enterprise. A founding member of the Plex team, Jerry has been instrumental in the entire evolution of Plex, overseeing the technical transitions in each phase of our growth. Jerry earned his degree in Computer Science at Liberty University.

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