Podcasts about Plex Systems

"Oh, it was that easy?"Anthony Murphy and his team are used to hearing this reaction from small-to-midsize manufacturers as they help them launch their digital transformation efforts.Many SMBs foresee high capital expenses, massive change and large implementation teams to become a smart manufacturer. In truth, you don't need a team of engineers and data scientists, and you don't need to restructure your entire production environment.Plex, now part of Rockwell Automation's solution ecosystem, has been helping small and midsize manufacturers digitize their processes, connect their systems, extract valuable data, and most importantly, enact cultural change that gets every employee involved in the digital transformation process.In this episode, Anthony dispels many of the misconceptions about digital transformation and gives us actionable insights into how manufacturers can get started on their Industry 4.0 journey today.3 Big Takeaways from this episode:Industry 4.0 is a journey, not a destination: Fully-connected smart factories, autonomous lights-out production...these are the pictures that conjure thoughts of enormous implementation teams and costly capital investments, preventing many SMBs from getting started on their digital transformation efforts. Anthony reframes the discussion for us: it's a journey, not a destination. Eventually, you'll want all MES, QMS, ERP, SCP systems, machines, processes, data and personnel connected in real-time. It's possible, but it starts with a single small project, like implementing production monitoring software or adding data visualization boards across your shop floor.Successful digital transformations empower every employee with a stake in the effort: Your biggest asset in your digital transformation journey will be the individuals working on your plant floor - the ones who know the ins and outs of every machine and have the most insight on opportunities for improvement. Anthony shares how Plex enables all employees - from CEO to engineers to operators - can have a stake in the implementation process using continuous improvement tools, automated workflors, employee suggestions and the ability to prove ROI on theories.SMBs who embrace digital transformation will attract the next generation of workers: Through a partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Connected Systems Institute, Plex is showing students how data-driven and digitized advanced manufacturing is today. From the PLC level on the digital manufacturing test bed to the SAP instance connected to this equipment, Plex is helping the next generation see what manufacturing can look like in this Industry 4.0 era. Companies who embrace digital transformation will attract a workforce of students who have grown up in a digital world.ResourcesTo learn more about Plex Systems, visit their website: plex.comConnect with Plex on social media:Facebook  |  LinkedIn  |  Twitter  |  YouTubeEpisode page: techedpodcast.com/plexInstagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

** Award of Excellence Winner for Best Podcast, 2022 APEX Awards of Publication Excellence. Learn more, In this episode, Executive Editor Theresa Houck talks with Dave Vasko, Senior Director of Advanced Technology at Rockwell Automation, and Jerry Foster, General Vice President of Research & Chief Technology Officer for Plex Systems, a Rockwell Automation company. Find out how smart technologies, upskilling and reskilling are 3 keys to dealing with the skilled worker shortage — which is projected to continue to skyrocket — and what that entails, including the need for soft skills like problem solving and adaptability to handle evolving technology and business conditions. And of course, get your family-friendly, silly Joke of the Day. Subscribe to The Journal From Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork's digital magazine. If you like “Automation Chat,” please leave us a 5-star rating and subscribe.

Being on the front lines of game changing industry solutions is what our hero Jerry Foster lives every day!In this inspirational conversation Jerry unpacks his personal journey through industry and some of his incredible experiences.  Working with the best minds of manufacturing puts him in a great position to see the hurdles firsthand and engineer solutions that truly make an impact.Jerry gets real and talks about the big issues in manufacturing and steps that can be taken now to start down a path of correction.  He loves to debunk the myth of how most people get the idea of industrial facilities completely wrong. As he noted this isn't your grandfathers manufacturing plant anymore.We get a peek into what Jerry does to unwind and how his passion for racquetball is a great stress reducer.  He has an amazing family and his personal why points to the True reason he gets up and serves daily.  It was an honor to hear Jerry's story and buckle up for an amazing journey. Remember to keep asking why!Guest: Jerry Foster - Chief Technology Officer at PLEXFire Someone TodayPeopleware: Productive Projects and TeamsPLEX WebsiteIndustry War Story Submission: Send us a DM!FacebookInstagramHost: Chris GraingerExecutive Producer: Adam Sheets

Why community is one of the best investments a company can make during an economic downturn. Community Industry News: Rachel Basoco joined Fidelity Investments as Digital Communities Advancement and Growth Director Jeffrey Roe joined DecisionLink as Senior Community Manager Manouska Jeantus joined Miro as Community Lead  Blake Ethridge joined Plex Systems as Community Manager Devan La Spisa was promoted to Manager, Community Engagement at Zendesk Lisa Wilberding joined Grafana Labs as Customer & Community Manager Christina Garnett was promoted to Principal Marketing Manager, Offline Community and Advocacy at HubSpot Daniele Bozzi was promoted to Community Manager at Personio Arielle Nissenblatt joined SquadCast.fm as Head of Community & Content  Mike Silberg joined NFX as Community Value Creator Olga Koenig joined mogenius as Community and Developer Relations Manager Monique van den Berg was promoted to Head of Online Communities at Atlassian James Dakota Monk joined Digits to lead community Joe Farrar was promoted to Community Manager at Matillion Community During a Downturn Doing More With Less: Community Is Good Business Brian on stage with Jon Wishart at CMX Summit 2022

Welcome to our midweek bonus episode of the Food For Thought Podcast.  Like your cellphone, your personal computer and your television, technology marches on and the latest editions really do have more functionality than the previous versions. That's also true for your ERP system. Advanced Requirements Planning not only accounts for expiring lots, but also helps to plan for yield losses as well as overlapping operations.  During a recent webinar, Food Processing Editor in Chief Dave Fusaro sat down with Kate Warner, Senior Solution Engineer for Plex Systems, to discusses why food & beverage manufactures need more from their Material Requirements Planning.  In this episode of the podcast, you can listen to that conversation.   If you'd like to learn more about Advance Requirements Planning or if you'd like to access white papers on Supply Chain Planning, the State of Smart Manufacturing, and how to stay agile during demand planning, you can do so here. Enjoy the special episode

Are you feeling OK about the MRP in your ERP? If you're feeling unsure, then listen in to this informative conversation we had with Plex Systems' Ara Surenian about material requirements planning, especially as it relates to enterprise resource planning. We kick things off talking about how supply chain planning can help with inventory lots as well as with labor issues. We then segue over to a discussion about risk management and wrap things up talking about what's going on with the current packaging and material shortages and how Plex can help food and beverage processors plan for all of it.  Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website Learn More About our Sponsor: Plex Systems at Plex.com Enjoy the episode. 

The future is digital, and the manufacturing industry is no exception. Jerry Foster, the CTO of Plex, is one of the select visionaries who jumped on the ‘digitization' bandwagon quite early in the game. Plex is a company that paved the way for business enterprise software in the cloud through a smart manufacturing platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains. Jerry joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to share the company's unconventional origin story and to break down some of the most interesting parts of their annual State of Smart Manufacturing report. It's an episode packed full of great insights as we dig into topics like the role of AI in manufacturing and tech paralysis. Tune in to hear more about implementing new technology, plus insights into the worlds of racquetball and Star Wars. In this episode, find out: What is smart manufacturing? How Jerry got his start in smart manufacturing What it was like to spearhead the first business enterprise software in the cloud Jerry breaks down the smart manufacturing growth trajectory How to form a successful integrated team Jerry discusses useful technologies that were once dismissed as “hype” How the role of blockchain fits into manufacturing How AI has evolved over the years What proactive leaders look like How to find a balance between profitability and sustainability How playing racquetball has influenced Jerry's career Jerry's advice to manufacturing leaders looking to leverage smart manufacturing http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/iTunes (Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here.) Even one sentence helps. It's feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “Artificial intelligence or machine learning are the only ways to really tame the beast that is data management — it's like getting 100,000 interns to analyze all that data almost for free.” "In my opinion, it's the cloud and the convergence of that data and computing capabilities that have brought AI to the forefront.” “If you've got action-oriented people, no one's thinking about implications, and with analysis-oriented, you'll have great spreadsheets, but no results, so you need both.” Links & mentions: https://www.plex.com/ (Plex Systems), a smart manufacturing platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains. https://manufacturinghappyhour.com/plex (Plex's State of Smart Manufacturing Report), an annual report sharing insights from over 300 manufacturing leaders on the challenges facing their business and how they address them using technology. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/ (http://manufacturinghappyhour.com) for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Automotive Insiders is presented by OESA, the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. Industry experts discuss Automotive hot topics to keep the Automotive Supplier Community up to date on the fast-changing mobility landscape. From post-pandemic manufacturing restart planning and worker safety measures, to legal issues and supply chain disruptions, Automotive Insiders is your source of timely and relevant content. Host Bonnie D. Graham welcomes Anurag Garg, Vice President for Product Management for Platform, Analytics, and IIoT at Plex Systems. Anurag discusses how the challenges facing manufacturers through the last two years – supply chain shortages, labor shortages, retiring workforce – have accelerated the need for innovation and smart manufacturing. Plex is seeing the savviest manufacturers setting themselves apart by tackling the four biggest industry megatrends – Operational Control and Efficiency; Digitization & Automation; Supply Chain Optimization; and Shifting Workforce Dynamics. Anurag's advice for manufacturers: Build a resilient enterprise and manufacturing practices in light of how manufacturing is shifting. Listen to the full conversation for more of Anurag Garg's expert insights. Previous OESA podcasts: Automotive Insiders. More information: OESA.org.

Chris Pesola is CIO at Plex Systems, a Rockwell Automation company. Chris talks with us about the ways his diverse career informs how and why he loves to mentor people. Topics include:Change, risk, and leaving your comfort zone (1:33)Learning from mentoring (23:40)How to listen and give perspective (32:50)Chris' first mentor (40:50)

Automotive Insiders is presented by OESA, the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. Industry experts discuss Automotive hot topics to keep the Automotive Supplier Community up to date on the fast-changing mobility landscape. From post-pandemic manufacturing restart planning and worker safety measures, to legal issues and supply chain disruptions, Automotive Insiders is your source of timely and relevant content. Host Bonnie D. Graham welcomes Elio Trolio, Senior Manager of Value Engineering at Plex Systems. Regarding Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Elio notes that is unclear to manufacturing leaders “what technology levers they can pull to begin driving improvements.” He also observes that real-time reporting on daily operational activities – to drive planning for each shift/day/week of production – is a key value case that auto manufacturing leaders should consider as a starting point on their transformation to Industry 4.0. Discussing supply chain planning challenges, he observes, “Chip shortages aside, the problem still exists with current tools and methods used in the automotive industry that prohibit long-range planning accuracy and drive greater noise and wastes across the automotive supplier network. There are still ways to drive improvements even in these unprecedented times.” Listen to the full conversation for more insights from Elio Trolio. For information about OESA events, visit OESA.org. To hear industry insights on previous OESA podcasts: Automotive Insiders.

Creating a business and growing it into a success is hard enough. But to then give that up and pursue your passion to write? That takes guts and determination. To then become a New York Times best selling author? Well, that's what Robert Beatty did. Robert joins Adam and Naresh to discuss his journey from entrepreneur to best selling author living near the mountains, as well as how he manages his writing from home with his family life. Robert is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Serafina and Willa series published by Disney Hyperion. Robert writes full-time now, but in his past lives, Robert was one of the early pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the co-founder of Beatty Robotics, and the chairman/CTO of Narrative Magazine. In 2007, he was named an Entrepreneur of the Year. Website: www.RobertBeattyBooks.com Featured Photo by Ben White on Unsplash www.WorkFromHomeShow.com

Robert Beatty and I discuss his many successes in life as a CEO and a writer, as well as his newest novel, WILLA OF DARK HOLLOW. We chat about his working with Amy Adams on the upcoming WILLA OF THE WOOD television show and the process that led to the publication of SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK. We talk about how writing is a skill and how he learned it, his 15 unpublished novels, the importance of staying bold, competitive fencing, the importance of sheer determination, assembling a publishing team, assembling robots of such quality he and his daughters were commended by President Obama at the White House, and ice cream flavors named after his characters. Robert Beatty is the author of the #1 New York Times best selling Serafina series published by Disney Hyperion, a spooky mystery-thriller about a brave and unusual girl who lives secretly in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate. Serafina and the Black Cloak was a #1 New York Times best seller, has been on the list for more than 59 weeks, and won the prestigious 2016 Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize. The second book in the series, Serafina and the Twisted Staff, became a #1 New York Times best seller in the first week of its launch and earned a "Starred Review" from Kirkus Reviews, which said, "Even better than its predecessor, a sequel that delivers nonstop thrills from beginning to end." Enjoyed by both young readers and adults, the books are being taught in over a thousand classrooms nationwide. Robert Beatty lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and three daughters, who help create and refine his stories. He loves to explore Biltmore Estate and the darkened forest trails where his novels take place. He writes full-time now, but in his past lives, Robert was one of the early pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the co-founder of Beatty Robotics, and the chairman/CTO of Narrative Magazine. In 2007, he was named an Entrepreneur of the Year. When asked about the inspiration for his books, Robert said, "Serafina's journey grew out of my desire to write a story about an unusual and heroic young girl for my three daughters."

https://www.plex.com/ ————————————- FOLLOW RADIO ENTREPRENEURS Facebook: Radio Entrepreneurs LinkedIn: Radio Entrepreneurs Twitter: @BizOnTheRadio Instagram: @RadioEntrepreneurs Youtube: Radio Entrepreneurs iTunes: RadioEntrepreneurs Spotify: Radio Entrepreneurs Google Play: Radio Entrepreneurs Stitcher: Radio Entrepreneurs ————————————- The post “Providing Smart Software Solutions For Manufacturing Companies” with Bill Berutti of Plex Systems appeared first on Radio Entrepreneurs.

Adaptability has long been a feature of thriving businesses and industries. Add in the impacts of a global pandemic, and now companies are being forced to adapt in ways they never imagined. Enter Plex Systems, a company that has not only been able to meet the changing demands of its own market but has also provided solutions that have helped its customers to do the same. CEO Bill Berutti chats with us about how Plex’s solutions use inventory, human capital, and process flow information, along with analytics and automation, to address inefficiencies in the manufacturing industry. Plex Systems offers a cloud-based, single instance, multi-tenant solution to manufacturing companies. The company boasts success stories across manufacturing verticals and the results speak for themselves, as their customers turn their inventories two and a half times faster, have a significantly lower cost of quality, and have between 15% and 25% more productive output than their competitors. Bill also speaks to the ways in which Plex’s diverse customers have been able to use Plex’s systems to facilitate changes in response to COVID-19, such as a shift to producing PPE or enabling employees to work remotely. Throughout his career, Bill has worked to help companies navigate complex transitions. Bill shares how he has used this experience to help Plex position itself to meet the increasing demand for smart, cloud-based manufacturing solutions—in a market where many large manufacturers are accustomed to building solutions themselves. Bill’s observations highlight the importance of adaptability and efficiency in the manufacturing environment and demonstrate how Plex has used this model to maintain an 11-year track record of double-digit organic growth. We hope you enjoy the show.

The secret ingredient running factory floors today? One truth. Meet the company whose cloud-based smart manufacturing platform enables industries to link people, systems, machines and supply chains in real-time, helping maximize efficiency and minimize downtime. Technology Powers X is an original podcast from Dell Technologies. For more information on Dell EMC PowerMax All-Flash Enterprise Data Storage, go to delltechnologies.com/technologypowersx. 

During this episode, You, Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks about how creating connected products may blur the boundaries of manufacturing and aftermarket service. He then speaks with Jerry Foster, CTO at Plex Systems. Jerry, an expert in Industry 4.0, shares how he bravely launched an information technology company from the gritty floor of a foundry. He then discusses how the manufacturing sector is dealing with COVID-19 and gives hints on how manufacturers are redefining their supply chains in real time. Jerry shares his Top Three ranging from his wife to his cofounder to the CFO of his current team. And you have to hear what he has to say about building confidence by surrounding yourself with people smarter than you.    About Jerry Foster Jerry Foster is CTO and leads Plex System’s 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. Show Highlights Segment 1: Overview 1:09      Industry 4.0 – the movement toward the digitalization of manufacturing (the Fourth Industrial Revolution). 4:34      Industry 4.0 isn’t just within four walls – it extends to supply chains, retail and beyond. 5:25      Ask yourself: “What is manufacturing in the future?” 7:03      Jerry Foster: An Industry 4.0 expert and a history in the manufacturing space. 10:55   Plex System: Connect with the future of smart manufacturing (ERP solutions) Segment 2: The “Top Three” 14:44   Jerry’s “Top Three” beings with his wife, Angie, who is empathetic, compassionate, sacrificial and brave. 17:42   Keeping the focus on empathy. 23: 44  Jerry’s “Top Three” continues with Rob Beatty who was a true leader with intelligence, leadership, wisdom and fairness. 25:33   Best leadership advice:  “Lead with your heart, lead with honor and don’t fear the lawyers.” 30:26   Rarely argue. Instead, ask: What do we need to do to get this fixed? 36:19   Jerry’s “Top Three” continues with Don Clarke who teaches the balance between customer-centricity and representing the value you are providing. 40:42   Jerry’s “Top Three” concludes with Drew Flint who is a best friend. Segment 3: Transformation & Disruption 41:41   Real-time monitoring of the impact of COVID-19. 46:40   The early payoffs of Industry 4.0 and being in the cloud. 51:00   Disruption is occurring globally and across all industries. 52:29   Advice for transformations: “You have to solve real problems. There has to be a business driver involved.” 54:08   Why people push back on transformation. Segment 4: Wrapping Up 56:24   Advice for leaders: “Surround yourself with, and hire people who are, smarter than you.” 59:47   Check out Plex and the recent ‘5th Annual State of Manufacturing Technology Report’. Additional Information Contact Jerry Foster: Jerry’s Email Jerry’s LinkedIn Contact Gregg Garrett: Gregg’s LinkedIn Gregg’s Twitter Gregg’s Bio Contact CGS Advisors: Website LinkedIn Twitter

Kevin Parker, CEO and Chairman of the Board of HireVue. Kevin Parker is the CEO Chairman of the Board of HireVue. Previously, he was a Co-Founder and Senior Operating Principal of Bridge Growth Partners. He also serves as Chairman of Salient CRGT, a Bridge Growth Partners portfolio company. He is a recognized corporate leader in the technology industry, particularly in the information solutions and software sectors. Parker most recently served as CEO of Deltek, a leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions. He was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" at the 2012 Ernst and Young Awards for the software services division. Before joining Deltek, Parker was CFO and later Co-President of PeopleSoft, a leading provider of management software technology, in the years prior to its acquisition by Oracle. He previously held senior management positions at Aspect Communication, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Standard Microsystems and Toshiba America. Earlier in his career, he was with the accounting firm Price Waterhouse. Parker is a Director and Chairman of the Board of Aptos, Inc., a current board member of Intermedia.net, Inc. and Plex Systems, and a former board member of Camber Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Clarkson University, where he received his B.S. degree in accounting.

After the ACG Chicago Middle Market Manufacturing Conference, Middle Market Growth sat down with Craig Smith, an enterprise executive with Plex Systems, to talk about cloud-based systems, leveraging data and the skills gap facing midsize manufacturers today. In this episode, Smith describes how Plex’s solutions can help manufacturers cope with supply chain disruptions, something that’s especially relevant today because of the coronavirus outbreak, which has had a major impact on manufacturing and global supply chains. Find more content about trends facing midsize businesses and deal-makers at middlemarketgrowth.org.

Being a CMO is a tough job, especially in the weeks and months after stepping into a new organization. Few people have mastered stepping into a new CMO role quite like Heidi Melin, CMO of Workfront. Heidi has more than 20 years of senior marketing experience. Previously, she has served as the CMO of Plex Systems, Eloqua, Polycom, Taleo, Hyperion, and was the group vice president of marketing at PeopleSoft. On this episode of Marketing Trends, Heidi shares her best practices for taking over as CMO. She also discusses how to optimize work management, how to build a great marketing team, and much more. Links: Full Notes & Quotes: http://bit.ly/2lLFEPM Heidi’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/heidimelin/ Workfront: workfront.com/ 5 Key Takeaways: - To build a category, it's important to focus on the voices that people trust most: Analysts and industry influencers. - "Look at marketing as an opportunity to ensure that all of your business processes are connected. If you haven't centralized your work process, you're missing a big piece.” - Heidi Melin - A CMO should focus on three primary objectives: First, developing a strategic plan and cascading goals to the marketing team, second, aligning the budget to those goals, and third, focusing on the actual projects and initiatives. - “Positioning and developing a brand platform is all about the company. Generally it's led by a marketing team, but frankly, it has to have engagement from across the company in order for it to become real.” - Heidi Melin - Great talent can be found anywhere. Marketing leaders can look outside the traditional markets to find very capable marketers. Bio: Heidi is the CMO of Workfront. Prior to Workfront, Heidi was the CMO of Plex Systems, Inc., where she was responsible for strategy and execution of all marketing efforts. She also previously served as CMO at Eloqua, Polycom, Taleo, Hyperion, and was the group vice president of marketing at PeopleSoft. In addition, Heidi served as a public company board director for Accelrys. --- Marketing Trends is brought to you by our friends at Salesforce Pardot, B2B marketing automation on the world’s #1 CRM. Are you ready to take your B2B marketing to new heights? With Pardot, marketers can find and nurture leads, close more deals, and maximize ROI. Learn more by heading to www.pardot.com/podcast. To learn more or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, visit MarketingTrends.com.

During this episode, we discuss how data stemming from products is at the heart of industry disruption. Our special guest, Chris Pesola, is a Chief Information Officer for a cloud-based software company that is helping transform the manufacturing industry. In his role, Chris is enabling manufacturing companies to compete in the next industrial revolution which is often referred to as Industry 4.0. He speaks about how Chief Information Officers differ from Chief Technology Officers and how the two roles should work together in technology companies. He shares his thoughts of how work is shifting and how the role of the CIO may be to help get the most out of the workforce - no matter if it is a human workforce or an environment which is taking advantage of AI or bot-oriented team members. AbouT Chris Pesola Chris is the VP & Chief Information Officer for Plex Systems, Inc.  where he is a cross-functional leader focused on driving strategic business value. He has successfully moved the organization to cloud-based technology that has resulted in substantial efficiencies and cost-savings, increased speed to value, and happier employees and customers.  Prior to his current role Chris has spent time leading technology-oriented functions focused on customer care and advancing employee capabilities in the education, finance, and technology sectors.  He started his 20+ year career at Ernst & Young as a IT consultant and holds a degree from Central Michigan University in secondary education with a focus in mathematics and computer science. Chris volunteers as a career coach to rising leaders in Detroit, MI through We Build Character, and is an avid youth hockey coach and fan.   Show Highlights Segment 1: Introduction & Building a Program 1:20        Creating a new paradigm – today’s technological discontinuity. 4:54        Sensors and product-in-use data: 1) 360 degree view of the customer and 2) product-centric (IIoT) 5:40        From the classroom to the boardroom – a purposeful approach to being well-rounded. 9:03        “I’ve always been passionate about the next thing that will impact the user.” 9:56        Overview of Plex: An all-cloud, all-the-time, ERP solution for manufacturing companies.   Segment 2: Brave Leadership & the “Top Three” 12:25      Chris’s “Top Three”: Jim Costanzo – Do the right thing and approach it the right way. 14:10      Chris’s “Top Three”: Don Clarke – Break the standard “train of thought”. “Sometimes you have to ask a difficult question or make a really crazy request because it breaks their train of thought.” “You don’t want to make the wrong decision just because you have the ability to be agile, flexible, fast and change. You can still really negatively impact your employee base or customer base.” 18:06      Chris’s “Top Three”: His wife, Crystal – A non-technical voice of reason. “When it comes to being brave, every now and then you still have to check yourself or have someone around you that can check you and say – yeah that’s a real brave move but not a real smart one.” 19:40      Chris’s “Top Three” (Digital Mentor): Satya Nadella – Leading without (or through the) fear. (Microsoft) 24:20      Why none of Chris’s mentors are CIOs: the role and its transformation.   26:27      The key difference between a CIO and a CTO. 29:05      Chris’s Progressive Goal: “How can I get all of our employees to never have to worry about whether they can do their job because of where they are or what device they happen to have with them?”. 31:59      CIO to CEO? “As CIOs become business partners, and technologies tie the entire business together, it is probably important for the top leader to understand it.”. Part 3: Industry Disruption & Transformation 36:34      How data is changing the manufacturing industry. 39:05      Manufacturers are beginning to use customer data as a feedback mechanism. (Tesla) 43:44      Keys to transforming. 1) Having an environment to try and 2) Creating an innovation department. (Google Glass. Azure.) 48:33      What will impact the future of work? Technology and the gig economy. (Oculus Rift) 52:47      AI will change roles within organizations. Part 5: Wrapping up 55:02      “You have all the technology at home and you’re waiting for work to catch up.”   56:09      Follow Chris and Plex on social media. Additional Information Contact Chris Pesola: Chris’s LinkedIn Chris’s Twitter: @CRPesola Contact Plex: Website Twitter: @PlexSystems Contact Gregg Garrett: Gregg’s LinkedIn Gregg’s Twitter Gregg’s Bio Contact CGS Advisors: Website LinkedIn Twitter

Guest: David Morfas, Product Expert at the Plex Systems. Interviewed by  Manufacturing Engineering Magazine Editor in Chief Jim Sawyer. SME’s Advanced Manufacturing Now talks to David Morfas, who discuss how Smart Manufacturing is the convergence of several technology trends resulting in improved manufacturing productivity. It empowers manufacturers to be more competitive.  This development promises to bring about a true revolution, with cloud technology enabling greater connectivity to people, machines and processes on the production floor and accessibility to actionable data like never before.

In today's episode, we speak to Danielle Tomlinson, VP of Global Education at Plex Systems. Danielle has built education functions from scratch and built mature ones into optimized functions. At Business Objects, SAP, Hortonworks and other fast-growing software companies, Danielle has honed running a business education department to achieve outcomes like increased renewals and revenue. Hear her approach to customer education that helps customers while driving revenue. Get on the email list at helpingsells.substack.com

Automakers buy from all sorts of suppliers – from global-sized to small “neighborhood” parts producers. It’s a complicated system, especially for purchasing, which is why many of these companies are turning to the Cloud to improve everything from information flow to payment. Joining John McElroy to discuss the advantages and potential dangers of this 21st Century system is Fred Hensel from the number crunchers at KPMG along with Tim Burke from Plex Online with its ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning software and CBS Detroit Technology Editor Matt Roush.

Automakers buy from all sorts of suppliers – from global-sized to small “neighborhood” parts producers. It’s a complicated system, especially for purchasing, which is why many of these companies are turning to the Cloud to improve everything from information flow to payment. Joining John McElroy to discuss the advantages and potential dangers of this 21st Century system is Fred Hensel from the number crunchers at KPMG along with Tim Burke from Plex Online with its ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning software and CBS Detroit Technology Editor Matt Roush.

Automakers buy from all sorts of suppliers – from global-sized to small “neighborhood” parts producers. It’s a complicated system, especially for purchasing, which is why many of these companies are turning to the Cloud to improve everything from information flow to payment. Joining John McElroy to discuss the advantages and potential dangers of this 21st Century system is Fred Hensel from the number crunchers at KPMG along with Tim Burke from Plex Online with its ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning software and CBS Detroit Technology Editor Matt Roush.