Take Control of Your Manufacturing Operations

Running a production manufacturing facility brings multiple levels of complexity that need to be managed in order to remain profitable. Whether it’s responding to your customers’ changing demands or just keeping machines up to support your delivery commitments, you must have an effective control mechanism that can account for change. Can your manual, paper-based system maintain control of the revolving door of operators and ensure that all the quality inspections and compliance that your customers demand are followed? And with all the moving parts to make production sing, do you have visibility into what is actually happening—in real-time—so your management can monitor and respond as required?

Can your traditional ERP system do all that? Doubtful. But a Manufacturing Cloud that was designed by manufacturers for manufacturers can.

Learn how you can begin your journey to digital transformation by simply digitizing your operations on a single source of truth. Getting your house in order by getting rid of paper is the first step toward productivity, visibility, and control!

Speaker

Stu Johnson, Director of Product Marketing, Plex Systems

Stu Johnson has more than 25 years of experience in the manufacturing industry since beginning his career as a mechanical design engineer. He moved into the enterprise software space working in various roles providing solutions for global manufacturers in the consumer, aerospace, automotive, and heavy equipment industries. Currently, Stu serves as Director of Product Marketing for Plex Systems and focuses on the future of manufacturing software working with the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA), Smart Manufacturing Workgroup exploring topics like the Industrial Internet of Things and Industrie 4.0.

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Modern ERP Trends Manufacturers Can’t Afford to Ignore

According to a 2019 Mint Jutras Enterprise Solution Survey of Manufacturers, 29% are considering a new ERP system in the next 2 years, and 33% are undecided—meaning, they likely recognize the limitations of their current system but are unsure how to proceed. Do either of these groups sound like you? If not, are you ready to get left behind by your competition?

Manufacturers can’t afford to keep “just making do” with systems that give them inaccurate data, delayed visibility into their operations and create extra work for their employees. Modern ERP systems are cloud-based and have advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities that can reduce your total cost of ownership and help streamline operations—reducing waste and maximizing profits.

Join Steve Reed, Vice President of Sales for Alithya’s Microsoft practice, and Cindy Jutras, ERP analyst and owner of Mint Jutras, to discuss:

  • How to know when it’s time to replace your ERP
  • What to look for in a new ERP
  • Modern technology developments that can help you get a competitive advantage
  • How to get a quick return on investment from your new ERP

Speakers

Reed90.pngSteve Reed, Vice President of Sales, North America, Alithya

Steve is responsible for all direct sales efforts in North America. He has a broad range of experience helping application software companies successfully develop and bring manufacturing and enterprise solutions to market. Reed has held sales and marketing management roles with Alithya since 2001, and previously spent five years with Baan (now part of Infor) in channel operations positions. Prior to Alithya and Baan, he spent time with software-related companies in the financial and property management industries. In 2008, he was recognized by Microsoft as “Sales Manager of the Year” for Microsoft Dynamics resellers. Reed holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University.

Jutras90.jpgCindy Jutras, President, Mint Jutras

Cindy Jutras is a widely recognized expert in analyzing the impact of enterprise applications on business performance. Utilizing 40 years of corporate experience and specific expertise in manufacturing, supply chain, customer service and business performance management, Cindy has spent the past 10+ years benchmarking the performance of software solutions in the context of the business benefits of technology.

Prior to founding Mint Jutras, Cindy was Vice President, Research Fellow and Group Director for the Aberdeen Group where she conducted survey-based research on ERP, suite-based enterprise applications and business performance management. During her tenure with Aberdeen she directly managed a variety of research practices including Enterprise Applications and ERP, Manufacturing, Product Innovation and Engineering, GRC and Financial Management, Strategic Service Management and Human Capital Management. In addition, she played a leadership role in developing Aberdeen research staff, methodologies and best practices.

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Key Trends in Digital Manufacturing You Need to Know

Whatever industry you’re in, it’s impossible to avoid Industry 4.0 and the barrage of buzzwords that accompany it. Digital Twins, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, predictive maintenance, and cybersecurity – there are enough new tools and technologies coming onto the market to make a manufacturer’s head spin. But whilst these technologies are new to many manufacturers, the market is moving quickly, and there are already plenty of leading industrial companies that are seeing the benefits of their digital transformation activities at sustained speed and scale.

GE Digital Director of Product Management, Joe Gerstl and GrayMatter Co-founder & Vice President of Manufacturing, Carson Drake will help you cut through the noise and discuss the key breakthroughs and trends in digital manufacturing. One of these notable trends is the shift of viewing manufacturers as technology companies.

By joining this webinar you’ll learn how leading manufacturers have embraced technologies to:

  • Move from silo’d systems to technologies that offer context
  • Shift from analyzing the past to predicting the future
  • Develop new competitive advantages by creating centers of innovation

Speakers

Gerstl90.jpgJoe Gerstl, Director of Product Management, GE Digital

Joe Gerstl is the Director of Product Management for GE Digital’s Plant Applications MES software. He has worked in the software industry and in manufacturing for over 30 years spending time in various roles including engineering, sales and product management while working at leading companies such as Microsoft and now GE Digital.

Drake90.pngCarson Drake, Co-founder & Vice President of Manufacturing, GrayMatter

Carson Drake is the Vice President of Manufacturing Industries for GrayMatter. A seasoned MES and Manufacturing Intelligence expert, Carson Drake has been combining automation best practices with emerging technology to solve complex business problems for over 25 years. After graduating with honors from Fairmont State University in West Virginia, Carson quickly gained valuable plant-floor knowledge in the manufacturing marketplace; working at Modicon with motion, PLC and HMI technology across the United States in assembly plants, packaging plants and in a variety of industries. Carson is tasked with handling our key manufacturing accounts directly as well as directing our overall manufacturing team.

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4IR from Buzzword to Reality: Smart Factory Adoption Rates – Best Practices and Leading Technologies

Companies are making progress in implementing new technologies, but scaling and linking investment to value remains a work in progress.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution – 4IR – has been met with both enthusiasm and fence-sitting. While sentiments and experiences have been mixed, most business leaders are now approaching 4IR with a sense of measured optimism. While they recognize the potential business value advanced manufacturing technologies can present—particularly cloud computing, advanced analytics, robotics, the industrial internet of things (IIoT), 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality—they are still deliberating how and where to invest and balancing the hype with their own level of preparedness. Meanwhile, they’re also well aware of the significant changes 4IR will bring to a new manufacturing workforce—one that is increasingly becoming a hybrid of human and machine.

There is little doubt that 4IR adoption has hit the tipping point, despite the fact that today only around 20% of companies are implementing smart factory technologies at scale. Momentum is building, however, as evidenced by the fact that 73% of manufacturers are planning to increase their investment in smart factory technology over the next year and 70% citing adopting an IoT strategy as being moderately to extremely critical. IoT and robotics have made the most inroads, with 80% of manufacturers planning to deploy sensors in operations over the next three years and 65% saying they’ve deployed applied robotics in their operations over the past three years.

About the 4IR survey

PwC and The Manufacturing Institute (the workforce and thought leadership arm of the National Association of Manufacturers), surveyed approximately 100 US-based manufacturers. Looking at the results, we see a definitive—and, indeed, inevitable—shift to 4IR as companies seek to integrate new technologies into their operations, supply chain and product portfolio. However, these companies acknowledge that scaling, justifying 4IR investments and dealing with uncertainty surrounding use cases and applications present a new set of challenges.

Join us to explore the survey findings and PwC’s recommendations. Here’s a sneak preview:

  • While the sector as a whole is making assertive forays into 4IR, many manufacturers still inhabit the awareness and pilot phase. Nearly half of manufacturers surveyed reported that they are in the early stages of a smart factory transition (awareness, experimental and early adoption phases). The majority of those that have implemented smart factory use cases consider a quarter to be a success.
  • Manufacturers expect the transition to accelerate in the coming years—73% are planning to increase their investment in smart factory technology over the next year.
  • While we see a number of fence-sitters, the bulk of manufacturers are indeed prioritizing 4IR, the digital ecosystem and emerging technologies. 35% of survey respondents says they have deployed advanced analytics in their operations and 34% have deployed it in their supply chain.
  • About 70% of manufacturers say the biggest impacts of robotics on the workforce in the next five years will be an increased need for talent to manage the robotics workplace and the opening of new jobs to engineer robotics and their operating systems.

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The Economic and Strategic Benefits of Cloud ERP

Based on research from Computer Economics, organizations that have fully or largely migrated their ERP and other solutions to the cloud spend less on IT as a percentage of revenue and on a per-user basis. Savings come not only from a reduction in data center spending but also from lower IT personnel costs. Moreover, because cloud-based systems reduce the effort needed for ongoing support, cloud users are able to devote a higher percentage of their IT spending to new initiatives. The cost savings, combined with strategic benefits in speed, scalability, and agility, argue in favor of organizations moving aggressively to the cloud. This presentation will summarize these research findings.

Join Frank Scavo of Computer Economics, an independent IT research firm, as he explores the economic and strategic benefits of cloud computing with an emphasis on Cloud ERP.

Attendees will learn:

  • Benchmarks showing the cost savings that organizations typically achieve when migrating to cloud systems
  • The strategic benefits that companies gain with Cloud ERP in addition to the cost benefits
  • Practical recommendations to ensure the realization of benefits in migrating to Cloud ERP

Everyone that attends the live webinar on June 27 will receive the Computer Economics Research Report, “The Economic and Strategic Benefits of Cloud Computing” (retails for $995 on Computer Economics).

Speakers

Scavo90.jpgFrank Scavo, President, Computer Economics

Frank Scavo is the President of Computer Economics, an IT research firm based in Irvine, CA, where he covers the enterprise software industry. In addition to his work as an industry analyst, he has been leading ERP selection projects for clients since 1989. Frank is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) by APICS, the association for supply chain management.

Brennan90.jpgTom Brennan, CMO, Rootstock

Tom Brennan is Rootstock’s CMO. Tom has 30 years of professional experience working in ERP and for business software companies. He has been a long time evangelist of cloud computing and has held many executive roles including several years as the Senior Vice President of Marketing at FinancialForce.

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Data Security – How Manufacturers Can Reduce Risk and Optimize Growth

In today’s hyper-digital environment, the potential for security breaches and threats are increasing exponentially.  When successful, those breaches can be devastating to small and medium-sized businesses’ (SMBs) reputation and longevity.  However, digital cloud-based solutions offer these manufacturers built-in data security and protection measures that most companies would be hard-pressed to implement in their on-premises systems. In addition, for resource-constrained SMBs, adoption of digital technology solutions makes it possible to innovate and scale at a fast pace, allowing them to grow and be more competitive.

Join Infor and AWS security experts for a panel discussion to hear about:

  • Trends in the cybersecurity landscape
  • Balancing the need for innovation and growth while ensuring your infrastructure is secure
  • How cloud-based solutions can reduce your security risks, safeguard your data, and free your IT resources to focus on other tasks
  • What to consider when selecting a cloud solution to ensure your plan mitigates risks

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The Differences Between Cloud and Hosted ERP and Why They Matter

Cloud ERP systems have gained rapid market acceptance, and many traditional ERP vendors are responding with hosted versions of their on-premises systems. While hosted ERP delivers some benefits, potential buyers should understand how they differ from cloud ERP systems so they can make an informed decision.

Join Frank Scavo of Computer Economics, an independent advisory firm on the strategic and financial management of information technology, as he explores the benefits of both cloud ERP and hosted ERP and concludes with practical recommendations for buyers considering their options.

Attendees will learn:

  • Why cloud ERP solutions are rapidly gaining market acceptance
  • The essential differences between cloud ERP and hosted ERP
  • Factors that may drive the buyer’s decision toward cloud ERP or hosted ERP

Everyone that attends the live webinar on January 24 will receive the Computer Economics Research Report, “The Differences between Cloud and Hosted ERP, and Why They Matter.” (retails for $995 on Computer Economics).

Speakers

Frank Scavo, President, Computer Economics

Frank Scavo is the President of Computer Economics, an IT research firm based in Irvine, CA, where he covers the enterprise software industry. In addition to his work as an industry analyst, he has been leading ERP selection projects for clients since 1989. Frank is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) by APICS, the association for supply chain management.

Tom Brennan, CMO, Rootstock

Tom Brennan is Rootstock’s CMO. Tom has 30 years of professional experience in ERP and business software. He has held many executive roles including being at Financial Force where he was the VP of Marketing.


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By clicking above, I acknowledge and agree to Informa’s Terms of Service and to Informa’s use of my contact information to communicate with me about offerings by Informa, its brands, affiliates and/or third-party partners, consistent with Informa’s Privacy Policy. In addition, I understand that my personal information will be shared with any sponsor(s) of the resource, so they can contact me directly about their products or services. Please refer to the privacy policies of such sponsor(s) for more details on how your information will be used by them.