How the Smart Out of Band solution can assist manufacturers

The last mile in manufacturing is one of the most problematic aspects of supply chains, says Alan Stewart-Brown, Vice President EMEA at Opengear. 

“Processes are difficult to plan or optimise for maximum efficiency when incoming materials from global sources are subject to disruption for reasons beyond a business’s control. Equally, the last mile of delivery for finished products is extremely challenging when customers’ requirements change without little or no warning.”

Smart manufacturing can provide food packaging traceability

Jim Bresler is the Director of Product Management for Food and Beverage at Plex, by Rockwell Automation. He has over 25 years of experience developing and implementing smart manufacturing solutions (ERP, MES, QMS) for food and beverage manufacturers. 

“I have an industry role coordinating all aspects of the business working with sales and marketing, with customers, with our professional services team and partners, and with our documentation and education services teams,” Bresler says. “It really is a business within a business role looking to make our customers and our company successful in the Food & Beverage industry, and in CPG/hybrid industries more broadly.”

Plex, by Rockwell Automation, is a leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world's manufacturers to make incredible products. 

“Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track, and analyse every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform™ includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, asset performance management, production monitoring, process automation and analytics to connect people, systems, machines and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility.”

Here, Bresler tells us about how smart manufacturing can help consumers make healthier diet choices.

Norwegian weapons manufacturer hit by TikTok’s energy usage

Ammunition manufacturer Nammo is unable to expand its largest factory in Innlandet, Norway, because a new data centre used by social media app TikTok is using all the electricity.

Nammo was founded in 1998 and is co-owned by the Norwegian government. It has been supporting Ukraine following Russia’s invasion by supplying ammunition for its defence. 

Video-sharing app TikTok was launched in China in 2016, following the demise of a similar entertainment app, Vine. TikTok saw a massive rise in usage during the COVID-19 pandemic as users socialised and expressed their creativity in quarantine.