Microsoft’s Vision of Digital Transformation for Manufacturing

As we recently attended IMTS in Chicago last month and witnessed the overall movement of the manufacturing sector toward Digital Transformation, now seems like an apt time to review what this means for Dynamics AX/365 users. As a Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner focused solely on Microsoft’s ERP solution, Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (AX),…

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IMTS and Digital Transformation – When Worlds Collide

IMTS 2018 Dreamers and Doers

We had the opportunity to attend IMTS earlier this month, along with over 130,000 of our closest friends. What we learned at our booth, and across the multiple acres of technology displays, certainly bears closer scrutiny. Manufacturing technology strategy is undergoing a radical change, but it’s hard to say whether this show reflects the reality…

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A Must-Visit in a Sea of Awesomeness at IMTS 2018

imts 2018 balloon

We get it, there is A LOT to see and A LOT to do at IMTS next week in Chicago. This is the largest Manufacturing Technology show in the United States, taking place at McCormick Place from September 10-15. Over 115,000 industrial decision-makers will be in attendance from all over the world. With multiple buildings…

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations version 8.0 (April 2018)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations version 8.0 (April 2018)

Microsoft’s Digital Transformation movement continues with a new version of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (build number of 8.0.30). A new version calls for a new product name! Luckily, the change isn’t so drastic this time around. The updated product will now be simply known as “Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations”.…

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Digital Transformation in Plastics Manufacturing: The Microsoft Advantage

Digital Transformation in Plastics Manufacturing

Input – process – Output. I’ve used this thinking for years especially in software to help understand functionality and more importantly how to improve business processes, especially within an ERP solution. See – https://ellipsesolutions.com/the-future-of-plastics-manufacturing-industry-4-0-internet-of-things-and-digital-transformation/ . It’s a way to not only understand process flow but also to understand transformation and how value is added along…

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Digital Transformation in the Field

Field Operations Worker Using Mobile Tablet

The economist Thomas Friedman made a very prescient observation in his column today: “…we’re going through a change in the “climate” of technology and work. We’re moving into a world where computers and algorithms can analyze (reveal previously hidden patterns); optimize (tell a plane which altitude to fly each mile to get the best fuel…

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In the Cloud, On-Premise, or Hybrid: Whats Best for Plastics Manufacturing?

In the Cloud, On-Premise, or Hybrid in Plastics Manufacturing

It’s easy to get caught up in all the Digital Transformation and Cloud discussions. But, in a competitive industry like Plastics Manufacturing, companies have had to be frugal in their IT spending and generally manage their servers and applications with a relatively small group of professionals. While Microsoft has spent an enormous amount of money…

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Why are Plastics Manufacturers Embracing Digital Twins?

Digital Twins in Plastics Manufacturing

In the spirit of Digital Transformation (See our blog from last week – Why Are Plastic Manufacturers Embracing Digital Transformation?), Plastic Manufacturers continue to look for: Transformational changes to generate more revenue Initiatives to protect and grow their user base Ways to produce more with fewer resources Here are some additional ways that Digital Transformation…

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Why Are Plastic Manufacturers Embracing Digital Transformation?

Digital Transformation in Plastics Manufacturing

As I sit through a digital transformation and technology oriented conference, there are some recurring themes that are relevant for plastic manufacturing. “Focus on the outcome”… ”Start with the end in mind”… While a tad cliché-ish, they remain true. By the way, each presentation is being automatically converted via voice to text, so every single…

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