Building resilience into the business is important. Whether it is creating business continuity plans or assessing risks to the business or its employees, it is imperative that companies prepare to weather bumps in the road. At the same time, companies should also pay attention to the infrastructure surrounding their companies and the changes that can affect them as well.

In today's business landscape, data and computer controls are at the center of how organizations operate. Your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, manufacturing execution system (MES), financial planning system, human resources platform, customer relationship management (CRM) system, and payroll system are just a few of the key systems running your business. Every one of these systems is vulnerable and needs to be protected from cybersecurity threats. 

To achieve profitability targets over the next 12 months, nearly 80% of industrial manufacturing CEOs plan to focus on organic growth rather than cost reductions or M&A. While marketing isn’t entirely responsible for delivering organic growth, it plays a critical role in key growth enablers like innovation, pricing, and customer experience.

No one should be concerned that the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) pulled back from an unrealistic 60.8% in September to a still strong 58.7% in October. The September reading from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) has to be treated as an outlier and interpreted against the inevitable data distortions created by two devastating hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey, in particular, ravaged a manufacturing epicenter at a time when energy-related output is growing as a share of U.S. industrial output. ISM survey respondents in October noted weak business conditions and raw material shortages due to the hurricanes. The aftermath of these terrible storms is going to linger in the manufacturing picture for a while.

While technology advancements surrounding connected devices and data analysis hurtle forward – and costs and barriers to entry generally are falling – some companies still feel as if they’re missing out on something, scrambling to get on the cutting edge.

Republicans plan to unveil their long-awaited tax reform package on November 1. Although the nine-page tax reform framework released in September was short on details, the plan highlights key changes to the tax code intended to reduce the tax burden on both individuals and companies, spark economic growth in the U.S., and make the tax laws more globally competitive.

It’s safe to say that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has crossed into the mainstream. In part 1 of this blog series on monetizing IIoT, we shared some findings from MAPI’s recent white paper, developed with PwC, which focused on where U.S. manufacturers currently stand in their adoption and development of IIoT technologies. One finding in particular said it all: nearly nine in ten survey respondents said they are currently offering or are in the process of developing IIoT products or services.

Everyone has encountered it. The colleague everyone knows is difficult to work with, the supervisor who barks at subordinates, the person who interrupts, scoffs at a colleague, or makes snide remarks. There is a desire to sweep this type of behavior under the rug or avert your gaze when you see it. Bullying affects an estimated 60 million American workers. 

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) era has arrived. Tractors are sending data on soil and weather conditions to be analyzed and used to optimize farming. In our homes, it seems anything equipped with sensors and internet connectivity can smarten up our daily lives.