In a data-driven world, get your numbers faster

One of the greatest challenges plant managers face is the increase in available data and the challenge of how to find the right data to do their job more efficiently

Plant Engineering

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One of the greatest challenges plant managers face is the increase in available data and the challenge of how to find the right data to do their job more efficiently. In manufacturing as a whole, there are several data points available each month at www.PlantEngineering.com that help plant managers understand what’s happening in the world of manufacturing and provide a benchmark they can use to measure their performance.

Among the most widely-recognized pieces of data is the monthly report of the Institute for Supply Management. Their monthly Manufacturing Business Survey provides a gauge of what’s happening in manufacturing. Those numbers are reported at PlantEngineering.com just as soon as they are released each month.

This month, the ISM index is at 54.8%, the 33^rd straight month of growth.

Plant Engineering’s content partnership with IMS Research, recently acquired by IHS Inc., also provides great insight into specific market sectors. This research points to where markets are growing both in the U.S. and worldwide, and can point to great opportunities for the agile manufacturer with products to offer in those markets.

Among the many  articles supplied to Plant Engineering readers this month, for example, is a report from Jenalea Howell of IMS Research about how the changes in European regulations will affect the variable speed drive market in both the U.S. and globally.

It’s the kind of on-the-ground data that can help point the way to trends and help you understand the manufacturing landscape so you can move a little faster than your competitors.