Anthony Etzel

Embracing Industry 4.0: The Future of Smart Manufacturing is Here

Anthony Etzel — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:59:00 GMT

We’re standing in the middle of the Fourth Industrial Revolution—Industry 4.0—a transformation that’s redefining how products are made, moved, and managed. But many companies are still operating with Industry 3.0 systems: digitized, yes, but not yet intelligent, connected, or adaptive.

So, what makes Industry 4.0 different? And more importantly—where does your company stand in this transformation?

Automation to Intelligence: The Shift from Industry 3.0 to 4.0
Industry 3.0 introduced computers, electronics, and early automation into manufacturing. It marked the beginning of digital systems and the rise of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) as a bridge between planning and the shop floor. Industry 4.0 takes it further: it brings interconnectivity, real-time data, and AI-powered intelligence into every corner of the industrial environment. It’s about smart factories, self-optimizing systems, and predictive capabilities that weren’t possible before.

8 Pillars of Industry 4.0:
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
2. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
3. Smart Decision-Making
4. Predictive Maintenance
5. Process Optimization
6. Quality Control
7. Supply Chain Intelligence
8. Autonomous Robotics

Join Anthony Etzel and Crossroads RMC to learn how MES can unlock Industry 4.0: Transforming Manufacturing with Smart Technology - How MES bridges planning and the shop floor.

https://ibmi.workoutloud.com/Event/unlocking-industry-40-transforming-manufacturing-with-smart-technology

When: Thursday, April 17th, 2025 from 1:00 to 1:30 (US/Eastern)

What: 30-minute webinar for companies looking to modernize their manufacturing operational processes.The webinar objective is to help companies understand the shift from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0, highlighting the role of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) in this transformation and showcasing how real-time data, automation, and interconnected systems drive efficiency and competitiveness.

Who: Manufacturing leaders, operations managers, IT professionals, and decision-makers.

Dive Into IDF for ERP LX! - Part 2

Anthony Etzel — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:42:00 GMT

Learn all this and more in our webinar -Thursday, March 20th at 1:00 PM Eastern / noon Central.

Presenter: Nick Olson, Crossroads RMC Solutions Consultant

In this session, we will explore customizing the User Interface:

Want to see only the objects you need?
- Build a Card!
Constantly recreating the same filter row criteria?
- Build it into a Subset!
Too many irrelevant or not enough pertinent columns of data?
- Build a custom View!
Need to draw attention to a particular piece of information?
- Build a Presentation Scheme!
Tired of scrolling back and forth to see key data?
- Freeze columns!
Need to add and view attachments?
- Build an Attachment Viewer Card!

DASHBOARDS for IBM i WEBINAR

Anthony Etzel — Tue, 07 May 2024 20:28:00 GMT

Are your numbers telling the full story? Discover the power of dashboards in our recorded webinar from 5/2/2024: "Unlocking Business Insights with Dashboards" Numbers are just the tip of the iceberg; the real insights lie beneath, in the 'how' and 'why'. Imagine presenting your manager with a dashboard that not only showcases the figures but also unveils the backstory behind them. Picture revealing that the 3rd shift was short-staffed for over a week, or that a material shortage caused order fulfillment delays, or that quality issues triggered extensive rework, impacting subsequent production runs. How do you unearth all this crucial information without consulting every individual involved?

The Answer: D A S H B O A R D S !

Join us for a comprehensive webinar where we dive deep into the realm of business analytics:

Webinar: Business Insights Made Easy With Dashboards

In this session, you'll learn:

The art of crafting powerful dashboards that unveil actionable insights.
Techniques to interpret and discuss data effectively.
Strategies to engage employees in data-driven discussions and decision-making processes.

Presenter: Anthony Etzel and Nick Olson

Empower your team with the tools they need to make informed decisions and drive business success.

[Watch Video] Webinar: Business Insights Made Easy With Dashboards

Learn more about Analytics Dashboard>

Want a way to convert IBM i ® spool files into full-color, professional forms that are output as PDF documents?

Anthony Etzel — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 19:00:00 GMT

Want a way to convert IBM i ® spool files into full-color, professional forms that are output as PDF documents?

Crossroads RMC and TL Ashford can help you get there!

TLAForms provide a reliable, feature-rich, cost-effective forms solution for IBM i, with no programming required!

Contact Anthony Etzel for more info: 1.630.955.1310, x125 or aetzel@crossroadsrmc.com

These items are required to upgrade IDF 06.03.05 for Infor LX 8.3.3 and above:

Anthony Etzel — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 17:55:00 GMT

Why should you look at OTTO? Let’s see what an OTTO customer has to say:

Anthony Etzel — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 16:23:00 GMT

"When first introduced to OTTO, for on-time ordering, you could not prove to me that there was a better system out there than what we already had. Boy what a big wakeup call! Being in a very option intensive business and the economy in a very flat or negative state, OTTO is the BEST tool to quickly respond to a customer’s needs TODAY. When Millions of dollars are at stake each month, we have to be better prepared to meet the task at hand with fewer people. OTTO is really doing this for us! What normally took us hours or days to identify several indented bill of material shortages now only takes a few moments with the OTTO program. What this really means is that, we do not have to wait for MRP to run each week to plan and reschedule orders. This can be done today! What I’m really saying is that, we can advise Purchasing and Scheduling TODAY without waiting for TOMORROW. We are now able to ship DOLLARS this month and satisfy our CUSTOMERS. Without OTTO in some cases, the Customer would have to wait until next month and potential revenue dollars lost for the month." Gary Hawk, Planning Manager - construction equipment

Have you seen what’s new with Infor LX 8.4?

Anthony Etzel — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 17:14:00 GMT

Learn about the latest release of Infor LX and the value it can provide to your business. This release includes additional support for IDF, new application features, and an expanded database.

The Top 5 Benefits of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

Anthony Etzel — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:20:00 GMT

MES provides the right information at the right time to show the floor manager how to optimize current conditions to improve production output.

Need 5 more reasons why you should invest in an MES system?
Read the full article by PlanetTogether:
https://www.planettogether.com/blog/the-top-5-advantages-of-a-manufacturing-execution-system

Clearly, an MES does more than simply track the amount of product coming off of your production lines. Improving your facility's efficiency begins with accurately recording production, material usage, and personnel time. Crossroads MES accomplishes this feat with ease and precision.

Anxious to learn more about IDF? Attend Inforum Sessions highlighting the latest and greatest updates

Anthony Etzel — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 19:29:00 GMT

ERP242 - Product: What’s new with LX 8.4
Learn about our latest release of LX and the value it can provide to your business. This release includes additional support for IDF, new application features, and an expanded database. Additionally, this release continues to improve through ongoing enhancements from our enhancement request system.
Thursday, Sep 26, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM – Room 272
ERP243 - Product: LX—IDF Master Data Management
Learn about the new flexibility and features available with item, cost, vendor, and customer definition through IDF during this session. Maintaining this critical information is now easier to manage and control with LX 8.4
Wednesday, Sep 25, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM – Room 272
Academy: Learn to Use IDF to Better Manage Customer, Vendor, and Item Data with LX
Attend this session for hands-on experience using IDF to manage your critical master data in Infor LX 8.4. (Length: 1hr & 45mins)
Wednesday, Sep 25, 1:00 PM - 02:45 PM – Room 277
ERP106C - Case Study: Trinity—Upgrading a 20-Year-Old Customized ERP system
Join this session to learn why and how Trinity is upgrading its customized 20-year-old BPCS ERP system to the latest version of LX and going vanilla. Trinity is using the best business practices built into LX along with Infor OS and IDF to support the latest user experience and integrations.
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2:00 PM - 02:45 PM – Room 272