Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026: Don’t Make It Easy for Them

Image
  Every October, individuals, businesses, and government agencies come together for Cybersecurity Awareness Month —a global campaign initiated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA). The goal is simple yet critical: empower everyone to take control of their digital safety. Under the rallying theme "Secure Our World: Don’t Make It Easy for Them," this year focuses on closing the small gaps that threat actors routinely exploit. Key Steps to Take This Year Cybercriminals rarely breach systems through complex science fiction methods; most rely on predictable habits, weak passwords, and unpatched software. By covering the basic fundamentals, you eliminate the easiest paths of attack. 1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) According to CISA, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication makes you significantly less likely to be hacked. Even if a cybercriminal steals your password, MFA creates an additional wall—such...

Why Plex DCS Matters in Manufacturing


In manufacturing, document control is more than managing files. It helps ensure that employees are using the correct, approved, and relevant instructions at the point of work.

Outdated work instructions, inspection procedures, drawings, or quality documents can lead to defects, rework, production delays, audit findings, and customer dissatisfaction. Plex Document Control System (DCS) can help reduce these risks by creating a controlled process for managing document revisions and reviews.

Key Plex DCS capabilities

Plex DCS supports document governance through features such as:

  • Revision tracking: Maintains a history of document changes.
  • Stored revisions: Retains previous versions for reference and audit purposes.
  • Approval workflows: Requires designated approvers to review revisions before they become the current approved version.
  • Regular reviews: Uses Review Frequency to prompt periodic document reviews.
  • Document ownership: Assigns responsibility to an owner, champion, and approvers.
  • Notifications: Alerts owners, approvers, and selected users when revisions or reviews require action.
  • Revision status visibility: Identifies documents with Pending Review, Pending Change, Pending, Rejected, or Approved status.
  • Revision logs: Shows document history, including revision dates, users, actions, approvers, and notes.
  • Access control: Supports document permissions, restricted users, supplier access, and property locks.
  • User reassignment: Allows document owners, approvers, or champions to be replaced when responsibilities change.

Setting up an effective process

A successful Plex DCS implementation starts with identifying the documents that have the greatest impact on manufacturing operations. These may include:

  • Production work instructions
  • Inspection and test procedures
  • Control plans
  • Engineering drawings and specifications
  • Safety procedures
  • Maintenance instructions
  • Customer-specific requirements
  • Quality system procedures
  • Training documents

For these documents, organizations should establish a document owner, qualified approvers, revision tracking, approval requirements, notification groups, and a risk-based review frequency.

Not every document needs the same level of control. Critical production and quality documents may require formal approval and more frequent review, while lower-risk reference documents may require a less frequent review cycle.

Why auditing the DCS is essential

Enabling review frequency does not guarantee that documents remain accurate. The review process must also be monitored.

Regular DCS audits should identify:

  • Documents overdue for review
  • Documents with pending or rejected revisions
  • Documents without an active owner or approver
  • Documents that have not been updated in several years
  • Documents assigned to employees who have changed roles
  • Documents that no longer apply to the current process
  • Documents missing required properties or approvals
  • Documents that remain active even though they are obsolete

Plex’s built-in views, including Documents Pending Approval, User Documents Waiting Approval, revision history, and Checked Out Documents, can support routine monitoring. If additional visibility is needed, a custom report can be created to show document owners, approvers, revision dates, review status, next review date, and overdue activity.

The business benefit

When properly managed, Plex DCS helps manufacturers:

  • Reduce the risk of employees using obsolete information
  • Improve revision accountability
  • Strengthen audit readiness
  • Support consistent production practices
  • Preserve evidence of document history and approval
  • Improve communication when changes are released
  • Connect document control to continuous improvement

The goal is not simply to store documents in Plex. The goal is to make sure the right people are using the right information at the right time—and that the information remains accurate and applicable to the operation.

Effective document control is a manufacturing control. Plex DCS provides the tools, but organizations must establish the ownership, review discipline, and auditing process that make those tools effective.


Popular posts from this blog

From Dormant to Dangerous: Understanding the security risk of dormant user accounts

Image
  In today's digital era, the security of cloud SaaS systems is paramount. An often-neglected aspect of cybersecurity is the management of dormant user accounts, which can unintentionally become gateways for cybercriminals, leading to significant data breaches. The process of regularly auditing and deactivating these inactive accounts is vital to safeguard the integrity and security of an enterprise. By ensuring that only active, necessary users have access to your resources, you minimize the risk of unauthorized access and strengthen your defense mechanisms. This guide delves into the necessity of tackling this issue head-on and outlines effective strategies for managing dormant accounts to secure your valuable data assets. Risks Associated with Dormant User Accounts Dormant user accounts are ticking time bombs in the realm of cybersecurity. These accounts, often forgotten or overlooked after an employee's departure or during system migrations, present a significant security r...
Read more

Automate the schedule of AR invoices and statements using the Plex ERP Document Delivery module.

Image
Manual invoicing and emailing of customer statements can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. According to a study by Skynova, most businesses handle up to 500 invoices each month and spend at least five days processing invoices .  The same study also found that 57% of invoice data is entered manually and 49% of businesses require two to three people to approve an invoice. These manual processes can lead to delays in payment and inefficiencies in the accounting process. Invoicing automation can help reduce the time and resources spent on manual invoicing. According to Skynova,Only about half of invoices (52%) are received electronically. The rest are paper invoices that need to be physically sorted, entered, and filed, adding additional steps to the invoice process. The following module in Plex manufacturing allows automatically delivery AR invoices and customer statements via email which can lead to improvement and reduce of the waste of resources associated by manu...
Read more

Cybersecurity Heroes: ERP Administrators Defending Against Threats

Image
  Understanding the Importance of Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is of paramount importance in any organization, and ERP systems are no exception. These systems store and process vast amounts of sensitive data, including financial records, customer information, and intellectual property. A breach in the ERP system can lead to severe consequences, such as financial loss, reputational damage, and legal implications. It is imperative for businesses to recognize the significance of cybersecurity in their ERP systems and allocate resources accordingly. The Role of ERP Administrators in Promoting Cybersecurity ERP administrators are responsible for managing and maintaining the ERP system. They play a pivotal role in promoting cybersecurity by implementing robust security protocols, monitoring for potential threats, and responding effectively to cyber-attacks. Key Responsibilities of ERP Administrators in Safeguarding Against Cyber Threats Implementing Security Protocols and Best Practices E...
Read more