Factory information forming islands of data, says Innergy CEO Jonathan Adams

"There is a lot more data being generated in the wood industry these days," says Jonathan Adams, CEO of Innergy, a data management systems supplier with offices in Florida and Minnesota. 

"We have the Internet of Things coming, more data being generated from CAD/CAM packages and even Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages. From sales and estimating, through project management, through enegineereing, through purchasing, receiving, inventory - all of that information has to be managed in some type of system," says Adams, who was also among the 2017 Woodworking Industry 40 Under 40 Award recipients at AWFS Fair 2017. 

"One of the challenges we see is that there are a lot of disjointed applications on the market. And those applications are creating islands of data, and the data does not flow very well across the business process." 

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Harry Urban

Harry Urban is the retired publisher of the Woodworking Network. Urban spent more than 30 years working in business-to-business publishing, trade shows, and conferences. He has travelled extensively throughout North America and overseas visiting and reporting on major manufacturing facilities and trade shows. In retirement, he's still following the woodworking industry, but he plans to do a lot more fishing.

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Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.