New Mobile BI and Finite Scheduling Solutions Provide Analysis-to-Action

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/--  Plex, the leader in cloud ERP for the manufacturing enterprise, Tuesday announced new mobile business intelligence capabilities, enabling manufacturing professionals to access and share role-based enterprise and plant-level analytic dashboards from virtually any mobile device, anywhere. Plex also announced the availability of a new Finite Scheduling application, which gives managers real-time control over plant operations, including people, tools, fixtures and work centers to maximize resources and ensure just-in-time delivery for end customers.

The new capabilities are available now as part of the Plex Manufacturing Cloud's continuous innovation development model.

What's New: SmartPlex Mobile, Now With Analytics

Delivered in 2013 and available on iOS and Android devices, SmartPlex Mobile puts the manufacturing cloud in the hands of business and operations leaders anywhere, anytime, providing comprehensive insight, communication and control for all manufacturing and business operations.

• Users can tap into their complete, role-based library of IntelliPlex analytic dashboards and reports, with visibility into any data or transactions across their organizations. IntelliPlex makes it easy to analyze data from all aspects of the manufacturing supply chain, as well as business operations.

What's New: Plex Finite Scheduling

Manufacturing organizations can now efficiently plan and manage the availability and utilization of employees, tools, fixtures, work-center space and other manufacturing resources, maximizing shop-floor efficiency while ensuring on-time delivery of products to customers.

• Plex Finite Scheduling includes capable-to-promise analysis, along with dynamic calendar and scenario planning for what-if analysis.
• Organizations can plan based upon load/capacity with configurable logic, using historical production data, forward-looking forecasts or both in their calculations.
• New planning capabilities also enable operations managers to schedule appropriate jobs to run concurrently, or sequence activity in overlapped or parallel processes.

Plex Manufacturing Leadership

SmartPlex Mobile with Analytics and Plex Finite Scheduling both build on Plex's long-standing leadership in manufacturing cloud solutions.

• The Plex Manufacturing Cloud starts at the shop floor, connecting people, materials, machines, systems, customers, suppliers and data to make companies more agile and more competitive, ultimately driving bottom-line results.
• Where legacy ERP solutions started with accounting for what happened, the Plex Manufacturing Cloud manages what is happening–supporting the real-time activities of every person, machine and shop-floor transaction. By managing and understanding the shop floor, Plex delivers unprecedented data and insight for managing manufacturing organizations.
• Plex currently supports nearly 400 manufacturing customers in a wide range of discrete and process industries, including automotive, aerospace and defense, food and beverage.

Comments on the News

"Plex started on the manufacturing shop floor, because that's where innovation happens, products are built and business results are achieved," said Jason Blessing, Plex chief executive officer. "Our new mobile analytics and finite scheduling solutions further extend the Plex Manufacturing Cloud to support both the business and operational needs of manufacturers, helping them drive productivity and innovate every single day."

"Avon Gear has multiple operations required for each part we make, and with so many parts it is imperative that processes are running as smoothly as possible," said Geoff Pitts, Production Control Manager, Avon Gear Company. "With Plex Finite Scheduling, part jobs are scheduled automatically, taking into account the constraints of work center capacity, available resources, job priority and due date. We've eliminated the issue of part jobs being stacked up or backlogged, so we can consistently meet customer deadlines. For our scheduling resource, Plex makes scheduling as easy as the push of a button."

About Plex

Plex is the Manufacturing Cloud, delivering industry-leading ERP and manufacturing automation to nearly 400 companies, including aerospace and defense, food and beverage and motor vehicles. Plex pioneered shop-floor Cloud solutions, connecting suppliers, machines, people, systems and customers with capabilities that are easy to configure, deliver continuous innovation and reduce IT costs. With insight that starts on the production line, Plex helps companies see and understand every aspect of their business ecosystems, enabling them to lead in an ever-changing market. Learn more at www.plex.com.

SOURCE Plex