Plex Systems
Encyclopedia
Plex Systems, Inc. is a privately held U.S. software company based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The company develops and markets Plex Online, a Software as a Service
(SaaS) or Cloud application ERP
for manufacturing.
database technology. The company began offering its software via the software as a service
(SaaS) model when Plexus Online was launched in 2001. In 2006 Apax Partners
made a strategic investment in Plexus Systems by acquiring a majority interest in the company. In 2009, the company changed its name to Plex Systems and renamed its flagship product Plex Online. Aberdeen Group
suggested in its "Aberdeen AXIS: ERP in Manufacturing 2009” report that Plex Systems is among the top four performing ERP vendors. Plex was the only ERP software solution provider placed entirely within the “Champion” performance category, just ahead of SAP AG
.
Historically, the company has not released detailed financial information, citing its status as a privately held corporation. However, in January 2009, the company reported a revenue increase of 33% for calendar year 2008. Additionally, on February 7, 2010, Crain's Detroit Business reported that the company "increased revenue to more than $26 million in 2009 from $22.9 million in 2008."
Plex has accomplished notoriety as the first provider of a complete ERP solution for manufacturing companies. Several IT software bloggers have written about Plex’s ability to provide a wide scope of critical features for manufacturers in a SaaS model, where larger ERP vendors have not succeeded.
(SaaS) or Cloud application ERP
that attempts to manage and monitor the manufacturing process and support the functions of production, inventory, shipping, supply-chain management, quality, accounting, sales, and human resource departments, in addition to the traditional ERP roles of finance/accounting, procurement, human capital management, etc. Plex Online is targeted towards manufacturing industries with rigorous traceability
, quality and food safety
requirements, including automotive, aerospace, food & beverage, and life sciences or medical manufacturing. The system must be accessed using a web browser, making its functions available from anywhere with an Internet connection. The software is designed to provide managers and engineers with real-time visibility to production data.
While Plex Systems calls the SaaS solution "ERP
", the software goes beyond the traditional boundaries of ERP to include the following integrated functions:
(SaaS) (also referred to as Cloud application) is an application delivery model in which the user accesses software over the Internet, from anywhere, at any time. The physical location and ownership/maintenance burden of the system that actually serves the software is outside the responsibility and concern of the end users. Some IT professionals have expressed concern about moving ERP to a SaaS model. At the same time many companies have successfully performed such deployments with Plex Systems and other providers.
SaaS
or Cloud applications are deployed atop the platform layer of the cloud computing
stack. These applications tend to be sold as a subscription, shifting the burden of the software cost across the useful life of the software, and trend to be accounted as an operating expense
(OpEx
). This is in contrast to traditional methods that require upfront payment or financing and tend to be accounted as a capital expense (CapEx
).
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) or Cloud application ERP
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
for manufacturing.
Company Overview
Plex Systems began as an internal IT project at an automotive parts manufacturer, MSI, in 1989. The company was formed as Plexus Systems LLC in 1995, providing client/server manufacturing software based on Progress Software'sProgress Software
Progress Software Corporation , formerly Data Language Corporation, is an American software company that sells business application infrastructure software. Its best known product is the OpenEdge ABL , which was developed in the early 1980s. The best known application written in Progress is...
database technology. The company began offering its software via the software as a service
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) model when Plexus Online was launched in 2001. In 2006 Apax Partners
Apax Partners
Apax Partners LLP is a global private equity and venture capital firm, headquartered in London. The company also operates out of eight other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel-Aviv, Madrid, Stockholm, Milan and Munich. The firm, including its various predecessors, have raised...
made a strategic investment in Plexus Systems by acquiring a majority interest in the company. In 2009, the company changed its name to Plex Systems and renamed its flagship product Plex Online. Aberdeen Group
Aberdeen Group
Aberdeen Group Inc. is a provider of fact-based research helping organizations and individuals make better business decisions. Founded in 1988, Aberdeen Group tries to understand the implications and results of process innovation, methodology advancements, technology deployments, and business...
suggested in its "Aberdeen AXIS: ERP in Manufacturing 2009” report that Plex Systems is among the top four performing ERP vendors. Plex was the only ERP software solution provider placed entirely within the “Champion” performance category, just ahead of SAP AG
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
.
Historically, the company has not released detailed financial information, citing its status as a privately held corporation. However, in January 2009, the company reported a revenue increase of 33% for calendar year 2008. Additionally, on February 7, 2010, Crain's Detroit Business reported that the company "increased revenue to more than $26 million in 2009 from $22.9 million in 2008."
Plex has accomplished notoriety as the first provider of a complete ERP solution for manufacturing companies. Several IT software bloggers have written about Plex’s ability to provide a wide scope of critical features for manufacturers in a SaaS model, where larger ERP vendors have not succeeded.
Plex Online
Plex Online is a Software as a ServiceSoftware as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) or Cloud application ERP
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
that attempts to manage and monitor the manufacturing process and support the functions of production, inventory, shipping, supply-chain management, quality, accounting, sales, and human resource departments, in addition to the traditional ERP roles of finance/accounting, procurement, human capital management, etc. Plex Online is targeted towards manufacturing industries with rigorous traceability
Traceability
Traceability refers to the completeness of the information about every step in a process chain.The formal definition: Traceability is the ability to chronologically interrelate uniquely identifiable entities in a way that is verifiable....
, quality and food safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
requirements, including automotive, aerospace, food & beverage, and life sciences or medical manufacturing. The system must be accessed using a web browser, making its functions available from anywhere with an Internet connection. The software is designed to provide managers and engineers with real-time visibility to production data.
While Plex Systems calls the SaaS solution "ERP
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
", the software goes beyond the traditional boundaries of ERP to include the following integrated functions:
- Enterprise Resource PlanningEnterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
(ERP): Plex Online supports traditional ERP accounting functions, including costing, accounts payables, accounts receivables, general ledger and financial statement generation; human resources and payroll; internal activities related to launching new products, conducting R&D projects and handling major engineering part revisions; and others.
- Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) or Manufacturing Operations ManagementManufacturing operations managementManufacturing operations management is a methodology for viewing an end-to-end manufacturing process with a view to optimizing efficiency....
(MOM): Plex Online supports MES/MOM functions such as production (pull) scheduling and Kanban scheduling; materials management; production control and process instructions; tool, production, scrap, and labor tracking; traceability and part genealogy; and CAD integration. The software includes native support for bar code labeling, wireless handheld devices, PLCs, weigh scales, packaging machines, and other common manufacturing and shipping equipment.
- Quality Management SystemQuality management systemA quality management system can be expressed as the organizational structure, procedures, processes and resources needed to implement quality management.-Elements of a Quality Management System:# Organizational structure# Responsibilities# Methods...
s (QMS): Plex Online can gather quality data such as reports on Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)Failure mode and effects analysisA failure modes and effects analysis is a procedure in product development and operations management for analysis of potential failure modes within a system for classification by the severity and likelihood of the failures...
and Statistical Process ControlStatistical process controlStatistical process control is the application of statistical methods to the monitoring and control of a process to ensure that it operates at its full potential to produce conforming product. Under SPC, a process behaves predictably to produce as much conforming product as possible with the least...
(SPC) data from electronic gauges. It helps maintain compliance with quality standards including ISO 9000ISO 9000The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
and ISO 14000ISO 14000The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes etc.) negatively affect the...
, QS-9000QS9000QS9000 is a quality standard developed by a joint effort of the "Big Three" automakers, General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. It was introduced to the industry in 1994. It has been adopted by several heavy truck manufacturers in the U.S. as well...
, TS-16949, AS-9100AS9100AS9100 is a widely adopted and standardized quality management system for the aerospace industry.It was released in October, 1999, by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the European Association of Aerospace Industries....
, etc.
- Customer Relationship ManagementCustomer relationship managementCustomer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...
(CRM): Plex Online supports sales and customer relationship activities common in manufacturing industries, including quote tracking and order entry; release accounting and shipment tracking; revenue reporting; and others.
- Supply Chain ManagementSupply chain managementSupply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
(SCM): Plex Online supports supply chain management functions such as electronic Kanban, online releases, EDI, electronic invoices and shipment notifications, online supplier quality management, cross-company inventory traceability, cross-company quality and production data, and others. EDI is integrated with customer orders, inventory, bar code labeling, packaging, and shipping.
Software as a Service (SaaS) or Cloud application
Plex Online software is offered as a service, in a multi-tenant architecture. Software as a ServiceSoftware as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) (also referred to as Cloud application) is an application delivery model in which the user accesses software over the Internet, from anywhere, at any time. The physical location and ownership/maintenance burden of the system that actually serves the software is outside the responsibility and concern of the end users. Some IT professionals have expressed concern about moving ERP to a SaaS model. At the same time many companies have successfully performed such deployments with Plex Systems and other providers.
SaaS
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
or Cloud applications are deployed atop the platform layer of the cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
stack. These applications tend to be sold as a subscription, shifting the burden of the software cost across the useful life of the software, and trend to be accounted as an operating expense
Operating expense
An operating expense, operating expenditure, operational expense, operational expenditure or OPEX is an ongoing cost for running a product, business, or system . Its counterpart, a capital expenditure , is the cost of developing or providing non-consumable parts for the product or system...
(OpEx
OPEX
The acronym OPEX may refer to:* Operational expenditure* Operational excellence* OPEX * OPEX * OPtions EXpiration day = OPEX. The 3rd Friday of the month.* Opérations Extérieures, overseas operations of the French Military....
). This is in contrast to traditional methods that require upfront payment or financing and tend to be accounted as a capital expense (CapEx
CAPEX
CAPEX, also known as the Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Co-operative Society, is an organization managed by the government of Kerala to promote the cashew industry and especially the export market for cashews.-Organization:...
).
See also
- Software as a serviceSoftware as a ServiceSoftware as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
- Cloud application
- Manufacturing Execution Systems
- Customer Relationship ManagementCustomer relationship managementCustomer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...
- Supply chain management softwareSupply chain management softwareSupply chain management software is a business term which refers to a whole range of software tools or modules used in executing supply chain transactions, managing supplier relationships and controlling associated business processes....
- Enterprise Resource PlanningEnterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
- List of ERP software packages
- List of ERP vendors