A Basic Rundown of Plex ERP Software
At Ultra, we take our vendor relationships very seriously. That’s why we aim to have a vendor briefing with all companies we work with at least once a year so we’re functioning with up-to-date information. In our latest series, partner George Trudell met with Plex ERP software executives at their headquarters in Troy, Michigan.
Basic Background
Founded in 1995, Plex Systems got their start with the name “Plexus,” in honor of the solar plexus nerve bundle found in the body. The solar plexus is a huge meeting point for nerves, and the company chose to name themselves after this anatomical structure to symbolize the building of one whole system and the coming together of data and connections.
Plex ERP software considers manufacturing to be in their DNA and prides themselves on being a 100% cloud company. They currently have over 400 customers in 20 countries across 1300+ facilities. They can brag about a 95%+ renewal rate, 99.9% uptime, and zero upgrades. Plex obtained their first international customer in 2001 and has clearly grown exponentially from there.
Plex ERP Software Focus
Plex ERP software focuses solely on manufacturing, functions completely in the cloud, and offers a true multi-tenant cloud with one code base. They say their customers are the happiest in ERP history.
Plex’s focus client is a discrete or process manufacturer who engages in repetitive manufacturing of standard components and finished goods and functions in a vertically integrated supply chain; they also typically have revenues over $25 million. Most of their customers are in the mid-market sector, although there are several clients greater with more than $1b in revenue and multiple domestic and international locations.
What Makes Plex Win
Plex ERP software attributes the core strength of their software to a few capabilities, including the fact their solution functions from the shop floor to the top floor, is unified and integrated, is based on quality and traceability, is purposefully built for mixed mode manufacturing, and finally, functions 100% in the cloud.
When asked what makes Plex different, they responded with a few key points:
- Multi-tenant – Plex software runs on a multi-tenant platform.
- Continuous innovation – Plex is dedicated to the research and development around their product.
- No upgrades – Plex ERP software does not get bogged down by periodic upgrades.
- Manufacturing focus – Plex caters to a very specific customer base, allowing them to excel.
- Discrete & Process – Plex ERP software caters to discrete and process manufacturers, with discrete being customers in the motor vehicle and general manufacturing industries, and process being customers in the food and beverage industry.
Plex By The Numbers
Let’s talk about Plex in terms of numbers. Plex ERP software has a total of around 50k users logging in daily, serving 38 million pages, 2.3 billion monthly rows of new data, and 42.3 TB of monthly data delivered. Plus, users can connect anywhere in the world.
The Plex Cloud is built using Microsoft Technology from SQL Server database to IIS webservers. Their applications are written in .NET and their solution is hosted in their own data center in Troy, Michigan.
Plex and Software Upgrades
One very interesting aspect of Plex is the fact they do not offer distinct upgrades or releases. Plex ERP software is released continuously and enhancements are available in real time. This means the software is constantly being updated to current standards without having to wait for one big upgrade that could take hours, days or months to perform.
The Plex Insight
Plex offers a suite of tools customers can use for reporting called “Plex Insight.” This package includes Intelliplex, their business intelligence application, an ad hoc reporting tool, analytical applications, and debatably the most revolutionary tool of all, Benchmark, which allows you to anonymously compare metrics against other Plex customers. Best of all, this tool is completely browser-based.
Latest Technology
Plex places a huge emphasis on staying up to date with the latest technology. With the new trends of Big Data and ERP and the Internet of Things, Plex has spent a lot of time thinking about how they can make things easier on the shop floor. This brainstorm gave way to tools called “wearables” and “beacons.”
Beacons are placed throughout the plant and emit a unique ID as you go. Once an employee wearing a “wearable” walks by, the tool becomes location-aware and starts receiving information about the work centers. This means factory workers can operate completely hands-free.
Plex Partner Strategy
To optimize their reach, Plex ERP software places great emphasis on their partner strategy in the form of:
- Services partners – provide specialized application services on the Plex solution and management consulting services
- Advisory partners – help clients improve overall business operations with practices and solutions from global and regional thought leaders
- Strategic partners – provide Plex the opportunity to extend reach and enter new markets
To learn more, visit Plex’s website.
