AUBURN HILLS, Mich. May 8, 2007 -- Plexus Systems, Inc., provider of the on-demand manufacturing performance system, Plexus Online, today announced its sponsorship of a new benchmark report, The Enterprise Value of Plant Floor Visibility, by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE:HHS). The report is available for a limited time at http://www.plex.com.
The report has correlated very specific business capabilities to Best-in-Class operational performance. For the purposes of this study, Aberdeen has evaluated and classified manufacturers based on five key performance indicators: On Time Delivery, Average Number of Stock Outs, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Direct Material Usage Variance, and Throughput. Best-in-Class manufacturers are defined as the top 20% of performers in a weighted average across the aforementioned five KPIs and results show that Best-in-Class manufacturers are:
- 31% more likely than other manufacturers to have integrated plant floor data with ERP.
- 26% more likely than other manufacturers to be providing plant floor data to executive decision makers.
- Four times more likely than other manufacturers to be utilizing Manufacturing Intelligence and 40% more likely to have real time plant floor data capabilities.
Plexus Online is an on demand manufacturing performance system (MPS), combining the capabilities of (ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES), quality management, customer relationship management (CRM), shop floor integration, and much more. With the ability to manage a single facility or a global enterprise, Plexus Online utilizes lean principles to enable manufacturers to closely track and manage critical aspects of their operation, anywhere, anytime, via the software as a service (SaaS) model. Plexus Online consists of over 350 functional modules, allowing companies instant access to vital information and management functions using a simple web browser.
Originally designed on the manufacturing shop floor, Plexus Online supports the integration of data collected by manufacturing operators on the plant floor and uses the data throughout the powerful execution system for building, tracking, shipping, and reconciling the entire manufacturing process. The data is in integral link between the various business modules within Plexus Online, never having to be keyed in or uploaded.
Putting these findings in context Matthew Littlefield, a Manufacturing Research Analyst with the Aberdeen Group, states "Best-in-Class manufacturers are 15% more likely to be utilizing plant floor data that has been collected from an automated source. This data is 40% more likely to have been collected in real time and 31% more likely to have been integrated with ERP. Best-in-Class manufacturers, in regards to enterprise organization and knowledge management, are 13% more likely to manage plant floor data initiatives at the corporate level and are 26% more likely to give executive decision makers plant floor visibility."
More than 150 manufacturers participated in the study, including: Ford, Intel, NCR Corporation, Unisys, Bose, Philips, Merck Pharmaceutical, Bombardier, Pfizer, Kraft Foods, Inc. Bosch Rxroth GmbH, The Washington Post.
About Plexus Systems:
Since 1995, Plexus Systems, Inc. (Auburn Hills, MI) has maintained a singular vision -- to drive significant cost, quality and productivity improvements for manufacturers, from the shop floor to the top floor. Plexus Online is a true on demand manufacturing performance system, delivering a powerful, real-time interface to integrate and manage the total manufacturing enterprise. Plexus Systems originated internally at a manufacturing company, and was designed to resolve quality challenges, including production, distribution and global supply chains management issues. Today, Plexus Online also enables businesses to manage other top priorities, such as accounting, compliance and human resources. Plexus Systems serves a cross section of manufacturing industries (OEM and suppliers), particularly automotive, defense, medical device and aerospace companies headquartered in the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
Plexus Systems has partnered with Apax Partners (www.apax.com), one of the world's leading global private equity groups, to drive global expansion and further strengthen the company's products, services and market position. Apax Partners operates across the US, Europe and Asia and has more than $20 billion in funds under management and advice. In 2006, funds advised by Apax made a strategic investment in Plexus Systems, joining the founding investment group as stakeholders in Plexus.
