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Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
Manufacturing Execution Suite (MES) is a comprehensive manufacturing software solution that provides real-time, paperless production management to drive enterprise-wide compliance, quality, and efficiency.
Quality Management System (QMS)
Quality Management System (QMS) is a cloud-based digital quality solution for manufacturers that standardizes and automates quality documentation, processes, and measurements.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a full-featured, scalable, cloudbased ERP that automates front- and back-office processes.
Supply Chain Planning (SCP)
Supply Chain Planning (SCP) combines data from your Plex ERP and multiple departments across your business to sync up demand and supply planning to improve inventory accuracy and production management.
Connected Worker
Connected Worker empowers frontline manufacturing teams with real-time digital tools to improve productivity, reduce errors, and enhance collaboration. It connects your people, to purpose, people, productivity, and processes to drive continuous improvement and workforce agility on the shop floor.
Production Monitoring
Production Monitoring provides seamless connectivity to machines on the plant floor, delivering transparent, real-time operational KPIs and dashboards to drive continuous improvements.
MES Automation & Orchestration
MES Automation & Orchestration connects your Plex MES to the plant edge to control information flow, processes, and workcenter setup adding efficiency, saving costs, and eliminating manual errors.
Asset Performance Management (APM)
Asset Performance Management (APM) combines process, operational, and machine-level data through highly visual dashboards to proactively monitor machine and plant health to ensure optimal uptime, throughput, and maintenance needs.
Finite Scheduler
Finite Scheduler is an advanced production scheduling tool that helps manufacturers optimize resources, reduce bottlenecks, and improve on-time delivery. It enables dynamic, constraint-based scheduling to align operations with real-world capacity and demand
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Smart Manufacturing Platform Overview
Discover how our integrated platform connects, automates, tracks, and analyzes your operations.
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Enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure with industry-leading security and compliance.
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Access critical manufacturing data and controls from anywhere with our mobile apps.
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Seamless integration with Rockwell Automation and other manufacturing systems.
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Don't Get Too Close to the Flame

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In the last three years, the food and beverage industry has witnessed enormous growth. COVID-19-related trends and changes such as tech-driven services and mass customization are driving demand. It’s estimated that between 2021 and 2022, the food and beverage market will grow from $3,232.94 billion to $3,678.61 billion. And this compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8% is impacting supply chains. Adding fuel to the fire is the shortage of fertilizer and other core materials used in agriculture. With unprecedented disruption, inflation, consumer trends, and market uncertainty, margins are tighter despite growth.

These days, it seems every company is one supply chain hiccup away from disaster. For food and beverage supply chain managers and decision-makers who must make that long walk down the hall to the boardroom or executive suites to explain current organizational performance based on planning, the stakes are high. If their explanation is proactive, fact-based, and shows an optimized process for obtaining the raw materials and components for meeting growth while maintaining healthy margins, things go smoothly. But if that explanation is based on manual processes, verbal agreements, and a dizzying array of error-prone spreadsheets and missed forecasts, they may find that they’ve stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

From Fighting Fires to Preventing Them

Why take chances and make guesses when creating a supply chain plan with so much at stake? Many companies spend excessive time, labor, and resources fighting fires after they occur. But rather than guess, advanced demand and supply software from Plex DemandCaster can help you move from fighting fires to preventing them.

Achieve End-to-End Visibility

Visibility across the entire supply chain helps you see fires before or as they occur. With Plex DemandCaster Demand and Supply software, you'll have end-to-end visibility using data-driven insights to see the entire chain, create accurate plans, and lower costs. Traditional planning uses siloed data and spotty communication. With Plex DemandCaster, your supply chain management uses a control tower strategy and can see fires at the first sign of smoke.

Plan for Contingencies

In today's world, planning professionals must be ready for anything. Human insights, analysis, and data collection can only carry you so far. With robust software, planners can use at or near real-time data to identify the trends driving supply needs. The software contains advanced analytics capabilities, so you can confidently map out "what-if" strategies across operational, inventory, and purchasing cases to have a plan to pivot to quickly if needed.

Forecast with Accuracy and Confidence

Demand and Supply Planning software from Plex DemandCaster unsiloes data and removes errors, bias, and faulty analysis from the planning process. In its place, powerful cloud-based analytics deliver actionable insights to your fingertips ahead of problems. This analysis empowers accurate forecasts and lets planning professionals plan strategically while operating and scheduling tactically as incidents occur. And when the heat from disruption runs hottest, you can prioritize by margins with ABC analysis to protect the most profitable product lines.

Use Your Inventory Strategy as a Fire Extinguisher

As disruption rages, Plex DemandCaster offers best-in-class inventory forecasting and optimization software to stay ahead of demand and put out fires that consume the competition. This software lets planners automate functions like purchasing. The system can dynamically change minimum order quantity and economic order quantity to meet demand or offer prescriptive insights so planners can make the best decision based on data. With supply chain strategies shifting to include concepts such as buffer stock, nearshoring, reshoring, rapid substitution, and more, Plex DemandCaster's analytical capabilities integrate with ERP and other enterprise systems so that everyone works with a single version of the truth.

Reducing Risk with Software

Don't take chances and risk falling into the flame. Instead, lean on a suite of software from Plex DemandCaster to plan with confidence and precision and use data-driven insights to make decisions to optimize your supply chain in any market condition. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you stay away from the flame today.

Topics: Food & Beverage Supply Chain Management Planning

Plex Team
Plex Team
Plex, by Rockwell Automation, is the leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world’s manufacturers to make awesome products. Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track and analyze every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, Industrial IoT and analytics to connect people, systems, machines, and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility.

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