Loading
A
Utility Header Logo
Company
Plex Community
Change Country Site SelectionChange RockwellAutomation.com site selection to a different country, region or language
US | EN
Plex, a Rockwell Automation Company logo
Products
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
Platform
Smart Manufacturing Platform Overview
Discover how our integrated platform connects, automates, tracks, and analyzes your operations.
Cloud Infrastructure & Security
Enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure with industry-leading security and compliance.
Mobile Application
Access critical manufacturing data and controls from anywhere with our mobile apps.
Availability & Performance
Industry-leading uptime and performance with 99.5% availability guarantee.
Manufacturing Automation
Seamless integration with Rockwell Automation and other manufacturing systems.
Industries
Aerospace Auto and Tire Food & Beverage Industrial Manufacturing Plastics & Rubber Precision Metalforming
Plex Generic Dark Background
INTERACTIVE DEMO
Plex MES for Automotive

Gain Real-Time Visibility and Control of Your Operations

Try Now
Resources
All Resources Success Stories Analyst Reports Knowledge Articles Demos Blog
Plex Generic Dark Background
Analyst Report
2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Manufacturing Execution Systems
Read More
TALK TO US
SEE A DEMO
A
Utility Header Logo
Company
Log In Plex Manufacturing Cloud Plex Classic
TALK TO US
SEE A DEMO
Blog
Recent ActivityRecent Activity

What Tools Do You Have for Planning and Managing Your Supply Chain?

Share This:

LinkedInLinkedIn
XX
FacebookFacebook
PrintPrint
EmailEmail

In manufacturing, it’s essential to have the right tool for the right job. Imagine a plumber without a pipe wrench during a critical break. Or think of an electrician without a voltage meter trying to assess a malfunctioning motor. And how would a carpenter complete his job without a saw or hammer? Each of these professions requires the right tools. With them, these skilled tradespeople make manufacturing maintenance run smoothly. But without them, time, labor, production, and other essential production functions suffer.

One Piece of a Complex Operation

These trades often rely on one another to complete critical pieces of a project. And building a new breakroom, quality monitoring station, or installing a new machine requires everyone to have the right tools. Manufacturing, operations, and administration must work together in the same way. When one area doesn’t have the right tools, production falls off. When none of them do, chaos ensues.

Tools for Supply Chain Planning

Like the jobs and tasks above, supply chain planning tools are required to optimize planning and produce accurate forecasts. Distribution, manufacturing, finance, procurement, and logistics must work together to complete production efficiently. And the right tools in demand and supply planning can make it all come together.

Shipping Status Alerts

With the threat of disruption looming around every corner, it helps to know when and where your raw materials are. Proactive reporting and real-time data enable planners to prepare for contingencies, manage expedited requirements, and focus on keeping the supply chain moving efficiently.

Order Processing

If you aren’t confident that order processing is correct, you won’t be able to plan for actual demand. With the right software, order management tasks are automated to reduce human error and alleviate tasks to free up planners to focus on core needs. EDI software helps automate POs and invoices, delays in transportation, and other functions to relieve a considerable burden on planners.

Inventory Management

As new disruptions emerge, the importance of supply chain planning has never been greater. New strategies, such as reshoring and nearshoring, have replaced traditional inventory strategies like lean warehousing. These changes are too overwhelming for companies to rely on manual data entry and human-based analysis.

Warehouse management and optimization software deploys technology to leverage real-time data for warehouse and inventory management. The software can optimize inventory to reduce cost and improve service performance using bar code scanners, pick routes, perpetual inventory, and FIFO and LIFO strategies.

Supplier Management

The days of verbal vendor agreements informal vendor arrangements for contracts, quality documentation, and vendor performance measurements are long gone. Supply chain management tools for supplier management are critical in industries with tight regulatory and compliance requirements, and with vendor management software, reduced errors mean accurate compliance and vendor performance.

Demand Forecasting

There was a time when demand forecasting was more art than science, and these aren’t those times. Demand shifts faster today, not only due to economic conditions and disruption but also due to rapidly changing consumer tastes. Demand forecasting tools are best harnessed with intuitive and best-in-class software. These systems turn guessing into accurate, data-driven insights and prescriptive details that point planners in the right direction using the company’s data.

Analytics

With the rise of AI and advanced machine learning algorithms, analytics has become essential. Because analytics software operates faster than human analysis, it can uncover trends that may have been missed in the past. Analytics helps planners see the best direction and accurately forecast demand based on data. They also enable “what-if” contingency planning to navigate today’s complex environment.

Building the Perfect Toolbox

An old expression says, “When all you’ve got is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail.” Lack of tools, a single tool, or the wrong tool can bring a business down. 

But with supply chain planning software from Plex DemandCaster, you have all the tools you need in a software suite. From demand and supply planning to inventory forecasting, optimization, and more, DemandCaster delivers the supply chain planning tools you need to do the job right.

Contact us today to learn how we can provide the tools you need for the job you do the most.

Topics: 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.

Related Articles

Loading
Loading
  1. Chevron LeftChevron Left Homepage Chevron RightChevron Right
  2. Chevron LeftChevron Left Blog Chevron RightChevron Right
  3. Chevron LeftChevron Left What Tools Do You Have for Planning and Managing Your Supply Chain? Chevron RightChevron Right
Products
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Quality Management System (QMS) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Supply Chain Planning (SCP) Connected Worker Production Monitoring MES Automation & Orchestration Asset Performance Management (APM) Finite Scheduler
Platform
Smart Manufacturing Platform Cloud Infrastructure & Security Mobile Application Availability & Performance Manufacturing Automation
Resources
All Resources Case Studies Analyst Reports Knowledge Articles Demos Blog
Industries
All Industries Aerospace Auto and Tire Food & Beverage/CPG Industrial Manufacturing Plastics & Rubber Precision Metalforming & Fabrication
Services & Support
Customer Success & Advocacy Support Services Educational Services Professional Services Plex Community
Company
About Us Why Plex Recognition Newsroom Careers Contact Us
Get Started
Request a Demo Download Resources Read Success Stories Webinars Contact Support
Privacy & Cookie Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Preferences
Accessibility Settings
Trust Center
© YYYY Plex, by Rockwell Automation. All rights reserved.
© YYYY Rockwell Automation, Inc.