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
Case Study
Recent ActivityRecent Activity

Hatch Stamping: Metalstamping Company Attributes Data Management Success to Plex

Download Case Study

Share This:

LinkedInLinkedIn
XX
FacebookFacebook
PrintPrint
EmailEmail
Hatch Stamping

Hatch Stamping was finding it difficult to achieve efficiency, accuracy and continue to grow with its manual processes and an antiquated technology infrastructure. The company also needed to manage operations both inside and outside the U.S. and bring together information from a variety of disparate systems and databases. With the addition of Plex, they were able to achieve this and more.

At A Glance

  • Manages data for operations spanning the United States and Mexico
  • Isolates performance metrics and financial data by plant
  • Barcoding capabilities enable more accurate parts tracking
  • Plex measures OEE, and generates data and reports to prevent, identify and solve production issues quick

Plex has simplified data gathering and data management at all levels of our enterprise, allowing savings in time and resources.

Arvel Wooten - Organizational Development Specialist, Hatch Stamping
 

Strong values such as quality, exceptional customer service and integrity have led Hatch Stamping to achieve remarkable growth in recent years. Along with the growth came the need to evaluate existing technology solutions. Its antiquated DOS-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system was not robust enough to handle the demands and goals of the company. After evaluating ERP solutions like QAD and SAP, Hatch chose Plex to integrate information from disparate databases under one user-friendly, simplified and accessible solution across the enterprise.

Plex not only provides leading-edge ERP support but combines the capabilities of ERP, manufacturing execution systems (MES), quality management, customer relationship management (CRM), shop-floor integration, and much more. Also, because Plex is a Cloud model, Hatch avoids the cost, hassles and business disruptions associated with new version upgrades. With Plex, there are never any new versions or security patches to install. Enhancements are made to the software on a real-time basis—frequently on a daily basis—at no additional cost.

Plex Creates Synergy Between User and Data

Like all manufacturers, Hatch relies on accurate and timely data to manage its performance. Complete integration of real-time operational data, collected from the shop floor to the top floor, is key for effective preventative maintenance, cost savings and lean manufacturing operations. About 50 percent of Hatch’s critical data—such as production rates, performance time, quality specifications, and inventory information—is generated on the shop floor.

With Plex, employees are able to input and retrieve real-time data so they can make more informed decisions. Accurate quality data has helped the company manage its resources efficiently by eliminating waste and reducing errors. For example, the company previously had two to three full-time staff working only on report generation. Now, any user can create reports within minutes, and this has allowed management to avoid unnecessary costs, redirect resources to other higher value tasks and proactively address production issues.

“Plex has simplified data gathering and data management at all levels of our enterprise, allowing savings in time and resources,” said Arvel Wooten, organizational development specialist, Hatch Stamping Company.

In fact, Plex’s ease of use is exemplified in the company’s Mexico plant where 90 percent of the shop-floor employees speak Spanish. Although Plex offers foreign language capabilities, the employees continue to use the system in English.

Multi-Plant Feature Enables Performance Traceability

Earlier, the finances at Hatch’s United States and Mexico plants were tracked together. There was no way to track performance at individual plants. Unable to see the real-time manufacturing processes at individual locations, Hatch found it difficult to work efficiently with minimal waste. Plex’s multi-plant feature enables the company to monitor and manage accounts and inventories for each of its plants, allowing maximum transparency.

Barcode Labeling Feature Establishes Inventory Transparency

Although Hatch was able to track inventory, time and production with the earlier system, it still involved manual, time-consuming processes. Plex simplified the process and also made it paperless on the production floor.

With Plex’s built-in barcode features, the process of tracking parts, containers and shipping details is more accurate and simplified. The barcoding solution supports hundreds of standard and specialized barcode formats and is fully integrated into the application. It is used for inventory tracking, shipping/receiving, tool tracking, gage tracking, labor time and attendance, and other areas. Part numbers, purchase order numbers, lot numbers, or any other information can be encoded into a barcode.

“The barcoding function has made tracking parts more accurate and easy. Now, we are able to give precise information to our suppliers. We used to have a 10,000-foot view of inventory. Now we view it from 10 feet. That is a huge change,” attests Wooten.

Customized Function Measures OEE

At Hatch, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is the key performance indicator (KPI). OEE, in conjunction with lean manufacturing methods, is a measurement of success. The company breaks OEE into three separate, but measurable, components: downtime, performance-to-rate, and quality. These metrics focus on the effectiveness of the company’s manufacturing operations.

Plex created a customized function to measure OEE. This function provides powerful but simple-to-use functions to measure OEE and maximize uptime and productivity. Metrics such as parts produced per minute, employee time for a specific task, downtime in production and quality of the parts can be easily entered into the system for report generation. The data gathered is used for preventing, identifying and solving production issues quickly. Plex provides detailed tracking of everything the company receives, makes, and ships. This information has enabled management to achieve world-class manufacturing performance levels.

Since equipment effectiveness impacts shop-floor employees more than any other group, Plex enables them to track OEE and plan and implement equipment and workflow improvements to improve efficiency.

OEE reporting and analyses helps Hatch avoid costly breakdowns, expand its technical knowledge base, and respond quickly to maintenance problems.

“Plex’s ability to provide detailed information quickly saves us time. With the Cloud model, it has allowed us to access information from anywhere, anytime.

We are no longer chasing data from one source to another. It is now readily available to help us make informed and proactive decisions,” said Wooten.

About Hatch Stamping Company

Hatch Stamping Company

Headquartered in Chelsea, Michigan, Hatch Stamping Company is a metalstampings manufacturer specializing in design, prototype construction, progressive die construction, stampings and assemblies for the automotive industry. It has plants in the United States and Mexico.

Location: Chelsea, MI

Founded: 1952

Topics: Precision Metalforming Smart Manufacturing Success Stories

Featured Resources

Loading
Loading
Loading
  1. Chevron LeftChevron Left Homepage Chevron RightChevron Right
  2. Chevron LeftChevron Left Case Studies Chevron RightChevron Right
  3. Chevron LeftChevron Left Hatch Stamping Metalstamping Company Attributes Data Management Success Plex 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.