Loading
Utility Header Logo
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
Log In Plex Manufacturing Cloud Plex Classic
TALK TO US
SEE A DEMO
Case Study
Recent ActivityRecent Activity

Jay Industries Achieves Major Yearly Savings and Increases Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) with Plex ERP and Plex MES A&O

Distrustful of data from their previous system, Jay Industries migrated to Plex ERP and Plex MES A&O.

Share This:

LinkedInLinkedIn
XX
FacebookFacebook
PrintPrint
EmailEmail
Chevron DownChevron Down
Jay Industries

Jay Industries is a metal fabrication company that manufactures automotive and agricultural parts, operating primarily out of Mansfield, Ohio.

Challenge
  • Existing ERP system provided unreliable production data and failed to support manufacturing operations
  • Inaccurate data resulted in poor inventory control
  • Struggled to make confident business decisions without real-time insights
Solution
  • Plex Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
  • Plex Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
  • Plex MES Automation and Orchestration (MES A&O)
Results
  • Realized $152,000 in yearly cost savings
  • Minimized inventory variance by 86%
  • Increased Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by 6%
  • Increased machine availability by 8%

Challenge

A Call for Greater Control

With inaccurate and unreliable data frustrating the company from front office to plant floor, Jay Industries knew it was time to migrate to an ERP system that would better support the metal fabricator’s operations and growth. Inventory control posed the largest challenge and served as a main motivator for an improved system. The company recorded quantities of containers, but did not serialize inventory. This made accurately tracking inventory nearly impossible and caused confusion throughout production.

“Inaccurate numbers were reported to the production supervisor. It would say we would have quantities on-hand, but in reality, we didn’t have those quantities on-hand,” explains Ernie Smith, Director of Business Operations, Jay Industries.

“Our information was all over the place. Some people stopped using it on a regular basis. Now you can’t make decisions based around, you know, where your production is, where your efficiencies are. We just didn’t have [what] we needed to run our business,” shares Paul Boggs, President and CEO, Jay Industries.

Solution

Instant Production Visibility

With inventory top of mind, and a desire for increased visibility across the entire production process, Jay Industries turned to Plex ERP. The smart manufacturing solution offered the company exactly what they required—real-time production data, tighter inventory control, and customer demand forecasting. The Plex solution would also build a culture of trust within the facility, as employees began to feel reassured that they could trust the numbers on the screen.

Following the initial implementation of Plex ERP, Jay Industries also deployed Plex MES A&O. The company desired the detailed plant floor insights Plex MES A&O provided, allowing for key metrics like Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) to be measured and improved. The technology would also allow Jay Industries to automate certain processes and ensure accurate work center statuses.

Results

Facility-Wide Operational Improvements

The impact of Plex's live data was felt across production at Jay Industries immediately. As the company settled into using the new ERP system, they continued to build out reports and leverage insights to better understand areas of operation that could be improved. Prior to Plex, there was a 15% inventory loss at the end of the year. Since implementing, there’s been no more than a 2% variance of the physical inventory and what’s reflected digitally.

The Plex impact has extended beyond inventory. As plant floor visibility has increased, so has plant floor control. Work center status is far more accurate—supervisors now know what machines are active, which machines are down, and what specific issues need to be addressed. Empowered with new data on unplanned downtime, Jay Industries increased machine availability by 8%.

“Having the visibility of your sales, having the visibility of your manufacturing process, your production efficiencies, and what you have on-hand is crucial to any business that’s going to be operating in today’s environment,” explains Boggs. “The data itself, and Plex’s ability to report that out, really changed how we run our business from a strategic standpoint.”

Data-Driven Decision Making with Plex MES A&O

The deployment of Plex MES A&O has given Jay Industries and its machine operators a greater sense of efficiency awareness. Operators can visually track performance and adjust in real-time instead of retroactively. The performance board that’s presented through Plex MES A&O encourages operators to achieve certain milestones and has resulted in both increased productivity and output.

“The biggest improvement with [Plex MES] A&O is probably the awareness. When you can measure [performance], and you can give them that direct feedback, instant feedback, it changes the dynamics of how an operator approaches the work center,” shares Boggs.

Jay Industries is now able to accurately measure OEE due to automatic status updates that Plex MES A&O provides. Overall, the company has witnessed a 6% OEE increase. This OEE increase translates to an impressive $152,000 yearly cost savings, partially due to machines no longer running overtime. With Plex MES A&O, Jay Industires has successfully leveraged production data and improved various parts of the production process.

Published December 20, 2024

Topics: Precision Metalforming Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Manufacturing Execution System (MES) MES Automation & Orchestration Smart Manufacturing Manufacturing Operations

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 Jay Industries Achieves Major Yearly Savings and Increases Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) with Plex ERP and Plex MES A&O 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
Get Started
Request a Demo Download Resources Read Success Stories Webinars Contact Support
Company
About Us Why Plex Recognition Newsroom Careers Contact Us
Knowledge Articles
Types of Quality Management Systems The MES Beginner Guide A Guide to Production Part Approval Process What is Industry 4.0? A Guide to Advanced Product Quality Planning Supply Chain Planning: A Guide to Strategic Planning and Operations MES and the Future of Robotics Automation Cloud Based MES Basics Food Manufacturing Software: Why MES Is Critical for Food and Beverage Manufacturers Guide to Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Cloud-Based MES Solutions A Guide to Monitoring Machine Performance What is Connected Manufacturing and Why Should You Care About It?
Privacy & Cookie Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Preferences
Accessibility Settings
Trust Center
© YYYY Plex, by Rockwell Automation. All rights reserved.
© YYYY Rockwell Automation, Inc.