Multi-Site Manufacturer Drives Plant

Floor Efficiencies, Cuts Reporting

Time in Half

At a Glance:
• Fastener manufacturer relies on cloud ERP for integrated management of all
functions, with flexibility to meet the unique needs of six sites.
• Plex Manufacturing Cloud ERP allows Contmid Group to close books in
half the time each month.
• Solution provides baseline measures for OEE, throughput and scrap.
• Cloud solution monitors metrics to drive efficiencies.
• Increased data accessibility enables continuous improvements in
performance across the workforce.

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About Contmid Group

Contmid Group is a manufacturer that produces an extensive product line
of internally and externally threaded fasteners and stamped products for
automotive and industrial markets.
None of the facilities from which Contmid Group was initially formed had
existing ERP systems. As the company expanded its customer base over time, it
realized it needed an ERP system to effectively manage operations and allow for
continued growth. Yet it proved difficult to find a solution that allowed for central
control while also providing the customizations needed for each location.

“Plex was a great gift we received when acquiring a new facility.”

When the company acquired a new facility, Jacobson Tiffin, it found the solution
it needed. The Jacobson Tiffin site had recently launched Plex Cloud ERP.
ContMid leaders reviewed the cloud ERP solution’s functionality and decided it
was perfect for the entire enterprise.
Management felt Plex would be agile enough to meet the differing needs of its
six locations. Also, because it is completely integrated, it would allow ContMid
to share resources and best practices, while standardizing data management
and reporting.
According to Contmid Group’s IT Manager Brent Hunter, Plex was viewed as a
“great gift that the company received with the acquisition of Jacobson Tiffin.”

Complete System
Today, Contmid Group has a consolidated view of the world through which
employees at all six of its locations can access the same information, produce
the same reports, and make critical business and operational decisions more
quickly. All data is integrated, and the team can view critical information through
dashboards in real time.
Plex Manufacturing ERP has been the perfect all-in-one solution for the
Contmid Group. It combines the capabilities of enterprise resource planning
(ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES), quality management, customer
relationship management (CRM), shop floor integration, and much more.

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It enables the company to more effectively and efficiently manage virtually

every aspect of its operation including bills of material, purchasing, receiving,
inventory, manufacturing, quality, planning and scheduling, shipping, EDI,
and supply-chain management.

Integration Drives Efficiency

The seamless integration of all of its functions is viewed by Hunter as one
of the greatest benefits of Plex for the company’s day-to-day operations.
The company leverages single points of data entry without having to maintain
separate interfaces, duplication, or replication. For instance, the part list is the
core of the system and ties together engineering, quality, accounting, sales,
and inventory at a single point. All information related to a manufactured part
is easily accessible and references that single entry on the part list.
Contmid Group employees are able to access and print real-time reports while
filtering out data as needed. The integration of data and the use of common
processes enable management to have a more accurate view of the operations
in all of the plants at all times. Accurate, comprehensive tracking of its products
as they are being manufactured has enabled the company to improve its
inventory management, traceability, and resource forecasting.

Experts Manage Maintenance

Because Plex is a cloud solution, all of Contmid Group’s data is securely housed
and maintained off-site by Plex Systems.
The company avoids costly servers, hardware, and energy costs. There’s
no need for internal IT maintenance for the ERP system. The company rests
assured knowing that its data is housed in a highly secure environment with
back-up servers and industry-leading disaster recovery levels.
In addition, updates are made to the software on a real-time basis at no
additional cost to users; there are never new versions to install.

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Improved Decision-Making
Prior to the launch of Plex Cloud ERP, information-
sharing and reporting functions at most of Contmid
locations had been handled manually. Everything
was tracked with Excel spreadsheets and third-party
reporting software using separate processes, so it was
impossible to consolidate and compare data.
“Before Plex, we had no baseline measurements for
things like OEE, throughput and scrap levels,” noted
Hunter. “Now we can gather and review measurables
month to month, compare them, and delve deeper
to investigate root causes for variations. Comparing apples to apples helps
us identify opportunities to operate more efficiently and make smarter overall
business decisions.”

Improved Customer Satisfaction

One of Contmid Group’s toughest challenges is meeting the very tight delivery
timeframes imposed by its customers. Plex has helped the company become
more responsive to customer inquiries about turnaround times, more flexible
in adjusting schedules, and better able to control everything from inventory to
shipping.
“With the real-time recording of production data, we can immediately check
on the availability and status of parts for shipment,” said Hunter. “This helps
us respond to our customers’ inquiries, identify and manage any potential
roadblocks or production issues, and ensure that all delivery schedules
are met.”

Speedy Information Sharing

The fact that all data entered into Plex is instantaneously accessible for use
by other departments and locations has dramatically sped up reporting, both
within each facility and across the entire Contmid enterprise. Financial reporting
is one example.
“Compared to how long it used to take Accounting to close the books each
month, with Plex, the time has been cut in half,” explained Systems Analyst
Michelle Campbell.

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Campbell views this benefit as one of several advantages Plex Cloud ERP has
brought to the Contmid Group.
“When we make business decisions, we must plan months ahead,” she noted.
“Being able to review results in real time and consolidate and quickly compare
information means we can respond to market changes faster than we previously
were able to. This is a huge competitive advantage.”

Knowledge is Power
The increased accessibility of information with Plex has led to increased
knowledge across the entire Contmid workforce. Campbell notes the value of
this unexpected Plex benefit.

“Plex is a hands-on resource for continual education.”

“Plex’s change control/history screens track who is doing what on the shop floor
based on employee IDs, so we are able to identify who may need additional
training in certain areas,” she explained. “We can then educate individuals on
how to improve performance and achieve better results.”
“At a high level, we see examples each day of how more knowledge is helping
each member of our workforce grow,” Campbell concluded. “Employees on the
shop floor now have access to information they never saw before, and that has
helped them become more active contributors to the overall business.”
All brand names are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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About Plex
Plex is the Manufacturing Cloud, delivering industry-leading ERP and manufacturing automation to more than 350
companies across industries including aerospace and defense, food and beverage and motor vehicles. Plex pioneered cloud
solutions for the shop floor, connecting suppliers, machines, people, systems and customers with capabilities that are easy
to configure, deliver continuous innovation, and reduce IT costs. With insight that starts on the production line, Plex helps
companies see and understand every aspect of their business ecosystem, enabling them to lead in an ever-changing market.

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