Plex Systems

Plex Systems began as an internal IT project at an automotive parts manufacturer, MSP Industries Corporation, in 1989. The company was formed as Plexus Systems LLC in 1995 by Robert Beatty,[https://www.capitalatplay.com/a-tale-of-two-passions/ A Tale of Two Passions: Robert Beatty’s journey from cloud computing innovator to New York Times Bestseller.] providing client/server manufacturing software. The company began offering its software via the software as a service (SaaS) or cloud computing model when Plexus Online was launched in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.plex.com/company/ |title=About Plex |publisher=Plex.com |date= |accessdate=2018-08-13}}

In 2006 Apax Partners acquired a majority interest in the company.{{Cite web |title=Apax Partners makes strategic investment in Plexus Systems, provider of on-demand manufacturing systems |url=https://www.apax.com/news-views/apax-partners-makes-strategic-investment-in-plexus-systems-provider-of-on-demand-manufacturing-systems/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.apax.com |language=en}}

In 2009, the company changed its name to Plex Systems and renamed its flagship product Plex Online.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS134603+06-Jan-2009+MW20090106 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201050921/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS134603+06-Jan-2009+MW20090106 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-02-01 | title=Plexus Systems, Inc. Changes Name to Plex Systems, Inc. | date=2009-01-06 | work=Reuters}} In June 2012, the company announced the acquisition from a group of share holders, including Apax Partners by Francisco Partners.{{cite web|url=http://www.plex.com/news/news.asp?Web_Content_Key=3346 |title=Francisco Partners to Acquire Plex |publisher=Plex.com |date= |accessdate=2018-08-13}}{{cite web|url=http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/06/06/plex-systems-gets-new-owner/ |title=Plex Systems Gets New Owner |publisher=Detroit.cbslocal.com |date=2012-06-06 |accessdate=2018-08-13}} In June 2012, Accel Partners invested $30 million in Plex:{{cite web | url=http://www.plex.com/about-plex/newsroom/press-releases/plex-systems-raises-30-million-strategic-investment-from-accel-partners.html | title=Plex Systems Raises 30 Million Strategic Investment from Accel Partners | date=2012-12-18}} In June 2014, Plex secured $50 million in additional funding led by T. Rowe Price, which joined existing investors Francisco Partners and Accel Partners.{{cite web | url=http://www.plex.com/about-plex/newsroom/press-releases/plex-systems-secures-50-million-round-of-funding-led-by-t-rowe-price.html | title=Plex System Secures 50 Million Round of Funding Led by T. Rowe Price | date=2014-06-10}} The investment will be used to support expanded product development, as well as investments in marketing and sales.{{cite news | url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2014/06/10/t-rowe-price-leads-50m-round-for-plex-systems-at-500m-valuation/ | title=Forbes: T. Rowe Price Leads $50M Round for Plex Systems at $500M Valuation | newspaper=Wall Street Journal | date=2014-06-10 | last1=Gage | first1=Deborah }} In June 2021, Plex was acquired by Rockwell Automation $2.22 billion in cash.{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210625005162/en/Rockwell-Automation-to-Expand-Industrial-Cloud-Software-Offer | title=Rockwell Automation to Expand Industrial Cloud Software Offering with Acquisition of Plex Systems | date=2021-06-25}}

Aberdeen Group suggested in its "Aberdeen AXIS: ERP in Manufacturing 2009” report that Plex Systems was among the top four performing ERP vendors.{{cite web | url=http://www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk/news/aberdeen-reveals-top-performing-erp-companies | title=Aberdeen reveals top performing ERP companies | date=2009-06-29}} Plex was the only ERP software solution provider placed entirely within the “Champion” performance category,{{Cite web |url=http://www.plex.com/download/Aberdeen_2009_ERP_in_Manufacturing_AXIS_Report.pdf |title=The Aberdeen AXIS: ERP in Manufacturing 2009 |access-date=2009-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122064552/http://www.plex.com/download/Aberdeen_2009_ERP_in_Manufacturing_AXIS_Report.pdf |archive-date=2010-11-22 |url-status=dead }} just ahead of SAP AG. (There is evidence of Plex acting as a sponsor for Aberdeen Group{{Cite web |url=http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aaaa/industryMW-detail.jsp?id=55368094-5B35-481A-AFDF-7F7701CC1DAE |title=Smartbrief |access-date=2012-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114045625/http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aaaa/industryMW-detail.jsp?id=55368094-5B35-481A-AFDF-7F7701CC1DAE |archive-date=2011-11-14 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://plexsystems.aberdeen.com/ |title=MMAT |access-date=2012-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708083218/http://plexsystems.aberdeen.com/ |archive-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=dead }} so this report from Aberdeen may be biased) However, other vendors evaluated in the same report are also sponsors of Aberdeen Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.sap.com/press.epx?pressid=14143 |title=SAP Press |publisher=Sap.com |date= |accessdate=2018-08-13}}{{cite web|author=David Hope-Ross |url=https://blogs.oracle.com/scm/entry/oracle_at_aberdeen_s_cheif |title=Oracle Press |publisher=Blogs.oracle.com |date=2011-11-01 |accessdate=2018-08-13}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.infor.com/company/registration/?requestedContent=%2Fcontent%2Fanalyst%2Faberdeen-erp-sme.pdf%2F |title=Infor Report |access-date=2012-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814094126/http://www.infor.com/company/registration/?requestedContent=%2Fcontent%2Fanalyst%2Faberdeen-erp-sme.pdf%2F |archive-date=2011-08-14 |url-status=dead }}[https://archive.today/20130122150651/http://blogs.epicor.com/connectedretailer/2011/06/ Epicor Blog]

Historically, the company has not released detailed financial information, citing its status as a privately held corporation. However, in May 2012, the company reported a revenue increase of 30.6% in the first quarter ending March 31, compared to a year earlier. Recurring revenue increased by 30.5 percent, representing the 19th consecutive quarter of growth."{{cite web | url=http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/05/01/plex-systems-announces-record-first-quarter-financial-results/| title=CBS Detroit | date=2012-05-01}}

Plex is known as the first provider of a complete SaaS ERP solution for manufacturing companies.{{cite news | url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-22/plex-systems-takes-on-bigger-rivals-in-cloud-software-for-business | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525225919/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-22/plex-systems-takes-on-bigger-rivals-in-cloud-software-for-business | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 25, 2014 | title= Plex Systems: Detroit's New Dashboard | newspaper= Bloomberg | date= 22 May 2014 }} Several IT software bloggers have written about Plex’s ability to provide a wide scope of critical features for manufacturers in a SaaS model, where larger ERP vendors had not succeeded at the time.{{cite web | url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-future-of-erp-sap-plex-and-rootstock/ | title=The Future of ERP: SAP, Plex and Rootstock | website=ZDNet | date=2010-06-01}}{{cite web | url=http://fscavo.blogspot.com/2010/04/plex-online-pure-saas-for-manufacturing.html | title=Plex Online: pure SaaS for manufacturing| date=2010-04-09}}

The Plex Manufacturing Cloud is a software as a service (SaaS) or cloud application ERP that manages the manufacturing process and supports the functions of production, inventory, shipping, supply-chain management, quality, accounting, sales, and human resource departments, in addition to the traditional ERP roles of finance/accounting, procurement, human capital management, etc.{{cite web| url=http://www.forgingmagazine.com/feature/feature/83841/enterprise_software_brings_form_functionality| title=Enterprise Software Brings Form, Functionality| date=2009-02-11| access-date=2009-10-13| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111170257/http://www.forgingmagazine.com/feature/feature/83841/enterprise_software_brings_form_functionality| archive-date=2010-01-11| url-status=dead}}

Plex is targeted towards manufacturing industries with rigorous traceability, quality and food safety requirements, including automotive, aerospace, food & beverage, and life sciences or medical manufacturing.{{cite web | url=http://www.michbio.org/news/plex-makes-its-move-food-beverage-biosciences-industries | title=Plex Makes Its Move Into Food, Beverage, Biosciences Industries | date=2009-09-11 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web | url=http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2011/software.html | title=Can Software Solve the Food Industry's Problems? | date=2011-01-12}} The system must be accessed using a web browser, making its functions available from anywhere with an Internet connection.{{cite web | url=http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/070905.html | title=Improvements To Plant Automation Software | accessdate=2009-10-13 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130117082214/http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/070905.html | archivedate=2013-01-17 }} The software is designed to provide managers and engineers with real-time visibility to production data.

While Plex Systems calls the SaaS solution "ERP", the software also includes the following integrated functions:

• Enterprise resource planning (ERP):
• Manufacturing execution system (MES) or manufacturing operations management (MOM){{cite web | url=http://www.automationworld.com/feature-8122 | title=Metal Fab Plant Finds Cloud Savings | date=January 2011 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111114653/http://www.automationworld.com/feature-8122 | archivedate=2011-01-11 }}
• Quality management systems (QMS). It helps maintain compliance with quality standards including ISO 9000 and ISO 14000, QS-9000, TS-16949, AS-9100, etc.
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Supply chain management software (SCMS):

• List of ERP software packages
• List of ERP vendors

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Category:1995 establishments in Michigan

Category:American companies established in 1995

Category:Cloud computing providers

Category:Companies based in Troy, Michigan

Category:ERP software companies

Category:Production and manufacturing software

Category:Software companies based in Michigan

Category:Software companies established in 1995

Category:Software companies of the United States

Category:Apax Partners companies