ERP

Advanced Vehicle Assemblies (AVA), a manufacturer of complex metal assemblies, separated from its sister company in June 2020 and was operating under a shared service agreement with a hard end date. The existing ERP lacked Manufacturing Execution System (MES) integration—a critical gap in metal assembly production where sequencing and material traceability directly affect quality and throughput. Without real-time production reporting or inventory tracking, AVA's teams relied on manual processes that introduced significant delays and eroded trust in operational data. As the company worked toward full independence, the absence of reliable, timely production data made it impossible to respond quickly to shop floor issues or manage inventory with confidence.

AVA selected Plex ERP, a cloud-native manufacturing platform offered through Rockwell Automation, following a structured evaluation process that included surveys, vendor demonstrations, and user feedback sessions. The first deployment site was AVA's Milan, Michigan facility, with an aggressive 60-day go-live target set for December 2020. Rockwell Automation's Plex implementation services assigned a dedicated project manager to the site and engaged outside consultants specifically for the data cleansing phase—ensuring clean records entered the new system from day one. Up to seven Plex team members supported each shift during go-live. The cloud-based architecture eliminated on-premises hardware requirements, and extensive online training resources accelerated employee ramp-up. Plex also integrated financial consolidation directly, removing the need for separate software.

The Plex deployment transformed AVA's operational visibility across its metal assembly production environment. Real-time production reporting and inventory tracking replaced error-prone manual workflows, enabling shop floor operators to identify and resolve issues without escalation delays. Key outcomes included:

• Real-time inventory awareness that reduced reliance on periodic, manually compiled reports
• KPIs moved from external Excel spreadsheets into Plex, making performance data dynamic and always current
• Financial consolidation software eliminated, streamlining data flows and reducing system overhead
• Internal team led all subsequent site rollouts with minimal Plex support on-site, demonstrating strong adoption

Post-implementation surveys rated the system highly for reliability, speed, and ease of use.

• A 60-day ERP go-live in discrete metal manufacturing is achievable—but requires a dedicated vendor project manager, disciplined data cleansing, and on-site support intensity during cutover.
• Cloud-based ERP removes hardware maintenance burden, a practical advantage for mid-market manufacturers without large internal IT teams.
• MES integration should be a baseline ERP requirement in metal assembly environments, not an optional add-on—its absence forces manual processes that degrade data trust.
• Plan for internal capability transfer from implementation day one; teams that own the first rollout can execute subsequent site deployments independently.