Small Fixes, Big Gains: Plex Maintenance in Action

In food and beverage manufacturing, even a 1% efficiency gain can drive major improvements. But if you’re still relying on spreadsheets or manual tracking for equipment maintenance, you’re leaving money—and uptime—on the table.  

The Challenge: Lack of Transparency and Efficiency 

Many manufacturing executives struggle with the absence of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or transparency in equipment maintenance and preventative measures. This often results in manual tracking, reporting, and communication, leading to missed preventative maintenance, potential downtime, and lost production hours. For facilities operating 24/7, the cost of overtime to recoup lost production can be substantial. 

The Solution: Plex Equipment and Preventative Maintenance 

Plex offers an integrated Equipment and Preventative Maintenance module as part of its core subscription. With minimal setup, configuration, and data uploads, this module can streamline communication, increase transparency, and bring CMMS capabilities directly to the shop floor. Operators and technicians can easily access and manage maintenance tasks, ensuring that equipment is always in optimal condition. 

Key Features: Streamlining Maintenance and Work Requests 

Plex’s maintenance module stands out with its unique features: 

• Core Subscription Model: Included in the core subscription, requiring minimal setup and data migration. No need for additional spend or third-party CMMS tools. Plex’s module is ready to use. 

• Security Roles Configuration: Customizable security roles to ensure appropriate access and control. 

• Shop Floor Integration: Direct linkage to the shop floor, allowing operators to view and track equipment part usage through the control panel — no more chasing down paper forms or emails. 

• Proactive Maintenance: Get ahead of problems with scheduled maintenance reminders that reduce unplanned downtime. 

Success with Plex Maintenance 

Before implementing Plex maintenance, one customer faced frequent equipment breakdowns and weekend overtime to meet orders. With Plex, they gained visibility into equipment needs during planning meetings, optimized maintenance schedules in line with production, and tracked excessive part usage. This led to reduced downtime and more efficient operations. 

ROI and Cost Benefits 

Investing in Plex’s maintenance module can lead to significant cost savings. By improving equipment reliability and reducing downtime, manufacturers can achieve incremental efficiency gains of 1% or more. These small improvements can have a substantial impact on overall productivity and cost management. 

Implement CMMS for Greater Efficiency 

Consider integrating the maintenance module as a post-deployment phase II initiative for your CMMS control. By doing so, you can enhance transparency, streamline maintenance processes, and achieve significant efficiency gains. Make equipment maintenance and work request tracking an integral part of your operations with Plex. 

Adopting an ERP system like Plex can transform your approach to equipment maintenance and work requests. By making small changes, you can achieve big impacts, leading to greater efficiency and productivity in your manufacturing operations.  

Want to see how Plex maintenance can drive down costs in your plant? Schedule a demo with our team to walk through real-time tracking, automated alerts, and shop floor integration in action.