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Datix ERP Consulting

COPYRIGHT DATIX 2015, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Comprehensive Plex

ERP

Reviews Guide

Comprehensive ERP

Reviews Guide

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Copyright Datix 2015, All rights reserved

| Table of Contents |

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: ERP in the Cloud

Plex Systems vs. NetSuite

Chapter 3: ERP for Manufacturing

Plex Systems vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX

Chapter 4: ERP for Economies of Scale

Plex Systems vs. SAP

Chapter 5: ERP for Database Management

Plex Systems vs. Oracle JD EnterpriseOne

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How to use this E-book:

Over the past 17 years, our experts have spent a considerable amount of time with clients evaluating

software to help them meet their business needs. Throughout that process we have noticed that one

thing has remained a constant truth: fitting software to your business is about selecting the right tool

for the right job.

No one tool or software is a best fit for every type of industry or business structure. As such, a

significant amount of research is necessary for an organization to properly select a system to support

their business functions and extract the maximum amount of ROI from an ERP software project.

Organizations that place an emphasis on software yet fail to consider the processes the software is

intended to support often end up over budget, have poor user adoption and realize elongated time

to recoup project costs. This misconception can severely hinder an organization’s vision and growth,

and is why considering your unique processes on the front end of your ERP selection process is

especially important.

That’s why we’ve created this guide. It’s a way for businesses to easily see the strengths and

weaknesses of each system in comparison to others in the ERP class. This will better allow the

organization to determine which ERP system may best support process models across their

enterprise.

With the help of this e-book, your business can start to perform the necessary due diligence required

to ensure that your next ERP software system:

1. Generates ROI

2. Is Adopted By Users

3. Supports Organizational Processes and Outcomes

4.

About Datix:

Datix has been implementing and designing enterprise software solutions for the last 17 years. Datix

consults with manufacturing and distribution businesses in the mid-market to assist in building out

their enterprise software systems. That’s our M.O. We’ve built partnerships with some of the most

popular software used inside of these businesses, and have created a powerful reputation as an

expert who understands how all these systems should work together.

At Datix, we get it. We know enterprise software, and can visualize how it can work to support a wide

range of different business objectives. We are innovative thought leaders that are constantly

developing proprietary applications and solutions based on the challenges we see clients face the

most. Businesses work with us when they want to mitigate risk, solve problems and improve the way

their business operates.

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| ERP in the Cloud |

As a top ERP consulting firm, we speak to a wide variety of different businesses on a daily basis. If

there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that all organizations are different. Even businesses that operate

in the exact same space have different practices and processes. That’s why when we’re asked by

companies if they should start moving to a cloud ERP system right now, we don’t have an all-

encompassing answer. As it turns out, there is usually a subjective answer for each company. The

secret is discovering which business factors make certain organizations better candidates for a cloud-

based ERP system than others.

The truth is that the future of software technology is

quickly moving in this direction. However, it makes a

lot more sense for some organizations than others.

We discuss the possibility of a cloud ERP along with

many manufacturing and supply chain verticals. Some

businesses could financially benefit from moving to

cloud infrastructure as soon as possible, while others

can choose to possibly transition in the future if an

aggregate market dictates them to do so.

| Plex Systems vs. NetSuite |

NetSuite versus Plex Systems is an inevitable comparison many businesses will encounter if they are in

the process of considering a move to cloud architecture or are currently already migrating to a cloud

platform. Our recommendation is to always hunt for the right tool for the right job and there are

many differences and factors to consider when choosing between these two systems.

In our comparison of NetSuite vs. Plex Systems, we explore the more elementary facets of software

selection relating to these systems, common issues that have been experienced and what ultimately

plays the biggest role in cost payback for different companies interested in implementing these

systems.

Overview - NetSuite vs. Plex Systems

NetSuite has positioned themselves as the largest cloud ERP in the world and is currently experiencing

unbridled growth in a number of verticals. By comparison, Plex has become the cloud ERP of choice

for many in the manufacturing and distribution market and is considered by business technology

researchers to be the innovative leader in the manufacturing space. So, in the battle of NetSuite

versus Plex, which cloud ERP best fits which kinds of businesses? Let’s take a look at some of the

factors at play:

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Business Size — NetSuite vs. Plex

While NetSuite and Plex ERP systems are often pitted against one another, likely because they are two

of the most evolved and established cloud ERPs, they do serve slightly different demographics. We’ll

get in to which industries each fits best — and why — later on. However, it’s primarily important for

businesses to start by understanding the physical limitations of their enterprise software.

In fact, both Plex and NetSuite fit small and medium-sized enterprises very well. Each software system

can accommodate all the needs businesses of this size require, including the ability to scale up or

down on demand to adequately meet the needs of small businesses with big business goals. The

biggest physical differentiation between the two is chiefly that Plex ERP can also accommodate large

businesses with global enterprise needs. While there are some cases of NetSuite fitting into larger

businesses, users of these organizations have occasionally claimed that they experienced serious

difficulty scaling the ERP software to accommodate elaborate process models.

Consequently, Plex is likely the better fit for many large businesses that may be considering both.

However, investors will want to cross-reference with other industry examples to ensure that their

desired software truly fits. It is important to remember that there are some large businesses Plex is not

equipped for, as we will see in later chapters.

Industry Fit — NetSuite vs. Plex

This is where the comparison really becomes an exercise in carefully selecting the right tool for the

right job. We can draw a pretty clear line between which cloud ERP fits best for different types of

businesses. The split directly correlates to how each system is distinctively structured and what

modules and features are included in the packages.

NetSuite largely prioritizes financials in their software. This means businesses in the e-commerce,

retail and hospitality industries will be drawn naturally to some of its robust accounting and e-

commerce features.

First off: NetSuite’s financials are very flexible. That’s why they are such a great fit for the retail industry

and e-commerce businesses. These kinds of organizations rely on this functionality more than others

and are thus will be more accustomed to a complex set of financial tools. NetSuite also has several

helpful business intelligence attributes embedded in their software offering that will supplement these

financials well. Furthermore, the software makes it easy for multi-channel distributors to configure

automated processes (possibly those that may need to integrate with a service like Amazon.com).

While NetSuite offers a tailored overall business fit for many in the commerce sector, most

manufacturing businesses will find Plex Systems the clear winner in this area of business for what they

need their software to accomplish. While NetSuite offers a tailored overall business fit for many in the

commerce sector, most manufacturing companies will find Plex Systems the clear winner in this area

of business for what they need their software to accomplish.

Our biggest concern with NetSuite is that it is often marketed as an all-encompassing cloud ERP for a

wide range of businesses while the software itself is not really constructed in a way that supports

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every type of business. NetSuite’s aggressive sales force has a bit of reputation for forcing round

software into square-sized businesses. This may be what has contributed to some of the more

negative reviews about NetSuite from users. However, when aligned correctly, NetSuite can certainly

work excellently for your business, specifically those in the retail, e-commerce, financial, B2C and

service industries.

On the other side of the coin, Plex makes no bones about which kind of companies they design their

software for. Right up front they position their solution as the cloud manufacturing ERP system.

Plex offers a wide range of features and modules for manufacturers that are noticeably missing from

NetSuite’s offering. For example, Plex offers dynamic capabilities that can support supply chain,

inventory, maintenance, manufacturing and HR management that are must-have for manufacturing

businesses making a move to the cloud. Plex is also the only ERP system with an embedded MES

system. This allows businesses to connect all smart machines and data on the shop floor with their

Plex ERP system. This functionality offered by Plex is much more comprehensive and accommodating

to those in the manufacturing space than NetSuite. In fact, it’s almost not even fair to compare them

on this functionality alone.

Plex’s manufacturing module contains tools that give businesses better change control, quality

management and sampling abilities. These features (and more) make Plex the choice solution (cloud

aside) for businesses with high production volume or process manufacturing needs. NetSuite simply

cannot compete with businesses that have these kinds of manufacturing, supply chain or highly

volatile distribution needs. Plex also has embedded business intelligence that has received great

reviews from users whom require seasonality, compliance and quality management.

Mobility/ UX / Remote Access — NetSuite vs. Plex

Since both NetSuite and Plex are both cloud-based ERP solutions, accessibility and mobility are

largely better than most other ERPs on the market (as others typically offer both cloud and on-prem

solutions). Both offer very nice interfaces for users. The two also recently launched brand new modern

user interfaces that have been said to improve UX for both systems. Users whom have navigated both

systems typically come away feeling that Plex UX is slightly more intuitive than NetSuite. However, as

with all new software, there is a learning curve with both.

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When it comes to mobility, Plex takes a slight edge over NetSuite. In the end, it really comes down to

the greater number of options offered by Plex. While NetSuite has a well-built mobile website, Plex

offers a mobile ready web presence, Android app and iOS app, as well. This gives Plex users new

ways to access the software, making it more comfortable for mobile users that may be more

accustomed to application-based utilization.

However, both systems offer dynamic and speedy web portal access -- a major advantage of cloud-

based software in general. A strong Internet connection will permit both systems to run very quickly

and offer remote users a better experience than just about any other ERP software on the market.

Company Reputation — NetSuite vs. Plex

NetSuite was founded in 1998, and is positioned as the largest cloud ERP provider in the world. The

vendor built a model that exploded among retail and growing e-commerce businesses and used that

as a launch pad to help them become an innovative driver in the cloud ERP movement.

Plex was founded in 2006, and is the fastest growing manufacturing cloud ERP in the world. Plex built

their entire model on shop floor production oversight and materials tracking. Their software were

adopted very early by an extremely high percentage of the auto manufacturing industry and has since

found large even more adoption among those with high volume process manufacturing components

intrinsic in their business model.

One clear area of differentiation when comparing NetSuite and Plex Systems the experience they

provide users of their product. Through looking at consumer satisfaction reports, we can see that

both have tremendous success stories across many different industries. However, Plex really stands

out when it comes to customer service and customer reviews. NetSuite suffers a bit from being

slightly less customer-oriented during the peak stages of their growth. Their software is often

implemented inside organizations that do not fit NetSuite’s business model well – that is,

organizations often seemed rushed to

implement the software as NetSuite

installations are largely focused on go-live,

rather than road mapping the project with

unique processes of each business in mind.

This has led to the normal complaints and

rumblings that software vendors generally

deal with, but they’ve also had to deal with

several major lawsuits because of this as

well.

On the other hand, Plex Systems may be the most positively reviewed ERP software in the world by

customers. This can largely be attributed to two main factors:

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1. Plex does not envelop where they best fit, and is typically only implemented inside of businesses

where they can be relatively well aligned.

2. Their attention to customer service is prioritized internally. This seems like a marketing message

from the company, but the truth is that reviews have shown that customers are generally very

happy with the support and help they receive from Plex. Or this might quite possibly be because

Plex Systems has been noticed as one of the Best Places to Work – happy people make happy

employees. Happy employees provide customers enjoyable experiences.

Another factor to consider is the partner networks of NetSuite and Plex Systems. This likely plays a

role in many of the reviews as there are not many partners of any vendor certified to deploy ERP

infrastructure in the cloud. NetSuite has a very large partner network that is extremely competitive.

This leads to a lot of deals, and some subpar implementations (not necessarily the software’s fault).

This risk can often be mitigated by certified business process modeling experts on the front end. Yet,

in stages of looming customer expansion, NetSuite may have neglected their capacity to provide

clients with enough viable resources to make that happen.

Plex’s partner network is very small and has been built largely around implementation and business

process expertise. This is probably another reason why their software receives high marks on

consumer reports. We often talk about how important the implementation process is, and working

inside a partner network that supports that same message shows Plex understands it too. This leads

to more successful implementations across the board and is likely the reason customers endure a

pleasurable ERP project experience.

Wrap Up

NetSuite versus Plex is a formidable battle. Both systems are innovators in their marketplace and are

both growing at an extremely rapid pace. Their dual-popularity can directly be attributed to their

forward-focused visions of a cloud-based ERP system for their target markets.

Ultimately, it once again always comes down to selecting the right tool for the right job. What you’ll

probably find is that most manufacturing businesses will be happier with a Plex solution; while those in

e-commerce, retail, and financial organizations will likely be happier with a financials focused service

like NetSuite (although these are not definitive statements).

| ERP for Manufacturing |

There are manufacturing enterprises all over the planet. Each is uniquely different from the other, but

there are also several constants these businesses generally have in common. Just about every

manufacturer must order something, sell something and ship something. Determining which ERP

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software system is best for these functions appears relatively easy right? By now, you should already

know it is not.

The unique processes running through the veins of every production line is a game changer for how

each manufacturer buys, sells and ships. So now, which ERP system is the best fit for your business’

manufacturing model? Let’s break down each of the most popular options.

| Microsoft Dynamics vs. Plex Systems |

Microsoft Dynamics AX and Plex Systems are both considered leading providers of ERP for batch and

process manufacturing in their respective segments of industrial markets. There are several reasons

why manufacturing business may consider both systems. However, in most cases, you will find that

one is generally a better fit for you than the other. We’ll help you navigate through the differences in

the following comparison.

Overview - Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. Plex Systems

A major difference between Microsoft Dynamics AX and Plex Systems comes down to the segments

of the industrial space that they service. The Plex Systems ERP software is built specifically for process

manufacturers and has an avid following in this industrial class. Dynamics AX is primarily known for

powerful functionality tailored to human resources, retail and operations management needs;

however it does contain some nice features that could make it a great fit for small and mid-sized

manufacturing companies.

Plex’s rich, deep rooted manufacturing background – coupled with its availability on a cloud platform

– has been proven to increase efficiency for manufacturers in need of a true manufacturing ERP

system. By comparison, Dynamics AX has found a niche among small & medium-sized manufacturing

companies who require simple configurations with less of a need for agile process modeling.

Scalability – Dynamics AX vs. Plex

Microsoft Dynamics AX largely services the small and medium sized midsection of manufacturing and

distribution. Yet, some businesses moving from small scale processing to larger-scale strategies find it

challenging to scale the functionality of Dynamics AX on demand. A lack of flexibility in the build out

of AX has made some customers reluctant to change processes and practices due to the somewhat

rigid nature of some of the configuration.

Dynamics AX is a great fit for businesses that have very little complexity in their manufacturing

practice and may not plan to grow significantly within the next ten years. However, Dynamics AX

often becomes laggard, or slow to move through processes, when scaled up for sophisticated

business modeling – as many companies have become dictated to do to compete in their respective


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markets. This can be discouraging for a business who purchases an ERP system for efficiency and

agile throughput of data.

Conglomerate economies of scale generally require the handling of large capacities, sophisticated

materials acquisition, batch and lot traceability and scheduling measured in real time. For example, as

a manufacturer or distributor increases capacity for private label assembly or do not process a

standardized set of materials, new transactions could bottleneck the Microsoft Dynamics AX system,

while Plex is perfectly built for such occasions. It all depends on the complexity of your business and

its goals.

Plex Systems is best suited for medium and large businesses that require sophisticated quality

management schemes post-growth. These enterprises generally acquire specialty materials and

process large amounts of inventories for a list of commodities of volatile markets (food, automotive).

Processes often involve assemblies for seasonal variations that are both complex and require

extensive auditing for regulatory bodies. Scaling the system for an enterprise with end-to-end

production occurring at multi-site environments where products experience several points of contact

is a key hallmark of Plex Systems.

Plex Systems ERP is a reactive, agile application for complex process manufacturing; however it can

be overkill for smaller manufacturers with standardized assemblers. However it may be worth

mentioning that because Plex Systems operates in

the cloud, it does collect and configure continuous

data in real time, which is an

important attribute for any business, no matter

their structure or size.

Plex is a valuable resource for businesses that seek

to become more data-driven and require flexibility

in the build out of reports and dashboards of the

more hands-off operations. Plex Cloud contains a

built-in BI feature that is specifically configured for

manufacturing businesses. Dynamics AX can easily

integrate with Power BI, but an organization will still have to align the BI tool to their business to draw

something meaningful.

Ease of use – Dynamics AX vs. Plex

Not even the most powerful ERP on the planet is a fit for all businesses. Generally it requires expert

customization and integration with other business software to generate proper ROI. Yet, not all users

within a company own the degree of technical understanding to allow this to happen. For that reason,

many ERP vendors focus on ways to repurpose complexity into something most of us can actually

drive conclusions and results from. Microsoft Dynamics AX understands this very well.

Since Microsoft Dynamics AX belongs to the Microsoft family, most modern work forces are

experienced with its standard interface and navigation. This can help mitigate discomfort throughout

a changeover process.

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The system can be easily synced with other Microsoft products such as Outlook and Microsoft Office,

rendering it available inside a suite most users are already familiar with.

Furthermore, Dynamics AX is a powerful yet straightforward system driven by the ease of use

methodology. And while many position ease of use at the top of their buying criteria docket, it isn’t

always what they’ll find when it comes to the finished product. Sometimes the subjective goals of the

business push the Dynamics ERP to execute functions beyond the scope of its development and

inadvertently cause the system to perform poorly.

We find some IT groups are often times open to implementing new applications to push the

Dynamics system to perform to non-technical user requests. But this isn’t always the fault of IT as

Microsoft and its partners offer products that can achieve particular objectives; it simply comes down

to ensuring there is an ideal plan behind the integration so all mapping works in tandem as a unit.

Likewise, because a majority of users own a skill set linked to a longevity of experience with Microsoft

products, their requests seem harmless as they believe certain functions are only a button away.

What we generally then find is IT groups

that become fixed on integrating an

outstanding number of bolt on

applications provided by other Microsoft

suites outside the AX product. Configuring

them to do what needs to be done

suddenly becomes a complex, time

consuming process. Even worse, these

kinds of modulations can cause someone

to accidentally choke critical areas of the

original Dynamics configuration. Not to

mention that if those integrations

manipulate the Dynamics AX architecture the vendor may void service contracts and leave the

organization managing their own service support tickets.

If processes call for specialized custom features that are pivotal to process models, procuring a more

dynamic all-encompassing system is certainly worthy of your hard earned investment dollars.

The ERP offering from Plex Systems provides an all-in-one manufacturing ERP solution that is built to

include all facets of a shop floor to the accounting suite from a single platform. Plex Systems

recognizes many will need to inevitably integrate separate systems – some even happening to be

instances of Microsoft. So, not only does Plex provide agile features and an array of deep functionality

for integration, it plays well with external applications and web-based tools (not that many will need

these, as Plex is one of the few software developers providing manufacturers a large breadth of

product features most vendors advertise as add-ons). Plex exposes REST API to users so that these

integrations can happen easily.

Microsoft Dynamics AX UX/UI configuration is simple and easily adopted by modern users of digital

systems. However, when the time comes to delve new functionality to the system, it may force the

ERP system to tackle tasks in areas which it was not configured to handle. This is where Plex is often

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the better fit. It really comes down to weighing the familiarity of Microsoft vs. the powerful functions

of Plex.

Migrating to Cloud – Dynamics AX vs. Plex

One thing many may not know is that the latest release of Dynamics AX system is the first of the

Dynamics family to be built upon SaaS architecture. That’s right, the new Dynamics AX is offered in

the cloud; but this is new territory for Microsoft. While this certainly broadens the functionality

Microsoft offers businesses it may take time before everything is fully ironed out. This means

businesses looking to make the jump to the cloud (for all of the reasons mentioned here), Dynamics

AX may not be the most logical first choice.

Plex Systems is one of few ERP systems on the market providing only an instance of their software

through SaaS architecture. This has been the only platform in which has Plex Systems has utilized

since its inception over a decade ago, and is often revered as a leading expert of ERP configuration in

the manufacturing space. Microsoft is (and always will be) a purveyor of innovation, but is ironically

late to cloud-led ERP software, unlike Plex Systems.

If a cloud-led system is a requirement of your team, Plex Systems is by far the most advanced and

serviceable ERP system for modern manufacturing and distribution businesses available. Businesses

seeking to move their data to the cloud will likely benefit far more from the Plex experience.

| ERP for Economies of Scale |

The best ERP for your business will largely be determined by the vision of the business and how the

software will scale this vision systematically. As mentioned in previous chapters, nearly every

manufacturing business largely does many of the same things. Some ERPs are better equipped for

traditional manufacturing processes than others; but economies of scale require a highly reactive

infrastructure to incorporate their vision with new logistics.

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Some systems are very rigid and require companies to use them as outlined by the publisher, while

others can be turned inside and out to allow for flexibility to your business. Which ERP is best to scale

your business largely depends on how uncommon or complex some of your business processes are.

| SAP vs. Plex Systems |

SAP vs. Plex Systems is becoming a more common comparison for many businesses. The design of

these two systems fit well for similar industries and business types, which make them natural

competitors for mid-sized and large businesses.

Overview – SAP vs. Plex Systems

SAP services a rather large portfolio compared to most of its competition. We attribute this to the

longevity of the SAP brand. The company launched its first system in 1972, and is a seasoned veteran

of the on premises ERP movement.

SAP’s latest ERP version was released in 2006, and was built upon an underlying layer of Java and

ABAP code. SAP eventually did infuse new features and functionality with its enhancement package

(EHP7) in 2013 for more than 83,000 total customers

worldwide.

SAP touches an array of business industries and is

not necessarily tailored to perform best for one

enterprise type over another. However, the largest,

most global-reaching corporations, whose processes

generally involve asset management, human capital

management and operations management -- but

not necessarily capacity and production oversight of

factory floors, generally look to SAP for their ERP

solutions.

SAP is a proven formula for global parent or holding

companies that require rigorous snapshots of subsidiaries in which they manage. The majority of

these SAP users operate back office systems such as finance, controlling, materials management and

asset accounting.

SAP owes its success to the functionality compounded inside these modules over the last two

decades. Yet, maintenance costs of these legacy ERP components is more expensive which has some

users questioning whether the system fits the M.O. of what they’re trying to accomplish – that is, use

the software to increase efficiency and decrease costs.


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Plex Systems includes these services in its all-inclusive solution that is quicker and easier to perform in

the cloud. It’s limitless software for manufacturing and capacity-driven communities. The ERP vendor

is often revered for its seamless upgrades, customer satisfaction and shop-floor focused road

mapping at no extra cost to the customer. Its customers primarily include manufacturing bodies in

automotive, aerospace, defense and food and beverage. Because Plex is built solely on cloud-

technology, its applications house capabilities that service manufacturing quote to cash, and

everything in between at a significantly lower cost (great for mid-sized companies). This enables those

with stake in the investment to turn profits into returns in a shorter amount of time.

This game-changing model is a leading reason why industrial communities are gearing up to

implement Plex Software in the coming year. Since the inception of Plex Systems in 2006, they have

managed to deploy their services across 20 countries, powering over 1,100 plants with a 95 percent

renewal rate. Instead of costly software upgrades, Plex earmarks rolling updates. This is simply a

unique advantage of having Plex, and a hallmark of the vendor’s continued pledge to align their

revenue with customer satisfaction. This model enables the customer to realize ROI on their

infrastructure sooner. Likewise, IT groups are less likely to deviate from critical responsibilities to move

systems to latest versions.

Industry Coverage

Plex Systems is very transparent when it comes to the industry types they service. They offer cloud-

technology for manufacturing – not banks, governments or hotels. Plex was built from the ground up

by process manufacturing engineers themselves. The ERP is designed to connect supplier, material,

machine, accounting, human resource and BI needs for both discrete and process manufacturing

businesses of all sizes.

In its earliest stages, Plex Systems was built as a MRP tool – configured as a communication device to

provide factory floor information to management on a real time basis. Plex has since evolved that

system into a scalable, efficient, all-encompassing ERP for mid-sized, large and global industrial

groups—including automotive, aerospace, the DOD and food producers. Every aspect of Plex has

been configured to support those specified attributes of modern industrial processing; including BOM

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Comparatively, SAP does not offer a native ERP through the manufacturing lens. Instead, SAP offers a

manufacturing execution system – a segmented solution, compatible with the SAP Enterprise Suite.

The MES tool of SAP does an excellent job capturing production data in real-time when mapped

according to defined business process models. Since the MES tool is typically a separate solution from

the primary ERP system, companies inadvertently purchase both to retrieve the same functionality

they’d find in an ERP built upon an MRP foundation. Programming ERPs atop a materials resource

planning solution alleviates the complexity of the implementation, as much of the system would

readily support the majority of shop floor production requirements from a single system.

Unfortunately, user reviews mistake SAP to perform all the functions

from SAP’s Enterprise Suite. Yet, after the bolt on configuration, the

software could seem rather dilatory to users post go live. A likely reason

is there may have been a critical mistake in uniting separate systems

during the implementation and no consideration of the risks appraised

on the implementation road map.

From a customer’s perspective, this inevitably is hard to dismiss after

funding an SAP project – first to implement it, then to integrate it, and

inadvertently having to troubleshoot many issues after go live.

Process and discrete manufacturers will quickly find that Plex simply

offers greater value for their business (if they’re interested in a

deployment model for industrial groups of scale); while other types of

businesses will likely enjoy the phased-in solution SAP offers. After all,

it’s about finding the right tool for the right job; and Plex is the right tool

for process, high volume and regulatory guiding economies of scale.

Implementation Time

Manufacturing-led ERPs in the cloud, like

Plex Systems, are extremely flexible and can

be completely customized around business

processes. However, those businesses with

twenty plus years on their current legacy

system may mistake flexibility with volatility

and be apprehensive to move to a system

requiring such attentiveness to detail.

The distinctiveness of Plex Systems

architecture stands to balance its volatile

configuration with an array of identified

industrial needs readily hard wired in the

application. It requires no additional investments in database licenses, middleware or IT operations.

Also, implementation time is much less with Plex than other vendors as the language of the system is

derived from a production floor, which is easy for those using the system to adopt. This will smooth

over any discomfort users may experience during an implementation process.

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Plex is browser-based, meaning businesses avoid having IT teams install or maintain hard and soft

“wares.” One of the best elements of procuring an instance of Plex is that you don’t have to open up

real estate on-premises for hardware – allocating capital that can be better utilized for other

opportunities. Plex Systems also manages a comprehensive data center to take complete control of

enterprise operations. This enables customers to focus on continuously improving processes, address

user inquires and train power users rather than testing software environments daily.

SAP is acquired as an on-premises solution for the most part. SAP requirements generally include

desktops, servers and other meaningful hardware; as this has been the demand that companies have

generated. Nonetheless, SAP deployment time has been somewhat shortened over the last five years.

This is most likely due to a large work force experienced with SAP software over the last 40 plus years

of existence.

A reduced implementation time should reduce costs, but this is not necessarily always the case. Since

SAP is beneficial for large oversight management, configuring a system to house the company’s

requirements will inevitably elongate implementation time. Generally, large corporations need to

integrate financials with subsidiaries, which can be a complex process if the child company runs on a

secondary instance. And because most parent companies allow child enterprises to utilize their own

ERP systems, it can take years (if not decades) for a project to be completed on time. It also largely

depends on how keen a parent company is to align its subsidiaries with a corporate model.

Subscription Based Model

One of the unique features of Plex is its subscription-based delivery

model. Plex uses this as incentive to continuously win customer

business by creating advocacy for its brand. And rather than having

the customer amass charges for every new user license, Plex

encourages system usage by offering logins for both employees and

partners at no additional charge.

Instead of incurring hefty costs every time a business goes to upgrade,

Plex has eliminated versioning and instead rolls out upgrades on a

continual basis. Essentially, this solution continuously moves

customers to a whole new state without disruption.

Plex’s historical up time is in excess of 99.99% – equaling less than an

hour of downtime per year. This is great because cost of ownership is much less. Moreover,

companies have the ability to retain business customizations whilst live on the latest system,

encouraging user adoption and lessening disruption from updates.

SAP software rose in popularity from its solutions as a global integration tool and bridging economic

barriers like currency, exchange rates, language and culture automatically. Today most ERP vendors

can provide this functionality at much lesser cost model than SAP with agility and data transparency

tied in at no extra charge.

SAP has built very powerful software but to aggregate all the functionality needed to meet those

expectations, buyers of SAP generally procure separate solutions to get there. This can amount

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incremental costs further down the road. As we mentioned previously, SAP functionality is architected

in combination with solutions outside the SAP Enterprise Suite, rendering the system rigid and

financially unstable.

Regardless of all the computing power of SAP, businesses fail to move to latest versions because it’s

such an enormous amount of work on premises. This could be a benefit, however, since the IT

department remains consistent in their job of managing the same legacy hardware with faithful

values.

SAP’s contractual agreements with customers offer little to no flexibility – making it extremely

important to choose the right tool for the right job. The contract required to sign with SAP holds a

company with the vendor until expiry; unlike the SaaS model that requires customers be locked in for

only a year.

Wrap Up

SAP vs. Plex is an arduous battle. Both systems provide a strong offering to different kinds of process

manufacturing and financial oversight businesses. What you’ll probably find is that most growing

manufacturing businesses, with some level of complexity, will be happier with a Plex solution (if they

are directly interested in moving to the cloud); while those in the largest financial, banking and human

resources organizations - with multiple subsidiaries across multiple industries and hiring scope for

those with business acumen - will likely be happier with something like SAP (although, once again,

these are not definitive statements).

There are always other factors at play, but it’s important that businesses perform proper selection and

implementation practices in the beginning to mitigate project risks.

| ERP for Database Management |

To this point we’ve distinguished the features, capacities and markets of today’s leading ERP providers

in comparison to a first moving Plex Systems. We’ve compared the young vendor to its primary

competitor in the categories of cloud, manufacturing and scalability. We’ve now reached our

comparison of Plex Systems to its most audacious competitor yet –JD Edwards Enterprise One ERP

and its Oracle driven database manager.

| JD Edwards EnterpriseOne vs. Plex Systems |

We might first start off by saying these two systems service some industries much better than others.

Most buyers of software today have grown favorable of best of breed solutions, or systems tailored

specifically to the type of jobs and tasks that make up their business processes.

As we’ve mentioned in our previous comparisons, Plex Systems makes no bones about the segment

best suited for their ERP solution. Plex Systems is largely installed in a manufacturing environment,

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with unique configurations suitable in an automotive, food and beverage and process production

capacity.

Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne ERP suite is a well-established solution for these types of

businesses as well, having performed installations for over 150 medium to large supply chain

enterprises. However, they have come up with a very different means for using software solutions as a

platform for a supplier-customer environment.

Overview – JD EnterpriseOne vs. Plex

Plex Systems boasts strong MRP functionality beneficial for tracking data on the shop floor, such as

batch and lot numbers, serial numbers and input materials. In fact, Plex Systems was established to

sharpen the visibility of processes at the detail level of production process to mitigate the risk of

process variation and nonconforming products. It is this type of advanced data management that is

so effective for even the largest of manufacturing supply chains. Highly regulated industrial businesses

(food, automotive, aerospace) are becoming more prone to acquire a system with this type of

functionality as regulatory bodies tighten the gap for production variation.

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne provides a well-rounded sales-order management module, complete with

a configurator – an automated selection and configuration tool to connect front-end sales and quote

entry with back-end fulfillment ops and manufacturing systems. This type of functionality is

exceptional for a business operating in a highly specialized selling capacity dealing with a massive

amounts of new data transactions happening daily on a global scale (retail, distribution, travel and

transportation) but may not be a choice solution for a medium or large industrial manufacturer.

There are limited capabilities in the JD Edwards Enterprise One supply chain and production

management modules, and even less its financial-oriented sister ERP. JD Edwards Enterprise One is

remarkable at tracking quotes, but not a bill of materials forwards and backwards in production. In a

case of tracking materials from quote to cash – and thereafter—the product configuration enrichment

(a staple of Oracle) of JD Edwards Enterprise One may not be beneficial for a business seeking to

harbor a solution instigating functionalities for quality over quantity.

Employee Turnover

Before contacting either vendor, a buyer should research these companies to understand their

products, organizational culture and sales approach. They should familiarize themselves with the type

of leadership they follow, who’s in charge and what their values are. This should give the buyer a

better idea of what to expect in the selling processes, the integrity of the sales people and the

experience they’ll have during an implementation – or lack thereof.

You may already be familiar with Oracle’s legendary sales force, led by former CEO and respected

leader Larry Ellison. During his reign, Oracle successfully completed nearly 100 acquisitions of tech

companies increasing capacities and viability of its products. And with that, product prices rose as

Oracle become the dominate provider of legacy and modern business applications.

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Nearly every technology, code or database we’ve come to know today is pegged to Oracle. And

while increasing the breadth of the portfolio benefited Oracle, it has decreased the choices for

consumers. This is especially true for those organizations whom may be looking to migrate to a

solution outside the Oracle ecosystem.

And what was once viewed as a brilliant model has recently come under fire by the new

administration. The company has chosen to enter the technology hardware space, as well as develop

solutions built upon SaaS architecture. While this has given Oracle the opportunity to be a primary

source for all of the components of IT infrastructure – either on-prem or in the cloud – it has caused

issues internally Oracle can’t seem to nix.

This could be the result of Oracle’s new approach to provide both forms of enterprise architecture

and a change in their go-to market strategy. Over the last several years, the successor of Larry Ellison

has reorganized Oracle’s sales department to run leaner; phasing out hundreds of the once

legendary sales force. He has placed lofty quotas on the sale of hardware and amped up

requirements to sell a top to bottom infrastructure. Only a handful of large companies can afford to

obtain infrastructure top to bottom without looking around for competitive pricing of separate

components (I.e. hardware vs. software). The majority of sales territories have become smaller and

many analysts are questioning if that has contributed to the high attrition rate at Oracle and

noticeable employee turnover with hundreds leaving each quarter (some leaving for competitor Plex

Systems).

Those that stay remain urgent to close deals; therefore focus efforts on convincing a buyer to

purchase not only software, but hardware as well. And because Oracle has heavily invested in the

hardware provision space we can expect this to be an ongoing issue that will inadvertently leave

clients owning JD Edwards Enterprise One campaigning for new project resources, shorter

implementation time and more financing.

By comparison, Plex Systems was named one of 2014’s Best Places to Work by the Detroit Free Press,

which can only mean one thing - low employee turnover. This is especially important to consider

when considering an ERP project with your finance dollars on the line. From a project management

standpoint, Plex employees find value in seeing a client’s project through, reducing the chance of

project change over and derailment. Furthermore, Plex employees are being compensated for work

they already enjoy doing. It just happens that they develop an intelligent machine for the market in

which they have hands on experience in what matters most: manufacturing.

Plex Systems hires seasoned manufacturing experts that understand the ins and outs of a shop floor

framework to match Plex applications to specific manufacturing needs. From a sales perspective,

Plex’s single cloud platform makes the sales team focus on business process models and drive value

from understanding customer requirements, compared to Oracle with its many products, services and

legacy hardware that may end up convoluting the client message.

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Cost

Organizations deserve a solution that optimize process and capture new value that will drive ROI on

the purchase. So between JD Edwards Enterprise One and Plex Systems, which one is making that

happen for the industrial market?

JD Edwards Enterprise One is an open platform priced between $15 – $400K (plus hardware,

implementation and continuous improvement) depending on the size and scope of your business

model. We compare that to Plex’s Manufacturing Cloud ERP with a yearly subscription based model

costing businesses $5K per month on average.

Plex uses a subscription-based delivery model. They use

this as incentive to continuously win customer business

by creating advocacy for its brand. The continual

renewals are paid year after year. And rather than have

the customer amass charges for every new user license,

Plex encourages system usage by offering logins for

both employees and partners at no additional charge.

Instead of incurring hefty costs every time a business

goes to upgrade, Plex has eliminated versioning and

instead rolls out upgrades on a continual basis.

Essentially, this solution continuously moves

customers to a whole new state without disruption. Likewise, companies have the ability to retain

business customizations whilst live on the latest system; encouraging user adoption and lessening

disruption of upgrading.

Recently, Oracle decided to offer its JD Edwards Enterprise One solution on a cloud platform as a

subscription model. This is great way for Oracle to sustain their position in the business technology

space, and provide the same functionality many depend on through a less expensive model.

However, we are concerned the company will leverage the Oracle brand and keep their SaaS model

price high whilst deploying limited capabilities for the industrial segment.

Nonetheless, included in the high cost is the well-established Oracle Database that can be hosted on

a variety of operating systems as long as the company keeps the ERP on premises – Microsoft

Windows, HP-UX, Linux x86-64, OpenVMS and more. A JD Edwards Enterprise One solution that

plays well with established internal platform can make installation costs lower and cause less change

in procuring latest hardware.

Wrap-Up

JD Edwards Enterprise One and Plex Systems is an arduous battle. Both systems provide a strong

offering to a diverse group of businesses differentiated by their ERP buying criteria and data oversight

for their global enterprise.

Ultimately, it always comes down to selecting the right tool for the right job and the right company.

What you’ll probably find is that most growing manufacturing businesses with some level of

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complexity, will be happier with a Plex solution (if they are directly interested in moving to the cloud);

while those in transportation and travel, communications, or professional service organizations with

business acumen and sales-oriented backgrounds will likely be happier with something like JD

Edwards Enterprise One (although these are not definitive statements).

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