Composites Manufacturer Fuels Growth Using IntelliPlex Analytics
Customer Company Size
Mid-size Company
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Plex
- IntelliPlex
- Plex Web Services
Tech Stack
- Cloud-based Architecture
- Business Intelligence Software
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Productivity Improvements
- Cost Savings
- Digital Expertise
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
- Analytics & Modeling - Big Data Analytics
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
- Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Machine Condition Monitoring
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- System Integration
- Software Design & Engineering Services
About The Customer
Quatro Composites is a contract component manufacturer and developer specializing in the design, analysis, prototyping, and production of advanced composite structures. The company operates in the aerospace, medical, and industrial markets, focusing on converting small parts typically made of metal or other materials into carbon fiber composites. This conversion results in parts that are lighter, safer, and stronger. Quatro's primary engineering and technology center is located in Poway, California, while its corporate administration, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution are based in Orange City, Iowa. Over the past decade, Quatro has experienced significant growth, expanding its operations eight times to accommodate a 25-50 percent year-over-year growth rate. The largest expansion occurred in 2012 when the company doubled its manufacturing space. Quatro's commitment to innovation and quality has positioned it as a leader in the composites manufacturing industry, serving a diverse range of clients with its advanced composite solutions.
The Challenge
Quatro Composites faced a significant challenge in managing its rapid growth and the complexity of its operations. The company had inherited an IFS ERP solution from its sister company, which did not meet its needs. This led to an exhaustive search for a new ERP/MRP solution that could handle multi-location access, scalability, and a low total cost of ownership (TCO) over ten years. The existing system was heavily reliant on manual data entry through spreadsheets and Access databases, which was inefficient and prone to errors. Quatro needed a solution that could automate data collection and provide a centralized, integrated system for managing business operations and data storage. The company also required a system that could support collaborative processes, eliminate departmental siloes, and improve data integrity to speed up product development. Additionally, Quatro aimed to reduce scrap across the organization and needed a system that could provide comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities to track progress and savings for continuous improvement.
The Solution
Quatro Composites selected Plex as its ERP/MRP solution after evaluating 40 providers. Plex's cloud-based architecture offered multi-location ease of access, scalability, and a low 10-year TCO, which were crucial for Quatro's rapid growth. The system replaced the manual data entry process with an automated data collection system, allowing for efficient recording, managing, and accessing of production information with minimal operator input. Plex provided a central, integrated system that managed Quatro's business operations and stored all data, enabling comprehensive analysis and reporting across the organization. The cloud-based system supported collaborative processes, eliminating departmental siloes and improving data integrity. This facilitated faster product development and allowed employees at different sites to access documents and data with ease. Quatro also utilized IntelliPlex business intelligence software to centralize data in the Plex database, making it visible across the company. The software enabled the creation of role-oriented reports and dashboards, which automatically generated reports on various timeframes. Quatro designed a closed-loop process leveraging IntelliPlex reporting to track progress and savings for continuous improvement, with a focus on reducing scrap across the organization. The company plans to expand its use of IntelliPlex and increase the number of IntelliPlex builders by 50 percent over the next year to exploit additional Big Data sources and provide custom dashboards and reports to various departments.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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