Rockwell Automation, an industrial automation and digital transformation vendor, has formed a notable partnership with Tasti Products, a local Kiwi manufacturer of wholefood balls and snack bars. Tasti has selected Plex, a Rockwell Automation smart manufacturing and business process solution, to conduct its end-to-end digital transformation and offer real-time insights on the shop floor.

Recognising the limitations of its current Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, Tasti was seeking a smart manufacturing solution that could support its expanding operation and provide a rapid analysis of business metrics. Plex will serve to facilitate a comprehensive digital transformation for Tasti through its cloud-based solutions. The company will implement Plex ERP, which will efficiently drive its operations in New Zealand alongside Plex's world-class Manufacturing Excellence System (MES).

Equipped with acclaimed food safety processes and known for its presence in the food and beverage industry, Plex will enable Tasti to establish a digital product tracking system and support the company's steady growth by providing real-time data through a connected plant floor. Josette Prince, Managing Director at Tasti, explained this strategic move as a must for strategic growth, especially with the company witnessing a healthy uptick in New Zealand, as well as exports to the USA and Australia. She noted the vital features of automation integration, mobile connectivity, and modular solutions brought by Plex for the company's continuous expansion.

According to Michael Cahill, enterprise sales executive at Plex, Rockwell Automation New Zealand, Plex's cloud-based functionality makes it ideal for forward-thinking food and beverage manufacturers looking for real-time integration, robust cybersecurity, high availability, and scalability. He further elaborated that the traditional approach for business processes such as monitoring, tracing, and tracking often sees them functioning on various platforms. However, the smart manufacturing platform from Plex synchronises these to provide immediate and usable data for activities ranging from audits and recalls to genealogy reporting and analytics.

The introduction of Plex represents a new dawn for Tasti Products. The Plex Manufacturing Excellence System digitalises facility operations and provides crucial structural support as Tasti embarks on its ambitious growth plans. Furthermore, Plex ERP, aligned with the pillars of Smart Manufacturing, serves as a comprehensive system, providing enterprise-wide visibility. As a result, manufacturers can focus more on their businesses rather than data consolidation and software maintenance.

The Plex ERP provides added benefits, including tracking all physical and digital transactions for greater accuracy and traceability, automating workflows for a digital paper trail and accurate supplier records and delivery, and connecting people, suppliers, and customers to a single source of truth. Plex was designed by manufacturers for manufacturers to meet the evolving needs of today's manufacturing sector. This collaboration ushers in a new era of increased efficiency and scalability for Tasti products.