Plexus Systems, Inc. Expands Sales Organization

“These additions to our Sales team will make a great team even stronger as we work to pursue new successes among manufacturers in the medical device, aerospace and defense industries, while maintaining our strong presence in automotive manufacturing,” said Thomas Mackey, executive vice president for Plexus.

You can read the entire list of additions to our team HERE.

Plexus Systems, Plante & Moran Form Consulting Alliance

Plante & Moran announced their partnership with Plexus Systems, Inc. “Plante & Moran is pleased to form this alliance relationship with Plexus as we believe its solutions are truly impacting the supply chain and helping to improve business processes around the globe,” said Doug Wiescinski

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Dressing on credit

Today there was a story published in the Lapeer County Press about my daughter Brittany Hayward. It was written by Staff Reporter Jennifer Decker and can be found on the Lapeer County Press website. I’ve added photo’s to Jennifer’s story below.

Thank you to all of our friends, family and fellow employees at Plexus Systems, Inc. for saving all of the credit cards for her. A special thanks goes out to Blockbuster, Walmart and JW Marriott for donating those last few gift cards and room keys that were needed for Brittany to finish her dress "The Key to Credit".

Now to Jennifer Decker's article:
Dressmakers usually make their works from cotton or chiffon, but Brittany Hayward opted for something different and chose credit cards. Complete with earring, necklace and bow accessories also made with credit cards.



The 18-year-old Lapeer West High School senior spent two years alone collecting the cards. She made the dress in studio art class. Hayward said it took a few months to make because she had to drill all the holes in the credit cards.

Hayward is taught by West art teachers Nancy Barry, Jeanine Smith, and Jeff Bolzman.

"Brittany is gifted," Barry said. "A lot of her 2-dimensional crosses into the 3-dimensional area. Not only is her dress a cool idea, technologically the design is nice. Somebody else might've thought of this, but they wouldn't have designed this."

Barry gave Hayward some film strips and challenged her to make art out of it. Hayward's end piece? She used her imagination and made a purse.

Her other art pieces have included a dress made by men's dress ties.

Hayward's credit card dress will be entered into scholastic regional competition in January.

Hayward aspires for a career in art, but really likes working with glass. "I really like glass," she said. "It's challenging. Things break and it's unpredictable."

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ERP Implementation — Plexus

Plante & Moran not only offers objective, experienced evaluation, selection and contract review and negotiation services for the acquisition of ERP systems, but we also offer implementation services. We are an implementation alliance partner of Plexus Systems’ Plexus Online ERP system, which provides extensive functionality for the automotive, medical device as well as aerospace and defense manufacturing verticals via an on-demand delivery model.

Plexus provides a fully integrated, total enterprise solution including modules that support Quoting, Engineering, EDI/Release Accounting, Customer Relationship Management, Lean Manufacturing, Production Planning and Scheduling, Manufacturing Execution (MES), Inventory Control, Bar Code Labeling, Quality, Tooling, Maintenance, Cost Accounting, Finance, Payroll, Human Resources, Time and Attendance and Document Management.

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Plexus Online Named to Emerging 40 Vendors

Industry leaders and the publication's editors chose Plexus Online due to its domain expertise, which is cited as a need in the manufacturing industry. Plexus Systems, Inc. is distinguished among software vendors by its software as a service (SaaS) distribution model and innovative use of technology.

"This recognition by Manufacturing Business Technology is an honor for our Plexus Systems team," remarked Mark Symonds, Plexus Systems Chief Executive Officer. "The award confirms the value provided to our global customers in automotive, aerospace, defense and medical device manufacturing. Plexus Online enables them to achieve superior performance, improved efficiencies, and reduced costs."

According to Manufacturing Business Technology, the technologies included in this year's roster of the 40 vendors are forging the next generation of technology and process innovation.

Plexus Online is an on-demand solution, building on the SaaS model pioneered by Salesforce.com and NetSuite. Plexus Online offers over 350 functional modules, providing companies instant access to vital information and management functions using a simple web browser. The on-demand solution features enterprise resource planning (ERP) functions such as accounting and finance modules, customer relationship management (CRM) features such as order entry and tracking, manufacturing execution systems (MES) function such as production scheduling and machine integration, and supply chain management (SCM) functions such as supplier quality and traceability.

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Detroit Pistons visit Plexus Systems

The Detroit Pistons Players Rip Hamilton, Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter go the extra mile to visit Plexus Systems, Inc. There is no better way to have your season tickets delivered than by the players themselves. Thank You!

Mike Hart and Antonio McDyess

Dennis Heyza and Rip Hamilton

Deanna Gernert (Oakland University Co-Op employee) and Lindsey Hunter and happy employee faces all around.

Brittany Hayward (Lapeer West High School Co-Op employee) and the vintage 1957 Chevy the Detroit Pistons drove to visit Plexus Systems.

Detroit Pistons Visit Plexus Online

They gave me (Kim Hayward) a hat during the visit and Rip Hamilton was nice enough to sign it. The hat also contains signatures from Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter. It now resides in my office at Plexus Systems in Auburn Hills, Michigan. I'm such a SAP for events at Plexus Online Software.

I'm going to bet that Tim McGookey (Kettering University Co-Op employee) now holds the most coveted Plexus Online basketball on earth. These basketballs have been our giveaway’s at many March tradeshows and have been our tie in to March Madness spirit. Nice move Tim.

Lisa Hosner awaits the players in the 57 Chevy! Lisa the team driver?

Rip Hamilton, Lindsey Hunter and Antonio McDyess, head out after a tour of Myles Wohl's office. Myles has the “Plexus Pistons” best decorated "fan office" here at Plexus. You can view a photo of Myles in his office with the players at http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/extramile_071010.html

It's photo number 9.

The Traceability Advantage

Plexus Systems, Inc. Mark Symonds, CEO published by Quality Magazine. To read the entire article click the "read more" link.

The technology solution also included effective problem control systems used to manage corrective action reports, customer concerns, online supplier management and problem solving. Parts traceability technology solutions work to eliminate recalls by providing real-time reports on the machines, components, stations, shifts and operators involved in the defective product and processes before the product is shipped. These technology features also identify defects prior to customer delivery to reduce in-process costs, along with facilitating design changes that improve a part’s performance.

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Much Ado About SAP's Business By Design

Mark Symond, CEO of Plexus Systems post his views about SAP joining the Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model.

"I am thrilled to have SAP enter the on-demand ERP market. If executives at mid-size companies had any lingering doubt about the viability of ERP on-demand, SAP's scurry into the market should put that to rest. The behemoth is slowly awaking to see that the train has not only already left the station, but it is around the bend and has already picked up a lot of passengers."

Plexus Online vs. SAP Business ByDesign

Plexus Systems has been providing on-demand ERP and MES solutions for manufacturers since 2001. SAP announced limited availability of a solution, originally code-named A1S and formally known as Business ByDesign

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SAP Unwraps A1S, Revealing New Mid-Market On-Demand Product Called Business ByDesign

At a press conference today in New York City, SAP officials spoke broadly about the new product's impact on the company and the market, which already is home to on-demand enterprise application offerings from such vendors as salesforce.com, Plexus Systems, and Glovia, to name a few.

"This is a new era for SAP," said Henning Kagermann, chairman and chief executive of the Walldorf, Germany-based company. "This is the most important announcement I've made in my career to date."

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Plexus Online - ERP without Software: Is SaaS Really a Threat to IT Departments?

Check out the above link to read Mark Symonds, CEO of Plexus Systems latest blog entry!

Awards and certifications from September 6

Plexus gets Inc. 5,000: Auburn Hills-based Plexus Systems, Inc., providers of the Plexus Online on-demand manufacturing management software, Thursday announced it has been named to the 2007 Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America. Plexus is ranked at No. 1,581 with three-year sales growth of 226 percent from 2003-06.

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Building Quality through Part Traceability

To address this challenge, ByTec adopted Plexus Online, an on-demand information system for manufacturing companies that includes a manufacturing execution system to manage the part serialization, direct part marking, component tracking and control, quality management, statistical process control (SPC)/measurement data tracking, part traceability

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Plexus Online Executive Mark Symonds Joins the Blogging World

No better opportunity exists to engage in an open dialogue and exchange of ideas with customers and potential customers. Mark Symonds CEO, Plexus Systems, Inc. recognizes and embraces the blog idea.

If you’re interested in reading more about Mark’s thoughts and ideas his blog can be found at: http://plexusonline.blogspot.com/

Check out a Recent Post:
Big Switch is Well Under Way
Is it On-Demand or Just Outsourced?

From Mark’s About Me: I am very pleased to be CEO of Plexus Systems. I have always been focused on how technology can add value to businesses. At Plexus we live that mantra every day. We never develop software for technology's sake. I started my career with Arthur Andersen (the part that is now Accenture) in Boston. I have led and been part of business technology companies my entire career with a focus on manufacturers and distributors in various vertical industries. I've always loved the fast pace of innovation in the technology business and i am thrilled to be part of a discontinuous disruption.

Enjoy his blog!

SaaS for the Manufacturing Industry

The SaaS "software delivery service" has so many potential business advantages that on-demand applications are appearing across the manufacturing business model, coming from companies like Plexus Systems, Inc., providers of Plexus Online on-demand software for the manufacturing enterprise.

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Jerry Foster 2007 Software Idol Finalist!

A great big THANKS goes out to all of you who took the time to cast your vote for Jerry Foster of Plexus Systems, Inc.!

Jerry has made it to the next round of Software Idol 2007 this honor will provide him with 11 minutes to speak about Development on the Wild Side at the conference in San Jose October 29th-30th, 2007

They have had such a strong set of video submissions that they will be having five slots of eleven minutes each. The audience, will vote for the winner of Software Idol 2007 at the conference. Jerry will be competing for the 2007 Software Idol title against:

Geoff Perlman, founder and CEO of Real Software, on how to avoid long shipping cycles.

Bob Walsh, managing partner of 47hats.com, MicroISV owner and author of two books, speaking about blogging.

Jeff Gordon, author of the Software Licensing Handbook, speaking about the 5 fundamental skills of negotiation

Steve Johnson, of Pragmatic Marketing on why software companies are run as the hobbies of developers

Jerry Foster Enters 'Software Idol' Contest

If you have a moment please visit: http://www.businessofsoftware.org/softwareidol.aspx and vote for Plexus Systems own Jerry Foster.

This year Business of Software 2007 is holding a 'Software Idol' contest to choose 3 speakers each speaker will gain an 18 minute slot to speak at Business of Software 2007. You're vote will put Jerry one step closer to showing those attending the event how Plexus Online can help them grow and manage business better.

The people who are invited to speak at Business of Software 2007 are world-class thinkers, doers, writers and speakers. We think Jerry Foster and Plexus Online are just what they are looking for.

Plexus Systems to Speak on World Class Manufacturing

Plexus was invited to participate on the panel because of its expertise in offering Plexus Online, Software as a Service (SaaS) for lean manufacturing specifically designed for automotive suppliers and other high-liability manufacturers. Plexus Systems, born from a Tier 1 automotive supplier, incorporates processes based on the Toyota Production S

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Driving to Lean Product and Process Development

If you are attending the 2007 Management Briefing Seminars I recommend attending the World Class Manufacturing II: Driving to Lean Product and Process Development Session, Tuesday Morning, August 7, 8:00 a.m.-Noon. Mark Symonds, President and CEO, Plexus Systems, Inc., joins an elite pannel to review methods and case examples of lean product and process development. Several examples will be discussed involving different automotive materials (e.g., steel, aluminum and composites), product applications, and associated processing technologies.

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