West-Bake to Improve Inventory Accuracy and Real time Decision Making Using Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform from Rockwell Automation

Real time data-driven approach to replace paper-based records and create a strong, scalable foundation for the capacity growth needed for further European expansion

CORK, Ireland, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that Irish baked-goods company, West-Bake Ltd., has adopted the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform™ as a company-wide management suite for its growing operations.

Based in Glenamaddy, Co. Galway in the West of Ireland, West-Bake operates a state-of-the art, 44,000 ft² (4,088 m²) bakery, with a strong team dedicated to producing muffins, cookies and cakes for customers around Europe. The adoption of the Plex solution will allow the company to establish and maintain tighter inventory and quality control in a digital format as it scales up its manufacturing.

"Our Plex solution is ideal for companies with big digital aspirations looking to optimize and future proof their operations," said Åsa Arvidsson, regional vice president central, east & north region, Rockwell Automation. "Our consultative approach at West-Bake helped identify operational improvements, and from there we were able to tailor and deliver a solution that offered the best possible control, management, insights, and return on investment."

Initially looking for an ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution, an in-depth, project-requirement capture and factory walkthrough by the Rockwell Automation team discovered that the Plex manufacturing execution system (MES) and quality management system (QMS) would have a positive business impact for West-Bake. Indeed, the return on investment savings realized by the MES would fund the ERP investment, which was subsequently bolstered by the QMS capability.

"By digitalizing our inventory and quality records, we anticipate significant time, effort and cost savings," said PJ Shanks, IT manager at West-Bake. "As well as more accurate records and smoothing of supply chain and inventory fluctuations, the 'train the trainer' approach Plex offers means we can be self-sufficient in terms of configuring the system for future products, new recipes and additional manufacturing lines. And the tightly integrated offerings mean that all pertinent data generated across our operations is accessible in real time to all internal stakeholders."

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 27,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2024. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

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