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About Ralco Industries

Ralco Industries, Inc., is an ISO/TS 16949-certified tier-one and -two automotive supplier specializing in precision welded assemblies, metal stamping, design, tooling, and prototyping.

The company serves worldwide OEMs with exhaust, steering, chassis, suspension, seating, and HVAC parts and assemblies.

Looking to Improve

“In past years, our inventory accuracy was only about 50 percent,” says Jim Piper, President of Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Ralco Industries. “We conducted grueling physical inventories every month, and they would be off within the following week. We never knew if we had enough parts to build a setup.

“Integrated PLC improves our entire production process.”

“Every time we did a setup, it was different. Each of our guys had his own method. This resulted in lost time, inconsistent product quality, scrap, expedited shipments, etc. We knew we had to fix our system.”

Says Piper, “The lack of accurate data from our systems was causing a number of expensive issues — quality problems, scrap, overtime, expedited shipments, etc. We had to get our systems to work for us.”

Seeking One Solution

Given these and other challenges, Ralco’s goal was to find one software system that could integrate all facets of its manufacturing business.

Ralco wanted to move away from separate manufacturing resource planning (MRP) incapable of machine PLC integration. Ralco also wanted to avoid stand- alone software for shipping and receiving.

After a detailed search, the company found that ERP from the Plex Manufacturing Cloud offered the most advantages over other ERP solutions. The industry-leading cloud solution is fully integrated with the PLCs for all shop floor and engineering equipment.

The company noted that Plex software could adapt to its unique business strategy and be customized to Ralco requirements. Says Piper, “Every other software company required us to adapt to their software.”

An Improved Process

“After switching to Plex, we now cycle inventories. Because of our improved accuracy in inventory, we can do setups faster, and we have been able to reduce our inventory on hand by 15 percent. Plex also has a ‘recipe’ system for setups, so each setup is exactly the same.

“There is no room for operator variation. If someone attempts to change the recipe, Plex communicates with the PLC and the press stops.”

Ease of Use

Plex Cloud ERP uses a simple, Web-based interface and places few requirements on the operator.

Unlike software from other companies, Plex is accessed through a Web browser. This allowed Ralco to avoid the cost and hassle of buying, installing, and maintaining the software and server.

Plex also supports and enhances the system, including all software upgrades, data backup, and professional system management, at its headquarters in Troy, Michigan.

Safe and Secure

According to Ralco, it was a relief to offload the major database and back-up responsibilities, although security was a big issue. In fact, the company reports that a staff member in the IT Department used to work for the CIA. He spent a month trying to break into the Plex system. He never could do it.

Says a Ralco representative, “Plex is an IT department on call, and because they maintain and upgrade everything for us, I’m now a one-man IT department. I handle network issues, PC software, etc., but Plex handles everything with their system. They are responsive and fast, and they care about the customer. Most issues can be addressed with a simple email.”