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Plex MES Positions Cider Maker for Continued Success

Working with Revolution Group, Downeast Cider implemented the Plex Manufacturing Execution System “to bring us into the 21st century and set us up for success in the future,” Flint said.

Change management with rigorous training was a priority for the implementation.

“We were putting in a system where we had no systems before,” Flint explained. “We made sure to invest the right amount of time into training to get the team ready to go live and to understand how the new processes would help make us better.”

Record Sales and Double-Digit Cost Savings

After a six-month- implementation process, Downeast Cider went live on Plex in April 2023 without having to shut down production.

“We had great buy-in from both upper management and the operators on the floor,” Flint said. “Having a regular system that everyone knows how to use is a significant win. Now we have all our business systems under one roof within Plex.”

“The Downeast Cider team embraced implementation. They applied the resources and prioritized the effort at the right level to be successful,” Welsh added. “They understood what the long-term value would be not only in each functional area, but also across the organization.”

Just one month after Plex adoption, Downeast Cider reported its largest sales month ever. Since then, they’ve reduced inventory carrying costs by 10% and the cost of goods sold by 17%.

“This is huge, especially for a small business that’s trying to grow rapidly,” Flint said. “We went from not having lot traceability and not having quality check sheets to now every single step of our process has some history, so we know that each step is being done correctly and we have a quality product.”