Epicor Acquires MES Provider eFlex Systems

Advanced MES Powers Productivity Increase at Johnson Controls

Managers at JCI use the MES software to monitor from 250 to 300 machines and processes, including synchronized robot-controlled packing, labeling, product transfer, and material scrap. Graphic courtesy Epicor Software Corp.

AUSTIN, TX—Epicor, a provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, has acquired eFlex Systems, a provider of cloud-based manufacturing execution systems (MES).

The acquisition expands the Epicor portfolio of advanced MES software to help manufacturers increase productivity by modernizing their production environments through digital work instructions, advanced process control and real-time visibility.

“I am thrilled to bring eFlex Systems into the Epicor family! Shop floors are a complex intersection of people, machines, robots, and materials, and it’s critical they work seamlessly together,” says Epicor CEO Steve Murphy. “People will continue to be at the heart of manufacturing, and our acquisition of eFlex Systems extends our ability to give Epicor customers the information they need to improve the user experience and unlock new levels of productivity.”

The eFlex Systems Manufacturing Integrated Platform enables manufacturers to manage and visualize global operations in real time, connecting devices, sensors and machines with people to help operators build the right part, with the right tool, at the right setting in a safe and repeatable way. This helps manufacturers solve labor challenges by simplifying tasks and extending workers with connected devices which improves productivity.

Epicor customers will be able to digitize processes through operator guidance, alerts, traceability, and data collection at the individual task level. Workstations can be configured and connected to their environments through open protocols and tools such as RFID, MQTT and Node-RED, enabling operators to seamlessly leverage IoT devices, such as DC-electric fastening tools, bar code readers, weight scales, pick lights and PLCs.

“We’ve always been focused on helping customers reimagine manufacturing through sustainable, world-class production processes,” said eFlex CEO Dan McKiernan. “By joining with Epicor, we’re furthering our mission to modernize manufacturing and bridge the data gap with cost-effective, easy-to-use solutions that drive efficiencies and throughput.”

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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