Tampa automation company acquires manufacturing software firm

Advantive, a specialty manufacturing and distribution business, says it acquired Proplanner, a software company that helps engineers with assembly-line management.

"This acquisition further advances Advantive's commitment to driving innovation in the manufacturing and distribution lifecycle," the company says in a Tuesday news release.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Advantive, based in Tampa, sells software and says it serves more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors in 14 countries. The software uses automation, seamless integration and real-time data "to streamline plant scheduling, order management, quality control, sales order forecasting and pricing, ecommerce, and delivery – making the complex, simple."

Proplanner says it is the only major assembly-focused "project lifecycle management" system available in the market, and is used in aerospace, automotive work, agriculture, and construction to "help manage assembly line manufacturing, generate detailed work instructions, track the location of parts, and improve shop floor layout and efficiency."

The acquisition "adds expertise and elevates Advantive's capabilities across the assembly space while helping customers organize manufacturing data, prevent errors, and reduce costs," Advantive officials say.

Benoit de la Tour, CEO of Advantive, says Proplanner will make his company "well-positioned to revolutionize the (project lifecycle management) space and bring unmatched value to our customers."

Advantive now covers "every dimension of complex manufacturing processes – from planning and execution, to assembly, quality, warehousing, transportation, and more," company officials say.