ONDEX Automation Acquires PlantOPS Consulting, Expands MES and Life Sciences Capabilities
ONDEX Automation has announced the acquisition of PlantOPS Consulting, a well-established specialist in Manufacturing Execution System (MES) consulting and implementation for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical technology companies. The transaction reinforces ONDEX’s ongoing strategy to scale its capabilities in delivering compliance-driven, digitally enabled manufacturing solutions across the global life sciences landscape. This marks ONDEX’s fifth acquisition since April 2024—reflecting a decisive expansion trajectory aimed at building a comprehensive portfolio of specialized technology, consulting, and automation services.
The integration of PlantOPS Consulting meaningfully strengthens ONDEX’s domain expertise, enabling the combined organization to support life sciences manufacturers with deeper digital transformation knowledge, increased capacity, and enhanced regulatory understanding. The acquisition also signals ONDEX’s goal of becoming a premier partner for manufacturers seeking to modernize operational systems, advance smart factory initiatives, and remain competitive in an increasingly regulated industry.
PlantOPS: MES Expertise Rooted in Life Sciences Operations
PlantOPS Consulting was founded by industry specialists Darrell Tanner, Khush Kalsi, Vipul Thakker, and Krishna Venkataraman—each with decades of experience implementing MES solutions across biopharma, manufacturing, and medtech environments. Since its inception, PlantOPS has earned recognition for its deep understanding of regulatory, quality, and operational requirements unique to life sciences companies. The firm’s leadership and technical teams have played extensive roles in executing complex MES deployments for multinational organizations, from early-stage digitalization projects to full-scale systems integration.
At its core, PlantOPS focuses on helping organizations streamline and standardize manufacturing operations to ensure validated production, improve data integrity, scale capacity, and uphold global compliance expectations. Their engagements have supported top-tier companies across North America, Europe, and emerging markets. The firm’s advisory and technical work spans strategic roadmap design, system selection, equipment integration, end-user implementation, and long-term MES sustainment.
PlantOPS Consulting’s client base includes organizations targeting ambitious MES transformations with goals such as:
- Ensuring 21 CFR Part 11 and EU Annex 11 compliance
- Reducing manual process variability
- Enhancing batch execution and electronic batch record (EBR) reliability
- Strengthening audit readiness
- Reducing production cycle times through digitalization
- Scaling MES architectures for global manufacturing networks
Through this work, the company has empowered life sciences manufacturers to improve operational excellence, strengthen supply chain reliability, reduce compliance-related risk, and improve product quality. These competencies now flow directly into ONDEX’s integrated automation and digital solutions portfolio.
Strategic Rationale Behind the Acquisition
Over the past decade, pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers have experienced a significant acceleration in digital transformation efforts. Modern therapies, including cell and gene therapies, present heightened complexity, requiring robust traceability, real-time data management, and adaptive batch systems. MES platforms have therefore emerged as the backbone of digital production, linking quality management, equipment data, supply chain workflows, and manufacturing control systems.
The acquisition enhances ONDEX’s ability to meet this demand through expanded consulting and delivery capacity. ONDEX already provides automation and digital transformation offerings that address compliance, data integrity, and operational performance. Adding PlantOPS’ specialized MES practice enables the company to serve clients across the entire digital manufacturing continuum—ranging from early strategic planning to validation, deployment, and ongoing system support.
This strengthens ONDEX’s positioning in several critical growth areas:
- MES System Design and Implementation
- Digitalization Road-Mapping and Strategy
- GMP Manufacturing Systems Integration
- Data Architecture, Integrity, and Governance
- Production Asset Connectivity and IT/OT Convergence
- Audit-Ready Digital Workflows and Documentation
By consolidating expertise under a unified umbrella, ONDEX can offer life sciences organizations a more seamless and end-to-end consulting experience.
Leadership Perspectives
Executives from both organizations shared optimism about the partnership and its potential to create new opportunities for customers, workforce development, and technology expansion.
Darrell Tanner, Co-Founder of PlantOPS Consulting, stated:
Our team has always been committed to helping life sciences organizations overcome the most complex manufacturing and digital challenges—from initial roadmap planning to equipment integration to full MES deployment. With ONDEX’s backing, we can accelerate our growth, expand our team, invest in new capabilities, and continue to pioneer best-in-class solutions that improve outcomes for our customers and their patients and partners.”
Tanner emphasized that joining ONDEX equips PlantOPS with resources to scale while retaining its culture of hands-on technical execution. He also highlighted the alignment of both companies’ missions to support better patient outcomes through improved manufacturing quality and digital modernization.
Justin Kerr, CEO of ONDEX Automation, commented:
ONDEX helps life sciences companies navigate automation and digital transformation, addressing growing demands around compliance, data integrity, and operational efficiency. The addition of the PlantOPS Consulting team brings unmatched MES expertise to our expanding automation services portfolio.”
Kerr underscored that MES capabilities are an essential component for life sciences companies adopting automated, data-driven operational models. The acquisition not only adds technical depth, but also increases ONDEX’s ability to serve a broader industry footprint.
PlantOPS Software Excluded from Transaction
The announcement clarified that PlantOPS Software—a separate entity focused on product development—will continue operating independently and is not included in the acquisition. ONDEX’s acquisition is limited to PlantOPS Consulting’s services organization, personnel, and expertise, allowing the software unit to pursue separate strategic priorities.
Impact on Life Sciences Manufacturers
For pharmaceutical, biotech, and medtech companies undergoing digital transformation, this combined offering provides a powerful advantage. Integrating PlantOPS’ MES specialization with ONDEX’s expertise in automation and digital systems development offers end-to-end support for organizations seeking to:
- Modernize aging or paper-based workflows
- Integrate MES with ERP, historians, and manufacturing control systems
- Reduce batch release timelines
- Improve manufacturing transparency and real-time reporting
- Scale operations across global production facilities
- Prepare for regulatory inspections
- Reduce quality deviations through digitized production processes
This capability is increasingly essential as therapies become more personalized, supply chains more complex, and regulatory expectations more stringent.
Industry Context: Demand for MES and Digitalization
Across the life sciences sector, manufacturers are shifting toward Industry 4.0 models enabled by data-centric workflows, intelligent automation, and cloud-based systems. MES platforms form a digital decision-making core that improves product quality, reduces risk, and enhances supply reliability.
Key factors driving adoption include:
- Increased production complexity for biologics and novel therapies
- Global regulatory requirements for data integrity and traceability
- Rising demand for real-time quality management
- Sustainability commitments requiring operational efficiency
- Supply chain disruptions prompting better visibility
- The need to accelerate time-to-market
This acquisition positions ONDEX to help organizations meet these challenges with comprehensive domain-driven solutions.
Next Steps & Contact Information
Organizations interested in exploring partnership opportunities with ONDEX Automation can visit:www.ondex.ai
ONDEX Automation is a Chicago-based discrete and process automation systems integrator dedicated to empowering North American manufacturers with innovative automation solutions to enhance quality, improve productivity, and build resilient operations. With more than 100 team members across 7 locations, ONDEX brings deep technical expertise to every engagement. ONDEX is actively pursuing additional opportunities to partner with system integrators who bring a diverse range of capabilities, experienced engineering talent, and a shared commitment to innovation and excellence. For more information, please visit: www.ondex.ai.
Shore Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm with offices in Nashville, is an investor in lower middle market companies in the Healthcare, Food and Beverage, Business Services, Industrial, and Real Estate industries. Shore’s strategy is to support management partners to grow faster with less risk through access to capital, world-class board and operational resources, and unmatched networking, development, and shared learnings across the portfolio.
From 2020-2024, Shore received recognition from Inc. Magazine as a 5x Top Founder Friendly Investor and by PitchBook Research for leading U.S. Private Equity deal volume for the past 10 years, from 2015-2024.
Shore targets investments in established, successful private companies with superior management teams, stable cash flow, and significant potential to grow through industry consolidation and organic growth to generate value for shareholders. Shore has approximately $14 billion of assets under management and in additional investment platforms to which it provides business and operational consulting services.
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