About Us
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
WHO WE ARE
Turning Manufacturing Data Into Measurable Improvement Since 1998
Built on Real-World Operations Know-How
with 60+ years of combined manufacturing experience
Flex-Metrics helps manufacturers connect the Shop Floor to the Top Floor by turning real-time production data and operator insight into information teams can use to improve performance.
What makes us different is the experience behind the technology. Our team has spent decades leading plants, managing operations, and working alongside the people responsible for getting production out the door. We’ve lived many of the challenges our customers face, and we’ve built Flex-Metrics around what actually works in a manufacturing environment—practical tools that give people better visibility, create alignment, and help turn insight into action.
Don Robb, Chief Executive Officer & Ops Guy
With 30+ years transforming manufacturing operations, Don brings battle-tested experience from RR Donnelley and Spectrum Brands, where he led nationally recognized transformations, boosted run uptime by 50%, and earned "Best Manufacturing Place to Work" recognition. His hands-on leadership style and deep operational expertise now guide Flex-Metrics' mission to unlock manufacturing potential.
Bob Siepka, Chief Commerical Officer & Ops Guy
Robert's three-decade record includes driving $100 million in cost savings at RR Donnelley and managing the world's largest trade book manufacturing facility at LSC Communications. His data-driven methodologies and strategic planning expertise help organizations achieve measurable performance improvements through Flex-Metrics.
Supporting Don and Robert is a dedicated team of 12 manufacturing and technology experts, including Bob Majure, Anthony Allison, and Chris Borgert, who ensure every customer receives the partnership and responsiveness that defines Flex-Metrics.
Turning Experience
Into Impact
"[Their] 1st full day Flex was installed they beat their single machine record for most bags on a shift – and they have beat that record 4 more times!
"The plant manager, & 2 ops managers said in our meeting yesterday that their numbers are '….because of Flex.' By having the numbers in front of people every day/ hour and having conversations about what’s going on has had a huge impact."
Flex-Metrics Customer | Mobile, Alabama
WHY WE DO IT
Building Capability Around the People Who Run Manufacturing
We have a passion for connecting the Shop Floor to the Top Floor. Built on decades of hands-on manufacturing and plant leadership experience, Flex-Metrics works with discrete manufacturers across printing, packaging, converting, and other production environments. In today’s Industry 5.0 landscape, we help manufacturers bring people, production data, and smart technology together to improve visibility, alignment, and operational performance.
We give the floor a voice
Operators get simple tools to share what’s really happening—without adding noise or complexity.
We help leaders hear it
Shop-floor data and operator insight become clear, actionable intelligence for better decisions.
We enable leaders to act
Visibility only matters when it drives action. We turn insight into focused, measurable improvement.
We close the feedback loop
When operators see their input lead to real change, engagement grows and continuous improvement gains momentum.
Where It Started
I took an elective in my MBA program at Virginia Tech that was the genesis for starting Flex-Metrics. The class focused on the positive impact of "Change Agents" to unleash innovation and higher profits within the business sector. This class also included a focus on Decision Support Systems that were key to identifying which changes are most likely to create the highest impact. The idea for the Flex Platform quickly came into focus: Empower frontline leaders to execute more effectively by providing real-time feedback that drives better decisions, resulting in higher productivity across the shop floor.
Jay Foster, Founder
1990s
2009 Printing Industries of America awards Flex the InterTech Award for their operating system's ability to extract accurate machine production data cost-effectively and push to MSIs.
2010s
2013 ERP integration introduced, reducing the need for double entry into a client's ERP system and Flex.
2020 Expanded globally to European and South Pacific markets, reaching 1000 production lines with real-time visibility. Introduced Andon displays to increase workforce engagement.
1998 Flex was conceived and founded by Jay Foster in Roanoke, VA under the name SoftSolutions with the goal to create "soft solutions" to hard problems in the manufacturing industry.
2000s
2010 Flex enters the Canadian market. 100 production lines have real-time visibility through Flex
2015 Flex enters the Latin American market.
2020s
2024 Released Flex Insights for cloud-based multi-site visibility. Launched Ops-Guys initiative to coach change agent leadership skills and fully leverage the Flex platform.
WE DELIVER
Manufacturing Data Solutions Built for Execution
Product Capabilities
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Machine data collection
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Operator-driven data collection
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Plant-wide performance visibility
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Multi-site manufacturing visibility
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ERP and MES system integration
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Manufacturing KPI dashboards
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Scrap and waste analysis
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Manufacturing performance benchmarking
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Shift handoff and transition analysis
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Voice of the Operator insights
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Production workflow visibility
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Production efficiency optimization
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Actionable manufacturing analytics
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Capacity utilization analysis
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Data-driven continuous improvement
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Manufacturing leadership visibility tools
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Production issue escalation workflows and alerts
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Digital production boards
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Enterprise manufacturing reporting
Our Values
Transparency
Partnership
Simplicity
Responsiveness
Trust
