Formation Systems

About Formation Systems

Formation Systems provides product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions tailored for process manufacturing companies in sectors like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and home and personal care. The company was acquired by Infor, and later key resources and founders evolved into Oak Barrel Software, which continues to work on the Optiva PLM application originally developed by Formation Systems. The firm's core offering, now known as Infor PLM for Process (Optiva), helps businesses to develop new products, optimize formulas by analyzing material costs and manufacturing capacity, and ensure regulatory compliance for labeling.

The PLM software integrates with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, which allows for streamlined operations and data consistency across applications. The platform provides services that include a discovery process, implementation, documentation, training, and ongoing customer support. It is designed to manage the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept through design, manufacturing, service, and disposal. By unifying product data and processes, the system aims to help companies accelerate development, reduce costs, and improve product quality.

Historically, Formation Systems was recognized as a leading PLM vendor, particularly for its solutions for food and beverage clients, before being acquired. The team from the original Formation Systems has continued to provide services for the Optiva application, including global deployments, integrations, and extensions through Oak Barrel Software.