Form+: the flagship, in 200+ production sites.
A batching execution and recipe system, with ERP and MES integrations that connect plant-floor batch data to enterprise systems.
Problem
Manufacturers needed a dependable way to run recipes and batch execution, with the data flowing on to their enterprise systems.
My role
Global product manager. Launched the product. Owned release priorities. Also ran the business development and solutions consulting that sold it. I created the product’s public positioning and materials.
Outcome
Now the flagship offering, deployed in 200+ production sites worldwide, and still actively sold as Mettler Toledo’s flagship recipe and batching software.
From a hand-sketched box to a product page.
The calls that shaped it.
One API instead of a dozen connectors.
Instead of building a connector for each ERP, I specified a simple REST API, unlocked by its own license. Customers could connect their ERP directly or through custom middleware from day one.
Settings you can try right away.
I kept system settings simple and, where possible, effective immediately. System owners could change a setting, see the effect, and decide whether it fit their process.
Zero-touch devices.
The industrial PCs on the floor found the server on their own and configured themselves, with no network setup. Each device’s settings went to the server automatically, and the server drove the device’s UI from there.
Selling the whole solution, not just hardware.
Our sales reps were used to selling hardware, which left customers to solve their own problems with it. I helped them see that software let us solve the customer’s whole challenge as a complete solution.
The same leave-behind trial box.
The Collect+ USB trial box was reused for Form+ with the same design, rebranded.
From customer pain to solution.
Bad Batches
Human errors cause mistakes, rework and wasted material
Reduce Bad Batches
Prevent human mistakes and eliminate unnecessary waste
Inconsistent Quality
Process is not repeatable from one operator to the next
Consistent Results
Repeatable workflows with clear operator guidance, every batch
Poor Documentation
Paper processes are tedious and audits are stressful
Process Traceability
Every operator action recorded automatically
Where the product is used.
Names and logos are removed out of respect for the customers.
The day I demoed software in a chef’s uniform.
The audience was the senior leaders of each country’s sales organization. Most of them rarely touched the hardware, and they were skeptical about selling software on top of it. I wanted them to see how easy Form+ is for the customers who use it every day, especially food and beverage manufacturers.
So I put on a chef’s uniform and ran a hands-on demo as if I were working in their customer’s kitchen.
The room went from arms-crossed to surprised to engaged. The session stuck. Those leaders took that energy back to their sales teams and used it when they pitched the product.
Meet your audience where the buyer lives. When people can picture the customer’s world, they stop debating features and start selling outcomes.
Public proof
“Webinar: Error-Free Recipe Management,” a 30-minute on-demand webinar I presented and created the content for. Watch it on mt.com.
Ready for a full-time role, and easy to reach.
I’m based in Concord, New Hampshire, and I’m looking for my next full-time role in software product management or business development, in any industry.
contact@andrewbowman.me