History

History

"The beginning is the most important part of the work" (Plato 428-348 BC)

The origins of PLATO AG date back more than 30 years. Since then, the company has steadily developed with its products. An overview of the company history can be found here.

2022

With three decades of industry excellence behind it, PLATO celebrates this significant milestone in June 2022. Established in Lübeck in 1992, PLATO continues its 30-year commitment to innovation and quality. As part of the company's anniversary festivities, all employees were invited to celebrate decades of success.

PLATO and iqs join forces to form a leading engineering software company in June 2022, after the private equity investment firm Main Capital Partners acquired a strategic stake in PLATO AG. PLATO successfully transitions from an AG (Aktiengesellschaft) to a GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung), reinforcing its organizational structure for future growth and operational efficiency.

In addition to PLATO and IQS future plans, FMEA special topics are also discussed during a PLATO-iqs networking event, on November 22nd and 24th, in which numerous companies come together to exchange ideas with other PLATO e1ns users.

PLATO makes e1ns' user interface also available in Italian in March 2022.

For the third time, PLATO holds its third virtual "Engineering Circle" from September 27th to 29th, 2022. Nearly 600 people worldwide registered for 3-day live webinars.

2021

At the end of 2021 PLATO releases version 4.0 of the e1ns technology. The update contains many innovations, including the module e1ns.netbuilder for visual work in networks and creation of tasks, e1ns.finder for easy analysis of the database and further development of knowledge management as well as optimization of the lessons learned process.

PLATO develops the P-Diagram according to the specifications of the AIAG/VDA and at the same time creates an additional added value. With e1ns.p-diagram, insights gained can be individually transferred to the system analysis and FMEA via suggestion lists.

Alongside the various paid e1ns cloud editions PLATO provides a further package: FMEA Free. Interested parties can easily join the e1ns engineering world and use the many advantages for the creation of a standard-compliant FMEA according to AIAG/VDA free of charge with a maximum of 2 users without any time limit.

The e1ns version 3.4.0, which was made available in May, contains, besides functional enhancements, numerous improvements with regard to user-friendliness, the expansion of interfaces and the increase in performance. Many customer requests were also implemented, such as the ability to import FMEA export files from an APIS system, and integration with directory services such as Active Directory to enable single sign-on.

2020

PLATO was able to successfully meet the challenges caused by Covid-19. The virtual events exceeded all expectations with several hundred participants.

The e1ns Cloud for small to medium-sized companies is launched. It simplifies the introduction of PLATO e1ns solutions and offers various hosting options.

e1ns.p-diagram extends the PLATO e1ns family. The new module offers a clear structure that analyzes all influences on a function and thus implements the guidelines of the AIAG/VDA FMEA standard.

e1ns E-Learning simplifies the FMEA-entry for interested parties considerably.

2019

In May PLATO presents the interactive PLATO e1ns Product Innovation Platform - completely web-based - at the trade fair Control in Stuttgart.

Availability of e1ns.templates: The structural working method is standardized by the central provision of templates. 

The industry specific PLATO Summits successfully replace the previous PLATO Conference.

For the first time, the Quality Management Center (QMC) in cooperation with the industry associations VDA and AIAG, with the participation of SAE International, is publishing a combined FMEA standard. This standard will be trend-setting for the international Automotive Industry in the future. PLATO e1ns fully supports the implementation of the new standards.

PLATO wins another major automotive supplier on the North American market.

2018

In November, the 1st PLATO Conference in China takes place in cooperation with our longstanding partner DRIT - a great success.

In the UK, PLATO is well received at the first Automotive Quality Management Systems Conference (AQMS) in Birmingham. Organizer was the SMMT.

The Hamburg team is expanding and moving into new offices in the city.

2017

PLATO North America Inc. of Dearborn (Michigan) becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of PLATO. With that, and with more offices in Boston and Toronto, Canada, PLATO continues to expand in North America.
PLATO wins the FMEA Software Benchmark of FMEA KONKRET again.
The PLATO Certified Consultants are celebrating their 10th anniversary.

2016

The PLATO Conference is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
In Ypsilanti, participants from the US region meet for the 5th time at the PLATO User Conference.
PLATO e1ns emerges as the best FMEA tool from a benchmark study.

2015

SCIO™ 6.0 introduces new functionalities and improvements.
PLATO offers a new graphic module for model-based system development: e1ns.aspects.
At the Network events in Bregenz and Brussels, PLATO presents, besides SCIO™, the e1ns engineering framework.
The XERI™ expert group meets at the Geistlich Pharma AG in Lucerne, Switzerland.
With new colleagues in the locations in Ottawa and New York PLATO increases the presence in the North American market.

2014

PLATO e1ns is presented for the first time at the Control in Stuttgart and at the Hannover Messe.
With the new SCIO™ Dashboard, users can intervene more quickly if risks emerge or objectives can not be achieved.
PLATO expands the range of topics of the webinar offer and adopts English-language webinars.
The partner network in China extends around Beijing DRIT Info Co. Ltd..

2013

XERI™ expands to a web-based document management system.
PLATO launches a webinar series around PLATO solutions.
PLATO participates for the first time in the World Conference on Quality and Improvement (WCQI) in Indianapolis.

2012

The first PLATO US User Conference in Detroit is a great success.
PLATO's integration strategy becomes visible.
SCIO™-Methods inspires customers and prospects.
PLATO moves within Lübeck and also the location in Munich has improved.

2011

PLATO goes China: The new PLATO system partner Beijing Huashengyang Hi-Tech Co. Ltd. wins FAW-Volkswagen for SCIO™.

2010

PLATO goes USA: Our dedicated US partners have new successes in the US market.
PLATO is evolving from tool provider to system provider of high quality solutions.

2009

Olympus becomes an audit customer.
ERGON becomes AQTIO™.

2008

Johnson Controls launches SCIO™ worldwide.
Release of XERI™ 3.0.

2007

XERI™ becomes international.
Partnerships with Consideo, Hood and P3.

2006

Merck switches from OPUS to XERI™.
The XERI™ family expands to include .rec, .extract and .contract.
PLATO for the 10th User Conference.

2005

New sales location in Hamburg.
New CI/Logo.
Supplement of the product portfolios with further methods (DRBFM).

2004

Completion of the PLATO portfolio through complaint management and AUDIT with special consideration of the requirements of the automotive industry.
Expansion of partnerships with Guardus Solutions AG.

2003

PLATO expands in all areas:

  • Product extension of SCIO™
  • New central management system ERGON
  • Recording management with XERI™-Records

PLATO welcomes the 5,000th training customer.

2002

Development of partner structures in North America.
100% takeover of PLATO Integral Development.

2001

PLATO also serves its southern German, Austrian, Swiss and Liechtenstein customers from the new Munich sales office.
PLATO now offers its engineering tools under the SCIO™ brand.

2000

PLATO opens offices in Ypsilanti (MI, USA) and Durham (UK).
QM-DOC and OPUS are the basis for the new software XERI™.
Porsche uses SCIO™-Matrix.

1999

Europe-wide use of PLATO software by Delphi.

1998

Foundation of the Dortmund site for customer-oriented services and consulting.
OPUS is developed in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard and Merck - a central tool for the establishment of (pharma) valid processes and products.
Opel becomes another FMEA customer.

1995 - 1997

Extentions of the performance of our software in cooperation with our customers.
Volkswagen acquires a worldwide license for FMEA system.
Our software become multilingual.
PLATO sets up a training team.
Introduction of the fault tree analysis as an extension module.

1992 - 1994

In 1992 PLATO is founded in Lübeck.
Development of customer-specific evaluation software within the framework of preventive quality management.
First market appearance of FMEA system (risk management) and QM-DOC (document control).