COMPUTERS IN MANUFACTURING EXHIBITOR A-Z

COMPUTERS IN MANUFACTURING
EXHIBITOR A-Z

AiM Software will be displaying AiM ERP, a software suite that integrates finance, manufacturing and distribution. Also on view will be the latest developments of AiM for the Web.

Betagen will be exhibiting Vantage written in Microsoft.NET and is designed for made-to-order and mixed-mode manufacturers. With built-in workflow, Vantage manages the entire order cycle; marketing and sales, production and planning, sourcing and procurement, installation and service and financial recognition.

Vantage streamlines the order so enterprises can maximise their resources, minimise their costs and improve profitability. Vantage is optimised for rapid installation, low training costs, simple operation, easy modification and expandability.

The company will also be showing Vista designed for SME manufacturers it is a powerful, easy to use and integrated low cost package. Vista helps the user to control sales, estimating, job costing, scheduling, purchasing, stock, quality, financials and much more.

FDS Infotech will be announcing a number of new products:
Lean Production Scheduling & Execution a solution for manufacturers having repetitive manufacturing process lines and involving complex assemblies having large percentage of common parts;

Lean Production Planner an advanced planning tool using lean techniques to provide finite capacity planning;

Production Scheduler a rule-based, multiple constraints, and finite capacity scheduling system;

Data Bridge a product designed to harness the combined power of transaction processing systems working in tandem with scheduling and advanced planning products offered by FDS;

Business Intelligence Tool used to extract, display and share critical business information from FDS suite of products.

4See, from Freestyle New Media Group is a new e-management tool that is making its debut at CIM 2004. It is designed to put senior management firmly in control by bringing together every single aspect of a major business activity, across an entire organisation global or otherwise.

4Sees main feature is the instant capability it gives business managers to monitor and manage both the large-scale view of a task as well as the vital snapshot details. By enabling effective online collaboration across multiple task activities, new product launches for example, 4See helps to support the successful outcome of business critical tasks.

An innovative traffic light system underpins the task management control element ensuring that bottlenecks are quickly spotted and remedial actions set in play.

Already proven in the demanding automotive environment for high frequency new product roll-out programmes, 4See can deliver extensive cost savings across numerous functions including sales, marketing, training and administration support.

4Sees collaborative architecture means organisations can capture, store and control vital information which can then be communicated quickly and shared securely across a range of audiences and stakeholders. Importantly third party suppliers such as advertising agencies or country-by-country sales agents can also gain secure access to relevant information such as marketing collateral.

Headway Consulting has chosen CIM 2004 to launch rePortable, its web-based management information application. With rePortable non-technical people can report and analyse information from ERP and other systems, wherever they are.

The Chester based consultancy was founded 13 years ago and has worked with clients in the UK and overseas, project managing the selection and implementation of IT solutions. RePortable has been developed and refined over the past 18 months in conjunction with two international manufacturing businesses.

Infor Global Solutions provides vertical business solutions for manufacturing, and at CIM is launching the latest release of mid-market ERP system, InforCOM. This new 6.3 release includes enhanced warehouse management and additional e-procurement functions, plus a new user interface. The focus has been refining usability and reducing implementation timescales, thereby achieving faster investment returns.

The ability to convert four often-encountered wishes of a manufacturing company into reality and improve the performance of the business will be the theme of Lilly Software Associates' stand, where three additions to the VISUAL Enterprise ERP solution will be announced.

Typically, claims Lilly Software, the first wish is the need to reduce inventory, shorten lead times and speed the delivery of orders, a key business requirement that may be achieved with VISUAL Easy Lean, Lilly's recently announced system to support lean manufacturing practice.

Second, the wish to streamline supply chain processes may be achieved with a new product from Lilly, VISUAL Workflow.

The third wish, to accurately measure and analyse overall business performance, may be achieved with VISUAL Business Intelligence, a powerful and competitively priced resource that is becoming a 'must have' for any company that wishes to survive in today's global market.

The fourth wish - finding an easy-to-use supply chain management system that will let more people gain access to the benefits of using it - may be realised through a key feature of Lilly products: a market leading graphical interface. Further, the fully integrated architecture of the company's products allows data to flow unimpeded throughout an enterprise and makes the addition of modules a straightforward process.

McGuffie Bruntons attendance will focus on the demonstrable return on investment that customers are achieving by using SYSPRO 6.0 - an advanced generation ERP based system.

The Real Businesses Real Savings theme is launched on the back of more manufacturing, distribution and supply chain customers saying to McGuffie Brunton that their extended SYSPRO ERP system is helping to create new sales, bring in much needed business while reducing their inventory levels.

Warehouse management, CRM and e-business applications are an integral part of SYSPRO 6.0, and the software is being extended ever wider and deeper into companies business operations.

Two UK SYSPRO customers alone have been able to generate new income, or make substantial cost savings during the first year of implementing SYSPRO 6.0 systems.

For example, Technetix generated an extra 600,000 in turnover in the first two months of operation of a new ordering facility, powered by the fully .net enabled SYSPRO ERP system. Technetix is a global leader in the provision of broadband communications, cable television and telecommunications installation equipment. The new system has enabled the company to offer a complete new service, which can effectively manage high volumes of orders at much lower cost.

Piping system manufacturer, Tungum, has cut inventory by a third and reduced stocks and WIP by a massive 34%, saving over 220,000. The cost of implementing SYSPRO ERP has been recouped very quickly and the company will continue to benefit from much greater management control over the whole operation.

Improved efficiency, less waste, better cost management and the capability to meet significant growth opportunities over the next few years are what the company is now looking to achieve from the systems implementation.

Howard Joseph, sales director for McGuffie Brunton commented: We believe that more than ever visitors to this years CIM show will wish to take a closer look at ERP systems that are proven to provide real business benefits, and a quick return on their investment. Having the right system in place could provide the foundation for ongoing sales increases and cost savings for many years to come.

McGuffie Brunton is further extending the capabilities of its SYSPRO ERP system in the area of document control following the signing of a collaborative agreement with Proquis.

Proquis provides software solutions in the areas of document control, customer management, process mapping and standards compliance, and through the agreement, will offer SYSPRO ERP users a structured and integrated document management system that will enable them to better manage and improve the quality of company-wide documentation that impacts production and planning processes, such as product specification sheets and machine maintenance schedules.

Visit the PEAK Technologies stand to experience the benefits of combining the companys data capture knowledge and expertise with the power of leading edge hardware from Symbol Technologies. The results are solutions that provide a dramatic improvement on productivity, accuracy and visibility throughout the supply chain.

PEAK Technologies systems integration specialists and trained technicians are experts in wireless radio frequency network and ERP integration solutions, enterprise printing, bar code scanning, mobile computing, terminal and software technologies. Primary applications include solutions for warehousing, manufacturing, distribution, retail and field-based operations.

From Rent I.T. Systems will be the latest release of 123 MRP together with the companys low-cost, low risk payment method no contract and no minimum rental period. Also on show will be the Access Dimensions accounts package.

Enterprise software provider Sanderson, will be demonstrating how manufacturers can incorporate a demand centric supply chain approach into existing business processes. Three new enhancements have been developed specifically for Sandersons Unity system that provide the key tools for adopting a demand centric approach fast, web-based communication facilities, advanced CRM capabilities and a business intelligence suite.

By providing a fast communication tool for Unity, Sandersons web portals allow manufacturers and their customers to save time and costs by delivering instant access to real time supply chain information, for personnel, customers and suppliers. This is achieved using a browser interface that can be used both as an intranet and extranet application.

Quick communications and data accessibility form an essential element of the demand centric supply chain by enabling manufacturers to look backwards along the supply chain, from the customers perspective, to ensure all their requirements have been fulfilled.

Sandersons CRM solution offers complete visibility of the customer, a key requirement of the demand centric supply chain. To sustain long term relationships, CRM is designed to help manufacturers successfully manage all stages of the customer lifecycle. It contains rich functionality for sales and marketing which creates a holistic view of the customer by automating a range of important activities including generation of telephone calls, all written communications, visits for field sales and overdue reminders.

The business intelligence suite contains sophisticated OLAP and other reporting tools that integrate with Unity to allow manufacturers to fully utilise their information by interrogating data held on the system. Detailed analytical calculations are performed using advanced techniques including hypercubes to support informed decision-making regarding business and production matters.

Unitys suite of enterprise software modules provide a fully integrated business solution for manufacturing companies by automating all areas of the business, from calculating estimates, processing sales orders, managing engineering and production applications, to delivery of finished components to the customer.

New from StatSoft will be version 7 of the Statistica enterprise-wide SPC system (SEWSS). This provides a complete solution for the collection, analysis and reporting of quality data. The system includes simple, intuitive data collection and monitoring tools for shop-floor operators, with automatic alarm notification facilities. In addition to its own centralised SPC database, SEWSS provides transparent access to data held in external shop-floor or corporate databases. Up-to-date summary reports can be accessed from any workstation.

Also on show, STATISTICA QC Miner is a powerful software solution designed to monitor processes and not only identify, but also anticipate problems related to quality control and improvement with unmatched sensitivity and effectiveness. It combines the most powerful tools for QC and SPC with the cutting-edge data mining technology.

Symbol Technologies is a worldwide leader in enterprise mobility, delivering products and solutions that capture, move and manage information in real time to and from the point of business activity.

Symbol enterprise mobility solutions integrate advanced data capture products, radio frequency identification technology, mobile computing platforms, wireless infrastructure, mobility software and world class services programs under the Symbol Enterprise Mobility Services brand.

Symbol Technologies, together with valued partners, develops and delivers complete solutions for many different industries throughout the world.

Symbol enterprise mobility products and solutions are proven to increase workforce productivity, reduce operating costs, drive operational efficiencies and realise competitive advantages for the worlds leading companies.

Computers In Manufacturing Show (28-30 September, NEC, Birmingham), is being staged alongside the prestigious annual series of manufacturing events and unrivalled education programme that embraces Inspex, Motion & Control (formerly IFPEX), Fastenex, Shape Engineering, Design Engineering Show and Time Compression Technologies.

For more information, go to www.cimshow.co.uk