Preactor International Unveils Next Generation APS Solution

Preactor 11 to redefine expectations and delivery of advanced planning and scheduling benefits to manufacturers

Preactor International, has announced the launch of Preactor 11, the latest version of its award winning APS solution. Building on the combined experience of over 17 years tried and trusted development, Preactor 11 raises the standard even further for this proven area of planning and scheduling technology.

At the heart of Preactor 11 are a new User Interface and a range of functional enhancements which together offer an increased ease of use and a broader, deeper range of benefits. The new User Interface offers a whole new look and feel that allows the user to navigate more freely, intuitively and quickly between different areas of the system. Users familiar with the latest front office software will immediately feel at home with the way Preactor 11 allows multiple ways of quickly accessing, interrogating and editing data.
 
When it comes to presenting data, Preactor 11 offers the next generation of reporting with reports that can either be made local or server the latter allowing them to be viewed remotely via an Internet browser even without Preactor running. Preactor 11 also includes an increased number of schedule analysis reports that let users at all levels quickly and easily generate genuine Business Intelligence (BI) at a tactical and strategic level. This is increasingly important for industries in highly dependent Supply Chains where Capable to Promise (CTP) dates and accuracy of On Time and In Full (OTIF) delivery information is critical.
 
Preactor 11 also introduces the Materials Explorer, a powerful tool that provides an interactive, material-centric view of the production schedule. The Material Flow Diagram presents a graphical view of an order showing the materials involved in its manufacture as well as any related orders that are supplying or consuming materials. As the generated diagram is interactive, the planner can navigate quickly and easily through materials links from order to order to follow material flow through the production process and deal with any issues that arise such as shortages, changing priority of orders to overcome delivery problems.
 
This is complemented by a set of material plots which show the availability of materials over the schedule horizon. As each order is selected in the Material Flow Diagram the corresponding set of materials plots are shown, one from each material consumed or produced by the selected order. The materials plots are also interactive allowing the planner to select a data point and see the corresponding order in the material flow diagram.
 
The Materials Explorer also simplifies the task of finding and navigating to items of interest. For example, a material search facility allows orders to be found by the material consumed or produced while lists of orders with material shortages and unused production provide a good starting point for troubleshooting material issues.
 
Mike Novels, CEO of the Group, commented on the significance of Preactor 11. Our continued growth in 2009 and now in 2010 has shown APS to be a solution that manufacturers consistently turn to in order to deliver competitive advantage, even in the midst of a recession. Preactor 11 takes all the proven success of earlier versions used by over 3,000 companies in 67 countries and moves it to the next level. From small to medium sized companies right up to global corporations with multiple locations, Preactor 11 brings even greater functionality and flexibility combined with an unparalleled ease of use. This is also shown by the growing number of strategic partnerships we are making with leading global software brands which will make Preactor available as a seamless integration with other solutions, most notably MES and ERP systems.