it systems, software and services for uk manufacturing · 2008-05-21 · manufacturing industry...
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lean/agile business systemsenterprise systems
supply chain systems
CAD/CAM and PLMfactory/plant/automation IT & network infrastructure
In partnership with
A special report from
The definitive guideIT systems, software
and services for UK manufacturing
Shortlist Cover.qxp:Layout 1 7/5/08 12:31 Page 41
42 May 2008 www.worksmanagement.co.uk
Fo
rew
ord
IT Shortlist 2008: in print and online
Shortlist 2008 is our annual reference directory of IT
systems, software, ICT consultancy and service
providers. Our objective in this issue is to make your
task of finding and shortlisting IT suppliers as fast, easy and
efficient as possible.
We start by examining subtle, but important, changes in
the way manufacturing business leaders view the value and
nature of their IT investments – and the upsides and
downsides of that. The real concern going forward is that
technology itself has largely fallen off the business thinking
radar. At most, we see directors explaining that new IT
solutions are needed because they have become over-reliant
on unsupported and/or under-developed software, or that
they want a more modern, user-friendly system.
That may not matter – there’s not a lot to choose between
many of today’s systems, post consolidation, anyway – but
the worry is that we only know what we know. Unless we
keep up, we’re laying ourselves wide open to missing tricks.
And for manufacturers, that means we’re setting ourselves
up for a fall at the first business hurdles – the ones marked
‘competitiveness’ and ‘sustainability’.
What, for example, is the value of apparently abstruse IT
advances, such as service orientated architectures (SOA –
the concept of configurable, re-usable services in place of
fixed IT functions)? In a similar vein, what about the
significance of web technologies that broadly purport to
enable the ‘c’ word ‘collaboration’ – those that effectively
change the scale of ad hoc integration (inside the four walls
and out to customers, suppliers and business partners)?
Could some of these hold the keys to unlocking new and
critical business and operational potential?
We pick up on the thinking at analysts
Butler Group and Gartner, and explore
everything from Microsoft’s collaborative
SharePoint Server portal range and
enterprise content management (ECM)
solutions, to the raft of so-called
enterprise service buses (ESBs) and new
potential of RFID on page 44.
As for supplier shortlisting, your first port of call is
opposite, on page 43: the alpha list by function. Look for the
functionality you require to find appropriate suppliers that
should be on your shortlist – then go to the pages indicated
for further details.
Starting on page 49, you will find details on key
providers of solutions, systems and services – in alpha order
by company name. Everything is covered: from providers of
ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems to supply chain
management systems; advanced planning and scheduling
(APS) systems to product lifecycle management (PLM)
systems; plant and factory controls to sophisticated
shopfloor data capture systems; and network providers to
hardware developers.
Finally, remember the Manufacturing Computer Solutions
website at www.mcsolutions.co.uk for your shortlisting. It’s a
key adjunct to the 2008 Shortlist annual, providing access to
products, services, suppliers, business and technology news
and reference material – both from MCS and filtered sites on
the world wide web. Importantly, it includes a search engine
and database of ICT for manufacturing that’s second to none.
Brian Tinham BSc CEng MInstMC FSOE FIPlantE
Overview
The benefit of foresight
IT is largely taken for granted today. At one
level, that’s fine, but at another it means
opportunities are being overlooked. Brian
Tinham examines the issues and suggests
some key topics to get on the agenda 44
Profiles
Here, we profile the offerings of leading
system and service suppliers to
manufacturing industry
Access Supply Chain 49
Epicor Software (UK) 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IFS UK 55
Infor 57
Inform 59
K3 Business Technology Group 61
Oracle 63
Preactor International 65
Rent-IT Systems UK 67
Sage (UK) 69
SAP 71
Sescoi UK 72
SSL WinMan 73
XCL Technology Group 75
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Contents by functionTo find the suppliers most relevant to your project requirements, simply use the listing below
CAD/CAM/CAESescoi 72
Product data managementEpicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
ICAPS 46
IBM 76
IFS 55
Infor 57
Oracle 63
Sage 69
SAP 71
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
Factory/plant systemsAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
ICAPS 46
IFS 55
Infor 57
K3 61
Sage 69
SAP 71
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
Process industry systemsAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
IBM 76
IFS 55
Infor 57
Oracle 63
Sage 69
SAP 71
XCL 75
Enterprise systemsAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IBM 76
ICAPS 46
IFS 55
Infor 57
K3 61
Oracle 63
Rent-IT Systems 67
Sage 69
SAP 71
Sescoi 72
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
Planning/schedulingAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IBM 76
ICAPS 46
IFS 55
Infor 57
Inform 59
K3 61
Oracle 63
Preactor 65
Rent-IT Systems 67
Sage 69
SAP 71
Sescoi 72
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
Business intelligenceAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IBM 76
IFS 55
Infor 57
Inform 59
K3 61
Oracle 63
Sage 69
SAP 71
Sescoi 72
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
CRM systemsAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IBM 76
IFS 55
Infor 57
K3 61
Oracle 63
Sage 69
SAP 71
SSL Winman 53
XCL 75
Time & attendanceAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IFS 55
Infor 57
K3 61
Oracle 63
Sage 69
Sescoi 72
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
Supply chain systemsAccess Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IBM 76
IFS 55
Infor 57
Inform 59
K3 61
Oracle 63
Preactor 65
Rent-IT Systems 67
Sage 69
SAP 71
SSL Winman 73
XCL 75
IT & network infrastructureIBM 76
ICAPS 46
Infor 57
K3 61
XCL 75
Consultancy services Access Supply Chain 49
Epicor 51
Exel Computer Systems 53
IBM 76
ICAPS 46
IFS 55
Infor 57
Oracle 63
Sage 69
SAP 71
Sescoi 72
XCL 75
IT Shortlist Contents
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44 May 2008 www.worksmanagement.co.uk
You know, some things never change,
and business drivers – healthy
competition, cost cutting, and the
pursuit of ultimate efficiency and
profit – are right up there. Others do change
though, and one that comes to mind is the
large number of manufacturers now thinking
of their IT investments almost exclusively in
those self-same terms.
It’s subtle: ERP projects were always a
means to the joint ends of cutting costs by
automating business processes, while
increasing efficiency by integrating
departmental silos – both leading to better
competitiveness and greater profits. But the
detail of those thought processes seems
virtually to have vanished – and with it, any
consideration of the potential for more radical
or tangential advantages conferred by
advancing technology itself.
Look at speciality chemicals manufacturer
BWA Water Additives or, for that matter,
radiation therapy equipment manufacturer
TomoTherapy. Both recently implemented new
ERP systems – and what they have to say of
them is undoubtedly good, insofar as it
indicates that manufacturing business IT has
very much come of age. And yet...
Paul Turgeon, president and COO of BWA
(which went for CDC Software’s Ross
Enterprise ERP in both the UK and North
America), says of his system: “Since
implementing Ross Enterprise, we have
exceeded our targets for working capital,
inventory turns and days sales outstanding.
We also now have a deeper and broader view
of the business than we did with our previous
systems… This out-of-the-box, cost-effective
and vertical-focus application has enabled us
to boost our operational effectiveness under
some very challenging conditions.”
Similarly, Martin Christopher, director of IT
at TomoTherapy (which went live a few months
ago on a SAP Business All-in-One ERP solution
after just 16 weeks of implementation),
describes his company’s system as enabling
international growth – as well as managing
product innovation electronically and
consolidating its technology leadership.
“With SAP Business All-in-One, we have
much better visibility into our global
operations and performance, and we enjoy
the peace of mind that comes from having a
fully compliant business system,” he says. “In
addition, we have more than doubled the
throughput for engineering change orders,
which directly benefits our customers.”
The benefit of
foresightIT is largely taken for granted today. At one level, that’s fine, but at another it
means opportunities are being overlooked. Brian Tinham examines the issues
and suggests some key topics to get on the agenda
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IT Shortlist Overview
www.worksmanagement.co.uk May 2008 45
Admittedly, for both of these
manufacturers, there was slightly more to it
than just these top line business assessments.
Each, for example, also makes it clear that the
project team selected a system it felt would be
capable of matching immediate and future
business priorities. Each also looked carefully
at the time and effort likely to be required to
get up and running – and chose on the basis
of minimising them, seeking out suppliers
offering good implementation practice and
‘out of the box’, non-customised industry-
centric code.
Turgeon, for instance, explains that BWA,
which serves the industrial water treatment,
desalination, pulp and paper and oilfield
process markets, needed to go live as quickly
as possible, following a buyout by private
equity firm Close Brothers. “While we could
have implemented the same systems that we
were familiar with from our [former] parent
company, it was critical that we chose a
solution that fitted our chemicals business by
design, and could be deployed quickly and
cost effectively.”
In much the same vein, TomoTherapy’s
Christopher says he was convinced by SAP’s
Best Practices packages, which, he felt, would
mean a speedy and successful project, while
also reducing cost and reliance on expensive
consultants. “SAP Business All-in-One and
SAP Best Practices gave us the tools to
implement quickly, so that we could keep our
focus on customers,” he says. And the proof:
“Our system was delivered on time, within
budget and with no unplanned downtime.”
Dig deeper and you’ll also find that both
organisations, like so many others, chose IT
providers whose people, they believed, were
interested in effectively becoming business
partners for the long term.
All of which is well and good – except that
something important is missing. Not many
moons ago the technology itself would have
been at least an equal concern, because, back
then, the platform and environment had
serious potential to make or break a project.
Now, however, they just haven’t, so
technology has largely fallen off the agenda.
At most you’ll hear directors explaining that
they had to go for new IT because they were
over-reliant on unsupported and/or under-
developed software, or that they wanted a
more modern, user-friendly system.
Does that matter? On the face of it, no,
because there’s not a lot to choose between
modern systems today, certainly given the
scale of recent consolidation and resulting
standardisation. However, the pendulum of
technology disregard has probably swung
rather too far, and may be about to swing
right back and bite the unwary on the bum.
Many manufacturing business leaders
today consider themselves to be reasonably IT
savvy and, compared to their position around,
say, Y2k, they are. Most have been through at
least one ERP project (many, more than one)
so they have every right to claim that they
know what’s involved. But, we know what we
know – and IT is too dynamic for that ever to
be enough. Unless you keep up, you’re laying
yourself wide open to missing tricks. For
manufacturers it’s worse: they may also be
setting themselves up for a fall at the first
business hurdles – those marked
‘competitiveness’ and ‘sustainability’.
Because the technology issues that matter
today and into the future are less about the
regular stuff – ERP, APS (advanced planning
and scheduling), even business intelligence
(BI) – and more about developments that may
change the way companies and people think
and work. Even some of the apparently more
abstruse IT advances, such as service
orientated architectures (SOA – the concept
of configurable, re-usable services in place of
fixed IT functions) hold the keys to unlocking
vital business and operational potential.
Mostly, that’s about ensuring flexibility –
being able to adapt business processes to
opportunities as and when they arise – which
requires your systems to be easy to change (as
in, deploy new servers, install new software,
change data views, adapt business processes).
But in a similar vein, there’s a whole raft of
web technologies, broadly enabling the ‘c’
word – collaboration – effectively changing
the scale of ad hoc integration (inside the four
walls and out to customers, suppliers and
business partners) now routinely possible.
At one level, many modern ERP systems
already enable much of this. Electronic test
and measurement instruments manufacturer
Thurlby Thandar, for example, says it expects
to get full integration, as well as remote IT
support, when it goes live with a Syspro ERP
system from K3, covering everything from
manufacturing to engineering change
control, sales and quality management.
Production director Keith Pauley describes it
as providing “integration that will link all
parts of the business,” thus enabling a new
level of efficiency and underpinning growth.
However, there are plenty of other
developments well and truly out of R&D. Just
12 months ago, analyst Butler Group, for
example, released its predictions for last year
– with Microsoft’s collaborative SharePoint
Server portal range and its enterprise content
management (ECM) solutions topping the bill
for attention.
Also on its ‘ones to watch’ list were:
virtualisation (of servers, storage, networks
and clients) to improve flexibility and
utilisation of the IT and network
infrastructure itself; so-called enterprise
service buses (ESBs), leading to more widely
accessible SOA; and automated business
process management (BPM) technology. And
beyond these were: enterprise performance
management (EPM); good old BI software; the
convergence of fixed/mobile
communications; unified security; and RFID –
the latter, according to Butler, bound to be
used at the product or item level, not just on
pallets and containers.
But just look at the pace of change: one
year later, rival analyst Gartner reveals a
noticeably different list for 2008 and beyond. »
Our SAP system was deliveredon time, within budget and
with no unplanned downtime Martin Christopher, IT director, TomoTherapy“ ”
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For example, open-source which, it says will
be in no less than 80% of packaged business
application software by 2012, with at least a
third provided as a service subscription,
rather than product licence. Gartner points
out that many open-source projects are now
mature and well supported, and that they
provide significant opportunities, for vendors
and users alike, to cut costs and eek more
from IT budgets.
“Ignoring this will put companies at a
serious competitive disadvantage,” says a
Gartner spokesperson. “Embedded open-
source strategies will become the minimal
level of investment that most large
software vendors will find necessary to
maintain competitive advantages
during the next five years.” Similarly,
the analyst also notes that SaaS
(software as service) is already being
endorsed and promoted by leading
software vendors, such as Oracle, SAP and
Microsoft, as well as many web technology
firms. “The SaaS model of deployment and
distribution will enjoy steady growth in
mainstream use during the next five years,” it
forecasts.
Other key predictions: by 2011, early
technology adopters will forgo capital
expenditures on their IT infrastructure, with
40% going for a service approach here, too;
by 2010, 75% of organisations will use full
lifecycle energy and CO2 footprint as
mandatory hardware-buying criteria; and by
2012, 50% of mobile workers will leave
notebooks at home in favour of new internet-
centric pocket devices.
Incidentally, another survey by Gartner
Executive Programmes finds business
intelligence the number one technology
priority for the third year in a row – indicating
just how slow uptake of even well-established
technology remains. It also suggests that
agility will become the primary measure of IT
system excellence over the next five years, as
the sheer power of adaptability dawns on
businesses.
To this end, Tom Bittman, Gartner VP,
advises that, by 2012, virtualisation will be
the most significant factor in data centres –
and not just because it greatly reduces the
number of servers, space, power and cooling
demands. “An agile data centre will handle
exceptions effectively,
but also learn from
[them] to improve
standards and processes,” he
explains, adding: “Virtualisation changes
virtually everything.” Why? Because it’s not
just about achieving consolidation, but
transforming management of resources from
individual servers to pools of resource –
which, in turn, increase server deployment
speeds alone by up to 30 times, he says.
Let’s end with a few key pointers for the
coming 18 months. Number one, your
business systems: analyst Aberdeen Group
says that best-in-class manufacturing SMEs
are 16-times more likely to use event
management functionality in their ERP and
supply chain systems – and that results in 47%
better schedule compliance. They’re also
linking lean scheduling software to their ERP
systems and real-time data from the
shopfloor. However, most are still paying too
much for too little business benefit –
mistakenly going for so-called ‘ERP lite’
systems, when what they need is less
complexity, not less functionality.
It could be an idea to follow equestrian
riding clothing and accessories manufacturer
Horseware Ireland’s lead – and consider using
a business analysis tool of some kind before
your next upgrade. Horseware went for
Lawson Software’s Opportunity Analyser and
says that this helped to set achievable
business performance improvement targets
through ERP. As Aidan Gaughran, Horseware’s
financial controller, puts it: “It allowed us to
see the value a software upgrade could
potentially add when we are ready to re-
invest. It was invaluable in helping us identify
best practice. When putting in place these
best practices, we anticipate our business to
become stronger, more robust and
futureproof.”
Number two, your budget: Gartner advises
that IT managers must put a modernisation
programme at the heart of their 2008 strategy
– and start using it immediately. Why?
Because by the end of 2010, more than one-
third of all application projects will be driven
by the need to deal with technology
obsolescence or skills shortages, it predicts.
Best advice: start identifying your key IT
assets and assign management responsibility
for each type, while simultaneously kicking off
comprehensive IT planning across all
portfolios in preparation for change.
And finally, IT departments should not
wait for an official declaration of depression –
look at IT cost-cutting now. “Organisations
based in countries where GDP is projected to
grow less than 2% in 2008 are advised to
prepare for IT cost cutting now,” says
Gartner’s Ken McGee. Latest GDP projections
for the UK? There’s no precise answer, but it’s
around the 2% mark. ■
w For IT solutions, go to
www.worksmanagement.co.uk/IT
TomoTherapy’s SAP system is enabling
international growth
IT Shortlist Overview
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Company ProfileEmployees: 250Offices: EightParent/Holding Co: AccessTechnology Group Activities: The Access group ofcompanies supplies and supportsbusiness systems for globalorganisations. Access Supply Chainspecialises in providing, maintainingand supporting flexible ERP,manufacturing, distribution andaccounting solutions.Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:Direct sales and implementationthrough Access Supply Chain, plusregional and national centres.
Industrial SectorsOur customers are in a wide range ofindustrial sectors, includingautomotive, aerospace, electrical,electronics, engineering, food anddrink, flooring, furniture and kitchens,metal processing, medical andpharmaceuticals.
Users Profile Manufacturing and distributionsolutions for small, medium and largecompanies. Single or multi-site. Make-to-order, make-to-forecast, make-to-stock, mix-mode manufacturing.
User ReferencesAcrastyle, Ascari Cars, Cromer Crab,Crosby Kitchens, Hall’s Flooring,LycoRed, Plymouth Gin, Ritchey,Sound Leisure, Surrey Satellite andUgo Foods.
ccess Supply Chain, part ofthe Access Technology Group,specialises in manufacturing
and distribution solutions for small,medium and large companies.
The Access Supply Chain softwaresolution is a modular ERP system thatcan be configured to fit any businessenvironment and way of working.From aerospace to pharmaceuticals,and food to engineering, we treat ourclients as individuals, providingeffective solutions for their short- andlong-term objectives.
From ordering raw materials todelivery of finished goods, we offer a single, seamless solution to strengthen yourbusiness processes, improve management reporting and increase profitability.
The Access Supply Chain system has excellent functionality and flexibility, andcombines all the advantages of a standard package with the fit of a bespokesolution. It has limitless potential for integration and can be deployed with completeconfidence in every part of the organisation.
Implementation is controlled using a proven and highly dependable 10-stepimplementation plan, which ensures that the project is delivered on time and withinbudget.
Craig Such, Managing Director
A
Phillips House, Chapel Lane, Emley, West Yorkshire Tel: 0845 170 8888 Fax: 01924 840999 Email: [email protected]
Based in Sheffield, Crosby Kitchens is a65-employee firm, manufacturing andselling kitchens to high street retailersand house builders via distributors andbuilders’ merchants.
The company installed an AccessSupply Chain solution to help managerapid growth. Mike Atkin, managing
director: “We increased sales by 20%in a year. Before Access Supply Chain,we would have really struggled tokeep up with any amount of newbusiness because we were constantlyfire-fighting and troubleshooting toget work processed.
“Now, we’ve got the same workforce
and we’ve taken this 20% increase inour stride. We are more effective, wehave more visibility and more control.Sales order processing is faster andmore accurate. A 20% increase inbusiness means 20% more orders tobe picked and 20% more products tobe delivered. Without a doubt, thesystem has helped us achieve this.”
case study
IT Shortlist Access Supply Chainwww.access-supplychain.com
ServicesIndustrial Standards: Windows, SQLServerTraining & Support Facilities: Trainingcentres at all main offices
Applications/ProductsModular ERP and Supply ChainManagement: Multi-location StockControl, Traceability, WarehouseManagement Manufacturing management: ProductConfigurator, Job Costing, Quotations,POP, SOP, Works Orders, BoM,
Scheduling, Production/CapacityPlanning, Engineering Change ControlShopfloor systems: Time Recordingand Shop Floor Data Capture Distribution: Warehouse Management,Location and Lot Control, CRM,Forecasting and Demand PlanningFinancial: Multi-currency Ledgers,Credit Control, Cashbook and Payroll. We provide turnkey solutions withhardware and IT infrastructure,implementation and customer serviceplus lifetime system support.
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Company ProfileEmployees: 2,500Turnover: £18,8m (UK) Offices: presence in over 140 countriesworldwideParent/Holding Co: Epicor SoftwareCorporationActivities: Epicor delivers end-to-end,industry-specific solutions formanufacturing, distribution, retail,hospitality and services: these solutionsenable companies to drive increasedefficiency, improve performance andbuild competitive advantage. Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:Epicor’s solutions are sold globallythrough a combination of direct salesrepresentatives and value-addedresellers.
Industrial SectorsAerospace and Defence, Automotive,Electronics and Electrical Components,Fabricated Metals, Furniture andFixtures, Industrial Machinery, MedicalDevices, Rubber and Plastics.
Users ProfileToday, Epicor’s ERP solutions are helpingmidmarket organisations and divisionsand subsidiaries of the Global 1000maximize their most importantresources for profitable growth, and areavailable for a number of industrysectors including manufacturing,distribution, services, hospitality andretail. These solutions offer deep industry-specific functionality within each ofthese sectors.
User ReferencesMore than 20,000 customers in over140 countries including Redbull Racing,Benson Box, Thomas Dudley andPressed Steel.
Services:Industrial Standards: Innovative service-oriented architecture (SOA), Microsoft.NET, Web services technologyQuality Standards: Microsoft GoldPartnerTraining & Support Facilities: Epicor hasdedicated teams offering on- and offsite training and e-learning. World-class
picor is a global leaderdedicated to providingintegrated enterprise resource
planning (ERP), customer relationshipmanagement (CRM), supply chainmanagement (SCM) and professionalservice automation (PSA) softwaresolutions to midmarket companiesand divisions of the Global 1000. Founded in 1984, Epicor serves over20,000 customers in more than 140countries, providing solutions in over30 languages. Employing innovativeservice-oriented architecture (SOA)and Web services technology, Epicordelivers end-to-end, industry-specificsolutions for manufacturing,distribution, retail, hospitality and services that enable companies to driveincreased efficiency, improve performance and build competitive advantage.Epicor solutions provide the scaleability and flexibility to meet today’s businesschallenges, while empowering enterprises for even greater success tomorrow.Epicor offers a comprehensive range of services with its solutions, providing asingle point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low totalcost of ownership.
support, consultancy and ongoingassistance worldwide.
Applications/Products EPICOR FOR MANUFACTURINGCustomer Relationship Management Sales Management Supply Chain Management Production Management Planning and Scheduling Product Data Management Service Management Financial Management Enterprise Performance Management Business Process Management
Matt Muldoon, Senior Director,Systems Engineers, EMEA
E
No 1 The Arena, Downshire Way, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1PUTel: 0800 0361155 Fax: 01344 468 010 Email: [email protected] Web: www.epicor.com
Thomas Dudley Ltd is one of the UK’sleading manufactures of plastic toiletcisterns and foundry products. Sincethe 1920s the company has beenmanufacturing high quality grey andSG iron castings at its fully mechanisedfoundry in Dudley in the WestMidlands. Thomas Dudley is a shiningexample of how UK manufacturingcan still compete in a global
marketplace by aggressively adoptingnew technology and businesspractices.
Deciding to replace its ageing TetraCS3 system, the goal was tostreamline the business and provide amore powerful yet flexible ERPsolution with a standard database andthe ability to interconnect with other
modern applications. Simon Boyes,Business Systems manager for ThomasDudley says: “After three weeks of in-depth evaluation, the decision from allthe department heads wasunanimously Epicor for Manufacturing.The most common reason given wasthe sheer flexibility of the softwarecombined with its easy to usemanagement interface.”
case study
IT Shortlist Epicor Software (UK)www.epicor.com
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IT Shortlist Exel Computer Systems
Company ProfileTurnover: £6.1 million Offices: head office, Nottingham;offices in Lichfield Activities: UK author, designer anddeveloper of a fully integrated ERPbusiness solution – EFACS E/8Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators: worldwide distributor network
Industrial SectorsDiscrete manufacturing, aerospace,general engineering, sub-contractengineering, automotive, furniture,building, electronics, textiles,pharmaceutical, food, valves,packaging, forging and press work,plastics, cosmetics, rubber, jewellery andfabricated products.
Users Profile Discrete manufacturers – fromautomotive, aerospace and electronicsfirms with traceability and engineeringchange management, to high-volumeschedule-driven componentmanufacturers requiring lean methods.
User References SCA Packaging, King Trailers, CoramShowers, Naim Audio, Typhoon, GBKent, Elizabeth Shaw, Ilmor Engineering,UAV Engines, Bennett Opie, BanksidePatterson, Finsbury Orthopaedics,Modec and Wesley Barrell.
ServicesIndustrial Standards: Browser-driven,uses Java and Internet tools and runs onUnix, Microsoft, Linux and systems
supporting Java. Microsoft SQL Server,Informix; single-server to multi-tiercomputing. Quality Standards Exel is committed tothe provision of products and servicesthat are fit for purpose and conform tocustomer’s requirements andaccreditations.Training & Support Facilities Expert training and support covering allaspects of EFACS E/8 is availablethrough our technical teams viatelephone, internet, site visit, orthrough Exel’s dedicated trainingfacilities.
xel Computer Systems is theUK owner and author ofEFACS E/8, a flexible and fully
integrated ERP solution. EFACS E/8 isbrowser, XML, and Java-based, runson a wide range of servers, operatingsystems and databases, and is multi-language and multi-currency.
EFACS E/8 is fully customisable andincorporates all core ERP functions,with a range of integrated add-onmodules including, DocumentManagement, CRM, Workflow,Business Intelligence, ProductConfiguration, Mobile Applications,Touchscreen technology and more.
Exel’s customer base ranges from SMEs to large multinationals, and spans industriesas diverse as food, aerospace, engineering, electronics, packaging, chemicals,automotive and many more. Our portfolio of customers includes Molton Brown,SELEX Communications, Lactalis McLelland, Shipham Valves and Damart, to namebut a few. Whatever your business, whatever your size and wherever you are in theworld, EFACS E/8 is the business solution for you.
Applications/Products ERP: supply chain management,manufacturing management,data/document management, shopfloorsystems, collaborative commerce.EFACS E/8 is a customisable,component-based ERP package thatprovides an economic and precise fit tothe most demanding manufacturingrequirements. It deals with all businessfunctions, including sales, purchasing,inventory, finance, production, CRM,field service management and planning,workflow, e-commerce and decisionsupport.
Rue Dilhe, Managing Director
E
Bothe Hall, Sawley, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 3XLTel: 0115 946 0101 Fax: 0115 946 0606 Email: [email protected]
When SELEX Communications neededto replace its outdated bespoke ITsystem and implement new softwareable to manage business across its 21regional offices and 7 sites worldwide,it selected EFACS E/8 from ExelComputer Systems. EFACS was bestequipped to manage SELEXCommunications’ demanding contract
requirements, with its ease ofcustomisation and ability to definesystem parameters.
Among the many benefits EFACS hasbrought is accessibility of informationthrough the ability to drill down andtap into previously impenetrable data.For the first time the company has
common processes across the groupwith system-wide access to data.
EFACS enables the company to runapplications in real-time, generatingcurrent data from the shopfloor, andthus accurate reports and forecasts –ultimately facilitating business visibility.
case study
www.exel.co.uk
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Company ProfileEmployees: 300 UK, 2,600 worldwideTurnover: £38m (UK), £180m (global)Offices: Worldwide in 54 countries Parent/Holding Co: IFS AB, Linkoping,SwedenActivities: IFS provides business-wideERP solutions that allow resources tobe managed in a more agile way toachieve better business performance. Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators: IFSsupplies directly, and partners withglobal companies that are marketleaders in several industries.
Industrial Sectors Aerospace and defence; automotive;construction; hi-tech; manufacturing;process (food, beverage, chemical,pharmaceutical, paper); retail,wholesale and supply chain; servicemanagement; utilities and telecoms.
Users Profile IFS is an agile solution for firms ofvarious sizes – from medium sized,single site companies to large, multi-site, multi-national enterprises.
User References Babcock, Becker Industrial Coatings,Bristan, Bristow Helicopters, BSkyB,Butcher’s Pet Care, Clancy Docwra,CryoService, De la Rue, ImerysMinerals, Magnet, Olympus KeyMed,Prodrive, Vinten Broadcast, Zwetsloots.
Services Industrial Standards: Server: Any server
FS, the global enterpriseapplications company,provides ERP solutions that
enable organisations to respondquickly to market changes. Thesolutions allow resources to be usedin a more agile way to achieve betterbusiness performance andcompetitive advantage.
With IFS Applications, now in itsseventh generation, IFS pioneeredcomponent-based ERP software. Thearchitecture provides solutions thatare easier to implement, run andupgrade, giving extended ERPfunctionality, including CRM, SCM,PLM, CPM, enterprise asset management, and MRO capabilities.
IFS Applications enables you to manage different business types, includingproject-orientated, contracting, manufacturing, supply chain and servicemanagement, across a range of sectors, from construction through process andautomotive to distribution. It has the ability to support mixed-mode operationssimultaneously in multiple sites, countries, currencies and languages. It has theflexibility to support dynamic changes occurring in our industrial markets.
Paul Massey, Managing Director, IFS Europe West
I
IFS House, 728 London Road, High Wycombe,Buckinghamshire HP11 1HE Tel: 01494 428900 Fax: 01494 428907 Email: [email protected]
Coba Plastics manufacturesthermoplastic extrusions for a diversecustomer base, and is recognisedworldwide for its quality product. Thecompany faced the same problem asmany other UK manufacturers – howto remain competitive against lowerpriced competition from overseas. Itneeded to increase quality andefficiency simultaneously.
IFS provided Coba with thefunctionality to manage last minutecustomer changes more efficiently,thus minimising disruption ofproduction runs. Improved productionplanning, using IFS, takes into accountforecast customer demand, lead timeand priorities, in order to achieve themost cost-efficient manufacturingschedules.
Coba can now service more customerdemand from stock, while at the sametime holding less inventory, as well asidentifying where imbalance occurs.
IFS brings all the managementfunctions together under a singleintegrated system, enabling Coba tobe more proactive in dealing withavailability and supply issues.
case study
IT Shortlist IFS UK www.ifs.co.uk
environment supported by an OracleRDBMS. Client: Windows 2000 andabove. IFS Extended Server: Any web-based environment. Training & Support Facilities IFS offers consultancy, training andsupport, as well as a structuredimplementation methodology,supported by tools, such as role basedtraining, instructor-led and self studiesonline, business process modellingtools and lifecycle management tools.Support is provided from the UK withonline and phone support.
Applications/Products IFS Applications: Because IFSApplications is component-based,companies can implement what theyneed, when they need it. IFS Applications offers a businesssolution that can be configured tomeet the needs of rapidly changingindustries facing challenges in aninternational marketplace.IFS provides a broad range ofenterprise, manufacturing, servicemanagement and asset managementsolutions.
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Company ProfileEmployees: 9,200Turnover EMEA $861 millionOffices: in 100+ countries worldwide Parent/Holding Co: Infor Activities: Infor offers business-specificsolutions to help companies in a rangeof sub-sectors to automate, plan,collaborate and execute according totheir unique requirements.
Industrial Sectors Aerospace, apparel and footwear,automotive, chemicals, consumerpackaged goods, service management,food and beverage, hightech andelectronics, industrial equipment andmachinery, life sciences, metalfabrication, plastics, public sector andshipbuilding.
Users Profile With products representing 35 years ofexperience, our solutions have bestpractices and specific capabilities built infor the manufacturing sector.
User References70,000 customers, including Beamish &Crawford, Filtronic, British Sugar,Bernhard Mathews, Johnson & JohnsonMedica, New Balance, Hankyu, TRWAutomotive, Reynolds Company, LearCorporation, Hi-Tech Mouldings,Sandvik Mining & Construction.
ServicesIndustrial Standards: Infor Open SOAembraces and supports all leading
nfor is a different kind ofsoftware company. Weprovide business solutions to
enterprising firms who want the bestof both worlds: solutions as business-specific as those from smallerproviders, backed by a company withthe financial stability and global scaleof the enterprise software giants.
Infor delivers business-specificsoftware that helps enterprisingorganisations of all sizes adapt to rapidchange. With experience built in, oursolutions are helping more than70,000 companies meet their goals.
Infor is helping more than 70,000 customers worldwide to be more enterprising.We deliver business-specific solutions that address the processes, regulatoryrequirements and trading environments of our customers in a wide range ofmanufacturing, distribution and services industries. Our domain experts have theknowhow to help our customers address their business problems and lower cost ofIT ownership. Infor helps them enrich the value of their investment in IT and extendcore applications with best-in-class solutions. And to meet long-term needs, weprovide a smooth evolutionary path that supports ongoing innovation.
Trevor Smith, Senior Vice Presidentand Managing Director, UK, Ireland,Middle East and Africa
I
Infor House, 1 Lakeside Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6XPTel: 01252 556 000 Fax: 01252 556 522 Email: [email protected]
K&W Transmissies has been supplyingthe agricultural, offshore, construction,packaging and food processing sectorswith chains, sprockets and drivecomponents for 20 years.
K&W had been using a financialpackage, but K&W director HansKetelaar explains: “We were unable toprovide feedback to customers about
orders. All data was scattered acrossthe package, in Word and Excel.”
Infor ERP LN was chosen to providean integrated business system. Thefirm went for the standard package asmuch as possible, customising itsprocesses to match best practice, andInfor finalised the implementationwithin 45 consultancy days.
“Our production has particularlybenefited. Just when we were aboutto complete the implementation, themarket picked up. We would neverhave been able to handle this growthwithout Infor ERP LN. It has enabledus to keep a close eye on things andprovides a better understanding ofcosts. The next step is managementinformation,” says Ketelaar.
case study
IT Shortlist Inforwww.infor.co.uk
industrial standards, such as OAGIS 9. Quality Standards: Infor helps users tomeet standards from ISO 9000 to FDA.ISO 9001:2000 standard productimplementation methodology.Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Training & Support Facilities: We offeron-site and off-site training worldwide.
Applications/Products Infor CRM (Customer RelationshipManagement)Infor EAM (Enterprise AssetManagement)
Infor ERP (Enterprise ResourcePlanning)Infor FMS (Financial ManagementSystem)Infor HCM (Human CapitalManagement)Infor PLM (Product LifecycleManagement)Infor PM (Performance Management)Infor SCM (Supply ChainManagement)Infor SRM (Supplier RelationshipManagement)Infor Open SOA (Service-OrientedArchitecture).
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Company ProfileEmployees: 350Turnover: €35 million (global) Offices: UK office Cheshire; headoffice Aachen, Germany; plus otherinternational offices. Parent/Holding Co: INFORM Institutefor Operations Research &Management GmbH Activities: INFORM specialises indecision support tools for optimisationof logistics processes. We develop andsupport software solutions foradvanced demand and inventoryplanning.Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:INFORM sell and support allapplications directly
Industrial SectorsWe support a wide range of sectors,including discrete manufacturing,wholesale, electronics & high tech,automotive, FMCG, engineering,aerospace, construction, distribution,pharmaceuticals, after-market service.
Users Profile Suitable for medium to large and multi-national organisations where customerservice is a key business driver.
User References100+ customers globally includingBosch Automotive, Bosch Power Tools,SFS Intec, Worcester Bosch, AbbottDiagnostics, Linde, Warner Cinram, PKComponents, LuK Automotive
ServicesIndustrial Standards: Client-Server
NFORM is the market leaderof optimisation systems inGermany, with a dedicated
presence in the UK. For over 20 years,we have used operational researchtechniques to solve supply chainproblems with standard softwaresolutions.
Our products are designed ascomplementary solutions to multipleERP and legacy transaction systemswith a focus on supporting criticalsupply chain decisions moreeffectively, and in fact optimally. Oursolutions are applicable to a widerange of industries where customerservice and supply chain costs are key business performance targets.
INFORM is strongly committed to turnkey customer project support. Hence,application consultancy, go-live assistance, long-term maintenance and support areintegral parts of every solution.
References from our wide range of international clients demonstrate return oninvestment in less than 12 months, with clients seeing up to 40% reduction in theirstock, near 100% service availability and reduced supply chain effort and costs.
I
Fir Villa, Oldcastle Lane, Threapwood, Malpas, Cheshire, SY14 7AYTel: 0845 257 4706Email: [email protected]
Providing spare parts on time tothousands of maintenance engineerswas a headache for boilermanufacturer Worcester Bosch whodecided service levels had to beimproved significantly. “Key customerslike British Gas were becoming muchmore service focused and quite rightlydemanded improvements, setting
suppliers a 98% target,” says TonyWingrove, Logistics Manager at thetime.
Worcester, in fact, set a target of100% ex-stock. “Many thought thatour target was simply unrealistic andcould not be achieved without hugeexpense in raising stock levels”
Since introducing add*ONE InventoryOptimizer, even though demand is atthe best volatile, Worcester hasmanaged to consistently achieve99.98% stock availability without thefeared significant increase in stocklevels. They also continue to manageinventory efficiently, and by exceptionthanks to the intuitive user interface.
case study
IT Shortlist Informwww.inform-ac.co.uk
Cathy Humphreys, UK BusinessDevelopment Manager
architecture. Microsoft SQL Database,Windows 2000/XP, web-basedenvironments.Quality Standards:SAP Netweaver accreditation
Training & Support Facilities:Comprehensive on-site trainingprovided as standard. Dedicated on-going telephone/email support fromexperienced support staff. Immediatetechnical support via remote accessand upgrades included within annualsupport package.
Applications/ProductsSupply Chain Planning: add*ONE Demand Planner is anadvanced forecasting and collaborativedemand planning tool to support Sales& Operations Planning (S&OP)processes; add*ONE Inventory Optimizer supportsmaterial planners with optimisedreplenishment plans to reduce inventorylevels whilst maintaining service levels.Warehouse Management: INVENT stock sample counting.
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IT Shortlist K3 Business Technology Group
Company ProfileEmployees: 330 Turnover: £45 million (group combinedUK & Europe) Offices: Manchester, Bagshot,Dereham, Market Bosworth, Galway Parent/Holding Co: K3 BusinessTechnology Group PLCActivities: K3 supplies, installs andsupports SYSPRO’s Microsoft-basedenterprise resource planning softwareto a wide range of manufacturing anddistribution businessesDealers/VARS/Systems Integrators: K3sells directly to customers
Industrial SectorsAerospace, automotive,pharmaceutical & chemical,electronics, fabrication, food &beverage, machinery & equipment,medical devices, packaging, plasticsplus general engineering andmanufacturing and distribution.
Users ProfileFrom SMEs to major internationals,SYSPRO supports manufacturers anddistributors in a range of industries.SYSPRO is ideal for companies thatseek to improve the flow of goods andservices through the supply chain.
User References GW International, Piolax, Doncasters,Victoria Foods, Tyneside Safety Glass,CommaTECH, ITW Signode, Hitachi,Dudson Group, Extec Screens &Crushers
ServicesIndustrial Standards: Microsoft
3 is the UK’s largest providerof manufacturing software forsmall and medium enterprises.
K3 is renowned for delivering solutionsthat can be easily and economicallyassimilated into a business. They havea reputation built on unrivalledexperience and knowledge gainedthrough many years of implementingmanufacturing systems. K3 is one of Microsoft’s largestchannel partners in the UK and is amember of Microsoft’s Inner CircleClub, which is reserved for the top 60partners worldwide. There are 14,000sites in over 60 countries successfullyusing SYSPRO’s comprehensive andinnovative ERP solution. K3’s mission is to deliver unparalleled support services to their customers and theypride themselves in their commitment to unsurpassed customer care.
Howard Joseph, Managing Director
K
Baltimore House, 50 Kansas Avenue, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 2GL Tel: 0161 876 4498Fax: 0161 876 4502Email: [email protected]
GW International leads the world inthe design and production of bakingtins. The company prides itself onexceptional service and quality. Thecompany has 2000 product lines,adding up to 16 million items goingthrough the factory gate each year.Manufacturing on this scale involves amountain of associated data, all of
which requires automation andmanagement. SYSPRO helps managethe business as a whole, with MRP,ordering, production, warehousing,distribution and accounting. It enablescomprehensive data input, includingintegrated EDI and barcode scanningtherefore boosting accuracy andproviding real-time information
throughout the organisation. Followingimplementation of SYSPRO, GWInternational now has a clear view onROI: it has improved lead times by80%, boosted stock accuracy by100%, seen a 50% decrease in salesadministration tasks, carved £1 millionout of the overheads, and much more.
case study
www.k3scs.com
Windows, Vista, SQL Server, WindowsNT, 32-bit client server, Citrix andTerminal Server, Unix, Linux, MicrosoftExchange Server, Web services and SOAQuality Standards: Microsoft GoldCertified Partner, ISO 9000:2001,PRINCE2Training & Support Facilities: K3 offerscustomised, on-site or classroom-stylecustomer training, professional andcomprehensive helpdesk telephonesupport manned by a team of experts.K3’s friendly and impartial CustomerService Representatives maintainregular contact with clients to ensureconstant satisfaction. K3’s Developersare available to customise ongoingsolutions to the unique requirementsof a business. K3’s NetworkInfrastructure Solutions offer completepeace-of-mind over the support and
maintenance of a company’s ITinfrastructure.
Applications/Products SYSPRO is a powerful, fully integratedbusiness software solutionincorporating modular applications forERP, advanced planning & scheduling(APS), customer relationshipmanagement (CRM), supply chainmanagement, business intelligenceand analytics, financial, warehousemanagement, HR management,document management and inventorymanagement. SYSPRO’s e.net solution providescomplementary and easily deployableapplications that require no updatingwhen SYSPRO releases are upgraded.K3’s NIS service covers both networkimplementation and network support.
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Company ProfileEmployees: 80,000+ (FY08 Q3)Turnover: $18 billion (FY 2007)Offices: 145 countries worldwideParent/Holding Co: OracleCorporationActivities: Technology, applications andservices that provide companies withthe most up-to-date and accurateinformation possible Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:19,500 worldwide Leadership: Number one for database,data warehousing, application platformsuites, enterprise performancemanagement, business analytic tools,applications, CRM globally and contractlifecycle management
Industrial SectorsAll sectors
Users ProfileEnterprise, small and medium-sizedbusinesses that know that the rightinformation leads to good decisions,and good decisions lead to successfulbusinesses.
User ReferencesPlease visit www.oracle.com/customers
ServicesTraining & Support Facilities: OracleServices help you get the most fromyour technology investments. Workingwith you every step of the way, Oracleprovides a variety of services that spanthe complete solution lifecycle. Whetheryou need consulting, financing,
racle has adaptive solutionsfor any business, facilitatingproduct innovation. More
robust companies are able to alignthemselves faster, adapt quicker,predict better to the marketrequirements. Oracle’s solutions buildupon a light and responsiveapproach, that eliminates the excessthat impacts quality, increasescosts, lead times and inventory. OnlyOracle’s seamless informationarchitecture – providing real-timeinformation to enterprise applicationsbuilt on our secure technologyplatforms and database – provides asingle source of the truth for the rightinformation to be provided at the right time, and allowing critical decisions to bemade. To build adaptable demand-driven supply chains, you need innovativeapproaches that traditional localised systems cannot support. Today’s supply chainhas become the differentiator, with those companies best able to leverage theirsupply networks.
Dave Food, Business DevelopmentDirector - Manufacturing Applications
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Oracle Parkway, Thames Valley Park, Reading, Berkshire RG6 1RATel: 0870 8768711 or 0870 8768743Email: [email protected]
API manufactures specialised packingand security products used in tobacco,beverage, food, luxury and consumergoods. It operates across the UK,Europe, US and Asia Pacific.
To face the common challenge forgrowing manufacturers of managingall lines of business as a cohesive entityusing a single, standardised set of
administrative processes, API replacedmultiple legacy systems with Oracle E-Business Suite. Thus it removedprocess duplication, cut process cycles,enforced best practice and corporatepolicy adherence, and alsoimplemented lean manufacturing, thusdriving efficiencies and achievingreturn on investment in just 30months.
Not only does the solution give APIscaleability to expand with thebusiness, but by selecting Oracle OnDemand, it benefits from rapidimplementation, enhanced systemreliability and a reduction in IToperating costs of 40%, allowing thecompany to focus on its corecompetency of manufacturing andproviding better customer service.
case study
IT Shortlist Oraclewww.oracle.com
outsourcing, support, or education, youcan get it from the experts who knowOracle best.
Applications/Products Oracle Applications:Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoftEnterprise, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne,JD Edwards World, Agile PLM, SiebelCRM
Engineering Design, Data/DocumentManagement, Production Engineering,Shopfloor Systems, ManufacturingExecution Systems, Hardware & ITInfrastructure and Implementation Tools– all via the Oracle Partner Network.
ERP, Supply Chain Management,Product Lifecycle Management,Manufacturing Management,Collaborative Commerce, Service andSupport, CRM
Oracle Database 10g
Oracle Fusion Middleware: OracleApplication Server, OracleCollaboration Suite, Oracle Data Hubs,Developer Tools, IdentityManagement, Business Integration,Business Intelligence
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Company ProfileEmployees: 30 Turnover: £3.5m Offices: Head Office, Chippenham,Wilts; other offices in North America,France and India. Parent/Holding Co: The CIMulationCentre (Holdings) Ltd. Activities: Preactor provides acomprehensive range of FiniteCapacity Scheduling (FCS) andAdvanced Planning & Scheduling(APS) software tools formanufacturing companies of all sizesand in all sectors. Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:Preactor has over 400 companiescomprising 1,000 plus accreditedprofessionals within a managedpartner network. For furtherinformation see www.preactor.com
Industrial SectorsPreactor’s inherent flexibility makes itapplicable for all industrial sectors. Fora comprehensive list of these, seewww.preactor.com
Users ProfilePreactor is used from SMEs upwardsto some of the largest globalcompanies. Preactor is especiallyhelpful for companies with make-to-order and Lean/Agile manufacturingbusiness requirements.
User References Users include Diageo, Silver Spring,
PPG, Flextronics, Bakkavar, Siemens,GKN, Corus, Mead Westvaco, Pfizer,Security Printing and Dunlop.
ServicesIndustrial Standards: WindowsQuality Standards: Microsoft GoldPartnerTraining & Support Facilities: Anextensive range of training courses areavailable and run on a regular basis –
reactor International is anindependent company basedin the UK. Preactor’s mission is
to provide its clients with cost-effective, interactive decision supporttools that will help them to becomemore agile in a fast changing make-to-order environment, where speedand accuracy of delivery are keycompetitive issues.
Specialising in scheduling software formore than 14 years, PreactorInternational offers a range ofscheduling software solutions formanufacturing and service industries.Its unique combination of ease of use,flexibility and integration capability combined with unmatched price/functionalityhas enabled many users to obtain a return on investment measured in weeks, somein days.
Our clients include more than 2,200 organisations in 64 countries ranging fromsmall companies with no more than 50 employees to some of the largestcorporations in the world. There is a significant user base in Europe, the Americas,Asia and Africa. The product is translated into 30 languages.
see www.preactor.com
Applications/Products Manufacturing ManagementPreactor 200 FCS, Preactor 300 FCS,Preactor 400 APS, Preactor 500 APSShopfloor systems: Preactor ViewerService and support: Training, Systemsimplementation and Support
Mike Novels, Managing Director
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Cornbrash Park, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6RATel: 01249 650316Fax: 01249 443413Email: [email protected]
Waymouth Northumbria is a specialistengineering company offering CNCmachining services to produce non-standard components and sub-assemblies for a range of industriesincluding fluid power equipment,petrochemical and offshore oil,automotive and capital plant.Remarkable business growthcombined with a diverse productrange makes planning and schedulingthe 25 primary machining resources a
mission critical requirement for this100% MTO manufacturer. Prior toinvesting in Preactor, the productionplanning system relied heavily on theproduction manager’s knowledge ofwhat product required which routing.However, trying to manage 19 CNCmachines, over 30 workers,subcontractors, maintenance andeverything else simply became toomuch as the business expanded. The powerful simplicity yet flexibility
of Preactor enabled the company tosee the impact of every decision onthe shopfloor and through thebusiness, which improved efficiency by10%. Planning horizons have grownfrom 3 to 40 days with maintenancenow much more effectively handled.As MD Alan Stephenson says: “Inaddition to the physical benefits, it’salmost as if we’ve gained another twoor three machines because of howsmoothly everything now runs.”
case study
IT Shortlist Preactor Internationalwww.preactor.com
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Company profileOffices: As aboveActivities: 123mrp.Net was conceivedas a direct response to the flaws intraditional selling and implementationmethods characterised by modularMRP/ERP systems. It eliminates thehigh risk of failure associated withtraditional production managementsystems, setting new standards inusability and capability.123mrp.Net isprovided on a no-commitment,monthly payment plan with risk freetraining. Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:Principally direct but dealers andbusiness alliances are being establishedacross UK, Europe and the rest of theworld – enquiries welcome.
Industrial sectorAll manufacturing types, styles andsectors, including aerospace,automotive, engineering, electronics,textiles, food, medical, plastics,furniture, packaging, oil, water,defence, subcontract engineering andsubcontract electronics.
Users profileCustomer profiles from 4 to 800+personnel, with multiple factory/officelocations and international, includingone-off, small batch, high volumerepetitive, make-to-stock, engineer-to-order and make-to-order, process,discrete, subcontract and capitalequipment – and any combination.
User referencesDelta Design, Codan Rubber, ElementalMicroanalysis, Voller Energy, NIBSC,
Pacscom, Cryomed, JarvisManufacturing, Thermal Engineering,Components & Technology, CanyonEurope, Flowplant, Image on Food,Global Infocom, Cobra UK Automotive,Lascar Electronics, Cobra Design Centre,D&G Mouldings, RH TechnicalIndustries and Percival Aviation.
ServicesIndustrial Standards: Microsoft .Netarchitecture; Windows 2000/XP/Vista;SQL databases.Training & Support Facilities Only five days of training required (andno consultancy) offered on a no-obligation basis. You only pay whensatisfied. All training documentation
23mrp.Net is a uniquebusiness proposition, designedto address the flaws in
traditional systems supply methods.The system is provided for a lowmonthly rental fee, with no contractand no penalties. The system issupplied complete, not in modules,with published, transparent pricing.
Regular, free monthly evaluationworkshops are held across the UK,allowing you to check the suitability ofour product. You can even book staffon training at no risk – if you do notwish to continue just walk away.
Only five days is needed, including implementation planning, system administrationand legacy data transfer. Once you are satisfied, simply register and receive thesoftware. Rather than be drawn into a lengthy evaluation process with othersystems that can cost you hundreds of man-hours, many companies decide to try123mrp.Net. Our risk-free approach allows you to be up and running with aminimum of fuss and financial outlay. Our customers really appreciate that it onlyworks for us if it works for you.
provided in electronic format for easy,customer-driven downstream training.Fully inclusive telephone support,remote assistance and upgrades withinthe monthly payment plan.
Application/productsManufacturing management:123mrp.Net is an advanced, true .Netsoftware application based onMicrosoft’s SQL and offers simplicity ofuse. It is everything that you wouldexpect to find in a manufacturingsystem, from your initial estimates andquotes, through sales and purchasing,full stock and manufacturing control,despatch, invoicing with accountsintegration and interfacing options.
Guy Amoroso, Managing Director
1
10 Mill Court, The Sawmills, Durley, Southampton SO32 2EJTel: 01489 860851Fax: 01489 861209 Email: [email protected]
Warning beacons manufacturer DeltaDesign needed to replace its DOS-based MRP system. Despite its MDbeing the chairman of the MRP’s usergroup, the firm decided to evaluatefour alternative systems.
Says Richard Battersby, MD: “The
reason we chose 123mrp.Net is that Ifelt we could forge a relationship with asupplier who understood our needs andthat had a good product that could betailored to our business. I could seewhat the up-front costs would be; therewas nothing hidden. I like the rentalmodel as we can budget precisely.
“I never got the impression that thecompany would take our money, sellus further consultancy at everyopportunity, especially given that wecan walk away at any time. Wereduced our paper generation by 30%,cut stock inaccuracies by 85% anderrors in general were cut by 50%.”
case study
IT Shortlist Rent-IT Systems UKwww.rent-it-systems.com
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Company ProfileEmployees: 1,600 (UK): 13,000(worldwide)Offices: Newcastle upon Tyne,Reading and Manchester Parent/Holding Co: Sage GroupActivities: Sage is a leading supplier ofbusiness management software andservices to 5.5m customers worldwide,from start-ups to larger firms. Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators: We have a nationwide network ofcertified Sage Business Partners. Manyare also Sage developers working withus to customise Sage software to meetthe specific needs of customers and tointegrate our software with third party,industry-specific solutions.
Industrial Sectors Sage is successful across many sectors,such as manufacturing, chemicals,pharmaceuticals, food and drink,plastics, automotive, electronics andmake-to-order production.
Users ProfileSage provides integrated, scalablemanufacturing and businessmanagement software that helps mid-market businesses to streamline thesupply chain between manufacturerssuppliers, shop floor and customers.
User References Coventry Prototype Panels, BayerDiagnostics, Universal Products, PJSmoothies, RE Thompson & Co,Rixonway Kitchens, Games Workshop,Begano, Premier Kitchens, Qualceram
ur goal is to streamlineprocesses betweenmanufacturers, suppliers, the
shopfloor, and customers, helpingyour business to run at optimumefficiency and profitability. Sagesoftware puts you in control bymanaging product life cycles,scheduling work effectively, tracingresource utilisation and improvingbusiness analysis.
We also have a range of CRMsoftware that enables manufacturersto acquire, retain and developprofitable relationships. They enableyour sales, marketing, customerservice and support teams to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
Integrating our software across your business will bring together your front andback office with your shopfloor processes, enabling you to cut costs, save timeand improve customer service. And because we offer software for all sizes ofmanufacturers, you have the added reassurance that, as your business grows,your Sage system can grow with you.
David Pinches, Head of Sage’s MMD Software Group
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North Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 9AATel: 0845 111 9988Fax: 0845 245 0292Email: [email protected]
Bushell & Meadows has continued togrow as a market leader producinghigh quality subcontract engineeringcomponents for medical, aerospace,defence and industrial markets.
With growth came the need foraccurate, timely information to keepeveryone updated on businessperformance. In 2006 Bushell &Meadows’ management team chose
Sage, provided by our businesspartner, Quintech. Sinceimplementation the company hasexperienced phenomenal efficiencyimprovements, including faster orderreceipt, shopfloor paperwork (was aweek, now less than one day) andcost collection by works order. “Twoyears ago this company didn'tunderstand quickly, by month, whatjobs were making money and which
weren't. That knowledge in itself hasincreased turnover automatically,”says Ian Mence, businessdevelopment manager.
Bushell & Meadows is looking atimplementing shopfloor datacollection in order to improve analysisand, says Mence, “to quickly identifybottlenecks and enhance the supportactivity, not just machine resource.”
case study
IT Shortlist Sage (UK)www.sage.co.uk
Services Industrial Standards: DB: Retrieve4GL, Microsoft SQL Server, IBMInformix, Oracle, proprietary. OS:Windows, Unix, Linux. Quality Standards: ISO 9001:2000and the TickIT guide Issue 5.Training & Support Facilities: Sagedevelops comprehensive qualitytraining and support programmesthrough our experienced Sagebusiness partners and consultants.This nationwide coverage ensuresthat all customers can have fullylocalised, on-site training andsupport.
Applications/Products ERP: Sage software and services suitmanufacturing businesses of all typesand sizes. It encompasses integratedERP, CRM and business management,enabling full control of your businessacross finance, distribution,manufacturing, services and e-business.We offer supply chain management,product lifecycle management,manufacturing management,data/document management, shopfloor systems, MES, collaborativecommerce – plus hardware and ITinfrastructure and service and supportvia our business partners.
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Company ProfileEmployees: over 44,000 worldwideTurnover: €10.2 million in 2007Offices: HQ Waldorf Germany, withsubsidiaries in more than 50 countries Parent/Holding Co: SAP AGActivities: Business solutions forenterprises of all sizesDealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:SAP’s strategic partners offer a varietyof high quality skills and services tomeet the needs of any organisation
Industrial Sectors SAP solution portfolios support theunique business processes of more than25 industries, including automotive,aerospace and defence, consumerproducts, high tech, industrialmachinery and components, lifesciences, oil and gas.
Users ProfileSAP is the recognised leader incollaborative business solutions forcompanies of all sizes. 65%of SAPcustomers are small or mid-size firms.
User References Adidas, Apple, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, General Motors, Kellogg’s,McDonald’s, Nestle, Nike, Nokia,Oakley, Olympus, PepsiCo, Procter &Gamble, Rolls-Royce, Samsung, SonySpeedo, Unilever, Waterford and more.
Services:Industrial Standards: SAP promotesstandards and is represented on most ofthe standards-defining organisations.
AP is the world’s leadingprovider of business software.Today, more than 46,100
customers in more than 120 countriesrun SAP applications — from distinctsolutions addressing the needs of smallbusinesses and mid-size companies, tosuite offerings for global organisations.Powered by the SAP NetWeavertechnology platform to driveinnovation and enable businesschange, SAP software helpsenterprises of all sizes around theworld to improve customerrelationships, enhance partnercollaboration and create efficienciesacross their supply chains and businessoperations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of morethan 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and thepublic sector.
John HammannIndustry Principal for ManufacturingSector, SAP UK and Ireland
S
Clockhouse Place, Bedfont Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 8HDTel: 0870 608 4000Fax: 0870 4050Email: [email protected] Web: www.sap.com
Malvern Instruments supplies scientificequipment to a range of industries,including pharmaceuticals, food andchemicals. Based in Malvern, the 300-employee company exports 90% of itsoutput and faced the challenge ofmanaging a growing portfolio ofproducts to address new markets. Thefirst step was to re-engineer thecompany’s sales processes, to increase
efficiency and effectiveness. Workingwith a leading partner to implementan integrated SAP solution that couldrun the entire business.
Malvern was soon able to generatehigher revenues at less cost per sale,which also improved efficiency andcustomer service. When sales quoteswere generated, they flowed straight
through to manufacturing to bechecked against demand. “With asingle database, the managementteam can access information quicklyand effectively. The status of salesopportunities, customer equipmentschedules, inventory availability andprofitability analyses are all availablefrom one source,” says Rob Prestidge,Malvern’s finance and systems director.
case study
IT Shortlist SAPwww.sap.com
Platforms supported include AS/400;Linux, Unix; Microsoft Windows NT;Microsoft Windows Server and OS/390.Client software is available for HTML,Java and Microsoft Windows XP andVista.RDBMSs supported include IBM DB2,Informix, Oracle, and Microsoft SQLserver.
Quality Standards: ISO 9000
Training & Support Facilities SAP offers a wide range of training andsupport that will enable you to deployyour software fast; and ensure you areable to operate at peak levels to meetyour business goals.
Applications/Products SAP Business ByDesign; SAP ERP; SAPCustomer Relationship Management; SAP Product Lifecycle Management;SAP Supplier Relationship Management;SAP Supply Chain Management; SAPSolutions for Governance Risk andCompliance; SAP Business All-in-One; SAP Service and Asset managementDuet; SAP Business One; SAPManufacturing; SAP Global TradeServices; SAP Cost and QuotationManagement; SAP ManufacturingIntegration and Intelligence; SAPIntegrated Exploration and ProductionSAP Product DefinitionSAP Resource and PortfolioManagement
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IT Shortlist Sescoi UK
Company ProfileEmployees: 200+ worldwideOffices: UK, France, Germany, Spain,USA, Japan, India and ChinaParent/Holding Co: Sescoi InternationalSA. Boulevard du General de Gaulle,71009 Macon Cedex, France Activities: Sescoi is a supplier ofcomputer-aided manufacturing (CAM),computer-assisted design (CAD),enterprise resource planning (ERP),engineering product lifecyclemanagement (PLM), and jobmanagement systems. Dealers/VARS/Systems Integrators:Over 50 country distributors worldwide
Industrial Sectors Automobile, aerospace, mould, die andtool, medical and dental, general
engineering, models and prototypes,motor sport, sport and leisure goods,consumer electronics, special machinery.
Users Profile All companies requiring mechanicalCAD/CAM, particularly mould, die andtoolmakers. Custom or make-to-ordermanufacturers and companies workingon a project-basis requiring specialistmanufacturing management software.
User References Rolls Royce, Jaguar, BMW/Rover,Bentley, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Audi/VW,Renault, Peugeot, Nissan, Fiat,Salomon, Fisher Price, Playmobil, CalorMiele, Eurocopter, Samsung, Toshiba,SEB, ARRK Group.
Services: Industrial Standards: WindowsSTEP, Standard and Native filetranslators Training & Support Facilities: In house training facilities and on sitetraining and support, offered by allSescoi offices Hotline telephone, live online assistanceand Internet support for customersunder maintenance contract
Applications/Products WorkPLAN Enterprise, a newgeneration ERP system for custommanufacturersMyWorkPLAN, a cost effective and easyto use job management systemWorkNC, an automatic CAM/CADsystem for two-to five-axis machiningWorkNC-CAD, a uniform CAD solutionfor the entire manufacturing process WorkXPlore 3D, a high speedcollaborative viewer for analysis andexploration of all 3D CAD data.
Sescoi UK 8 Trinity Place, Midland Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1TXTel: 0844 5617014 Email: [email protected]
www.sescoi.com
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IT Shortlist SSL-WinMan www.winman.co.uk
220 Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham B24 9FDTel: 0121 749 8050 Fax: 0121 749 8075 Email: [email protected]
features – such as customdashboards, custom forms, webreporting and process controls, whichput WinMan users firmly at thecutting edge of modern ERP systems.WinMan’s enhanced flexibility,performance and transparency makeit the smart choice for both small andmedium sized manufacturingenterprises. We would like towelcome aboard all our newcustomers, which include such namesas Fernau Avionics, Skopos Design,Duraweld, Centurion Europe, Amefaand Art Marketing. Why not contactus for an industry-specific case studyor to arrange a demonstration.
Company profileEmployees: 25Turnover: £1.5 million (UK)Offices: ThreeActivities: ERP software
Industrial sectorsManufacturing and distribution.WinMan is a 100% Microsoft .Netand SQL-based business system,covering manufacturing, distribution,CRM and financials.
User profileSmall and medium-sizedmanufacturers and distributors.Current sites range from five to 250concurrent users. Many ‘LeanThinking’ reference sites.
User references Racal Acoustics, ExceptionVAR,Offshore Electronics, EborcraftFurniture, Pacific Direct, ColesTraditional Foods, AP Driveline, VTLAutomotive, Mitsubishi PencilCompany, Centurion Europe,Edinburgh Instruments, Lantech Inc.
Services Industrial Standards: Windows 2000 orabove, Microsoft .Net, SQL 2005, n-tier standards.Training & Support Facilities:Comprehensive on-site and off-sitetraining. Unrivalled customer supportvia remote access or on-site.
Application/productsERP, supply chain management andmanufacturing management: WinMan’s ground-up redevelopmentin .Net II managed code has been wellreceived. Introducing MicrosoftReporting Services in SQL 2005 hasenabled us to further advance thereporting power of the product and its
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Company ProfileEmployees: 30Turnover: £3 million (UK): £750,000(Europe) Activities: Specialist in manufacturingexecution systems (MES) and plantautomation systems.
Industrial SectorsXCL operates in virtually allManufacturing Industry sectors, Foodand Drink markets and RetailDistribution.
Users Profile Manufacturing organisations, rangingfrom small owner/manager companiesto Plcs and multinationals, that want toimprove operational effectiveness oftheir plant resources (people andmachines) and the links into theirbusiness systems.
User ReferencesCadbury, Shell, Total, Diageo, GoldenAcres, Marshalls, British Gypsum, BritishEnergy, Pirelli, BP and Bakkavor.
Services Industrial Standards: WindowsQuality Standards: ISO 9000, Tick ITTraining & Support Facilities: End toend project management, full projectimplementation services, extensivetraining post-installation andcommissioning. XCL also provides 24hour support contracts, with on-siteassistance within eight hours and on-line support within 4 Hours.
CL Technology Groupprovides innovative, softwaresolutions to the food and
drink, manufacturing and retaildistribution industry. We provideBusiness Applications, such as supplychain systems, manufacturingexecution solutions and processcontrol, as well as automation services,focusing on meeting the individualneeds of the customer, whereoptimum operational performance andefficiency are key business drivers.
We have a unique approach tobusiness based on five core disciplines– commercial, logistics, manufacturing, QA and business intelligence – and henceare ideally placed to address virtually any business/manufacturing challenge. Oursolution, XLogix, can be delivered as a fully bespoke application covering everyaspect of the manufacturing process, or in a modular format, allowing it tointegrate with existing software, filling the functional gaps and achieving seamlessalignment with your current business processes. Combined with extensive real timereporting and Business Intelligence tools, our aim is to ensure your businessoperates in a more efficient and profitable manner.
Key benefits of XLogix include: Our Licence Model; which is by site not number ofusers, therefore affording major savings to multi-user sites. Our Bespoke Solution;based upon a thorough walkthrough of your processes, to gain a completeunderstanding of your requirements ,thereby enabling configuration of a Solutionwhich meets your needs precisely. Real Time Scheduling and Data Capture;improving and expediting Decision Making.
Andrew Knowles, Managing Director
X
XCL House, 140 Aberford Road
Woodlesford, Leeds LS26 8LG
Tel: 0113 2880111
Fax: 0113 2880112
Email: [email protected]
For leading European pet foodmanufacturer Golden Acres, XCLinstalled a full turnkey factory MES(manufacturing execution system) thatprovides RF-based warehousemanagement and stock control, alongwith production scheduling andpackaging control.
This eco-friendly system helps the
environment, by providing paperlessquality assurance, including fullbidirectional traceability. QA checklistscan be accessed by PDA, mobile,scanner and fixed touchscreen. Thesystem also provides a full Microsoft.Net-based factory reporting system,with OEE (overall equipmenteffectiveness) analysis and reporting,as well as bidirectional integration with
business financials. Furthermore,Golden Acres’ customers have theability to view their product-specificTraceability, Scheduling and Reportsvia a secure web portal.
All captured data can be viewed in realtime, enabling faster and moreeffective decision-making.
case study
IT Shortlist XCL Technology Groupwww.xcl.co.uk
Applications/Products XCL’s system, XLogix, covers ERP,supply chain management,manufacturing management, data anddocument management, productionengineering, plant and shopfloormanagement, manufacturingexecution and collaborative commerce.
Real time scheduling and data captureimprove and expedite decision-making. We also offer networking hardwareand IT infrastructure, as well asimplementation tools and full serviceand support.
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