Manufacturing Business Technology articles from July 2005

Manufacturing Business Technology archives from July 2005

SAP's Lighthammer purchase points to the problem with plant floors.(Up front)
July 1, 2005... Lighthammer was lucky it launched in 1998; it was able to base its plant-connectivity solution on then-emerging technologies--Java, XML, and something much like what we today call Web services. Still, Russ Fadel, CEO, and Rick Bullotta, CTO,...

SOA figures prominently in SAP transformation.(SAPPHIRE 2005)
July 1, 2005... SAP used its Sapphire 2005 user conference, held in Boston in May, to deliver a status check to 8,500 attendees regarding execution of the enterprise vendor's version of a plug-and-play service-oriented architecture (SOA). Partners clamoring...

Intelligent Documents in the manufacturing enterprise: platform integrates heterogeneous data sources, disperses information to interested parties, manages its use.(Alert: An advertising insert)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Documents are the lifeblood of the business transaction and the firm basis for bringing diverse parties to common understanding. Yet until recently, even given all the advances of the computer revolution, manufacturers remained woefully...

Adobe contributes to RosettaNet and iNEMI efforts aimed at high-tech and electronics industries.(Alert: An advertising insert)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Two announcements from leading industry consortiums RosettaNet and iNEMI made during the recent 2005 RosettaNet Global Partner Conference in Beijing place Adobe Systems center stage in efforts to expand electronic collaboration through...

Software pricing preferences may be self-fulfilling prophecy.(CORPORATE)
July 1, 2005... The software industry has long been criticized for its pricing model, says San Francisco-based Sand Hill Group in its CEO Outlook report, a survey of executives of small to midsize software vendors. In response to these criticisms, some vendors...

RFID just wants to be free--or at least open.(OPERATIONS)
July 1, 2005... Taking pages from the Linux and Apache playbooks, The RadioActive Foundation wants to bring open source to RFID. The brainchild of Canadian RFID systems integrator N4 Systems and supply chain management vendor Refactored Networks, the...

Too many "phish" in the corporate pool.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
July 1, 2005... Heard of phishing? If so, you're ahead of two-thirds of your colleagues, according to a poll conducted by Rochester, N.Y.-based Harris Interactive and commissioned by Websense, a provider of solutions for managing employee Internet use. The...

Pharma expo puts stress on performance, security, and compliance.(INTERPHEX 2005)
July 1, 2005... Interphex 2005, a pharmaceutical conference and exposition held in New York in late April, showcased solutions and strategies for three top-of-mind issues that resonate across this and other sectors of the manufacturing industry. 1....

Speech technology boosts the business case for a voice-directed WMS.(DC EXPO)
July 1, 2005... Voice-enabled computer applications are no longer strictly the stuff of science fiction. Still, the latest in speech technology--specifically, speech recognition and synthesis combined on a wearable, wireless computer connected to a warehouse...

Siemens, SAP embrace ISA S95 standard to tie business and production processes.(MANUFACTURING EXECUTION)
July 1, 2005... Siemens Automation & Energy decided to bundle its first-ever North American manufacturing execution system (MES) conference with its Process Automation User Conference in May in Tampa, Fla., giving 500 joint attendees the opportunity to view...

Why SIMATIC stands out.(Views from the front)
July 1, 2005... Frost & Sullivan, a New York based consultancy, recently gave Siemens Energy & Automation two awards for leadership in human machine interface (HMI) technology and infrastructure, crediting Siemens' Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) strategy...

Inaugural publication reveals secrets to success in China.(Views from the front)
July 1, 2005... Last year, Singapore-based Inspire Publishing launched a partnership with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade--or CCPIT--to coproduce the China Compass Series 2004/2005 of trade directories for key industries in China....

The norm perform: raise your business intelligence and your performance--with the industry's only combined Production and Performance Management software solution.
July 1, 2005... Just say no to the status quo. And transform "business as usual" into extraordinary performance. Gone are the days when you'd wade through handfuls of KPI's and metrics just to make best-guess business decisions when it's already too late. Now...

Revenue growth in 2004 seen as widespread across sectors.(PROFITABILITY REPORT)
July 1, 2005... An industry "report card" on 2004 manufacturing revenue growth confirms recovery, was broadly spread across sectors, with some doing better than others. Framingham, Mass.-based Manufacturing Insights reviewed 240 domestic and international...

Biggest offshoring wave set to break.(THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE)
July 1, 2005... Automotive components, fabricated metals, and pharmaceuticals are among the manufacturing sectors set to become part of the next big wave in offshoring, according to a New York-based McKinsey Co. 2005 quarterly report. These are among the...

Users on IQMS: not your typical ERP company.(ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2005... Enterprise vendor IQMS is a throwback to a bygone era--a time when it wasn't unusual for a software company president to double as lead programmer. If IQMS continues to grow at its current pace, however, the days of Randy Flam, company...

Introduction to the 2005 Global 100: profile of an IT industry driving manufacturing productivity gain at twice the rate of the general economy.(100)
July 1, 2005... This year's Global 100 represents a sea change in how we put together our annual listing of IT providers for manufacturing, which we've been doing in the July issue for more than a decade. Categories of technology solution vendors in the...

Putting the Global 100 in context: market data, user surveys complete IT players profile.
July 1, 2005... The Manufacturing Business Technology Global 100 says a lot about who's who when it comes to supplying information technology--i.e., the infrastructure, business applications, and services that drive productivity growth in manufacturing and...

The Global 100.
July 1, 2005... The Global 100 Revenue figures Total revenue (in million of ...

An unbeatable combination, bar none: Hewlett-Packard/Microsoft partnership delivers globalization-age manufacturing solutions.
July 1, 2005... In pursuit of supply chain solutions forged from proven technology infrastructures, industry-specific enterprise business applications, and best practices borne of domain expertise, manufacturers find no better place to turn to than the...

The Manufacturing Business Technology Global 100, and how it works.(The Global 100)
July 1, 2005... The 2005 Global 100 lists the leading IT and enterprise providers for manufacturing and supply chain. The rankings are based on total vendor revenues in calendar year 2004, and additional research. The one exception to the rule of total revenue...

What does it take to move the organization?(In perspective)
July 1, 2005... Judging by the calls I'm getting lately, the interest in understanding and building what AMR calls demand-driven supply networks (DDSN) is growing. While the pioneers have grasped the concepts, and assembled or built the processes and...

Many a conflicting priority: security and information access, open source, and the future of applistructure are contention points in your next IT purchasing decision.(Computing infrastructure)
July 1, 2005... Infrastructure technology--the "inside plumbing" that keeps corporate computing humming--is the kind of purchase that, while often remaining under the radar screen, still gives a business manager pause. Add to that a number of converging...

Customer management vendors in heated battle to meet user demand.(HOSTED SOFTWARE)
July 1, 2005... Siebel Systems may have invented the CRM software space, but users seem to believe Salesforce.com has perfected the model for how CRM software should be delivered. Boston-based AMR Research expects companies to increase spending on CRM...

Manufacturers finding deals on eBay.(ONLINE SOURCING)
July 1, 2005... With 147 million registered users worldwide, online auction site eBay claims to be the most popular shopping destination on the Internet. It also is becoming a popular place for small and midsize manufacturers to buy and sell industrial...

Manhattan Associates means more than warehouse management.(SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION)
July 1, 2005... Pete Sinisgalli wants the world to know that Manhattan Associates is "more than a warehouse management company," and he believes he has the numbers to prove his point. The most important number is 50, according to Sinisgalli, who is the...

New standard may send Bluetooth into the plant.(WIRELESS NETWORKING)
July 1, 2005... Bluetooth, a wireless specification that offers a way for electronic devices to talk to one another, is still widely viewed as a consumer-oriented technology. But there soon may be another story, based on speculation that Bluetooth could see...

ClearOrbit improves Colorcon's inventory picture.(CASE-IN-POINT)
July 1, 2005... When Colorcon launched a plan to improve inventory management, a new method of tracking the flow of that inventory was essential. "When you want to reduce inventory while also maintaining your customer service levels, the ability to move...

Big things on a somewhat distant horizon.(In perspective)
July 1, 2005... Business processes--and the IT systems that support them--need to be adaptable to change over time. But few companies are willing to risk a large system deployment or a disruptive set of changes based on the promise of such an amorphous, albeit...

Strategize at the source: emerging micro-markets call for harmonizing the global supply chain with dynamic local demand.(Enterprise/Supply chain apps)
July 1, 2005... Impressive cost reductions have been generated in manufacturing sectors that have come to grips with opportunities to expand their global operations and sourcing capabilities. Within AberdeenGroup, it seems we constantly hear about companies...

Intuit makes bid as enterprise player for small manufacturers.(MULTI-USER ACCOUNTING)
July 1, 2005... Performance Cruising began using Intuit's QuickBooks in 1997, but when the company nearly doubled in size in 2004, it had reached the upper limits of scalability with its accounting solution. "QuickBooks is a very easy program to learn,"...

Paper payment still reigns, but electronic solutions are gaining favor.(INVOICING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2005... It takes a company an average of 40 to 45 days--sometimes as long as 120--to receive an invoice payment. That time is spent routing, reviewing, matching to accounts receivables, and approving for payment. It's said that even for electronic B2B...

Webplan to Kinaxis: supply chain planning to "response management".(SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... Webplan seemed like the perfect name for a company selling software that lets manufacturers use the Internet to determine exactly when, where, and how to move inventory through their supply chains. But even some satisfied customers say the name...

Oracle and SAP battle for ERP dominance: from petty skirmishes to applistructure strategies.(ACQUISITION & COMPETITION)
July 1, 2005... Despite conflict and competition, Oracle succeeded in acquiring PeopleSoft and Retek, and says its acquisition binge will continue. Yet SAP still sits squarely at the top of the market for enterprise applications. The question is, what's next...

Hands on the controls: savvy manufacturers make enterprise performance management a core competency.(Business performance)
July 1, 2005... Lao Tzu, known as the father of Taosim, once said, "The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness." While scholars place Tzu's birth between 600 and 300 B.C.E, his words ring true today, as...

Finding the right solution for system performance problems.(APPLICATION MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... Anyone who works on a computer has experienced the frustration of having an application respond slowly--or freeze altogether--just when they need a crucial piece of information. But most would be surprised to learn that poor application...

Interface A standards could be the window to better chip-making processes.(PROCESS MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... Web services technology could make it easier for semiconductor manufacturers to monitor and improve their production processes Some industry experts even believe an emerging communication standard based on Web services could shorten the time it...

Online engine said to boost odds of finding reliable suppliers.(SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... Internet-based sourcing solutions theoretically allow manufacturers to constantly search the globe for new suppliers. In reality, however, few manufacturers can manage more than a handful of supplier relationships--and even that can be...

Brand-aware QMS vendor changes its name.(Business performance)
July 1, 2005... Document Control Systems, which sells the MasterControl quality management system (QMS) has changed its name to match its product. "The MasterControl brand embodies our drive to reach beyond providing software and truly help our customers...

Beyond the buzzwords: manufacturing performance software leverages plant information in pursuit of the real-time enterprise.(Plant-floor ops)
July 1, 2005... Manufacturers operate in an environment that requires information exchange across every domain of the enterprise. Even more so in a global business climate that demands integrating operations and systems, collaboration must move beyond the...

Brooks Software looks to enterprise interoperability.(CONNECTIVITY)
July 1, 2005... Last year, enterprise vendor SAP--admitting that manufacturers could not operate in an "all-SAP-all-thetime" environment--announced its Shop Floor Partner Program and an ISA S95-compliant business package, both of which promised to make...

GE Fanuc's upgrade to Proficy puts spotlight on MES.(Plant-floor ops)
July 1, 2005... At its inaugural Discover Series user conference in New Orleans, automation vendor GE Fanuc announced what it is calling a "strategic upgrade" to its Proficy plant-floor software platform. The upgrade places GE Fanuc in the company of other...

Optimization technology evolves process-industry tool set into business solution.(ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL)
July 1, 2005... Pavilion Technologies' release of Pavilion8 software for process industries is the vendor's latest step to position itself as a provider of business solutions rather than just automation tools. Pavilion earned its chops selling...

Where to go for that all-in-one VPN/security device.(SECURITY HARDWARE)
July 1, 2005... "We have customers telling us, 'My network is collapsing under the weight of the security gear I have to put on it'," says Scott Pope, security marketing manager for Cisco Systems. Now the vendor of networking solutions for the Internet says it...

Construction project for the creative thinker: building out a PLM road map is foremost step in taking control of the product development and ideation process.(Product innovation)
July 1, 2005... The market capitalization of strong companies reflects growth expectations for new product opportunities that companies will seize in the future. Being able to explain where and how your company will grow depends on maintaining control over the...

Microsoft, CoCreate say solutions act as umbrella for "perfect storm" in automotive.(PLM INITIATIVES)
July 1, 2005... David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, Ann Arbor, Mich., says the auto industry is facing a "perfect storm" that may peak some time in the next year. Speaking at Breaking Point, an event sponsored by product life-cycle...

You can't Google product data.(PRODUCT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... One look at Google's stock price tells you search technology is hot. And its popularity has a number of vendors looking to replicate Google's success-albeit on a smaller scale--by developing search engines that cater to niche markets. For...

Product quality is looking up, thanks to PLM adoption.(PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... The time and cost savings that can be achieved from adopting product lifecycle management (PLM) software are well documented. Now there is growing evidence that PLM adoption can improve product quality as well. "When you ask companies that...

Personalized Web pages lure customers, give sales staff instant feedback.(E-FULFILLMENT)
July 1, 2005... Palmyra, N.Y.-based Garlock Sealing Technologies, a $250-million manufacturer with 15 facilities in eight countries, sells, potentially at least, more than 100,000 possible fluid sealing solutions. Ensuring that updated information about this...

Amidst the outsourcing boom: services firms grow by carrying out processes for others, but can they truly transform the model?(Services)
July 1, 2005... The major IT services firms know a hot market when they see it. In the 1990s, the golden opportunity was implementing enterprise software packages. More recently, the growth area for consulting services has been in business process outsourcing,...

Microsoft partner says "Axapta's just right" for verticals customization.(EXTENDING ERP)
July 1, 2005... When Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) announced it would rely on independent software vendors (ISVs) and value-added resellers (VARs) for vertical solutions, Junction Solutions is what it had in mind. The Microsoft gold-certified business...

Forward-thinking 3PL folds in lean Six Sigma.(LOGISTICS)
July 1, 2005... Transplace, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, has embarked on a lean Six Sigma program with an eye toward bringing the service to its customers as well. The result of the merger of the transportation business units of six of the...

Oracle upgrades J.D. Edwards World; says it wants to keep those users.(APPLICATION SUPPORT)
July 1, 2005... Oracle says the recently announced upgrade to the J.D. Edwards World package is evidence of its commitment to continue supporting all of the customers it acquired in its hostile takeover of PeopleSoft. The J.D. Edwards World customers were...

User may know best when it comes to reducing risk in enterprise systems projects.(IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... Asuret, a Brookline, Mass.-based consulting firm, claims to have a solution for the problem of failed enterprise software implementations. It says the answer is to simply listen to the client. Rather than maintaining complete reliance on...

P&G's turnaround proves listening to customers pays.(Back talk)
July 1, 2005... All companies say they value their customers, although many still give you reason to doubt that claim the minute you experience a problem with a product you already have purchased. Anyone working for that type of company who happened to attend...