Manufacturing Business Technology articles from June 2006

Manufacturing Business Technology archives from June 2006

SAP isn't afraid to be serious.(Up front)
June 1, 2006... Many user conferences lead with a light show or a drum troupe, but at SAP's, on each half-day, one senior executive came out on a huge but simple stage and talked about something interesting. There was no attempt to wear you down with repeated...

SAP pursues midmarket with rapid ERP implementation program.(MIDMARKET ERP)
June 1, 2006... Small to midsize businesses (SMB) typically run leaner on tighter budgets and have smaller IT staffs than large enterprises, making them a special challenge for major ERP vendors in capturing mindshare--let alone their business. The big ERP...

Infor-SSA deal marks new stage in ERP consolidation.(CORPORATE)
June 1, 2006... In mid-May, SSA Global, an ERP vendor consolidated out of several previous-generation vendors, agreed to be acquired by Infor, an enterprise vendor focused on manufacturing and distribution that has grown rapidly through acquisitions of its...

Extranet use grows in spite of downside.(OPERATIONS)
June 1, 2006... A recent study conducted by CompTIA, a Chicago-based IT association, says 74 percent of B2B e-commerce buyers and suppliers are using extranet Web sites for at least a portion of their trading, even though conducting business through them is...

Microsoft recommends GXS Trading Grid for BizTalk.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2006... Microsoft and B2B vendor GXS say an alliance between the two will enable integration across organizations' global supply chains using a combination of software and services including BizTalk Server 2006, SQL Server 2005, 2007 Microsoft Office,...

Users should get ready now for next-generation Oracle and SAP upgrades.(ERP UPGRADES)
June 1, 2006... Even though the next generation of enterprise applications from SAP and Oracle will not be ready until 2007 and 2008, respectively, potential users should start preparing for the upgrade now, say analysts at Forrester Research, Cambridge, Mass....

IBM automates semiconductor fab by linking RFID.(RFID IN MANUFACTURING)
June 1, 2006... When IBM spent $2.5 billion to refurbish its Fishkill, N.Y.-based 300-mm semiconductor fabrication facility, it had a specific goal in mind: to automate the entire fabrication process. That mission was accomplished through creative use of...

Dynamic logistics strategy shifts planning from local to global; advanced to adaptive.(SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY)
June 1, 2006... Real-time information sharing is essential for visibility into activities across the supply chain, but what remains largely missing is a more adaptive structure for logistics and transportation management. According to Arun Rai, Georgia...

Corrections.(Views from the front)(Correction notice)
June 1, 2006... * MBTs April 2006 automotive industry coverage incorrectly stated the acquiring company of Covisint, which is Compuware Corp. * MBTs May issue cover misspelled the name of Michael E. Rodgers, information systems manager at Rev-A-Shelf. ...

NIST uses standards forum to showcase "art of the possible".(INTEROPERABILITY)
June 1, 2006... The National Institute of Standards (NIST) hosted its first Interoperability Week in Gaithersburg, Md., in tandem with several other industry sessions being held during the same week in March. "We thought people in health care might find...

Prepare to enter the next generation of in-house software development.(CUSTOMIZING SOFTWARE)
June 1, 2006... Despite broad acceptance of the benefits of commercial software, a significant number of companies spend more than half their application budgets on custom software projects, according to a quarterly report from New York-based McKinsey. Some...

Midwest-based CEOs remain cautious on China strategies.(LOW-COST COUNTRY OPERATIONS)
June 1, 2006... Forget about rolling back the clock on the rise of low-cost manufacturing in China and other regions, concurred a panel of CEOs of Midwest-based manufacturers in early May. Globalization, say panel members, is here to stay, as reflected in...

A new dogfight: SOA versus Web 2.0.(In perspective)
June 1, 2006... One of the more interesting controversies brewing concerns the importance of service-oriented architecture (SOA). Today there are groups that are saying SOA is just so 1990s, and that the real focus should be around Web 2.0 technologies (more...

Saving the world, one supply chain at a time.(In perspective)
June 1, 2006... The phrase, "solving world hunger," is commonly used to signify an impossible task. Yet for many supply chain professionals, the fusion of global engineering, manufacturing, and logistics with Internet-enabled information technology presents,...

Suddenly spin control: mastering demand management in the supply chain can require sophisticated forecasting, inventory tools.(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... In the spring, a young man's fancy turns to--well, fixing his pickup truck. And as the nation's driveways and sidewalks get warmer, do-it-yourselfers of all kinds decide it's time to tackle those little maintenance chores they put off all...

Forecasting demand-management distinctions.
June 1, 2006... The guy with the Palm Tree in your local Home Depot store may just be checking his email while he picks up something to fix up the basement--or he may be part of the demand-management process at San Rafael, Calif.-based Kelleher Corp., a lumber...

A fundamental shift: CPG focus on visibility lends itself to the "on-demand" model.(Industry profile: Consumer packaged goods)
June 1, 2006... The last several years have witnessed a sea change in consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing, and it's all about demand and supply chain visibility. As a recent Boston-based AberdeenGroup report puts it, "Consumer products companies...

CPG by the numbers.(Industry profile: Consumer packaged goods)
June 1, 2006... Pessimists fear rising interest rates, astronomical gas prices, and stagnant wages will at some point force U.S. consumers to stop shopping. But the gloomiest predictions have yet to come true. Store shelves are full, and the U.S. consumer...

CPG industry reformation at the starting blocks: what is demand visibility, and why is it important?(Industry profile: Consumer packaged goods)
June 1, 2006... Demand visibility--described as the cornerstone for innovation in consumer packaged goods (CPG)--refers to the ability to sense and respond to rising and falling demand in the market. It also requires knowing not only what's selling, but who's...

Beyond pricing and procurement: maturing technology, globalization, and a seller's market shift focus in supplier management to analytics, risk, and collaboration.(Applications & Services)
June 1, 2006... Mastering supplier relationship management (SRM) can save 3 percent a year OD procurement costs. That's an average of $67 million a year for the companies surveyed by New York-based consultancy Accenture. SRM is an umbrella term for the sup...

Acquiring Intentia gives Lawson a story to tell manufacturers.(ERP MARKET CONSOLIDATION)
June 1, 2006... The merger of ERP vendor Lawson Software with Intentia International is one corporate deal that might make sense even to the casual observer. Both vendors target midmarket enterprises, and each has something the other has coveted, but was...

Microsoft documents industry-specific extensions to its enterprise systems.(VERTICAL ERP)
June 1, 2006... Users--and prospective users--of Microsoft Dynamics enterprise systems faced a roadblock when it comes to vertical-industry functionality extensions. Microsoft relies on its independent software vendor (ISV) partners to deliver...

IFS Applications 7 tackles vertical industries, improves user interface.(VERTICAL ERP)
June 1, 2006... ERP solutions supplier IFS says it spent more than 600,000 development hours on the latest version of its enterprise solution, IFS Applications 7. "This release, maybe more than any other, is focused on functionality for vertical...

HighJump leverages Lean.(MES)
June 1, 2006... Last year, HighJump Software, best known for its supply chain execution (SCE) applications, launched Manufacturing Advantage, a manufacturing execution system (MES). What seems an unlikely move out of the company's comfort zone is really a...

Intuitive rewrites solution using Microsoft .NET; gets acquisitive in the process.(MIDMARKET ERP)
June 1, 2006... ERP provider Intuitive Manufacturing Systems has seen some milestones in the past year or so. First it was acquired by an equity firm, and since then made some acquisitions of its own. All the while, Intuitive was completely rewriting its...

Integration frameworks breathe new life into aging systems.(In perspective)
June 1, 2006... Today, on location, plant managers are shoring up mission-critical processes and manufacturing execution systems (MES) to reduce cycle times, decrease costs, and increase asset utilization. At headquarters, to gain more control over...

More than an afterthought: manufacturers finding solutions for managing profitable services operations.(Business Performance)(Company overview)
June 1, 2006... Anyone who has paid to have an appliance repaired after the warranty expired would not be shocked to learn that the after-sales parts and service business has become a profitable endeavor for many manufacturers. What might be surprising,...

Oracle's "hidden jewel" from Siebel acquisition bolsters intelligence offerings.(BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE)
June 1, 2006... When Oracle acquired Siebel Systems, it declared itself the leader of the CRM software market. Now Oracle is saying the Siebel purchase also has positioned it to become a major player in the business intelligence (BI) software space. That...

Users must do homework when choosing from shrinking supply chain market.(MARKET CONSOLIDATION)
June 1, 2006... The supply chain software market is quickly consolidating. No fewer than six mergers have been announced this year, the most notable being the still-pending acquisition of former industry heavyweight Manugistics by JDA Software, a medium-size...

SSA joins IBM in delivering SOA-enabled solution on blades.(HARDWARE PERFORMANCE)
June 1, 2006... SSA Global and IBM will deliver a new version of SSA ERP LN that includes a full server and middleware stack using efficient blade services and taking advantage of Web services technologies. Specifically, the joint offering bundles these...

Labor management systems improve warehouse productivity, but users slow to adopt.(WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT)
June 1, 2006... Supply chain execution (SCE) software vendors say they have a quick way to get warehouses operating at peak efficiencies, but industry experts warn that this approach is not necessarily easy, which is making companies reluctant to sign on. ...

German Tier 1 auto supplier test-drives SOA data-exchange standards.(PLM STANDARDS)
June 1, 2006... Making automobiles is highly complex, data intensive, and calls for close coordination between suppliers and OEMs. Yet exchanging data remains a highly manual process and acts as a production constraint. Since existing standards such as...

What in-house processes determine supply chain success?(Ask Aberdeen Group)
June 1, 2006... While supply chain managers say much of the uncertainty that causes the greatest variation in performance resides outside the company, The Supply Chain Integration Benchmark Report from Boston-based AberdeenGroup outlines what internal...

Greater access to enterprise systems for occasional users goal of "Duet".(ERP PARTNERING)
June 1, 2006... SAP is adding a Microsoft Office front end to its enterprise applications in a new offering called Duet--the product of the much-publicized Project Mendocino aimed at enabling occasional users of SAP applications to work within the Office...

China plants adopting western practices.
June 1, 2006... In the race for superior productivity, China plants are demonstrating the payoff in investing in people, says a recent report by the Manufacturing Performance Institute (MPI) and Bridgeville, Pa.-based Development Dimensions International. ...

Intelligence useful for the masses: manufacturers look for ways to deliver business intelligence tools to casual users.(Integration & Infrastructure)
June 1, 2006... The primary technology supporting a product quality improvement program at Briggs & Stratton is not a manufacturing application--it's a business intelligence (BI) platform. "We use the BI tools to focus on improving product quality," says...

Sarbox drives database-security solutions development, adoption.(REGULATORY COMPLIANCE)
June 1, 2006... Yet another kind of software is hardly what most CIOs want, but when it comes to control over data as part of Sarbanes-Oxley (Sarbox) compliance, another layer just may be in order. Database security solutions, say vendors and at least one...

webMethods partnership fuses on-demand applications with back-end systems.(ENTERPRISE APPLICATION INTEGRATION)
June 1, 2006... The on-demand--or software-as-a-service (SaaS)--model can save companies from complex implementation projects, but it rarely frees them from having to integrate new applications with existing systems. That is becoming all too apparent to...

WebCollage lets manufacturers paint product portraits for retail sites.(ONLINE CONTENT MANAGEMENT)
June 1, 2006... While online retailing gives manufacturers another channel for selling products, many say this avenue limits their ability to influence the way goods are presented to potential customers. That fact has created an opportunity for companies...

CA.
June 1, 2006... CA completed its buy of Cybermation--a specialist in software and services that modernize traditional lob scheduling and simplify complex IT infrastructure management--for $75 million. Cybermation will become a part of CA's Enterprise Systems...

Infravio will integrate Forum Systems service-oriented architecture (SOA) enablement solutions with metadata and workflow managed by Infravio's X-Registry Platform.
June 1, 2006... Infravio will integrate Forum Systems service-oriented architecture (SOA) enablement solutions with metadata and workflow managed by Infravio's X-Registry Platform, an SOA governance solution, The integration will define and enhance the way...

Savi Technology.
June 1, 2006... RFiD vendor Savi Technology recently opened the doors to the Savi Knowledge Center, a Sunnyvale. Calif.-based facility.

NEC promises full protection, minus the downtime.(SYSTEM MAINTENANCE)
June 1, 2006... The second Tuesday of every month is patch day for users of Microsoft-based PCs. That's when new nuggets of code designed to combat the latest viruses, spyware, and other malicious programs are released from Microsoft headquarters. Not all...

Mobile-device solution puts demand forecasting in the palm of a sales rep's hands.(CASE-IN-POINT)
June 1, 2006... It's not unusual for truck drivers to get delivery instructions or take signatures confirming the receipt of orders via handheld computers. But Toronto-based Canada Bread Company is conducting a pilot project that shows promise for allowing its...

DHL and IBM demo shipment tracking.(RFID ROUNDUP: A diverse sampling of RFID product & services news ...)
June 1, 2006... International express-shipping company DHL highlighted the RFID tagging component of its DHL Innovation Initiative at the Hannover, Germany-based CeBIT show in March. Partnering with IBM to leverage WebSphere middleware, DHL is tagging...

EPCglobal tests item-level tagging.(RFID ROUNDUP: A diverse sampling of RFID product & services news ...)
June 1, 2006... The viability of item-level RFID tagging gained considerable credence at a late-March demonstration testing hosted by EPCglobal at a MET Laboratories facility in San Jose, Calif. The testing covered scenarios for likely real-world applications,...

Introducing "RFID in a glove".(RFID ROUNDUP: A diverse sampling of RFID product & services news ...)
June 1, 2006... METRO Group, the world's third-largest retailer, used the CeBIT technology fair--held in March in Hannover, Germany--to showcase a mobile RFID reader that is worn by the worker. The unit--developed by Deister Electronic for METRO...

Lack of talent threatens RFID adoption.(RFID ROUNDUP: A diverse sampling of RFID product & services news ...)
June 1, 2006... Shortage of skilled personnel poses a threat to RFID adoption, according to a new survey by Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). Of the survey respondents, 75 percent say they don't believe there is a sufficient talent pool of...

Microsoft, UGS, and the PLM liberation.(Back talk)
June 1, 2006... "Product life-cycle management for the masses!" has been a rallying cry among PLM vendors for some time now. But for many manufacturers, it remains little more than a cry for help. Their cries persist for making all that data trapped inside...