IQMS Blog for Manufacturing ERP Expertise

IQMS' Automation Department has some additional exciting projects to tell you about. In the first part of this blog series, I mentioned some inside information on the latest technology coming out of the Automation Department, such as RealTime™ Process Monitoring and Android tablet applications. Now I'd like to jump right into some applications that are also sure to be a hit. 

As manufacturing companies begin a new calendar year, many take this opportunity to evaluate new manufacturing ERP software in hopes of starting a new year with a new implementation project. Often times, companies ask us about the use of consultants: Should they use them? How should they pick one? Are they a help or a hindrance? The answers to these questions are as varied as the number of consultants available. Here at IQMS, we have encountered all types of implementations and, based on what we have seen, here are some things to consider when evaluating outside consultants:

With all of the regulations put upon the different manufacturing industries, one important consideration when selecting manufacturing ERP software is user traceability. Regulators not only want to know that there is traceability on the manufacturing of the product, but they also are enforcing accountability. There are several requirements to keep in mind regarding your ERP system's user traceability functionality and here are just a few of them:

In my last entry, I discussed the benefits of using technical support and the importance of handling issues promptly to maintain user support and morale. So now that you are calling support, allow me to address a few key things you can do, as the user, to expedite any support call regardless of the issue. 

Whether it’s the changing of the seasons, the end of the year, the middle of a major project or a lull in the usual routine, everyone and every team can benefit from a pause to reflect and a push to move forward. It has been a very busy year at IQMS (again) and it’s important to maintain our vision while progressing (or slogging) through day to day operations. When there’s a moment to consider …

As we approach the end of 2011, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the developments that have happened with the Professional Services Group at IQMS.
 
As IQMS continues to grow, the Professional Services Group (PSG) has also naturally expanded its team by 30 percent to meet the growing demand for our services. The new team members all have a wealth of experience in manufacturing, consulting and software system implementations. 

Cloud computing. The concept has been around for a long time. Part of the reason the Internet was created was to make resources in the scientific and academic community more accessible when not economically feasible to replicate. This sharing of computing horsepower many years ago is not much different from the concepts that are floating around now. We have huge data centers storing large amounts of data, centralized eCommerce sites designed to stamp out storefronts by the thousands for businesses of all sizes, and processing centers designed to offload application processing into machines designed to handle the workload. 

Oh, how the interview process makes one’s stomach turn, sweat glands perspire more than desired and nerves rattle so much that it would scare even Chuck Norris. It makes me hopeful that I can stay on the interviewer side for the foreseeable future.

As we approach the end of the year (I know, it's too soon), I thought I would take a moment to reflect on the EnterpriseIQ RealTime products. For those who have been with IQMS awhile, you may recall the genesis of our RealTime Machine Monitoring system. It has been going strong for more than 15 years now, with more than 15,000 individual machines reporting at more than 500 customers' facilities.

IQMS' Automation Department has been busy this year. We've been working on some cutting edge applications: RealTime™ Process Monitoring with PLC communication, Android phone applications and EnterpriseIQ shop floor applications for the Android 3.0 tablets! These applications are harnessing the latest technology to transfer data instantly from the shop floor to the EnterpriseIQ manufacturing ERP software so you can make real-time adjustments instead of reactive recoveries. Below is a look at some of our recently released projects that are significantly assisting our clients in staying lean and competitive, as well as a sneak peek into what is in the pipeline.