Posted by Randy Flamm on Wed, Sep 01, 2010 @ 07:50 PM
Single Database – Single Source ERP for Manufacturing
A Little History - Lessons Learned
From the beginning of my career in manufacturing I saw the need for a comprehensive system to control the whole process from start to finish. It was clear to me that a single database was the way to go. One version of the truth was very illusive when it came to manufacturing information - how to make a product or even how many to make and when. There were many places to look for answers and sometimes none of them were correct.
Microcomputers were just coming out and I was really interested in them. My friend Dewayne Clinton and I attended the Home Brew Computer Club meetings held in an auditorium at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. I thought it would really be cool to create such a system using a microcomputer.
I started programming around 1982 on 8 bit machines using CPM/dBase II while working at a custom manufacturing company in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was a production foreman and my future wife worked in the office. We had to take orders, purchase raw materials, and manually schedule the shop resources including machines and labor. Our boss was very demanding when it came to production performance and reporting. He insisted on have a detailed production report including profit contribution on a daily basis. Performing these tasks manually was very time consuming and prone to error since everything could change overnight. The manufacturing control system I developed was infinitely more capable and user friendly than their current IBM System 36 RPG punch card-input based system in use at the time. This is when I developed many of the same demand-driven concepts in use today in the EnterpriseIQ ERP products.
With the new system all we had to do was make sure the sales orders were entered and the finished goods/raw material perpetual inventory was kept up by doing all packing slips and receivers from the software. We would start the MRP engine (we called it IRV) and go to lunch. When we returned the output told us the parts to run and the materials to order. Time-phased calculations that had taken two or three days were completed in an hour. Ok, sometimes we took an hour and a half for lunch but we got more done with much better accuracy than any other time in the history of that company.
In 1986 I went to work for GE Plastics as a tech service rep based in the LA area. With this job I didn't need to worry about scheduling production or dealing with employees. Through that job I met many owners and managers of manufacturing companies who were struggling with the same problems my wife and I able to handle via computers and software when we worked in the Bay Area. I would mention (brag about) this at customer dinners and lunches. Soon I got called on it by a husband and wife who owned a custom injection molding company in the LA area. The conversation went like this: "Wow! That system sounds great. Why don't you write the same thing for me?" I responded that I couldn't possibly because it was a lot of work and I really liked my job at GE. After a few more conversations I let them know that I would write a system which would do the basics including a MRP engine, with the understanding that I would sell the same system to other companies as it was developed. I started programming in August of 1988 on nights and weekends.
Back then DOS was the operating system of choice. Hardware was cheap and local area networks were making their debut. The Clipper programming language offered a familiar dBase syntax and .dbf file storage system. CPU clock speeds and storage capability were increasing all the time so I figured that if I wrote a comprehensive system, the hardware would come.
In 1989 my wife and I quit our jobs, mortgaged the house and started IQMS (then known as IQ Management Systems). My objective was to develop an all encompassing manufacturing software system (long before the term ERP was coined). I envisioned a software system which provided the tools and automation necessary to enable the smartest manufacturing operations possible.
We found ourselves with over 100 customer installations by 1996. By then, I was no longer programming but took on the architecture and design of the manufacturing modules of our product named IQ/Genesis. We had complete Accounting, Inventory, MRP, Finite Scheduling, RealTime Machine Monitoring, Preventative Maintenance, Payroll and Time and Attendance modules. File based data storage systems are inherently weak when run in a multi-user network environment. "Re-indexing" data files became a way of life when the network wasn't stable. It was always hard to explain to your customer that the problem was their hardware - not your product. In spite of the weak foundation the product was a hit with our customers - most of which we still have today. Service had a lot to do with our customer retention (as it does today). Coming up with software solutions to customer problems is one of the reasons the product had so much depth. Software updates came fast and furious and were always at no extra cost.
At this time it was evident that DOS was dead. We were starting to get hammered in the market place by systems with far less functionality that were Windows-based. Going to a demo with a DOS based system was like going to a gun fight with a knife. IQMS as a company had to decide if we were going to continue to grow or just survive on loyal customer maintenance contracts until they went away. It would have been a slow death to my vision of the single-source/single-database all-encompassing manufacturing software system.
It was decided that we would "burn the ships" and go forward. We made the decision to abandon the millions of lines of IQ/Genesis code. We threw everything away except the concepts developed and the lessons learned over the prior 7 to 8 years. It was time to pull out the stops and come up with a bullet proof foundation to build the next generation of IQMS ERP products.....
(I’ll continue the story of how IQMS got where it is today in my next blog.)
Posted by Glenn Nowak on Thu, Aug 12, 2010 @ 12:23 PM
In times of economic uncertainty, everyone naturally looks for ways to save money and cut costs. As some annual manufacturing ERP system maintenance programs come up for renewal one might question the validity of expense. What happens when you don't continue to pay maintenance? For most ERP users, be prepared to be shut-off from technical support as well as any current or future software upgrades. In some cases, continuing to operate without technical support is not reason enough to justify the cost. So that leaves the upgrades as the main driver for continuing to pay your maintenance fees. So, are ERP software updates a big enough reason for paying maintenance? It all depends on your system!
Let's look at what happens if you don't renew. If you are, as noted above, on a relatively new or "stable" version of the manufacturing ERP software, and you don't have a very active marketplace that changes dynamically, then you might feel pretty comfortable hopping off the maintenance train. Your thought is that you will just maintain yourself with your current system and its current capabilities. You might even get your ERP provider to discount maintenance if you don't take upgrades. This may be fine for the time being but what if one of the dynamics of your world changes - like new customer growth with different demands, business upgrades that require new technology, obsolete hardware and operating systems, or new business expansion opportunities offshore.
The most significant of these is the changing dynamic of your customer base. Because, in today's ever changing business world, even keeping your existing customers requires you to change and adapt to their needs - regardless of whether they have been with you 20 years or 20 minutes. How will you keep up year-after-year when your core technology infrastructure does not keep pace? How will you implement new technologies when they don't mesh with your existing outdated systems? The answer is that you will eventually fall farther and farther behind the curve against your competitors - who are keeping current with their technology - and this will then require you to eventually take one of two actions: start from scratch with a brand new ERP system or upgrade your existing system (and depending on how far behind you are it may seem like a new system anyway!). Either option is likely to be more costly than having continued on maintenance in the first place.
But its not just all about getting updates. It's about the quality of the updates. You need to look at this closely and see whether your manufacturing ERP software company is providing you a consistent path of development. With the consolidation of ERP systems in recent years many packages are being developed to fit certain niches within a company's product offerings and not necessarily the original direction of the ERP system. Ask yourself whether the updates that are being provided fit the direction that your business is going and whether your ERP provider allows you input on the development for the update? You should ask yourself these questions when you think about shelling out the maintenance fees because it is important that your ERP system evenly grow with both the industry and the technology.
So once you have bitten the bullet and decided that maintenance is worth the money (and to be worth the money it must include frequent and useful updates!), how do you ensure that you get value for your maintenance dollars? You can bargain with your ERP provider for a lower maintenance rate as an option. But that will likely lead to cost cutting on the ERP provider side and a reduction in services and update quality. The answer is to find a manufacturing ERP provider with a reasonable maintenance rate where the updates are frequent, useful and relevant to your business needs. Those manufacturing ERP software packages are out there and I would be happy to offer my top choice!
Posted by Randy Flamm on Fri, Aug 06, 2010 @ 02:19 PM
In my last blog (IQMS Community Server – Game Changing Technology) I discussed the affects that Community Server has had on our Design, Programming, Testing and Documentation departments. This time I will discuss how the rest of our organization has been impacted.
The Professional Services Group is charged with successful implementations by focusing on meeting the client’s business goals. During the implementation GAP analysis, when software workflows are compared against currently used business processes, it is not unusual to uncover issues that need to be addressed with software modifications. By using Community Server to input and track these software change requests (SCRs), the overall turn around time has been shortened as we are able to give priority to these SCRs. The rest of the customer community is able to comment on best practices regarding individual business processes that will be affected by the proposed changes. Remember that all enhancements to the core modules are made available to all EnterpriseIQ customers at no extra cost.
Community Server has had an immense impact on the day-to-day operations in the support department. Prior to managing SCRs through Community Server, all SCRs had to be reviewed by a support technician to ensure that the requested functionality was not already a part of the latest version of the software. Often this would require additional correspondence between support and the customer to get all of the necessary details. When it was determined by support that the SCR was valid, it could then be escalated to the development group. By removing the “middle man”, we have not only freed up additional time for our support staff, but also decreased the steps necessary and the time it takes to get a response to the customer. A decreased call volume in support can also be seen because users are now able to check the status of their SCRs on their own. Plus, due to the visibility of other users' SCRs, the number of duplicate SCRs has decreased as well. The use of Community Server for managing SCRs has truly created a “win-win” situation for our technical support group and the customers we serve.
I feel that the biggest win this technology has enabled lies in our product offerings. The EnterpriseIQ family of products offers more integrated modules for every aspect of the manufacturing enterprises than any system on the market - bar none. With the input of thousands of Community Server members, we work toward the goal of making every module “best of breed” in both quality and functionality. Not only has customer satisfaction improved but our new licensing sales have increased. Our sales staff enjoys showing off the product in comparison to our competitor’s products.
The following are new modules directly related to requests and ideas that came in via Community Server: Expense Reporting, Quality Audit, Process Monitoring, UPS / FedEx Certified Shipment Manager, and the Environmental Regulation Tracking and Reporting Module.
Although the advent of Community Server has increased the development, testing, and documentation workload the payoff has been very good for both IQMS and our customers.
Posted by Diane Ramaglia on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 08:40 AM
Some people do not realize the impact of what happens within an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system when your inventory is not accurate. And when I say accurate; I mean at least 98% accurate.
A common issue at companies is they do not have the disciplines in place to assure inventory accuracy. Some common pitfalls of inventory inaccuracy would be that bills of material (BOM) are incorrect. I have a history working with plastic processing (along with other types of manufacturing) and one thing that throws off inventory is incorrect part and runner/sprue weights in the BOMs. A lot of manufacturers also do assembly/secondary processes and the quantity per could be incorrect in the BOMs. There are two different ways I have seen consumption of materials being completed during production reporting.
One is the function of back-flushing material based on parts produced based on your BOM. Many systems that I have used allow for the back-flushing of their materials when they report production. This is the time when you can catch inventory issues due to BOM inaccuracies. You can check your work center location inventory and verify at the end of shift if the computer matches the actual inventory counts. If not, start weighing your parts and checking your BOM.
The other type of system out there allows you to issue material to a job/work order. The downside to this is you can’t see this inventory since it is typically removed from any on-hand quantities. You have to reconcile at the end of the job/run.
Another common factor with inventory inaccuracy is that your users are not moving material to proper locations based on procedures. If your system allows a location to go negative, it's time to check a negative report and get to root cause of what may have cause this. It can come down to material not being moved or inaccurate BOMs. I hate repeating myself on the BOM issue but I have seen issues time and time again. In fact, I have recently worked with two customers who are struggling with negative locations. If a location is negative and other locations are positive, what is your true on-hand quantities? One can only guess.
What happens within your ERP when your inventory is inaccurate? The system might not generate work/job orders for customer orders if it thinks you have finished goods/work in process stock. If you don’t have the inventory or the work orders you will likely miss shipments. Customers won’t be too happy if you don’t have on-time shipments. In addition, if the work orders are not generated the system will not tell you to purchase material. It’s a downhill spiral from here.
Speaking of purchased material, let’s talk raw materials and purchased on-hand balances. If these are not correct, you will not have product to produce your manufactured parts. You will possibly be expediting material which can become very costly to your company. On top of that, it can cause havoc on the production floor. A scheduler has to decide to keep running parts that might not be due for over a month or lose costly production time by keeping the machine in downtime.
Think of the breakdown for downtime costs due to material inaccuracy in this way: If a machine rate if $50 per hour and your machines sits down for 48 hours, the cost is $2,400 for two days. If that happens weekly, the annual lost utilization is $124,800. That is more than a lot of peoples' salaries on the production floor. For this annual cost, you can justify hiring people to fix the inventory issues.
Add to this cost, other factors such as the cost to deal with machines that need to be changed over quickly to fill an order because your finished goods on-hand counts were inaccurate. How much does it cost your company when you have to switch over jobs that you were not thinking you had to run? What is the time it takes to switch over jobs? Depending on the jobs, setup times can range from one hour to ten hours. That is a lot of downtime for changeovers.
What can you do to start fixing these issues?
- Have the right people handle inventory management – they have to care and be analytical.
- Training/education– you need to make sure that people know what they are supposed to do in the system and what the impacts are if they don’t.
- Get to root cause of the inventory issues and have a corrective action to prevent this from happening again.
- Track the downtime costs due to inventory issues (waiting on material, changeover/setup)
- Create a process to validate bills of material.
- Ensure people are following their procedures.
I hope this helps some of you out there in the manufacturing world.
Posted by Liz Alflen on Thu, Jul 29, 2010 @ 02:33 PM
One unfortunate morning a few years ago, I got an early call at home from my boss informing me that my 1st floor office had been broken into and my computer was stolen. It so happened that I had left my laptop on my desk, hooked to an external monitor, a VOIP phone and a printer. When the burglar alarm/noise-intrusion sensor went off, scaring the intruders into a more heightened sense of urgency, they made a quick grab for my laptop, but ended up dragging along the monitor, the phone and the printer. Pieces of my printer (the paper tray, paper, little broken plastic pieces) were strewn across the parking lot. By the time the police arrived on the scene, the intruders were long gone, miscellaneous plastic parts left behind, and they were likely on the highway headed out of town.
Not surprisingly, I panicked at this news. What about all my information? My reports? My data? What would I do? How painful would this be?
The local police made note of all the pertinent information but offered little hope for recovery. Our IT department made available an alternate computer for my use while ordering me a new one; I received the usual talking-to about backing-up my data. When I finally got back to work, I quickly found that I wasn’t in too much trouble.
I still had access to our EnterpriseIQ ERP system! They couldn’t take that away from me. I can access the system from anywhere, log in, run a report, review documents, respond to workflows - from anywhere.
Until that day, I hadn’t realized that the bulk of any day’s work was not dependent on my personal computer, my stored information or my reports. Most of any day’s work could be completed by accessing information in EnterpriseIQ, views or reports.
For my purposes related to both Administration and HR, areas I access on any given day include:
And on and on. It was almost disappointing. My data isn’t even really special (although my particular role is); I’m replaceable by someone else (or perhaps multiple individuals) who is (are) trained in the system, can access the same information, and plan equivalent courses of action. One of the tremendous values in having a comprehensive ERP system is in the ease with which I can fulfill my responsibilities, independent of specific hardware or location, as well as the ease with which a “backup” could do the same.
I still try to remember to back-up the data on my personal computer, but I’m confident that most of the information I need at work will be available to me when I need it. It’s nice to NOT worry about something!
Posted by Tina Jolicoeur on Mon, Jul 26, 2010 @ 03:01 PM
Sustainable manufacturing, recycling, repurposing, reducing your global footprint, going green. All of these phrases have become more and more widely used in the last 20-30 years. At first they were just phrases; ideas that were maybe a little 'out there' but now increasingly manufacturing companies are implementing business processes and philosophies to bring the phrases to reality. And why? It turns out sustainable manufacturing is profitable.
'Sustainable manufacturing' includes the manufacturing of 'sustainable' products and the sustainable manufacturing of all products. It's the environmental responsibility of manufacturing companies to begin to keep this phrase in mind. It caught my attention because the idea is not only should we manufacture sustainable products, but the way we manufacture them should leave a small footprint. I like the idea of only using the resources you need and reusing them if possible.
I'm excited to see the Department of Commerce (1) and the United Nations (2) taking an interest in sustainability. Their buy-in will help promote the ideals of sustainability. However, I know there are a lot of manufacturers who implemented grass roots sustainable manufacturing business processes a long time ago because they knew eventually they would be more profitable. And profitability is still the bottom line.
A 2008 sustainable manufacturing study by Atos Origin reported, 'These companies have set up initiatives to apply business intelligence to operational data that reveals areas where raw materials can be saved and energy conserved, which delivers immediate business impact through lower costs while, at the same time, reducing the company's environmental impact.' By doing the 'green' thing, they are also more profitable than before.
There have recently been two examples of sustainable manufacturing in the media with regard to products. The first one was a dog toy that just went on the market. It's a virtually indestructible ball made completely of scrap material. The other product was a salad spinner (generally made of regrind) that's also used in third world countries to identify anemia. I know, you are feeling the love with these products; they fulfill needs, they are sustainable, repurposed and bring profitability to the companies who manufacture them along with an environmental pat on the back!
When I read about those two products it was easy to come up with an example for the manufacturing side of the sustainability initiative; a new product recently released to beta customers by IQMS. It's RealTime Process Monitoring and it gathers machine performance and process data in real time. Users define which performance and measurement parameters to capture for each item or project. When limits are met or exceeded users can quickly identify necessary adjustments to the machine or device allowing for maximum efficiency while utilizing the least amount of resources, for example water and heat, and still manufacture a quality product.
Companies can begin to implement sustainable manufacturing with the goal of profitability and not just due to the pressure they receive to be 'environmentally correct'. It's a mindset that takes very little time to acquire and the benefits will be long lasting.
I'm proud to be part of IQMS who is a part of the chain in sustainable manufacturing. As a company they are very involved in the 'green' initiative. IQMS recycles many of the resources it uses. From recycling just about everything, to hosting an electronics recycling event, to reusing obsolete CD's and DVD's on a parade float. It didn't take long for IQMS to realize going 'green' doesn't take a lot of effort, just a change of habits and how we view and reuse resources.
Footnotes:
1.“Sustainable manufacturing is defined as the creation of manufactured products that use processes that are non-polluting, conserve energy and natural resources, and are economically sound and safe for employees, communities, and consumers.”
2. Sustainable manufacturing “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Posted by Daniele Fresca on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 07:32 AM
While I am not a huge fan of the reality dating show, "The Bachelor" I can admit to watching a couple episodes now and again. Recently, former couples from the show were in the news and I got to thinking how the show parallels the ERP selection process. Some aspects are strikingly similar while others are more interpretive. For those who have never seen the show, perhaps you will understand the premise through this comparison.
Round One: The Many Suitors!
On the show, the first round begins with our bachelor or bachelorette meeting several "candidates". It consists of a single-night welcoming party after which a slew of prospective suitors are sent away - roseless. First impressions count for a lot in this round.
This is similar to how one begins the selection process of an ERPvendor. A company may post a notification on one of the many online forums, may utilize a consultant to help in the search, possibly will seek the assistance from colleagues, or simply do research themselves. In any event, the manufacturing company will have several candidates for the vetting process. While this first round in ERP selection will most likely take place in more than a single night, odds are that first impressions are still a big factor here and those ERP companies that don't show or handle themselves well will not get a rose...oops I mean an invitation to move forward.
Round Two: The Narrowing Down of Suitors
On the show the next several (as in many!) weeks involve meeting with suitors individually as well as in groups on dates. These dates are often fantastical and overwhelming - stuff that doesn't typically occur in a normal dating process - helicopters, celebrity-chef dinners, trips to Paris...all situations to enhance the experience and drama. Week after week, more suitors are sent home.
In comparison, this portion of the ERP selection process also slims down the vendors vying for the company's attention. While the discussions and possible online demonstrations (dates) may not be as fantastical, ERP vendors are often still willing to do much to impress the potential client. As well they should. It is here you get a little more time with the vendor, get to hear what makes them different and how they can be the best potential partner for your company. You now pare the list down even further.
Round Three: The Final Group
For TV, the final group represents the usually four suitors - the best of the best. It is now game time for these potential mates! They show the bachelor/bachelorette their home town, how they live, how they truly are....basically they put all the cards on the table. Their actions and words have equal importance and make or break the decision to move ahead in the game.
This is most closely tied to the onsite demonstration phase in ERP selection. Your final group of chosen vendors comes to your facility and spends all day going through the system - hopefully with much of your data. This is where the rubber meets the road. Can all the hype leading up to this point be fully realized in the face-to-face, one-one-one meeting? It is possible that not everyone moves ahead.
Round Four: Meet The Family (aka Meet The References)
Yes, just as it sounds, this is where our bachelor or bachelorette takes the final two suitors home to meet the family. This is crucial because as we all know: family can be vocal and help to shape decisions.
In the ERP process, this is where you will dilingently call and possibly visit the reference customers of the final ERP companies hoping to win you over. Will the family of customers offer praise, food for thought, or both? Just like on the TV show, what the references say can swing a vote to one side or another.
Round Five: Selection Time!
On the show this last step traditionally ends in a marriage proposal. Well, in all honesty, it rarely ends in a proposal that will last much long after the final TV episode airs but for those romantics out there, hope is alive.
In reality, the ERP selection process will end here too (admittedly, with several more aspects throughout such as RFIs, etc...). If you have gone through the steps, listened intently, and chosen wisely than you are likely to see a proposal as well. Hopefully, your choice ends better and with more success than that of "The Bachelor" series. I know many of our customers have been our "partner" for more than the average rate of our competition so I am a firm believer that hope is still alive.
Posted by John Asi on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 02:31 PM
Over the last couple of weeks, the lives of all of my family took a diversion from the normal routine of work, raising kids, paying bills, etc. We found ourselves in a daily struggle trying to come to grips with the possibility of losing someone very important to the family. My father, because of some serious heart related issues, had been taken to the hospital for observation and it was later determined that extensive surgery would be needed in order to correct his heart function.
The ordeal that followed was very difficult for my Mom, brother, and I. Dad went into the O.R. at 4:00pm on June 24th and was released to ICU at about 9:30pm that night, but due to complications was rushed back to O.R. and did not come back to ICU until 2:00am on the 25th. Those 10 hours in the waiting room were probably the longest 10 hours I had ever experienced in my life. Needless to say I did quite a bit of thinking about big picture things. You know, the things that each person faces when something potentially life changing has happened that makes the daily routine of life look trivial. By the time we were allowed into the ICU, not exactly sure about what to expect in terms of the prognosis, I was deep into an internal debate regarding my relevance in the grand scheme of life.
While sitting in the ICU watching all of the technology at work, I started to see familiar names. Names such as Cardinal Health, Hill-Rom, Tyco/Kendall, and Welsh Allyn. These were familiar to me because the EDI team at IQMS had built EDI mappings for these companies over the years. Unfortunately, up until then, these companies were just names that really did not mean much to me beyond the fact that they were a trading partner that needed to be setup and mapped. That was when something I try to share with all the employees I work with hit me: Look at the job you do from the perspective of whom and what it affects. Who does your job benefit besides yourself? How does it make their lives better?
We get so busy on the job trying to figure out the small details, the 0s and 1s, that we lose focus on the big picture of what we are doing. Being under the constant crunch to produce answers and results can, over time, bring frustration and a lack of appreciation for what we are a part of. What a wakeup call for me. While I certainly appreciate the position I have with IQMS, I would find myself moving from one issue to another without necessarily considering the big picture. Now I was looking directly at the picture and it made sense. Here was the single most important man to me being supported by equipment that exists because of the time and energy of many people. And I had never once prior to this taken the time to consider that the end result of the EDI mapping we create on a daily basis might be a part of a piece of equipment that was helping save someone's life. My Dad's life. I would like to think that it is possible that some of the material used in the equipment I saw in the hospital and more specifically in Dad's ICU was there because of an EDI transaction that came from one of our EDI customers.
While I cannot say that is Dad completely is out of the woods, he is at least back home under the watchful care of his family and is responding well. What I can say is that I have a very different perspective on how I view my job. I am thankful for all of our customers and the innovation that they bring to their respective industries. I am thankful for the hard work that the doctors and nurses did to help Dad. I am thankful for working at a company like IQMS that is relevant in its community and beyond and for the support I received while going through the last couple of weeks. I am thankful for my family and their support through this. Lastly I am thankful that I still have the opportunity to talk and learn from my Dad.
Posted by Shannon Holloway on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 12:37 PM
There is an ocean of theories out there swimming around the topic of adult learning. Most are centered on the idea that adults learn differently because they come equipped with life experiences that children do not have. Where sometimes pre-conceived ideas and theories can make learning new things more difficult, if used correctly, real life experience can immensely enhance and accelerate the learning process. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks!
When training ERP software users, you don't often find yourself in a room full of children. Therefore, it's not important, in my situation, to understand the differences. What is important is knowing what works and what doesn't work when teaching adults; and during my career I have made plenty of observations on just this topic. Of course, everyone learns a little differently than the guy next to them. From a trainer's standpoint, this is why it is important to incorporate several different learning styles into a class. At IQMS, we ensure that class participants have the opportunity to hear, see, read, and do whenever possible. We also believe in repetition. Whether it be internal students going through our extensive employee 90-day training program or customers attending one of our training classes, the more times and the more ways we can present a topic, the more likely they are to retain the information. We also try to make use of the student's life experience and life situation whenever possible. When preparing to teach an implementation class for new customers, our trainers spend time learning about each customer's business; which allows the trainer to relate the class topics to processes the student is already familiar with. Many of our training classes are taught using the customer's data, which greatly accelerates learning because students are dealing with the part numbers they already know or the chart of accounts that they work with every day.
When attending a class of any kind, there are also several things the student can do to ensure maximum knowledge retention. First, do some research. Ask questions of the organization providing the training. Will the class be hands-on? Will you have the opportunity to "do" what you are being taught or only observe? Ask if there is any pre-class reading or labs you can do now, to better prepare for the class.
Second, prepare ahead of time. Review the class agenda and any pre-requisites as soon as possible before the class. This will ensure that your expectations and the class content are in line (so reviewing it in your hotel room the morning of the class is going to be too late). Do some reading and get hands-on experience before you head to class. When it comes to software training, at least get in to the system and move around, become familiar with basic navigation.
During class, give learning your undivided attention. Make use of all the tools available in the classroom, including the trainer. Ask questions! Even if you think that you are the only one with the question, ask it anyway. When a topic seems easy and you feel like you understand completely, fight the urge to skip the lab or pass over the exercise. You won't know that you have it, until you try to do it yourself; and what a better time to find out than when you have the trainer there to help.
We have a funny saying around here that is, "Training is over, now the learning begins!". While you may have gained a mass amount of knowledge in class, the true test of learning comes when you start to apply that knowledge. The key to applying what you learned in class, is to do it quickly. The more you do while the knowledge is fresh in your mind, the greater the benefit of class will be to you and your organization.
Posted by Randy Flamm on Mon, Jun 14, 2010 @ 08:15 AM
It's been a year since we introduced the IQMS Community Server. It's clear to me that this project is "game-changing technology" on many levels.
The IQMS development effort encompasses many different departments. All have been directly affected by the advent of Community Server.
The design team is charged with evaluating each software change request (SCR) in regards to the module(s) to be affected. The Community Server users have averaged three SCRs per day including weekends and holidays. The content ranges from brilliant to not so brilliant. Sometimes it's a challenge to really understand what the author of the SCR is trying to achieve. This is when the collaboration tools (ability of the author to include other documents including screen shots) become essential. When a designer approves the SCR he or she must then submit a workable design to the programmers and mark the SCR as being "Approved" and "Designed". Community Server SCR Workflow enables the life cycle of an SCR to be transparent to not only IQMS employees but to all customers.
The programmers are sent the SCR designs with enough information to complete the development. Some designs require significant detail including changes to database structures, flow charts and most importantly screen shots. Other easier designs are straight forward but pretty much always include screen shots. All EnterpriseIQ modules are "owned" by a designer/programmer/tester team. The average tenure of these IQMS employees is over 6 years with senior members over 10 years. This is why the constraining activity to fulfill SCRs is not the programming department. They can knock this stuff out with uncanny speed due to their experience and the modern object oriented development tools they utilize. They are also very good at what they do.
When the programmers are finished they check their development source code and scripts into our state of the art version control system. The Community Server workflow is updated which notifies the testing department that the ball is now in their court. This is when it gets very interesting. The testing technician is charged with testing the development on many different Oracle and operating systems as well as adherence to our own "prime directive". Our prime directive, unlike the Star Trek one, has to do with not undertaking any development that will negatively affect how our customers are using the current functionality of a module. At times this directive can be difficult to adhere to when customer users find ways to use undocumented functionality that we hadn't thought of.
At the end of the testing phase the Community Server workflow is updated which sends the SCR to the Documentation department. Each SCR that has been approved, designed, programmed and tested is now documented based on input from the SCR (what we want to achieve), the design (how are we going to achieve it), the programmers and testing technician notes. As it happens the documentation department technicians also retest the change to fully understand what needs to be documented. This method is the next best thing to having the change being used in a production environment.
The IQMS development workflow process can best be described as an "Agile Software Development System". All work is done in house which allows complete control over both the process and the outcome.
My next blog will discuss the impact that Community Server has had on our Training and Professional Services departments and our product offerings.