Posted by Neil Gow on Mon, Jun 28, 2010 @ 03:52 PM
Remember at the beginning of each school year you would be given a list of supplies needed for the year. There were basic items required as well as items that were recommended. Well, in our chosen professions there are certainly requirements. You may need a particular skill, certification, or education / training to perform the job. There could be something more tangible like a laptop, cell phone or other type of tool. We also have basic needs such as food and water, access to restrooms, a place for a break or to eat your lunch.
Think of all these things as items in a toolbox. Some tools you need, some you don't have but make do without, and some you have, but rarely use. For instance, in manufacturing, we definitely need machines and equipment. We also need some power tools and hand tools for maintenance or job changes. For scheduling jobs, maintaining inventory, shipping product, paying invoices, keeping track of employee hours, we could use paper, pencil and lots of leg work. We can create spreadsheets and other documents on procedures and work instructions.
However, I think we can all agree, in order to provide our customers with the best possible product, there are some tools available that can help us increase efficiencies. These will not only make you more competitive, but you will stand out and have a reputation for being a front runner. Tools that cut down on mistakes and reduce production time will also help when facing tough economic times.
One of the tools you may want to consider is Process Monitoring. IQMS EnterpriseIQ now has the ability to connect to a PLC or other device with an IP address which can include Injection Molding machines to receive process data in real time. We can also receive data from Quality measuring devices such as CMM, Scales, Calipers and others in real time. The data is saved in the database and can be viewed in real time or set up in SPCfor calculations of Cp, Cpk or SPC's ASQ "Run Rules". No more paper work needed as the data is saved to a single database, accessible by multiple users at the same time.
With this kind of data access you can now truly manufacture quality into the product by monitoring input variables and calculating trends that indicate a process is out of control. Your customers can have the confidence in your ability to prevent disasters, and attain zero defects.
RealTime Process Monitoring coupled with RealTime Production Monitoring will keep you up to date on the output of your manufacturing facilities, whether you are onsite or not. Through web services, your laptop or handheld device can connect to the very same monitoring that is on the plant floor. Reports can be run to alert you and your staff that a process is trending out of control. Multiple departments can be notified simultaneously which will decrease reaction time.
For instance, from an Injection Molding Machine, critical process parameters such as Cushion, Peak Injection Pressure, Hold Pressure, Fill Time, can all be monitored for every cycle. This is such a powerful tool! With user defined options on the frequency and type of data saved you are in control!
So I ask again "whats in your Toolbox"? Are you trying to make do with the minimum or do you wish to expand the capabilities of your employees by providing the most sophisticated and current tools available? When employees are given tools that reduce mistakes and allow them more opportunities to become creative, it can be very exciting!
Posted by Liz Alflen on Wed, Jun 23, 2010 @ 09:46 AM
Remember "hand-shake" deals? Or where a person was "only as good as their word"? Today, we "document, document, document." In business, where we're short on telepathy and long on increasing employee turn-over and failing memories, good documentation is imperative.
Documentation is both a life-saver and a burden in business, but either way it's certainly a necessity as we endlessly tap into the enterprise information flow. Information is vital, and shared information is key to daily decision-making. The good news is that the "paper trail" is now largely an "information trail". Documents don't necessarily mean paperwork! And information is more accessible than ever before.
As business models have evolved with information and communication technology we can now take advantage of electronic libraries, as opposed to stacks and stacks of three-ring binders and rooms of file drawers. How many of your departments require documentation?
For those of us attempting to answer questions, such as, "what is in the offer letter?", "what did we agree to for the customer?" or "what is on the setup sheet for this job?", it's easy to click on the database record and view a reference document.
In addition, it has always been amusing to note "paperwork reduction act" on any six-page form which has to be completed and signed. In a commercial enterprise, there are a myriad of forms to complete, sign, file, store, and reference. We have forms for employees, partners, vendors, part specifications, machine setup, safety compliance, audit trails, contracts, material data, and the list is seemingly endless.
But now even some requisite government forms can now be completed electronically and signed with an electronic signature.
Thankfully, Document Control was incorporated into our EnterpriseIQ ERP system years ago as part of our Quality Management System. This system encompasses any kind of internal and external documents, including drawings, and is available for any department. Controlled documents are easily accessed for viewing, by library, secured or shared, from any module in the system. Documents can also be checked out, and revisions can be submitted, reviewed, and authorized via a workflow system, routed sequentially or broadcast, for team members. They're even color-coded for quick visual reference, with revisions listed, and effective dates and expiration dates.
In HR, where we have required documentation for recruitment, hiring, job descriptions, personnel records, skills tracking, and certifications, secure document libraries are a life-saver and so much easier to use than 3-ring binders and file drawers. I'm a fan of documentation, and I encourage the use of electronic documents. It certainly reduces workplace injury from paper-cuts and falling stacks of files!
Posted by Glenn Nowak on Fri, Jun 18, 2010 @ 11:45 AM
Most companies today are looking for an industry specific ERP system that handles their requirements and meets more than just the basic ERP needs like inventory control, financial management, and sales and distribution. Many companies today want Quality, SPC, CRM, MES, Maintenance, Bar Code Scanning, EDI and more and realize the value of all of these components residing in one, nice package.
The ERP system vetting process used in most cases entails sending out long generic vendor questionnaires, selecting a few suppliers for short presentations, and scheduling day long, scripted demos. At the end of the day all the systems begin to look the same. Not only that, but often the software sales people were convincing in the illusion that any system can handle all the customer's unique needs and any required third party interface to a another system would be invisible and seamless. So how has the research process changed and most importantly how do you make the right decision?
The first step in the process is to look at other companies in your industry. Ask colleagues, trade organizations, social network sites, and yes, even competitors. Find out what systems they are using. Ask them how they truly like the system. Does it handle the specific process or industry needs? How easy is it to use? How long did it take to implement? What is the software support like? How are software changes handled? Go back to that 5 year-old in us all and ask every question you can think of and then really listen to the answers.
The next step is to bring in some selected companies for a day of discovery and plant tour at your facility. This allows ERP vendors to see your unique needs. Show them your pain points and your detailed requirements. Let them ask questions on your processes and what is driving your search for an ERP system - whether it is your first one or your last one. Make the suppliers fully aware of the specific topics they need to cover and gauge their confidence. Be as specific as possible and ask for the same in return - don't be generic where specificity is best.
The detailed demos are the next step in the process. To best determine whether the vendor can meet your needs and requirements you should consider providing the vendor, in advance, with some of your data for utilization during this demo stage. Have the supplier present your data and show in detail how they would handle your process, needs, and issues. If they have multiple systems that are required to be linked or interfaced together have them not only indicate those disparate systems but also walk you through the connectivity process and data sharing process. Is it easy or cumbersome? Is there a batch transfer or real-time data? These factors will be extremely important when utilizing the system.
Once the top suppliers are selected it often comes down to evaluating the price. Some systems may seem less expensive on paper but they are often less expensive for a reason that you will pay for later. Make sure you are looking at all the hidden costs and comparing apples to apples not apples to oranges. This often works best by putting all the details side by side in a spreadsheet to make sure you aren't missing anything. One system might be less but support isn't included. No one thinks they will need support, but inevitably everyone does. Scalability might not be a factor now but what about in 3 -5 years? The cost for having to buy another system is significantly more than that of being able to enhance the system you already bought. By reviewing all these details as well as pros and cons, you can get the value of the system and not just the price.
So if you are at the beginning stages of an ERP selection, I encourage you to follow these steps in helping guide your search. Being thorough, objective, and detailed will yield great results. Because when you look at all the details is when you are most likely to know which is the best and most cost effective solution.
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.
Posted by Daniele Fresca on Wed, Jun 09, 2010 @ 02:48 PM
Purchasing and implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can be a daunting prospect for many. Even more so than the decision itself of WHY to purchase, many companies are confounded by the question of WHEN to purchase. The economy is still questionable. Some companies are seeing a rebound and others are merely seeing the hope of a rebound. If this is true then why should a company decide to purchase a new ERP system now, when there is no guarantee that a profitability rebound is on the horizon? Given that there is probably no perfect time to purchase ERP the question then is why should I buy now? Below are three of the top reasons why buying now is the right choice.
First, and most importantly, think about where you want to be in a year, two years, or more. If your business isn't at optimal capacity now but your plan is to get there within a year or even two, now is the time to buy. If you purchase now, you can strategically plan your implementation and take more time to be meticulous about data conversion, data transfer, and possible changes to processes or procedures. You can also allocate the proper resources and time to the implementation. Having the appropriate people involved from the beginning and with the ability to commit the time to the project is by far the biggest hurdle with any implementation - regardless of the chosen system. By the completion of "go live," chances are very good that the steps you took during the implementation will make your company more efficient and more aptly able to handle the increase in business that is anticipated.
Second is the fact that ERP companies are also still looking to make sales (read deals!) and are offering more tailored, industry-specific packages. The rapid consolidation of companies that we saw a couple of years ago has, for the most part, subsided. The result of the consolidation is that ERP system capabilities are more defined and it is easier to find ERP that more adeptly handles your company needs. While one company might have multiple packages to choose from, overall choices of ERP systems that truly match your company's manufacturing type have diminished. Thus, you have a field of less than 10 ERP systems, instead of 30 plus, from which to choose. While less options doesn't seem like an advantage, think of it as weeding out a significant number of systems that wouldn't have been close to a good fit anyway. The time saved in the beginning search process is significant.
Lastly, the information available, via a multitude of resources, is more abundant than ever before. From basic internet searches to social media sites (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) to non-biased ERP comparison sites - all avenues provide a vast amount of information for any ERP consumer. Never before has the power of the internet become such an ally for research and development. A quick search of ERP companies can yield a list of top award winners, top customer comments, valuable reviews, and priceless notifications of pending lawsuits. The information age has pushed the data available out of monthly print publications and into our daily lives. By utilizing the information available, consumers are better equipped to ask the right questions, compare the answers to known information, and gain knowledge via other users out there in the World Wide Web.
So when thinking about your company and how you will rebound, think about ERP as a foundation for everything you do and a springboard to make you stronger in the future. Your quality commitment, your goals for success, your ideas for strength as the economy rebounds - all of these can be achieved with a solid ERP system in place. If you don't have that solid foundation now, then perhaps you should be thinking about getting it in place now.
Posted by Shannon Holloway on Fri, Jun 04, 2010 @ 06:43 AM
I had an interesting conversation today with a few members of our technical support and training staff. The discussion was sparked by a comment from the trainer in the group. She was thinking back to all of the EnterpriseIQ Software classes she has taught that include our Capable to Promise module. She says that without fail when she teaches this module, jaws hang open and someone in the group asks how they get that module and how much does it cost. When they learn that it is already part of the core product that they own, and has been for years, they can't wait to get back and start using it. One of the support technicians chimed in that he had two calls just today from customers asking for features that already exist in the EnterpriseIQ software. The users just didn't know they were there.
On one side, these are great moments. Our staff loves the opportunity to help users learn what features and functionality they already have available to them and to teach them how the software will benefit them and make their job easier. However, on the flip side, this leaves me with the concern about those customers that aren't calling support or aren't coming to training. What features are going unused? What cumbersome workarounds have been devised by unknowing users when the perfect solution lies, unnoticed, right under their nose?
It reminds me of a time (many years ago) when I couldn't wait for the latest cell phone to come out. I don't remember the exact feature I was waiting for, but what I do remember is that about two months after I had purchased it, I learned that my previous cell phone would do the same thing. I used my phone the same way I always had. I was only familiar with the basic features I used each day. I never thought to look for anything more.
So whether you are using EnterpriseIQ by IQMS or a different ERP software package, it is important to find ways to constantly stay apprised of the latest features. Check with your software provider to determine what they offer to faciliate learning new functionality. IQMS offers many tools to help users stay up to date. Aside from our standard offering of training courses on multiple topics and standard documentation, users can also review release specific "What's Changed" documents, attend release specific virtual training sessions (VTC), or even participate in the on-line community for Software Change Requests where you can learn about and give feedback on changes before and as their happening.
What's Changed documentation is shipped with each update or can be viewed in advance on our website. Enhancement VTC sessions are performed by a live trainer with student interaction and are free of charge. Users merely contact the training department to sign up. Community Server requires registering as a user and from there you can choose to merely browse requests and review approved changes, submit your own change requests, or comment and vote on changes requested by others. So the moral of the story is to know what you have, use the tools available to you, and don't spend $300 to upgrade your cell phone unnecessarily.
Posted by John Asi on Tue, Jun 01, 2010 @ 03:23 PM
Okay, so that is not how the line from Hamlet went (in more ways than one), but what is happening with traditional EDI in the industry these days. For a standard that has been around for quite some time without much change, is it still relevant in the modern day world of the Internet, Web 2.0, XML, Web Services, etc.
I was curious to see what the X12 Organization had to say about the future of EDI.
Interesting bit of reading, if we were in 1990. We are in 2010. This is the future. The day and age of ultimate connectivity to data, instantaneous communication, endless content, and more than enough blogs to numb the mind is here whether we like it or not. Not sure if you have heard, but there is so much data out there on so many websites that the IPV4 address space may be depleted as soon as September of 2011. And I was worried about the ozone layer. Traditional EDI must be dead.
Don't you believe it. The reported demise of traditional EDI has been floating around for over a decade. It seems that every time a new standard or protocol or buzz word appears, EDI is on the verge of being put to rest. Then it never happens. A perfect example of this was when the concept of Web services started to materialize. The thought was that EDI would be obsoleted in favor of the new method of passing data. XML was the standard that was adopted for passing messages through the web and it was thought that this format would at some point replace the "archaic" EDI formats currently in use. That was the thinking in 2001.
Interesting thing is that the industry did not seem to buy into the Web Services concept as a replacement for EDI and businesses started looking for new ways to communicate EDI transactions with each other. Even though XML was the bright new child in the industry, not many companies were jumping on board. Big players such as Walmart, J.C. Penney, and Hallmark understood that XML existed as an option, yet they opted to continue using standard EDI transactions rather than take the plunge with the new technology right away. In addition, Walmart took the initiative to drive some change in the landscape by implementing the use of an Applicability Statement 2 (AS2) protocol for connecting directly between two trading partners and eliminating the value-added network (VAN). This would introduce savings for the businesses that would adopt this protocol and helped fuel the continued growth of EDI in the supply chain.
As much as it seems that EDI may not play well in new environments, part of its ability to survive is that fact that it is adaptable. Even though traditional EDI tools were not replaced by a new data interchange standard based on Web Services in the early 2000s, those same EDI tools were used as the framework to support new technology. As these technologies mature, some of the tools used for processing EDI may change, but the standard will still define the content.
To further prove how relevant traditional EDI is to the modern industry, there have been many companies from retail foods to high end automotive companies that continue to benefit from the use of EDI. Two examples of such are Natural Products Market Place and Mercedes-Benz US International. Both of these companies made the investment to use EDI to manage their supply chain and have found that they are in a better position to handle difficult economies and fully realize good market climates because of their choice.
IQMS, a leading ERP company, has put a significant amount of energy into building upon many technologies including Web Services and community driven portals to bring high levels of data visibility and collaboration to its user base. Traditional EDI continues to be a relevant component in the suite of tools that the company offers. Through the use of the eCommerce Module, IQMS has a large customer base that is realizing the benefit of an integrated EDI solution utilizing a combination of traditional, non-traditional, and XML based EDI. These customers are able to handle orders and shipment notices in a much more timely fashion than would be possible in a manual entry process. As IQMS moves further into 2010, the number of requests for new transactions and trading partners has picked up pace. More businesses in the supply chain are moving to leverage the power and efficiency of a standard that has been around for over 25 years.
Is EDI dead? Not by a long shot.