IQMS Blog for Manufacturing ERP Expertise

In part three of the Automation Group development projects blog series (check out parts one and two here), IQMS has even more exciting projects in the works that I can't wait to tell you about. I promise not to do a part four anytime soon and start using better blog titles, but every good series must have three parts, right?

It has been said, the more things change, the more they stay the same. But let’s get real. Over the years, there have been some huge changes in technology that have dramatically affected the way we do business, and for the better.

NPE 2012 has come and gone. This every three year event is one of the largest trade shows for one manufacturing industry segment: plastics. If you were following a lot of the conversations surrounding this latest event, you are aware that the big question was: How would the new venue (Orlando) compare to NPE's previous home for the last few decades (Chicago)? Would people come? Would it be successful? Are trade shows still a viable forum for companies to present and attendees to gain knowledge?

During a road trip through the Mojave Desert a few weeks back, I embarked on an interesting conversation with my family. The discussion started when my husband and I were talking about old songs. I mentioned casually that I couldn't remember who sang "Jessie's Girl."

IQMS had a record year in 2011, both in revenue and in the number of new customer licenses. IQMS' organic growth demonstrates that the demand for manufacturing ERP systems that meet customer expectations is going strong and further shows the continued acceptance of IQMS as a system of choice in the mid-market ERP software space. The expansion of IQMS' customer base in metals related manufacturing was a highlight, with three of our four largest ERP system sales occurring in the stamping industry.

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. 

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. 

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.

I attended my third straight MAPP Benchmarking Conference last week, October 27 and 28. A two-day event filled with industry statistics and trends, operational best practices and market forecasts, I have to say it was the best event I have been to so far. The attendance was the best I have seen which is a credit to MAPP Executive Director, Troy Nix, and his boundless energy and enthusiasm for the organization and the executive team led by President Matt Hlavin of Thogus Products Company.

Recently, I was watching a movie from the 1970s and I couldn't help but notice that in all the office settings there were no computers. The height of technology was a single typewriter, on a secretary's desk, and a rotary dial phone on the boss' desk. Watching this, it struck me just how far we have come in terms of technology and gadgets. If people 40 years ago were told that every person would most likely have not only a computer, but one that could provide wireless access to unlimited information and weigh less than five pounds, what would they say? After they ask, "What's a computer?" they might ask, "But how does that help me?" This is exactly what I think some manufacturing companies ask today in regards to tablets: How does it help me?