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by Stephanie Neil - Managing Automation Editorial Staff

Infor adds MES to ERP Mix

Enterprise applications vendor Infor is taking a stake on the shop floor with the release earlier this week of three new software modules that plug into its XA ERP software, which runs on IBM iSeries servers.

Called Infor's ERP XA MES Suite, the new modules update existing quality management and data collection tools offered by Infor, while for the first time adding MES tools that focus on lean principles. The three modules include: Lean Execution and Planning; Manufacturing Data & Communication; and Quality Management. Each may be purchased separately, although Infor said the suite will be sold as an attractively priced package. The company did not disclose pricing details.

The Lean Execution and Planning module is designed to integrate traditional manual kanban processes with ERP. Kanban is a method of using visual tools -- such as a card, a container, or a tote -- to signal when it is time for replenishment. If that data is entered into the XA MES application, the ERP system is automatically updated as well, Infor said.

"The lean initiative [is about] doing things simply and making sure things flow smoothly on the shop floor ... but it's at the expensive of integration," said Phil Joseph, senior product manager of Infor XA, in an interview. "Lean concepts are great, but they don't help somebody doing forecasting or planning."

While the Lean Execution and Planning module will be sold separately, Infor does not plan to market it as a standalone product. The reason: The lean module is tightly integrated with Infor's XA ERP suite. For any customer using XA and looking to add MES, it's a natural upgrade, Joseph said.

This latest addition to the XA ERP package could help Infor in its efforts to attract new customers, especially given the report released earlier this week by AMR Research, which predicts that the ERP market will reach $29 billion in 2006 and grow at an average of 10% over the next five years. While SAP and Oracle command 65% of new license sales, there's room for the remaining players.

According to the AMR report, "The ERP market continues to benefit from a widespread acceptance of the idea that businesses must have integrated information systems to be competitive. Management and IT organizations are realizing that the most effective way to satisfy this need is to purchase an ERP package that features broad functionality and pre-built integration." The three new modules are designed to integrate with the XA product suite (formerly Mapics, which Infor acquired in April 2005) by using the same terminology and information flows to release orders to the shop floor and send MES production data back to ERP in real time.

The MES software was built by Infor partner Paper-Less, LLC, an MES application designer in Oconomowoc, WI. It has been in development for the past three years, according to Joseph.

XA was designed specifically for IBM's iSeries hardware. Infor executives could not say whether the Infor ERP application built on .NET -- called Syteline ERP --would eventually have a similar MES suite.

by Alex Woodie - IT Jungle

iSeries ERP giant Infor last week launched a new suite of Manufacturing Execution System (MES) products designed to help its ERP XA (formerly MAPICS) customers squeeze the highest level of production from limited resources by better connecting shop level control systems and reporting systems with existing ERP installations. The new MES solution also enables ERP XA customers to start using Kanban manufacturing techniques.

Infor's new offering, which the Atlanta company calls the ERP XA MES Suite, consists of three components, including a lean execution and planning system, a manufacturing data collection and communication system, and a quality management system. Customers can purchase some of the modules separately or get a break on the prices when they purchase all three of them as a bundle.

Two of the three components of the MES suite--the data collection and quality components--existed as separate products before. In fact, they ran on the iSeries, and are being rewritten in .NET, according to a company spokeswoman. The third component, the lean execution and planning system, is new and was designed from the ground-up to run on the Windows operating system.

Infor says that bringing these previously separate products together into a unified suite that runs on Windows will eliminate the need for customers to manually integrate them with Infor ERP XA (which runs exclusively on the iSeries) and then continuously manage the disparate systems. In other words, Infor is saying that standardizing on Windows simplifies integration for its iSeries customers.

In addition to the integration boost, Infor XA customers adopting the MES suite will also benefit from real-time production reporting, shorter manufacturing cycle times, faster inventory turnover, more on-time deliveries, a higher quality end product, and enhanced cash flow, the company says.

iSeries shops will benefit from the new lean execution and planning functionality system, which allows the co-existence and simultaneous scheduling of Kanban and traditional manufacturing techniques. Kanban is a visualization technique used to signal the readiness of the next stage of manufacturing in lean and just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing processes. For example, an empty cart or an empty tote would signal the supplier that replenishment is needed. Manufacturing forecasts are not used in Kanban systems; rather, the system is designed to be able to react quickly, and to "pull" supplies when they're needed.

The new Lean Execution and Planning component offering addresses a substantial need for an execution system that delivers timely and accurate production and quality information, says Mike Frichol, Infor's vice president of global industry and product marketing. "XA MES Suite provides the tools powerful enough to impact the flow of information from order entry to final delivery of the finished good," he says.

The new MES software was developed for Infor by Paper-Less, a software company based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Paper-Less has extensive experience developing data collection systems for the MAPICS ERP system, and had reportedly been developing the new Lean Execution and Planning (LEAP) system for three years.

Paper-Less develops ERP XA add-ons that run on both OS/400 and Windows. The company is a subsidiary of Information Systems Engineering, an IBM and Infor business partner that sells and implements ERP XA systems.

Infor launches integrated MES Suite for Lean

Increased control of Shop Floor Data

Atlanta-based Infor released a new suite of products, the ERP XA MES Suite, that gives manufacturers more shop floor control, seamless collaboration and increased traceability of the manufacturing process.

The system includes a lean execution and planning tool designed to support lean initiatives on the shop floor. The manufacturing data collection and communication portion of the suite provides real-time shop floor communications.

Providing compliance assistance, the quality management component "streamlines quality process procedures and data collection, decreasing the cost of compliance and improving overall product quality," according to a company statement.

Paper-Less, LLC and Infor recently signed a new Solution Partner Agreement contract regarding the MES Suite.

“ An MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is a dynamic information system that drives effective execution of manufacturing operations.”

Infor is endorsing the following Paper-Less products as the main components of their MES Suite:

- MDCC (Manufacturing Data Collection And Communications)
- LEAP (Lean Execution And Planning)
- QM (Quality Management)

Infor Launches Integrated Manufacturing Execution System for Lean Manufacturing

Infor ERP XA MES Suite Drives Effective Execution of Manufacturing Operations; Manages Shop Floor from Point of Order to Delivery of Finished Goods

Infor, one of the largest global providers of enterprise software, today announced the availability of Infor ERP XA MES Suite, an integrated software solution that provides manufacturers with greater shop floor control, seamless collaboration and increased traceability of the manufacturing process.

The new solution provides a critical link between upper level Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) and the shop floor control systems to control inbound and outbound supply chain logistics.

Designed for Infor ERP XA customers, the new solution consists of:

• Infor ERP XA Lean Execution and Planning (LEAP), a next generation of Manufacturing Execution System (MES) tools specifically designed to support Lean initiatives on the shop floor;
  
  
• Infor ERP XA Manufacturing Data Collection & Communication (MDCC), a real-time shop floor communications system providing timely and accurate feedback to and from the shop floor;
  
  
• Infor ERP XA Quality Management (QM), a software solution that streamlines quality process procedures and data collection, decreasing the cost of compliance and improving overall product quality.

Integrating the three solutions along with Infor XA removes the need for customers to manage numerous disparate systems. Infor XA customers using the new XA MES Suite will benefit from real-time production reporting, shorter manufacturing cycle times, faster inventory turnover, more on-time deliveries, a higher quality end product and enhanced cash flow.

“The MES Suite is a comprehensive set of tools that increases the efficiency and quality of shop floor communications and the manufacturing process,” said Mike Frichol, VP global industry and product marketing for Infor. “There is a substantial need in the market for a tightly integrated MES solution that provides timely and accurate production and quality information to enable sound business decision making. XA MES Suite provides the tools powerful enough to impact the flow of information from order entry to final delivery of the finished good.”

Infor XA MES Suite provides enterprise-wide access to real-time manufacturing information. Infor customers currently implementing Lean manufacturing practices with the additional requirements for labor tracking and quality reporting can now benefit from the functionality specifically designed for XA. This set of MES applications allows for the co-existence and simultaneous scheduling of Kanban and traditional manufacturing orders throughout the facility, and the continuous quality reporting and monitoring required for assuring that processes, not just product, adhere to the tightest of manufacturing specifications.

 

Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year selects Paper-Less & Infor software solutions to handle rapid growth...

Trailer-hitch producer Curt Manufacturing chooses Infor & Paper-Less to gain flexibility and scale


Infor, the largest global enterprise software provider exclusively focused on developing solutions for the manufacturing and distribution industries, along with Paper-Less, LLC, a subsidiary of Information Systems Engineering Inc. (ISE), strictly focused on Manufacturing Execution Software, today announced that Curt Manufacturing, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of towing-system products, has chosen Paper-Less & Infor to provide an enterprise resource planning solution integrating its two plants and seven North American distribution sites.

Curt has twice been named Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, deriving in part from its innovative product line, including color-matched hitches for the SUV and light-truck market. This rapidly growing company has chosen to ensure its future growth through investment in advanced software solutions.

As a result, the company elected to work with Infor solution partner, Paper-Less, LLC, to implement Infor’s XA enterprise resource planning solution as well Paper-Less solutions to standardize processes across all its locations, increase visibility of its processes to improve decision making, and provide a stable platform that can be scaled upward easily.

Curt will use the Paper-Less & Infor technologies to manage and integrate all aspects of its business. “Infor XA’s breadth and depth of function are very impressive,” said Curt Manufacturing Marketing Director Scott Morrison.

“ We are particularly enthusiastic about its scheduling and execution functions. Beyond the solution itself, however, we determined that ISE had the most manufacturing expertise of any of the providers we were considering, and its customer references were outstanding,” said Doug Morrisson.

The company anticipates that its new technology will be up and running in all nine sites within ten months. By improving visibility of inventory and shipments, Paper-Less and Infor software will reduce lead times. Those solutions promote lean manufacturing by providing real-time visibility of order status and reducing the need for safety stock. Its tracking systems also enable companies to improve dramatically both the predictability of materials shipments and on-time deliveries.