Agilisys involves users in new system release
Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 10/1/2002 12:00:00 AM
Malvern, Pa.-based Agilisys reports that its release of Agilisys enterprise resources planning (ERP) 4.0 solution for process manufacturers includes an enhanced integration architecture, embedded Java technology, and new functionality for actual lot costing, commodity pricing & agreements, and multicompany and inter-company transactions.
According to the vendor, it deployed, for the new release, a development methodology called Concept to Customer, which embraces collaboration with customers. Concept to Customer centers on requirements development, design reviews, customer testing of pre-release software, and an Early Upgrade Program.
The actual costing technology in the new release enables management and tracking of actual direct costs and allocations on a lot-by-lot basis. A key issue with actual costing prior to Agilisys ERP 4.0 was that manufacturers had to wait until the end of the fiscal period to accumulate and allocate costs. The new actual costing uses the actual transaction costs to value the initial transaction on a perpetual basis, deploying a Java-based costing engine to automatically update lot costs with post-transaction adjustments such as freight bills or voucher price variances. Cost adjustments are automatically rolled through to every finished lot in which the material was consumed.
"The ability to test the functionality using our actual data helped our team truly understand the new features of the release," says Dale Brittan, MIS director of Brewster Dairy, a Brewster, Ohio-based client in the Early Upgrade Program. "We are excited about the costing capabilities, and anticipate lowering overall costs through greater visibility into the actual cost of our materials. The design minimizes manual interaction with the system, while providing excellent visibility into actual lot-by-lot costs."
For more information: www.agilisys.biz
