A lineup of suites

Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 7/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

The enterprise systems of today rose to prominence in part because they brought together planning and transactional functions under one common database and user interface. While enterprise systems remain an important type of suite, today, enterprise system vendors may offer a lineup of suites addressing functions that include customer management, supply chain management, product life-cycle management, portals, and analytics. The solutions are more loosely coupled than in the past, although suite vendors still tout the ability to reduce integration costs.

1 SAP

Major milestones reached

This year marks the 30th anniversary of SAP. But the Walldorf, Germany-based company may have passed an even bigger milestone last November, when it unveiled its MySAP Technology Architecture.

With that announcement, SAP management was acknowledging that the world had changed and technology suppliers that wished to survive—including SAP—must change with it.

This admission was surprising because SAP had seemed to be tied to a single view of the world since its inception. That view included companies using distributed applications, but all of those applications were expected to come from a single vendor—SAP.

The new MySAP technology completely changes that view, by providing an open framework for connecting applications from other vendors with SAP solutions.

"We realized that companies around the world have invested billions of dollars in heterogeneous technology environments," Wolfgang Kemna, president and CEO of SAP America, says of the shift in philosophy. "With mySAP technology, people and systems can collaborate across company boundaries, in spite of the heterogeneity at hand. In other words, SAP is helping companies to unlock the value they have in their current infrastructure."

The MySAP architecture is built around a Web application server and an integration layer that allows for encapsulating applications as Web services and making them available to users wherever they are located via the Internet. The architecture also includes an enterprise portal that companies use to aggregate applications for users into a single browser-based interface.

"The announcement of mySAP Technology was the most significant technology announcement from SAP since the introduction of three-tier client/server," Keema says. "At that time, new standards and platforms such as SQL, TCP/IP, UNIX, and Windows had just emerged. Delivering innovative applications with those technologies is what made SAP successful.

"Today, we are at a similar inflection point," he continues. "New applications must be based on open standards. And building valuable solutions on top of those new standards will again prove to be the winning combination."

2 Oracle Corp.

Back to business basics

Oracle Corp. is one of the few software vendors to emerge relatively unscathed after playing a major role in the now almost-forgotten era of large public trading exchanges. That's largely because, unlike many of the other major players from that era, the Redwood Shores, Calif.-based company had other lines of business—including a strong set of enterprise applications—to fall back on.

Over the past year, Oracle has devoted a great deal of effort to making those enterprise applications ready to support an e-Business model, although not one that necessarily includes public exchanges.

"Two years ago, B2B collaboration and exchanges were strong trends among supply chain customers," says Gary Roberts, Oracle's senior vice president of global information technology. "It was a great learning experience. But customers have realized that to compete successfully today, and during times of economic uncertainty, collaboration strategies must first enable intra-enterprise collaboration, and then extend business processes seamlessly to trading partners."

Roberts says Oracle's new E-Business Suite, which was completed this past year, lets companies take incremental steps toward supply chain collaboration. "Companies that retrench and try to wait out a downturn by freezing all technology spending will likely find that businesses that continued to invest in new technology during this period will have a competitive advantage when an upturn gets underway," he says.

Roberts advises cautious companies to look at the Oracle E-Business Suite. He says the suite has the depth and breadth of functionality to support complete supply chain processes, but its modular architecture allows companies to acquire the suite in affordable, bite-size chunks.

"Customers can invest in modules that meet their specific needs now. Later, when they're ready to expand, they'll be in a position to quickly 'switch on' other modules," Roberts says. "That will prevent them from having to go through big technology shifts when they should be focusing on quickly growing their business."

And what software vendor knows more than Oracle about surviving big technology shifts?

3 PeopleSoft

Web-based supplier management, and more

PeopleSoft first entered the manufacturing software market with an application that optimized production schedules. Now, the Pleasanton, Calif.-based company hopes to capture a large chunk of the emerging supplier relationship management (SRM) market with an application set that helps manufacturers get the most out of the dollars they spend on production components and other supplies.

"Creating an end-to-end SRM solution that addresses what we call the entire source-to-sell process was our biggest accomplishment this past year," says John Webb, vice president of product management for PeopleSoft supply chain products. "This solution helps companies identify the items they need to focus on and the suppliers they should select to create an optimum sourcing program."

The PeopleSoft SRM suite has functionality for creating requests for quotes (RFQs) for production material. It also offers features for grading RFQ responses. And PeopleSoft is working to link the solution to a set of data marts that would allow users to do continual analysis on any aspect of their sourcing process.

Webb says these capabilities currently are available for use in monitoring supplier performance after a purchase has been made, but PeopleSoft sees value in having them available earlier in the sourcing process. "We want to embed analytic capabilities into the system so they could be used while a buyer is making a transaction," he says. "They could be working on a quote and immediately bring up information on a specific supplier's history of reliability."

While SRM is its biggest achievement, Webb says PeopleSoft has other initiatives that customers will find valuable. One is the event management capabilities that let users of any PeopleSoft application set thresholds for alarms and sending out real-time notices when an operation moves outside acceptable parameters.

Webb says manufacturers also should be pleased with the higher level of service they can expect from a new sales organization that PeopleSoft has created to focus exclusively on the manufacturing and supply chain management markets.

8 J.D. Edwards

Conservative technology strategy

Watch any cop movie and you know that the first guy through the door almost always catches the bullet. J.D. Edwards, the Denver-based software vendor, prefers to be the second or third guy through the technology door. This conservative formula has served the company well for 25 years in the enterprise software business.

"We don't push the bleeding edge," says Lenley Hensarling, vice president of product management. "We take the long-haul view of technology. When the technology becomes right, we're here for our customers with what they need."

If that conjures up visions of software developers hugging green screens, you've got the wrong vision. The J.D. Edward 5 product family features solutions for customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain planning, supplier management, business intelligence, and Web-based collaboration, as well as an architecture that's evolving to embrace Web services.

"What we've done for 25 years is help our customers navigate the twists and turns in the base technology," Hensarling says. "Using this approach, we've successfully taken our customers from host-based systems to the Web—without resorting to a rip-and-replace strategy. We've also delivered an increasingly broad set of solutions."

This year, J.D. Edwards introduced an array of new functionality, including a stand-alone enterprise asset management solution. Then there was last month's announcement of APS 4.1, a supply chain planning solution with collaborative forecasting functionality.

J.D. Edwards also emphasizes its CRM offering, which it positions as spanning the "lead-to-cash" cycle. Last November, the company acquired CRM vendor YOUcentric to beef up its CRM solutions. "In the third quarter [of 2002], we will deliver a complete CRM solution with full visibility through the back end into inventory, contract services, and other data," Hensarling says.

Maybe J.D. Edwards isn't first through the technology door, but once through the door, the functionality just keeps coming.

10 Best Software

Profit-focused enterprise solutions

"Most software publishers have been struggling in this challenging economic climate," Best Software President Dave Butler says, "but we've just finished the most profitable year, with the highest revenue in our history. I think it's a reflection of our dedication to solutions that provide quantifiable business benefits to users."

That focus on business benefits has led Best Software to an acquisition—BatchMaster for process manufacturers—and development effort on all its products aimed at providing tools to help manufacturers better manage their businesses. Best is part of the larger Sage Group, a U.K.-based software giant with offerings that include enterprise system, accounting, human resources, and customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Best Software's Mid-Market division, based in Irvine, Calif., offers enterprise systems for manufacturers and distributors. The division has bolstered the manufacturing capabilities of its Best Enterprise Suite solution. Among the recent enhancements is a visual scheduling board that electronically simulates the magnetic white board found in many production scheduling offices. Another is an alert system that tracks key activities and measurements, and notifies the responsible individuals via e-mail or pager when something needs their attention.

"Processing an invoice for a $10,000 purchase might trigger an e-mail to the controller," Butler explains. "If the invoice is for $20,000, the vice president of finance might get the notice. If it's $50,000, the e-mail goes to the company president."

Butler says Best Software is using Microsoft .NET technology as a means of achieving "connected business events across companies." Six embedded Web services already are shipping.

Saleslogix, a CRM suite offered by Interact Commerce, a sister unit within Sage, is now integrated with Best Enterprise Suite. This integration, says Butler, "helps the sales side of the house optimize performance and increase company profits. We're interested in providing technology that can be used to improve profitability."

14 GEAC Computer Corp.

System 21 on comeback trail

Diversified Canadian software vendor Geac Computer Corp. acquired its flagship enterprise resources planning (ERP) offering—System 21—just before the enterprise application market tanked in 1999. Bloodied but unbowed, System 21 is on the comeback trail—and arguably fitter and leaner for the experience.

The collapsing ERP market coincided with the height of the dot-com boom, and Geac's immediate post-acquisition strategy was to develop an e-Business dimension to the product. But the true path began by talking to customers first, says Peter Quinn, System 21 general manager.

System 21 users wanted better application integration. They wanted e-Business. But they also wanted a more robust product. The answer? While delivering the integration and e-Business functionality, exploit the opportunity to rationalize the multiple code bases that had arisen in the rush to create industry-specific solutions. The result: reduced application costs and development lead times—and a more stable and robust ERP core. This, more than anything else, has characterized the last year, says Quinn.

Talking to customers revealed another surprise. Many were asking for "new" features already in the product. "We call it application erosion," says Quinn. "People move on, their successors don't attend product training—and application knowledge gradually diminishes." A rolling program of implementation reviews, by customer personnel and Geac executives, is helping plug the gaps.

Several extended applications are on-tap, including a supply chain planning solution, says Quinn.

Already, he reports, two customers have inked planning deals. Continued new deals, as well as retention of a sizeable installed base, will be the ultimate proof of a major System 21 comeback.

16 Intentia

Collaborative value chains

There's a lot of technology in Intentia's newly rewritten Movex 12 collaborative enterprise suite, but Linus Parker prefers to focus on the 1,000-plus functional enhancements in the suite's 63 applications.

"You can't pitch technology to a mid-market company," says Parker, president and CEO of Intentia Americas. "Often, we're talking to the owners of the company. They want to know what our solution [strategy] is to save money, serve customers better, and get to market faster.

"Customers in food and beverage and fashion grasp how to automate internal operations," Parker continues, "along with the classic ERP [enterprise resources planning] stuff. But where manufacturers achieve value today is making collaborative value chains transparent and efficient. It's about having an accurate forecast and flowing that back through the supply chain."

No doubt that's why Intentia spent a lot of development dollars bolstering planning functionality. "Movex Demand Planner allows you to manipulate the forecast to improve customer service and reduce costs," Parker says. "Movex Supply Chain Planner is a decision-support tool that allows you to financially optimize delivery schedules. We also have global capable-to-promise capabilities that let you see what you can deliver right through the supply chain."

At the same time, Intentia delivered new technology in several areas. "We introduced a new message clearinghouse called e-Collaborator," Parker says. "This allows Movex to talk to all the different systems in the value chain, using whatever protocol is required."

Intentia also introduced an ultra-thin client architecture, a supplier portal solution, and new sell-side e-commerce functions.

17 Microsoft Great Plains

It's a .NET world in Fargo

Now that the Microsoft flag flies over Great Plains headquarters in Fargo, N.D., a lot of things have changed. Probably the most dramatic change for this vendor, now known as Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions, is the assortment of the new technologies in the development playpen.

"We're known as the poster child for adopting new Microsoft technologies," says Darren Laybourn, vice president, .NET business framework. "We've always had a strong commitment to Microsoft, but now we get visibility earlier on, and help weigh out those things that can really attack customer pain points."

The path to .NET has been ongoing. "Four years ago, we looked at what would be the foundation for the next generation of solutions," Laybourn says. "That's when we first began working with .NET technologies. Today, we've got 240 people building out the .NET business framework.

"For vertical market partners, we will deliver the platform and the basic components that every business needs," Laybourn continues. "After all, how many human resources systems or general ledgers does the world need?"

One of the unit's key deliverables is tentatively called BusinessDesk, a Web-based portal slated for early 2003 release. "Users can enter transactions from BusinessDesk into e-commerce, payroll, human resources, or any other application—from whatever point of entry makes sense," Laybourn says.

Of course, the unit also offers enterprise, distribution, and accounting functionality.

But the biggest news of late was the May 7 announcement that Microsoft intends to acquire Danish enterprise system vendor Navision. While that deal isn't expected to close until August, it would immediately boost Microsoft's position in Europe, and would bring Navision's Axapta enterprise suite, which offers extensive functionality for manufacturing and supply chain management, into the Microsoft fold.

20 IFS

Technology for today—and tomorrow

IFS was ahead of the pack when it built its component-based enterprise applications suite in the mid-1990s. And the Chicago-based software supplier believes that architecture continues to serve its customers well, even though both the times and technologies have changed drastically.

In fact, Cecilia Casillas, IFS' technology manager for the manufacturing industry, calls the IFS Applications suite "future proof."

"No matter how rapidly a company grows, it will find it fast, easy, and cost-effective to add new applications and capabilities to the IFS Applications suite," Casillas declares. "Costly upgrades simply are not necessary."

Adding new applications or functionality is one thing, but adopting a whole new business model—which is essentially what companies do when they launch e-Business initiatives—is another. But Casillas says the IFS Applications suite handles that transition smoothly as well.

"One of the key recent developments within our company has been the incorporation of technologies such as Microsoft's .NET framework, Web services capabilities, and Java-based integration into our flexible, component-based applications," Casillas says. "This had added significantly to the value that our customers are receiving from their technology investments."

That value, according to Casillas, includes an improved ability to collaborate with customers and suppliers—activities that quickly are becoming essential to the success of any manufacturing or distribution enterprise.

Casillas says IFS' ongoing initiatives include using the .NET, Java, and Web services capabilities to make it even easier to devise and execute new business processes with its component-based applications. "We view advanced Web services and distributed applications as the future of business software," she says. "Therefore, we are focused on applying the best of these new technologies to our business solutions, with an emphasis on making those solutions flexible and as easy to use as possible."

The end result, Casillas says is, "IFS Applications users will be able to look forward to more than just improvements in system functionality. They also can expect to see such things as new business opportunities, improved customer and partner relationships, and improved time-to-market for their products."

23 QAD

Getting lean; staying vertical

Lean, vertically focused, and connected. Those are hallmarks of applications from QAD, a Carpinteria, Calif.-based provider of collaborative enterprise suite software.

"QAD is introducing lean manufacturing capabilities across our three product lines," says Jim Kirkley, chief technology officer. "We're continuing to enhance our vertical market functionality in six key industries. We're expanding our collaborative business-to-business capabilities outside the four walls. And, we're migrating all of our products to a Java-based platform."

At the company's May user conference, QAD rolled out its vision for lean manufacturing solutions. In support of that vision, the company announced capabilities including electronic Kanban, automated replenishment, and customer self-service ordering.

"All this tightens the supply chain and provides customers with more responsiveness," Kirkley says. "It allows orders to ripple through internal systems and out to the supplier—almost in real time. From the supplier perspective, it provides much-improved visibility into demand, and enhanced capabilities to respond to unplanned changes."

QAD's vertical market focus is well-established, with a long history of providing robust functionality in automotive, food and beverage, consumer, electronics, industrial, and medical products markets.

The company's Development Group concept ensures that users' industry requirements are addressed upfront. "They get direct access to our development team, industry-specific functionality, and first access to the new products," Kirkley says.

Every vertical needs to interoperate in a heterogeneous environment. "Roll the clock forward and I see all our products running on a Java 2 Enterprise Edition engine and communicating with Simple Object Access Protocol in the plumbing," Kirkley says. "Then you'll see Microsoft applications seamlessly communicating with applications from the UNIX and Java worlds."

24 Navision

Two-tiered product strategy

Giving customers choices is the name of the game at Navision, the Danish provider of enterprise business solutions. "Navision offers two strong products targeted at medium-size manufacturers: Navision Attain and Navision Axapta," explains Bill Sanders, vice president of product operations. "Attain [formerly Navision Financials] is for companies that need simpler solutions that are quick to deploy. Axapta offers more performance, manages more complex operations, and scales much higher. As manufacturers grow, and their needs become more complex, they can easily migrate."

This two-tiered product family resulted from the merger of Navision and Damgaard nearly two years ago. But the company firmly believes that the two products serve markets with widely diverse requirements.

Recent enhancements to Navision Axapta included a new enterprise portal for employee and partner system access—a commerce gateway for eXtensible markup language-based communications. "Across our product lines, you will see us continue to develop Internet-based collaborative solutions, build or partner to deliver more comprehensive functionality, and deliver more mobile solutions," Sanders says. "Users today don't want to be tied to a workstation. They expect to be able to do their jobs from wherever it makes sense."

Navision recently acquired a 35-percent stake in Celenia Software, a Danish company that provides the customer relationship management (CRM) system now integrated with Navision Attain. "This puts us in a better position to enhance existing CRM functionality for both Attain and Axapta," Sanders says.

But the big acquisition news is Microsoft's pending $1.3-billion buy of Navision. The deal, which is expected to close in August 2002, would make Navision part of the Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions division, and instantly boost Microsoft's enterprise suite choices for the small- and mid-size markets.

28 Epicor

Offers its own key extensions

"Buyers of enterprise software are smarter now," says Paul Farrell, senior director of product marketing for Epicor Software Corp. "They have been through a prior generation of enterprise systems, and now they are more aware of what they want and what to expect. They also are becoming more aware of supply chain management and customer relationship management [CRM] solutions and their value. They want quicker implementation and payback from their enterprise systems, and they demand performance from their software suppliers."

That's why this Irvine, Calif.-based vendor of collaborative enterprise suites has focused its energies on added functionality and a broader reach for its flagship Vantage "eManufacturing" extended enterprise resources planning (ERP) system. There's a newly released business intelligence module, and new CRM, e-procurement, and e-commerce storefront applications.

Says Farrell, "In the past, we integrated with partner products for best-of-breed solutions in these three areas. Now we have expanded the boundaries of ERP by building fully integrated applications that are based on the same technology and toolsets, all from one vendor."

Epicor is using the Progress toolset for Web enablement, building on the client/server framework. It believes its mid-size customers should be free to choose platform, database, and operating system. "With all the difficulties mid-size companies are facing, their information systems should be easy to use, broad and robust," says Farrell. "And they should be able to connect to anyone, without knowing what system they have."

32 Cincom

Same market, new architecture

Cincinnati-based enterprise resources planning (ERP) system vendor Cincom Systems serves complex product manufacturers with a suite of applications that covers a full range of processes, from engineering and planning to distribution and after-sale support. And while this basic approach remains steady, much of the technology behind Cincom's offerings has been updated.

Starting in 2001, Cincom began the rollout of a new architecture. For one, the entire system was rebuilt for the Web—with all applications incorporating an Internet Explorer interface, Active Server Pages, and other Microsoft technologies, including BizTalk for application integration and business process management. Second, the company changed the way its applications are packaged and deployed.

"We wanted to help our customers avoid the 'big bang' challenge of having to install or upgrade the entire system at one time," says Dan Nichols, Cincom's director of product planning. The basic suite, Enterprise Management, contains all of the main functions in an ERP system. Additional optional modules address Demand Management, Program Management [for project-oriented manufacturers], Quality Management, Financial Management, Aftermarket Management [service and warranty], and Collaboration Management."

Cincom believes that event-driven communications is a crucial capability for manufacturers, whether they are seeking to speed up processes internally or externally. Addressing this need is Cincom's Environ event-enabled control software, a publish-and-subscribe system that can send notices triggered by activities and events. Environ's notices can be transformed into standard formats, including electronic data interchange, and transaction formats from the Open Applications Group.

"It used to be that it would take days to receive an item, run it through quality control, move it into inventory, and have MRP [material requirements planning] schedule the production," Nichols says. "Now that all has to happen immediately and simultaneously."

35 MAPICS

Practical innovation for mid-market

The concept of practical innovation might bore the sandals off any self-respecting technology evangelist, but MAPICS thinks customers love it. "Our goal is to deliver all the proven solutions that a mid-size manufacturer needs to be highly competitive in the new, collaborative world," explains Dick Cook, president and CEO for the Atlanta-based enterprise solutions provider.

Cook says you'll never find MAPICS treating its mid-market customers as "lab experiments" for less than bulletproof applications. "We go out and explore new technologies, play with them in a development sandbox, and, when we believe they can provide real business value, we deliver fully developed products," he says.

This conservative approach isn't clever camouflage for Reagan-era technology. Once you get past the plain-English product names like MAPICS ERP and MAPICS SCM, you'll find applications that hit the latest hot buttons. Java architecture? Got it in Release 7.0 of MAPICS ERP for iSeries. Business intelligence? Got it in MAPICS Analytics. Portal? Got it. Wireless support? Got it.

"We've been supporting wireless since 1998 when one customer started using a Palm Pilot on the shop floor," Cook says. "Since then, we've been improving our capabilities, and today we deliver an incredible amount of wireless functionality on a wide range of devices. At this stage, wireless is poised to start making a real impact—particularly in the areas of sales and field service where you have a highly mobile workforce."

Another emerging technology is radio-frequency identification, or RFID. "There's a lot of talk about how RFID can eventually provide manufacturers with a better way to track commodities and components," Cook says. "There are still question marks about this technology; but when it converges into a practical solution, we'll be right there with the technology locked and loaded."

For now, the MAPICS development team is readying the next generation of practical innovations.

36 SSA Global Technologies

Acquisition validates comeback story

Enterprise suite supplier SSA Global Technologies may have traveled a bumpy road in recent years, says Martin Ambrose, vice president of solutions management, "but we're profitable again, and all revenue-generating arms of the company feed research and development [R&D] to ensure product and financial viability."

Actually, Ambrose says, three key factors now drive the Chicago-based company: a return to profitability, heavy investment in R&D, and user input. "Since SSA GT is quite entrenched with a large install base in several vertical industries—such as automotive, consumer electronics, and consumer packaged goods—we created guide groups of customers from each vertical to help drive innovation," Ambrose says. "The technology landscape is changing too rapidly, and there's now too much at risk for solution suppliers and customers to not discuss evolving technology and how it can be leveraged to meet manufacturers' goals."

Ambrose says customer input shaped two recent releases of the company's BPCS enterprise suite, including version 8.1, introduced in May, which "further extends the manufacturing enterprise for collaborative commerce, customer relationship management, business intelligence, and business process management."

The most telling indicator of SSA GT's comeback may be the acquisition of Computer Associates' interBiz's products, which adds a number of solutions to the fold, including enterprise warehouse management, and supply chain software.

"The acquisition broadens our mass, allows quick penetration into other markets, brings in more R&D money, and offers customers extensions to their enterprise footprint by implementing the new interBiz solutions," Ambrose says. "Our future looks bright: we'll continue to win business from existing and new customers, develop more products to extend manufacturers' enterprise footprint, grow significantly, and continue profitability."

38 Frontstep

Keeping it simple with .NET

Blazing new technology trails isn't where Frontstep is headed. "Our customers are all from Missouri," says Stephen Sasser, CEO for the Columbus, Ohio-based extended enterprise suite provider. "They don't get that excited about pure technology. What they want to see is innovative technology that delivers pragmatic solutions to help them advance their businesses.

"Our approach to technology is to keep it simple," he continues. "Most customers incorporate Microsoft solutions into their businesses, and that's our direction as well. We're focused on Microsoft technology and supporting the .NET initiative. We believe that getting information delivered over the Web is a pragmatic way to help customers collaborate more efficiently."

The company delivered on this promise in several recent announcements. In March, Frontstep announced Capacity Promiser, a constraint-based planning tool that provides realistic promise dates and incorporates Web services technology to simplify integration and information exchanges with other systems.

Also in March, the company announced Frontstep CRM, a manufacturing-focused customer relationship management solution. "This is a combination of traditional CRM, product catalog, configuration, quotation, inventory availability, order management, and support—all done over the Web—and fully integrated with our Syteline ERP [enterprise resources planning] product," Sasser says.

The CRM package addresses focused, "urgent" customer needs, says Sasser. "We're helping companies automate parts of their businesses they've never addressed before," he says. "There's a huge benefit to finding prospects, managing customers better, and then integrating the entire order process back into the production system."

Going forward, Frontstep will continue its pragmatic approach. "We offer wireless capabilities, we're going to keep on-track with the .NET initiative, but otherwise you won't see us chasing a lot of new technologies," Sasser says. "Our goal is to continue to improve what's here today."

40 BRAIN North America

Automotive supply chain communication focus

Automotive supply chain management (SCM) is hot. Automotive enterprise resources planning (ERP) is not. That's the word from BRAIN North America, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based ERP and supply chain management software vendor that targets the automotive sector.

"ERP still is the foundation," says Dave Van Noord, vice president of technology. "Even though it's not generating a lot of excitement right now, you have to have it in place. But what's driving the market today is the need to collaborate with your supply chain partners."

Van Noord says penetration of electronic data interchange (EDI) among Tier 1 automotive suppliers is about 100 percent. At Tier 2, EDI is used by roughly half. Van Noord adds that BRAIN's SupplyWEB software targets the rest of the vertical as, "a solution that lets manufacturers achieve 100-percent electronic communications with suppliers—even those without EDI."

With SupplyWEB version 6.0, BRAIN expanded the Internet-based product's appeal by adding a European flair. Essentially, the company merged European and U.S. functionality to better support manufacturers with plants on both sides of the Atlantic.

The company also took great pains to ensure its entire product family goes in fast and starts generating return-on-investment (ROI). "You don't succeed in automotive if you don't implement quickly and provide an ROI within the same financial year," Van Noord says. "This is a conservative market. Automotive companies generally are not early adopters of technology for the sake of technology. They want to see the business value that it brings."

Part of the business value of Web-based solutions stems from their ability to deploy rapidly. But BRAIN also contends its Web-based supplier communications offering adds value by tying together data and processes from multiple ERP systems.

"Why invest in the huge expense of moving from 10 or 20 different ERP systems to one system?" Van Noord asks. "Is it worth the money to get there? In the meantime, why not invest in a product that's ERP-independent and helps you deal with disparate systems across the supply chain?"

Why indeed? That's a persuasive pitch for many manufacturers and one of the reasons that Web-based supply chain solutions are hot and ERP solutions are—well, a foundation.

43 Kewill ERP

Ease-of-use for Tier 3

Kewill caters to the needs of the smaller manufacturer—what many call Tier 3 companies—and thus focuses on ease of implementation and ease of use with its enterprise resources planning (ERP) software and extended solutions. "We view technology as the means to help improve our customers' productivity, but the technology is transparent to the user," says Moshe Nadler, Kewill's chief technology officer.

Moshe says Kewill is incorporating .NET and eXtensible markup language (XML) technology, "where it makes sense for customers, but it will be out-of-sight. We've been using XML for two years now, but small manufacturers just want to know that it does the job for them."

Al Peterson, president of Kewill's ERP division, says small manufacturers may have no information technology department, "so the focus is on productivity and ease-of-use. In line with that goal, we were early adopters of Web technology. We use it to deliver training, implementation assistance, product, services—things like assessment reviews and teaching lean manufacturing concepts."

Recent efforts have brought a new data collection capability that is independent of the specifics of the hardware and technology.

Another enhancement makes the JobBOSS solution for engineer-to-order manufacturers easy to translate into other languages. "Our translation to Spanish took 15 hours of work," Peterson says. "This is the kind of 'hidden' technology that makes a difference."

But perhaps the biggest piece of news impacting Kewill ERP's future was the announcement in late May that Exact Software, a Dutch enterprise suite vendor (and number 26 on Top 100), intends to acquire Kewill's ERP operations and software, pending June 2002 approval by Kewill shareholders. With Exact's complementary focus on Tier 3 manufacturers, the combined entity will be a force to be reckoned with as the Tier 3 market continues to consolidate.

48 Infinium Software

Back-to-basics includes process ERP

In a now familiar refrain from vendors that butted heads with last year's tough enterprise software market, Infinium Software is back-to-basics. For the Hyannis, Mass.-based company, that meant an end to its aggressive pursuit of the application service provider (ASP) model, and complete focus on traditional markets, including enterprise resources planning (ERP) software for process manufacturers.

Last fall, Infinium shut down Infinium ASP, its hosted solutions unit. Cory Eaves, vice president of product management, acknowledges the concept was "simply ahead of the market," but notes that those ASP customers that did sign on have remained Infinium customers, though some moved to traditional implementations.

All along, says Eaves, Infinium continued to enhance its Infinium Process ERP suite, which runs on IBM's iSeries platform. Version 9.0, available this fall, will add formula by location functionality. Another enhancement is Infinium Corporate Performance Manager, an analytics and reporting solution.

Infinium offers its own extended applications in areas such as customer relationship management, financials, human resources, payroll, and analytics, under a common integration strategy. "Best-of-breed vendors would be forced to create these integrations on a one-off basis," Eaves says. "By providing a complete solution, we achieve extremely low cost of ownership."

49 Lilly Software Associates

Adds vertical solutions, .NET enhancements

Privately held Lilly Software Associates (LSA) is expanding its product footprint and, at the same time, taking advantage of Microsoft technologies to deliver new functionality to existing users and prospects. Underpinning this evolution is Microsoft's .NET initiative, which David Layne, LSA's senior vice president for development, says offers "the first complete development environment for Windows."

Part of the power of .NET, says Layne, is that it unifies development. "Previously, there were lots of disjointed environments—C++, Visual Basic, Visual InterDev—you couldn't go to one place to develop a complete product," he says.

LSA has applied a new tool called C# and the .NET Integrated Development Environment to build a new, more capable financial application set, and is continuing to build new and replacement products using .NET tools. "We can develop Web applications, Windows applications—anything—all without leaving the environment," says Layne.

LSA is fine-tuning its flagship VISUAL Enterprise supply chain suite to better serve specific vertical markets. This year, the company introduced two new variants: VISUAL Enterprise Aerospace & Defense (A&D), and VISUAL Enterprise for Automotive. More vertical solutions will be rolled out soon. "These are not just press release product announcements," according to Scott Rich, a LSA vice president. "There's real industry-specific functionality in these products, like Work Breakdown Structure, contract accounting, and program management in the A&D product."

With .NET development, creating vertical industry products, and a healthy schedule of product enhancements to the core VISUAL Enterprise suite, the LSA development labs are busy places. "We invest a greater percentage of revenue in product development than most of our competitors," adds Rich. "That's one advantage of being privately owned. We're not driven by short-term market expectations, and we can ride through the ups and downs much more evenly."

50 Scala Business Solutions

Declares "genuine" Web collaboration

From a technology perspective, the recent past, the present, and at least the near future of Scala Business Solutions have converged. This May, the Amsterdam-based software company launched a wholly new enterprise resources planning (ERP) suite with collaborative extensions, called iScala 2.1.

The solution automates processes between companies within a standard package, Scala declares, not simply collaborating through system integration and Internet connections. "This is collaborative ERP, which means genuine collaboration," says Scala Senior Vice President David Topping. "The release differentiates us from software vendors simply bolting on what they call collaborative functionality to their old products—which is nothing more than basic e-Business with a new name."

Scala began redesigning its suite two and half years ago. The overriding end-user concern it wanted to address, says Topping, is that "you've got to be able to automate the processes, not just connect the systems."

Topping acknowledges the company launched the new suite under difficult market conditions, but felt it important to introduce its next-generation product. Scala, early this year, also budgeted an additional $2.7-million investment in research & development over the next 18 months.

On the classic debate about suites versus best-of-breed, Topping says Scala sees itself as offering the core collaborative business system, possibly integrating in certain areas, such as customer relationship management. His rationale: "Every company, no matter how big, has limitations. Some vendors with specialized knowledge might get to market with something clever, a bit quicker. The trick is ensuring that your product is easily connected to, and becomes at least part of the center where the enterprise stores its data."

57 Agilisys

Former SCT unit targets CPFR

Supply chain and enterprise suite supplier Agilisys (formerly SCT's process manufacturing software division), newly independent from its corporate parent, continues its focus on the process industries, but with additional offerings of a collaborative bent. Bill Tonetti, general manager of solution strategy, says the company is expanding its enterprise resources planning (ERP) and supply chain planning and scheduling strengths into a "leadership position" in collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) solutions.

"Successful, scalable CPFR requires an outstanding collaborative framework, strong demand planning and SCM [supply chain management] capabilities, and deep functionality in analytics, supply chain visibility, event management, and exception management. Agilisys' CPFR approach, leveraging our new Relationship Network Management [RNM] innovation, provides a personalized portal environment, manages unstructured commerce network information, and extends visibility beyond the simplified two-tier focus of earlier CPFR solutions."

The company espouses the concept of commerce networks and RNM to go beyond traditional customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Agilisys leaders contend that while CRM follows a one-to-many business model, RNM is a many-to-many model. The traditional one-to-many approach leaves out key supply chain participants such as brokers, distributors, co-packers, resellers, and re-packagers, says Malcolm Marais, vice president of solution strategy.

"Through the use of portals and supply chain event management, as well as our innovative business relationship network modeling, we can include all relevant participants, configuring each portal according to the role that individual or partner is playing," Marais says.

Agilisys has been pleasantly surprised by the demand for RNM and the new collaborative supply chain offerings. As with its other SCM offerings, these solutions have garnered interest among Fortune 500 companies that are using enterprise systems from the likes of SAP. Agilisys already provides an adapter for SAP, and a number of others are in the works. Agilisys believes these new offerings should help expand its market share in the mid-market, as well as with larger companies and the SAP installed base.

58 SoftBrands

Embarks on post-AremisSoft era

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, SoftBrands is emerging from the wreckage of the AremisSoft embarrassment of 2001 with new management, new products, and a new, aggressive attitude.

Amid a Securities & Exchange Commission investigation of AremisSoft, shareholder lawsuits, and allegations of fraud pertaining to revenue reporting, the SoftBrands entity was carved out of the old corporation last fall. According to SoftBrands, this action divorces it from AremisSoft's Chapter 11 filing, and allows it to carry on operations unencumbered by past difficulties.

SoftBrands is looking to advance its Fourth Shift enterprise resources planning (ERP) suite, evolution—its other enterprise suite offering—as well as its new DemandStream solution, which addresses manufacturing execution. "DemandStream is the big news right now," says SoftBrands President Randy Tofteland. "It's an execution system that operates within ERP—any ERP system including, but not limited to Fourth Shift and evolution."

"DemandStream is focused on companies making the transition to lean operations," Tofteland continues. "It bridges the chasm between companies that are heavy planners, and those that must respond to constantly changing demand."

Significant technology upgrades have been released for evolution, including full Web-enablement. A recent release of the Fourth Shift suite offers additional supply chain management software extensions, and complete Web-browser enablement.

Tofteland proudly points out that offshore development is a significant part of the company's strategy. "Development for evolution is done in India, and Fourth Shift work is accomplished in China," he says. "We are one of a few software developers that fully incorporate offshore development into our strategy. It's not just an occasional or casual thing for us."

Just how aggressive is SoftBrands these days? Even with last year's troubles, SoftBrands management is actively looking for acquisitions to broaden the company's reach and supplement existing offerings.

59 Syspro Group

Function-rich, componentized solution

Maybe mid-market manufacturers looking for an enterprise system don't really need every box checked on the requests-for-proposal they're sending out, but Syspro Group isn't taking any chances. Over the last year, Syspro introduced a component-based architecture, an enhanced customer relationship management solution, an enhanced version of its flagship IMPACT Encore Version 5.1 enterprise suite, a shipping module, and numerous e-Business extensions.

"We've always taken pride in delivering solutions for small- to mid-size manufacturers with single-site or multi-site operations," says Brian Stein, president, Syspro Group, Americas, Cost Mesa, Calif. "Today we offer a breadth of products with best-of-breed functionality that's equal to the big boys, but at a much lower cost. However, the real differentiator is that we offer a solid, close-fitting system, and can implement it very quickly."

All the new offerings build on this foundation. "We're developing for an open environment," Stein says. "Our vision is to make it easy for disparate applications to integrate with the IMPACT Encore database."

The first phase of delivering on that vision was the introduction of the IMPACT Encore e.net solutions architecture. The second phase is a new document-flow manager that takes eXtensible markup language documents and transforms them so they can be understood by IMPACT Encore.

"We also are introducing a whole grouping of functionality that relates to the customer accessing applications via the Web," Stein says. "These allow customers to create sales orders, look at inventory movement and history, and more." The new architecture also makes it easier to connect via wireless devices, browsers, or cell phones.

61 Ramco Systems

ERP II, plus MRO focus

Executives with enterprise suites supplier Ramco Systems like analyst company Gartner' concept for next-generation enterprise suites—dubbed ERP II—a take-off on the enterprise resources planning (ERP) system suites that took hold in the 1990s. What's more, contends Shekhar Joglekar, director of implementations for Ramco's North American operations, based in Lawrenceville, N.J., Ramco has the type collaborative commerce need to support the ERP II concept.

To get there, says Joglekar, Ramco rearchitected its ERP solution to be Web-based from the ground up. "We have spent the last two and a half years rebuilding our enterprise product suite according to these guidelines," Joglekar says.

The new product, Ramco iEnterprise Series 4, will be rolled out toward the end of this year. "Series 4 has a zero footprint on the client—completely browser-based—and it is platform-independent," says Joglekar, adding that the suite incorporates eXtensible markup language, Microsoft .NET, and Java 2 Enterprise Edition technologies.

"Ramco has moved from being a lesser-known player in the ERP market to a prominent position, especially with process manufacturers, and is on-track to being a leader in aviation, maintenance, and repair via our partnership with Boeing," adds Anil Kumar, North American sales director. "Ramco has been working with Boeing to develop a solution for aviation repair depots that will be co-branded and sold jointly by both partners under the name "Enterprise One."

Set up in 1989 as a division of India-based Ramco Industries, Ramco Systems was spun off as an independent company in April 1999. Ramco Systems is one of the very few enterprise software vendors in India to have successfully developed, marketed, and implemented branded software packages globally.

62 Adonix

Establishes American beachhead

Less than hoped, but ahead of the market—that's how Adonix fared last year in one of the most difficult markets faced by enterprise system providers.

"We believe last year was pretty satisfactory overall," says Alex Attal, CEO for the Pittsburgh-based enterprise suite vendor. "Corporate revenues grew approximately 4 to 5 percent. And in the U.S. market, sales of our Adonix X3 enterprise system grew by 100 percent."

When X3 launched in the U.S. in late 1999, the Adonix sales team didn't find a lot of takers for the new client/server product with Europe-only reference sites. Now that picture has changed.

"We currently have more than 450 customers for X3, and there are more projects starting all the time," Attal says. "Based on that good reception, we are stepping up our U.S. investment and entering phase two of our North American expansion plan." During this phase, Adonix is pursuing a two-prong approach.

The company fortified X3 with the announcement of a Web-native version and a new customer relationship management module. "The Webification of the CS product gives our customers choices," Attal says. "They can deploy on-site, or leverage the Web to decrease their cost of computing."

The CRM solution is said to provide full integration with the back office, meets requirements of mid-size manufacturers, and reportedly implements quickly.

Adonix also added to its executive ranks. Attal joined last December. In April 2002, the company hired Lucia Ahnemann as vice president of marketing and channels. Their job is to build on the U.S. beachhead.

63 Ross Systems

Vertical approach within process

Ross Systems has long specialized in a niche among enterprise system vendors: process industries. Now the Atlanta-based vendor is becoming even more focused, says Rick Marquardt, an executive vice president.

"We are now 100-percent proactively focused on specific process industries: food and beverage, life sciences, chemicals, metals, and natural products," says Marquardt. "As such, our value proposition is clear: rapid time-to-benefit, and a complete functional fit to the requirements of our customers."

Ross's financial performance indicates the focus is paying off. As of May, Ross had racked up five consecutive quarters of profitability, including year-over-year increases in software license revenue. For the quarter ended March 31, software license revenue increased 39 percent from the prior quarter.

According to Marquardt, part of the success stems from sales of add-on applications for Ross's eRenaissance suite, which make use of eXtensible markup language (XML). An XML-based middleware layer facilitates trading partner connectivity, Marquardt says, and ties into Ross's iRenaissance Customer Portal offering.

"The portal extends iRenaissance back-office applications to the Internet, supporting a variety of ways to do business," he says. "Our customers use Customer Portal to publish product catalogs, and facilitate on-line order entry, order inquiry, and billing status functions."

Later in 2002, look for a Ross solution incorporating Microsoft's Biztalk integration server product, as well as further use of Microsoft's .NET Web services framework and products. But Ross's continued success, as Marquardt puts it, comes back to "our increased focus on target markets, and proven ability to deliver rapid return through deep functional fit."

69 ProfitKey

Execution focus adds new appeal

Salem, N.H.-based ProfitKey is no longer just an enterprise resources planning suite supplier to small- to medium-size make-to-order manufacturers. With the success of its manufacturing execution system (MES) product, the company has moved up to being a full-service supplier to smaller companies, and has attracted the attention of the Fortune 100 with its MES solution. "The MES system is what gets us in the door with the larger companies," says Joseph Vinhais, vice president of alliances and operations, "but they also buy other components of our systems. Our ERP solution is very modular, so they can easily pick and choose just those functions that they need."

ProfitKey has also changed from a direct sales model to indirect selling through affiliates. "The sales cycle is longer with these bigger customers and larger, multisite deals," Vinhais says. "We're starting to see the results of this transition now."

On the technology front, ProfitKey has focused on wireless devices and how they can be used on the plant floor. Any notable condition in the plant—an equipment status change, a material shortage, a change in schedule—can trigger an alert sent to a Palm- or Windows CE-based device. More important, the wireless user can dig into detailed information to see the work queue and priorities, reassign work, check production status, and more. There's also "escalation" built into the alerts so a peer or a supervisor can be notified if there is no alert reply in a given interval.

The company also is using Microsoft's .NET integration and information technology with the release of new e-commerce functions that can be used in conjunction with other ERP systems. The vendor portal has proven to be particularly attractive to electronics manufacturers that tend to deal with extensive procurement activities. "We're becoming Microsoft-centric," says Dave Lantz, director of marketing and business development, "by implementing .NET strategies first where it gives us the greatest advantage—our competitive differentiators—and then in the balance of our products."

70 Made2Manage Systems

Low-cost, high-value applications

As an enterprise software supplier that focuses almost exclusively on medium-size manufacturers, Indianapolis-based Made2Manage Systems is committed to building its applications on Microsoft technology.

That strategy has allowed Made2Manage to create a suite of applications with the inherent ease of use and low cost of ownership that customers in its target market demand. And it has not had to scrimp on functionality in the process.

The Made2Manage Enterprise Business System contains all of the functionality that a company would expect from a top-tier enterprise software provider. It includes full enterprise resources planning (ERP) capabilities, along with extended enterprise applications such as supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), and business intelligence. Recently, Made2Manage added an enterprise portal and a new integration layer to its suite.

Gary Rush, chief technical officer, says those latest additions were part of a strategy to move all Made2Manage applications to Microsoft's new .NET technology framework. Made2Manage is excited about the potential of .NET, which Microsoft describes as a platform for building e-Business applications.

"We were especially pleased to share the stage with [Microsoft CEO] Steve Ballmer in February at the launch of Microsoft's Visual Studio.Net as one of several showcased applications that had made the move to .NET early," Rush says.

Rush adds that offering low-cost, yet cutting-edge technology has allowed Made2Manage to prosper over the past year. "We have been able to show customers a clear and compelling advantage," he says, "both in the form of cost savings, and in capabilities that previously were not available."

76 HarrisData

Solutions and support embrace Web

This is the year of the Web at HarrisData, the Brookfield, Wis.-based enterprise suite vendor. "In medium-size organizations, the Web is very real today," says Henry Nelson, vice president of technology. "But now it's a lot more than just an on-line brochure. It's a mechanism for delivering answers to such basic questions as, 'Where's my order?' and 'What's my forecast?'"

Last December, the company launched release 4.1 of HarrisData Manufacturing enterprise resources planning (ERP) suite, with enhanced customer relationship management and supply chain management functions. But the big news was Web-based access to core applications by customers and suppliers.

More recently, the company announced a portal solution for employee self-service. "Plus, we've moved a lot of our training to the Web with lunch-and-learn Webinars," Nelson says. "So instead of spending time and money on travel, our customers can get through a topic in just two or three hours. Using that same technology, we're also offering Web-based support. Today, our support people have the tools to view what's on the customer screen to quickly solve technical problems."

The move to embrace the Web is more involved than integration to back-end data. "You really have to re-think the way applications work," Nelson says. "Now, you've got a small, core set of trusted users with all the powerful maintenance screens—and then everybody else. That needs to be built into the core of the system. Plus, workflow is now more critical than ever in a collaborative commerce environment."

Technology choices, ranging from mobile computing to eXtensible markup language-based integration, can be daunting for many companies, says Nelson. "What we're seeing in the mid-market is our customers don't want to assemble all the pieces," he says. "They want a modern ERP suite with advanced Web functionality, delivered virtually anywhere, and from a single source."

81 Friedman Corp.

Configure-to-order focus continues

Craig Yamauchi, CEO and president of Friedman Corp., believes that companies investing in research & development (R&D), despite a challenging economy, will be tomorrow's market leaders. It stands to reason, then, that the Deerfield, Ill.-based enterprise resources planning (ERP) solution supplier targeting configure-to-order, dimensional manufacturers—such as those producing windows, doors, furniture, and cabinets—follows that vision.

"We've strategically continued our investment in R&D, and, over the course of the past year, became the first ERP solution supplier to successfully deploy a fully integrated, configuration-based dealer/sales system using a single database and one rule set," says Yamauchi. "It's notable that we launched the solution, yet also remained profitable despite last year's economic downturn."

Friedman has been extending the functionality of its Frontier enterprise suite to the Internet. Core to the approach is Friedman's use of Java-based technologies on IBM's WebSphere Application Server platform as a means to deliver the e-Business solution, Yamauchi says.

Frontier e-Business applications are based on i-Products developed on iConnect application programming interfaces that provide direct calls to existing back-end Frontier programs. Consequently, price tables, configuration logic, and validation rules previously developed within Frontier can be extended beyond the enterprise.

"Manufacturers must reduce order fulfillment cycles, which requires synchronization driven by business intelligence and workflow. Leveraging WebSphere gives our solutions the ability to directly reduce order-entry costs," Yamauchi says. "Two years ago, configure-to-order manufacturers had to go through a lengthy, manual, and often redundant process to take an order. Today, using our solutions, that process is automated and streamlined."

Yamauchi also contends that with common rules extended to channel partners and others, "the end result is the ability to collapse the order fulfillment cycle for custom products from weeks to a few days."

82 CMS Manufacturing Systems

Eschews the bleeding edge

Time-tested technology and solid results. That's the value proposition offered by CMS Manufacturing Systems, the Toronto-based provider of enterprise resources planning solutions.

"Our base isn't looking for bleeding-edge technology," says Paul Craven, vice president of research and development. "We're monitoring what's happening in the whole Microsoft .NET, SOAP [Simple Object Access Protocol], XML [eXtensible markup language] discussion, and we'll deploy it when it makes sense for our market.

"But what our customers are looking for is a single integrated solution without a lot of extraneous noise," he continues. "They want a zero-modification product to plug in and run reliably with minimal staffing."

If all this sounds boring, so be it. Today, CMS is on-track to break its all-time sales record, and isn't lagging in delivery of new functionality.

Last December, the company rolled out Release 5.0 of CMS/400, complete with multiplant and multilingual capabilities, and a portal solution. In the first quarter, the company delivered a shop-floor dashboard, bi-directional lot tracking, and real-time event monitoring. In the second quarter, CMS delivered a white board scheduler.

"Perhaps the most important deliverable was an e-Business umbrella wrapped around CMS/400," Craven says. "That allows users to exchange information with customers or suppliers through a seamlessly integrated solution. There is no replication, no middleware, and no intermediate databases."

To ensure that no users get left behind, CMS delivers new functionality via regular downloads. "There is no stagnation in our release process," Craven says. "Everyone is on the exact same software at virtually the same time."

That keeps customers ready to embrace new technologies. "We already offer wireless support and can quickly enable radio-frequency identification, but no one's asking for it," Craven says.

Maybe that's because CMS customers prefer solid business results to exciting technology.

85 ESI/Technologies

Not strictly back-end

Buffalo, N.Y.-based ESI/ Technologies is an enterprise resources planning (ERP) system supplier targeting primarily mid-size enterprises, but by no means is it limited to so-called "back-end" functions. "Our customers are running an ERP solution, but they also have the need from a marketing standpoint to support various Web initiatives," says Ralph Proulx, executive vice president.

The company's eMIS enterprise suite now comprises more than 50 subsystems or modules, some developed in-house, and others via alliances with developers. Recent examples of the latter are electronic catalog systems and Web content management. "When we do get a best-of-breed solution and attach it within our product, it's a one-source solution for our clients," says Proulx.

Other extensions include integrated bar-coding technology and wireless communication for the shop floor. Last year also saw additions in financial reporting, and new sales order management capabilities.

A major differentiator for the eMIS suite remains that it's written with Oracle development tools, and leverages Oracle's database, Proulx says. "ESI always has the latest Oracle technology—a direction our customers like," he says. "They get integration with the Oracle database, including the new 8i and 9i versions. And Oracle is giving them more integration with its support of XML [eXtensible markup language] and Java."

The various initiatives, taken together, says Proulx, "are taking ERP from its traditional environment—rather than being back-end—right to the forefront of business and its needs."

86 ROI Systems

Workflow and portals erase boundaries

"It used to be that the 'power user' was a heads-down data-entry person," says Mike Carnahan, chairman and executive vice president of development at Minneapolis-based ROI Systems, "but that's not true any longer. Today, the power user is a knowledge worker who could be anywhere in the world. These users won't accept technical boundaries. They want access to the information that they need, and technology limitations should not prevent them from getting it."

In response to this imperative, ROI Systems, which offers an extended enterprise system solution, has been working on enhanced workflow and collaboration, leveraging eXtensible markup language (XML), and the development of Enterprise Knowledge Portals for access to customer, supplier, engineering, inventory, production, and help-desk information.

Workflow can deliver any document via e-mail, and issue warnings on exceptions. Thus far, all help text, how-to documentation and reference material has been converted to XML, making it available at the point of use. Access to all parts of the system is now through the portals.

ROI also is working on a major .NET expansion to the customer relationship management (CRM) portion of its suite. Additional effort is going into adding greater depth to the portals, and converting all internal communication within the system to XML, including all programming interfaces and exits to the outside for import and export of data. ROI also is a participant in Microsoft's .NET "Fast Start" program, and contends it has a head-start on adoption of this technology.

In these trying times, ROI has managed to stay on an even course, maintaining a profitable operation and continuing to invest in new technology. That puts the company in a position to continue to help users, even as the nature of users shifts to include knowledge workers and casual users.

89 Relevant Business Systems

Dual markets, consistent approach

While Relevant Business Systems has actively pursued the large-company aviation and contract manufacturing markets, it also has remained alert to what's important to small and medium-size discrete manufacturers. Doing that, says Patrick Garrehy, CEO for the San Ramon, Calif.-based enterprise resources planning (ERP) system vendor, requires low cost of system ownership.

"Our large customers can't afford the time, effort, and disruption of a 'big bang' product upgrade, where they have to change everything over all at once," Garrehy says. "So we designed a unique release mechanism that upgrades the product in small increments—almost a continuous upgrade process. This also is a good thing for smaller companies that find the traditional upgrade process just as difficult."

That dual focus—large customers in defined markets and more general discrete manufacturing with smaller customers—characterizes Relevant. "Our biggest challenge is to include the deep functionality required by the big companies, but not letting it be overwhelming," Garrehy says. "The good thing is that simplicity and ease of use works for the big customers as well."

The dual-market focus has other benefits, according to Relevant. Large-company transaction volumes, for example, dictated a robust back-end system, and a thin-client design. It turns out this approach also supports today's move toward the Web for all prospects. The need to make the system suitable to the heterogeneous platform environments found in most large companies also relieves smaller companies from having a platform requirement forced on them.

Garrehy sums it up this way: "Our systems are scalable, and not overwhelming. Some of our customers have grown from, say, $20 million to $200 million, without changing systems. We've been in business more than 19 years with a single-minded purpose—to get and retain customers by providing them with what they need."

90 VAI

Adds solution for specialty metals sector

Few enterprise resources planning (ERP) system vendors saw the fall-off of the ERP market coming, but at Vormittag Associates (VAI), the growth plan for the start of the decade was balanced enough to keep it from "taking any big hits" during the downturn, says Kevin Beasley, chief information officer. At the same time, the Ronkonoma, N.Y.-based vendor was investing heavily enough to come out with major enhancements to its System 2000 product family.

A major enhancement during the past year, says Beasley, was System 2000 for Metals. The solution targets producers of specialty metals, such as rolled and tubed metals. This normally requires a specialized front-end solution for sales order processing and specialized workflow processing.

Metals is offered along with other specialized ERP packages—all with real-time data management—such as System 2000 for Manufacturing, for Distribution, for Retail, and a System 2000 for the Web that supports e-commerce applications. VAI software, which runs on IBM platforms, primarily is aimed at small- to medium-size companies.

"This year, business is picking up," says Beasley. "But times are different than during the 1997-2000 boom years. Customers are more cautious and tend to buy functionality—as opposed to whiz-bang gadgetry. It's why we targeted our new capabilities in distribution and manufacturing. Warehouse management has become a big hot-button item, as has supply chain management."

New developments, adds Beasley, include workflow enhancements.

Though VAI offers a broad suite, it does not denigrate a best-of-breed approach if a customer requires it. Beasley maintains that any ERP suite needs to be open enough so that "the customer can choose either suite or best-of-breed. A user should be able to pick a product from a suite vendor and utilize component in a best-of-breed scenario."