Infor delivers PLM/ERP integration to global process manufacturers

-- Manufacturing Business Technology, 9/13/2007 10:37:00 AM

Infor is delivering built-in integration between its product life-cycle management (PLM) solution—Infor PLM Optiva—and its ERP LX for` multi-mode manufacturers. LX suites midsize to large global manufacturing environments where multinational currency and language support is required.

Coupling LX with Optiva eliminates the need for custom coding associated with point-to-point integrations, allowing process manufacturers to reduce dedicated IT resources and costs. Manufacturers will benefit from streamlined design processes seamlessly incorporated with their ERP, which will help them drive product innovation while ensuring regulatory compliance across multiple facilities and regions.

Integrating the solutions improves processes associated with change management and scale-up production of new formulas, materials and packaging. These improvements help manufacturers significantly increase on-time product launches, which is the single largest issue facing processors today.

"Integrating LX with Optiva demonstrates our unwavering commitment to extending our customers' IT investment through integrations to complementary solutions, which enables them to quickly respond to market fluctuations and consumer demand," said Rory Granros, Infor's director of industry and product marketing for Process Industries. "Infor delivers a combination that allows manufacturers to streamline the processes involved in bringing new products online, while reducing overall costs and time to market."

Companies will now have an integrated process that ensures quality and compliance, starting with kitchen recipes, through R&D, into pilot plants and then to one or more production facilities or co-packers. For example, when a cost reduction project requires a new raw material, companies can use the integrated system to source for a low cost option and ensure the reformulation meets regulatory requirements before putting the product into production. Because this work takes place in R&D, companies can develop new products without interfering with standard operations, which improves first batch success rates, reduces downtime, and lowers the costs often associated with manual interfaces.

With the integrated system manufacturers have a single source of record for all materials, formulas, packaging, test methods and manufacturing processes in use, providing consolidated control and visibility to better source and rationalize raw materials, and reduce redundancies. The information is then incorporated into the planning and scheduling process, giving companies more command over the use of inventory and improved insight into the lifecycle of the product. This is ideal for multinational companies who can now bring consumer goods and pharmaceutical products to initial markets faster, and minimize the launch time across multiple markets.

Infor ERP LX includes business-specific capabilities for food and beverage, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and consumer packaged goods. LX helps customers plan, source, schedule, and ship in a multi-location environment by allowing each operation to determine the best way to manage an item within that facility.

Infor ERP Optiva helps companies successfully support design for manufacturing and the supply chain through enhanced collaboration, coordination, constraint-based validation and integrated stage gate capabilities. The solution enables food and beverage, home and personal care, and specialty chemical companies to dramatically reduce the risks associated with new product innovation, such as vendor quality and compliance, late launches and cost overruns. Optiva enables companies to significantly increase agility and flexibility by dynamically managing changes more efficiently and effectively, and move products into new markets with limited investment.