Manufacturing Business Technology

• Application integration: Oracle announces new technology connections
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 31, 2008
  Oracle has announced new integrations between Oracle Business Intelligence Applications and the Oracle E-Business Suite R12, as well as enhanced support across Oracle's core BI foundation software, Hyperion Essbase and Oracle BI Suite EE Plus.
  
• Visual business intelligence: Transpara's KPI solution certified for Windows Server 2008
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 31, 2008
  Transpara claims its Visual KPI Web-based software is the first operations intelligence solution to earn Windows Server 2008 software certification.
  
• A skills gap: Companies say visa rules treat fashion models the same as tech entrepreneurs
  
  Frank Davies, San Jose Mercury News, March 31, 2008
  Robert Hoffman, an Oracle VP, says the U.S. government's "surreal system" for issuing H1-B visas gives a fashion model (the next Heidi Klum) the same chance at a visa as a tech entrepreneur (the next Andy Grove) who generates jobs.
  
  
• Takeda deploys electronic batch system on drug manufacturing line
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 31, 2008
  With a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, Takeda was eager to implement a cost-reduction strategy while improving operational performance and quality.
  
• Process safety systems: Operational performance, compliance needs driving market growth
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 29, 2008
  The market for industrial process safety systems is projected to more than double between 2006 and 2013, growing at a rate of 10.8 percent, reaching $2.1 billion, according to Cambridge, Mass.-based Frost & Sullivan.
  
• Green manufacturing: Production can be environmentally friendly and cost-effective
  
  William Atkinson, contributing editor, March 29, 2008
  Many manufacturers have hesitated to adopt green initiatives out of fear that it would raise production costs. Nabil Nasr, director of the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, is among the experts who say that fear can be alleviated by injecting the right technology into the manufacturing process.
  
• I/O worth millions: Weak economy signals IT's opportunity to improve data center performance
  
  Frank O Smith, senior contributing editor, March 28, 2008
  The next time financial cutbacks are on the table, consider virtualization technology to improve data center performance and achieve cost savings. Virtualization can increase network, storage, and hardware utilization, allowing organizations to reduce the number of power-consuming servers, and improve application and network performance.
  
• Classification by numbers: Dutch chemicals manufacturer adopts e Cl@ss-based spend analysis
  
  Malcolm Wheatley, senior contributing editor, Heerlen, The Netherlands, March 28, 2008
  Colin Rickard, a managing director with data-management specialist DataFlux, says work with chemicals giant DSM prompted development of an off-the-shelf commodity coding solution for the purchasing and spend-analysis process that saves users time when managing data quality with international coding standards such as UNSPSC and e Cl@ss.
  
• Tech breakthrough: Omni-ID takes patented passive RFID to harsh environments
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 27, 2008
  Omni-ID was spun off last year from defense and security technology supplier QinetiQ to commercialize high-performance, passive UHF RFID solutions in harsh environments. The company is involved in numerous pilots, including one with Metro Group, a diversified retail and wholesale/cash-and-carry corporation based in Germany, for a cold storage facility; and Honda in the U.K., for automotive parts.
  
• Sarbox surge: Spending on governance, risk, and compliance solutions makes "to-do list"
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 26, 2008
  For the first time since AMR Research began conducting its governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) survey in 2003, executives have shifted their GRC budget focus to operational and enterprise risk management—making Sarbox and other regulatory compliance programs a necessary "to-do," but not a top-of-mind initiative.
  
• On-demand PLM: Five questions with Arena Solutions CEO Craig Livingston
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 25, 2008
  Craig Livingston was named CEO of on-demand PLM vendor Arena Solutions in January of this year. Soon after he answered five questions about Arena's place in the PLM market for MBT Executive Editor Sidney Hill.
  
• Visual nature: Fashionistas say they know as much about innovation—and outsourcing—as the others
  
  Kevin Parker, editorial director, March 25, 2008
  The needs of the fashion industry, when it comes to product life-cycle management (PLM), are different from those of other discrete manufacturers. But as systems evolve for fashion life-cycle management, it may be that these fashionistas—obsessed as they are with visual images—have something to teach other kinds of goods makers.
  
• Next-generation PLM: Avoid being a casualty in vendors’ fight for market supremacy
  
  Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor, March 25, 2008
  The potential quandary confronting product life-cycle management (PLM) users is reflected in the battle of words being waged by SAP and Oracle, the top-tier suppliers of enterprise applications that have recently begun flexing their muscles in the PLM space.
  
• Tax-time advisory: Business services leaders help midmarket companies boost returns on R&D investments
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 25, 2008
  Because manufacturers perform the bulk of private sector R&D to drive new products and process improvements, taking full advantage of the R&D credit is crucial. The fact is IRS scrutiny of this tax incentive has risen in recent years. As tax time comes to a close, RSM McGladrey and Axiom Solutions are offering tax credit services that some companies can take advantage of now. 
  
• Real-time control: Spellman charges up Lean, continuous improvement using Apriso operations solution
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 25, 2008
  
  
• Customer confab: SMBs set to slash marketing costs using SaaS research model
  
  Frank O Smith, senior contributing editor, March 25, 2008
  A new partnership between business and customer intelligence vendor Vantedge and market analytics specialist AbsolutData brings together senior-level professionals who know how to manage in-house intelligence services. Now an on-demand services model is on tap for small and midsize businesses (SMB).
  
• Sweet savings: Bakery products leader leans out logistics using on-demand TMS
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 24, 2008
  Otis Spunkmeyer will use LeanLogistics' on-demand solution to overhaul distribution operations and lower transportation spend throughout the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, and Europe. The solution will be used for planning, execution, and settlement of transportation processes.
  
  
• Household name: V-ZUG AG on expansion path with IFS enterprise applications
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 24, 2008
  V-ZUG AG, a Swiss market leader in household appliances, will use IFS Applications to support integrated processes—from purchasing to after-sales support—and manage V-ZUG's growing international operations.
  
• Mobile applications: Microsoft adopts Adobe technology for Windows-based cell phones
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 24, 2008
  Adobe Systems has announced that Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite software. The solution, designed for mobile devices, will enable web browsing of Flash player compatible content within the internet Explorer mobile browser in future versions of Microsoft Windows Mobile phones.
  
• Supply chain risk management: New Momentum tackles parts shortage problem
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, March 24, 2008
  New Momentum, provider of supply chain risk management (SCRM) software for companies that make or use electronic components in their products, announced the launch of the Constrained Parts Finder. This application, which provides visibility into the global, open market for electronic parts, helps companies avoid production shutdowns and missed peak season sales due to parts shortages.