InvensysDirect.com, Invensys Process Systems’ new online direct web sales portal providing he firm’s instrumentation and control products at discounted prices, has been developed on the firm’s Invensys iBaan software suite – E-Sales, E-Configuration and the OpenWorld open technology framework. Brian Tinham reports
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A survey among 102 senior UK engineering company executives shows that far too many still don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to using IT to support and improve manufacturing processes. Brian Tinham
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SolidWorks, the high growth Microsoft-centric 3D modelling software specialist part of Dassault Systemes, is about to launch a powerful upgrade to its innovative emailable ‘e-Drawings’ system, with a new e-Drawings viewer and a professional mark-up system that could transform collaborative engineering for the broad swathe of engineering and manufacturing companies. Brian Tinham reports
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Siemens Communications is to implement ‘collaborative manufacturing commerce’ IT firm Agile Software’s Product Collaboration and Product Sourcing suites at its UK engineering and manufacturing facilities, with extensions for its key supply chain partners. Brian Tinham
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Xoomworks, the e-business and web exchanges services firm, Ariba, the e-procurement specialist, and Dell have together released ‘Buyer-in-a-Box’, which they say is a joint solution of services, software and hardware aimed at mid size companies’ e-procurement needs. Brian Tinham
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SSA Global Technologies (SSA GT), the reborn BPCS enterprise software (ERP) developer, yesterday introduced its v8.0 offering to the UK at the user group meeting in Solihull, following its launch at the Boca Raton, Florida US user conference last month and initial release in June – and announced several important additions. Brian Tinham reports
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SolidWorks Office suite is priced at $7,500, and supported by its own Subscription Service programme, which is priced at an annual rate of $1,500. Existing SolidWorks customers that wish to upgrade to SolidWorks Office can do so at a reduced price of $1,500, not $6,000 as we incorrectly stated in August.
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i2 Technologies’ sophisticated manufacturing and supply chain software suites are for the first time being targeted at mid range companies in the £250—400 million turnover range by independent enterprise software services firm Data Technology with IBM Global Services. Brian Tinham reports
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Up to 40% savings could be being made at manufacturers in all industries, of all types and sizes via automated raw materials inventory optimisation, according to specialist software developer Optimus Inventory of South Africa, which recently set up a strategic alliance with ERP developer and Oracle VAR, SSI. Brian Tinham
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Europe One, a London based IT consultancy is offering to carry out MOT style tests on corporate networks. It says it “will shake people out of their current complacency about Internet security.” Brian Tinham reports
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Enterprise profit optimisation (EPO) and supply chain software firm Manugistics and PricewaterhouseCoopers are now allying to provide integrated systems specifically for the pharmaceutical industry. Brian Tinham
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Japanese weaving and dyeing firm Toray Textiles Europe, based in Nottinghamshire, says that its Tropos ERP system, from enterprise software vendor SSI, Phase One of which went live in August, is living up to its expectations. Brian Tinham
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“The greatest barrier to the uptake of the RosettaNet [XML] standard so far has been the high cost of the software, slow implementation times and an unclear ROI,” says RosettaNet’s director of partner relations, Adam Sharp. “But now we have an affordable solution for smaller players [companies] in the supply chain too.” Dean Palmers reports on the RosettaNet Basics software for SMEs.
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Replacing a legacy software environment of 25 disparate systems, Rolls Royce & Bentley Motors, the prestigious car manufacturer now owned by Volkswagen, has now gone live with its SAP implementation. Dean Palmer reports
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Leading industrial liquid crystal backlights manufacturer Harison Toshiba Lighting of Japan says it has increased productivity by 200%, cut indirect cost by 50% and reduced component inventory and product lead-times by 30% following its implementation of an iBaan enterprise IT solution from developer Baan, part of Invensys Software Systems. Brian Tinham
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In a bid to improve productivity, maximise network availability and allow its design, manufacturing and test engineers to work concurrently, motor sport manufacturer Ferrari is about to complete the upgrade of its entire network infrastructure at the company’s site in Maranello, Italy. Dean Palmer reports
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Awareness of the power of m-commerce (mobile, wireless e-commerce) in businesses of all kinds is poor, according to a survey by market researcher Datamonitor for PeopleSoft, which now styles itself a ‘collaborative enterprise software’ developer. Brian Tinham
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Nintendo Europe, based in Grobostheim, Germany, has adopted the financial modules of JD Edwards OneWorld Xe ERP system to enable consolidation of all information across its European affiliates in Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and the UK using web technologies.
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Manufacturers can now solve their surplus/discounted stock problems using Greenstall’s online global ‘matching service’ for buyers and sellers. Dean Palmer reports
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Finnish packaging firm Huhtamäki Oyj, one of the world’s largest, is using enterprise software vendor SSA Global Technologies’ recently launched business process optimisation tool, Process Manager, to help it build a new integrated e-business and shared services infrastructure. Brian Tinham
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A software tool designed to help manufacturers’ and engineering companies’ senior management and their project teams quickly clarify their e-business opportunities and barriers, decide how best to take advantage and set priorities – given their market, industry and IT environment – has been released by the UK Council for Electronic Business (UKCeB). Brian Tinham
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Freemarkets, the e-procurement and Internet trading exchange specialist, last month further underlined its continuing strength by reaching a total of $2.5 billion in online commerce through its European e-marketplaces. Dean Palmer reports
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The purchase of theory of constraints (TOC) and APS (advanced planning and scheduling) manufacturing IT specialist STG has undoubtedly set the scene for a new, deep and advanced manufacturing and production management strategy at supply chain management software company Manugistics. But the firm is still differentiating itself primarily as the EPO (enterprise profit optimisation) software and services vendor against big rivals like i2 Technologies and the major ERP software and service providers, SAP, Oracle and so forth. Brian Tinham
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“We anticipate our stock turnover and job order synchronisation will greatly improve. The APS [advanced planning and scheduling] system can schedule down to the hour and minute on production planning, so the accuracy of the forward production plan will be excellent.” So says Chris Heath, IT manager for Ewart Chain, manufacturer of steel and plastic chains to the power transmission and conveyance industries. Dean Palmer reports
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Leading pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has completed implementing IT consultancy Logica’s new web-enabled WebFormulogic collaborative product development system. Brian Tinham
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