With the installation of iProcure, Laminated Products achieved a unified purchasing system. Budgeting is now easier and more accurate, and invoice preparation is much quicker. Electronic purchase orders are sent to vendors instantly. This means spare parts are delivered quickly, and redundant administrative duties are cut.
"I am pleased with the time savings iProcure affords us," Aulozzi comments. "We often need to do batch purchase orders, as many as 10 to 12 per batch. Faxing these can take a lot of time. To purchase electronically through iProcure is a matter of seconds."
Paired with MP2 Professional, iProcure automates purchasing and frees up maintenance workers to focus on more important tasks.
"The nicest feature of MP2 Professional for us is the inventory tracking module and its ability to automatically re-order when parts get low," says Aulozzi. "Now, we know exactly what parts we have, and what we will need in the future."
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Ability to Plan Ahead
With its new system, the maintenance shop can estimate how long each task takes and plan ahead accordingly.
"I use the task and work order modules frequently," says Aulozzi. "We have about 80 monthly preventive maintenance tasks set up in MP2, and we can now monitor how quickly these tasks are being completed. MP2 gives me a more accurate reading of our efficiency."
In addition, Laminated Products uses MP2 Professional to track equipment histories and perform preventive maintenance.
"Working with MP2 is a tremendous help because it makes everything easier to manage," Aulozzi comments. "We can look at the history of the machine and the spare parts used. Based on that, we can keep the right parts on hand. Because downtime is so critical for us, we rely on this feature."
iProcure's Purchasing PowerMP2 Professional's open architecture enables its integration with iProcure online purchasing software. iProcure allows companies to purchase maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) spare parts directly from the MP2 Professional system. The software provides 24-hour access to the most current catalogs of the nation's leading MRO suppliers.
Aulozzi is pleased with the suppliers available through iProcure. Not only are their rates highly competitive, but they also search for parts they do not carry regularly.
"The suppliers through iProcure are very flexible," Aulozzi says. "They are willing to work with me to get the right part when I need it.
"As iProcure grows and adds more suppliers, we will have more choices," he says. "We will continue to automate our maintenance and purchasing cycles even more in the near future."
"I use the task and work order modules frequently," says Aulozzi. "We have about 80 monthly preventive maintenance tasks set up in MP2, and we can now monitor how quickly these tasks are being completed. MP2 gives me a more accurate reading of our efficiency."
In addition, Laminated Products uses MP2 Professional to track equipment histories and perform preventive maintenance.
"Working with MP2 is a tremendous help because it makes everything easier to manage," Aulozzi comments. "We can look at the history of the machine and the spare parts used. Based on that, we can keep the right parts on hand. Because downtime is so critical for us, we rely on this feature."
iProcure's Purchasing PowerMP2 Professional's open architecture enables its integration with iProcure online purchasing software. iProcure allows companies to purchase maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) spare parts directly from the MP2 Professional system. The software provides 24-hour access to the most current catalogs of the nation's leading MRO suppliers.
Aulozzi is pleased with the suppliers available through iProcure. Not only are their rates highly competitive, but they also search for parts they do not carry regularly.
"The suppliers through iProcure are very flexible," Aulozzi says. "They are willing to work with me to get the right part when I need it.
"As iProcure grows and adds more suppliers, we will have more choices," he says. "We will continue to automate our maintenance and purchasing cycles even more in the near future."
A Better Way to Work
Clearly, Laminated Products needed a comprehensive system to monitor maintenance activities, from in-house work orders to parts inventory. MP2 Professional is specifically designed for maintenance operations at facilities, offering features such as preventive maintenance (PM) controls, spare parts tracking, and inventory management.
In addition, MP2 Professional helps track equipment and monitor maintenance costs using the secure and reliable Access database for Microsoft Windows® operating system. Access integrates data from sources such as spreadsheets and other databases to generate, analyze, and create reports quickly and easily. The Windows-based graphical interface means employee training is minimal.
"The involvement with Microsoft was a selling point for me," Aulozzi says. "I am very comfortable using their software. Coupled with the comprehensive features of MP2 Professional and iProcure, our choice for maintenance software was simple."
Both MP2 and iProcure were developed in part with Microsoft's BizTalk, an e-commerce framework that makes it easy for businesses to integrate applications and conduct business over the Internet. The BizTalk framework is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) industry standards that enable integration across industries and between business systems, regardless of platform, operating system, or underlying technology
In addition, MP2 Professional helps track equipment and monitor maintenance costs using the secure and reliable Access database for Microsoft Windows® operating system. Access integrates data from sources such as spreadsheets and other databases to generate, analyze, and create reports quickly and easily. The Windows-based graphical interface means employee training is minimal.
"The involvement with Microsoft was a selling point for me," Aulozzi says. "I am very comfortable using their software. Coupled with the comprehensive features of MP2 Professional and iProcure, our choice for maintenance software was simple."
Both MP2 and iProcure were developed in part with Microsoft's BizTalk, an e-commerce framework that makes it easy for businesses to integrate applications and conduct business over the Internet. The BizTalk framework is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) industry standards that enable integration across industries and between business systems, regardless of platform, operating system, or underlying technology
Laminated Products
The manufacturing industry has had to keep up with this increased market activity with quicker turnaround times while maintaining high-quality customer service. For Laminated Products, Inc., a manufacturer of European-style laminated countertops and kitchen and bathroom fixtures, keeping up with the customer demand means maximizing machine uptime in their manufacturing plant with regular maintenance and repair.
To help manage maintenance tasks and ensure that staff time is spent wisely, Laminated Products chose Datastream System's MP2 Professional for Microsoft Access, a comprehensive maintenance management software system, and iProcure, Datastream's Internet purchasing system. Together with Microsoft's BizTalk e-commerce framework, these products create a seamless, powerful maintenance management system that has paid for itself through reduced administrative overhead and purchasing errors. A Maintenance MuddleThe maintenance staff at Laminated Products is responsible for 180,000 square feet of manufacturing equipment and facilities. Their responsibilities include minor plumbing, ventilation system and electrical work, and most importantly, equipment maintenance.
To help manage maintenance tasks and ensure that staff time is spent wisely, Laminated Products chose Datastream System's MP2 Professional for Microsoft Access, a comprehensive maintenance management software system, and iProcure, Datastream's Internet purchasing system. Together with Microsoft's BizTalk e-commerce framework, these products create a seamless, powerful maintenance management system that has paid for itself through reduced administrative overhead and purchasing errors. A Maintenance MuddleThe maintenance staff at Laminated Products is responsible for 180,000 square feet of manufacturing equipment and facilities. Their responsibilities include minor plumbing, ventilation system and electrical work, and most importantly, equipment maintenance.
Benefits: Increased Efficency and Better Communication
By automating communication using the new system, H&R Johnson's suppliers can access stock information and identify requirements in advance. They can also provide assurance for H&R Johnson that stock will arrive on time and that the necessary quantities are available for dispatch. This means that suppliers can also improve their own internal efficiency by knowing stock requirements far in advance. Because all the paperwork is completed online, both companies involved in a transaction can significantly reduce the time spent completing paper-based order forms and re-keying information.
But the new system has additional benefits that go beyond replacing similar manual processes. Coxon says: "Using electronic commerce we have built an alternative line of communication to our suppliers. Now they can see our requirements and can react by providing us with the necessary materials. Because they can participate in the order and delivery cycle and we can all monitor progress online. Nothing gets overlooked."
As a result, the tile maker does not have to hold large amounts of stock and has much better management and financial control of its business. Cost is reduced because H&R Johnson can automate many of its previously manual processes and it does not have to spend time chasing deliveries and suppliers—everything can be monitored online.
"By providing our suppliers with access to stock information using the Internet, we can streamline our ordering process and make sure that we don't run out of essential materials. The Microsoft technologies that we are using provide the stability and scalability which enable us to concentrate on our business with the peace of mind to know that our backbone technologies won't let us down," Coxon explains.
Personalization of the pages and accounts has been achieved using Active Server Pages and the system is based on the Microsoft Visual Studio® development system, and Microsoft Windows NT Server Internet Information Server and Microsoft Transaction Server technologies, with plans to extend to Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition.
But the new system has additional benefits that go beyond replacing similar manual processes. Coxon says: "Using electronic commerce we have built an alternative line of communication to our suppliers. Now they can see our requirements and can react by providing us with the necessary materials. Because they can participate in the order and delivery cycle and we can all monitor progress online. Nothing gets overlooked."
As a result, the tile maker does not have to hold large amounts of stock and has much better management and financial control of its business. Cost is reduced because H&R Johnson can automate many of its previously manual processes and it does not have to spend time chasing deliveries and suppliers—everything can be monitored online.
"By providing our suppliers with access to stock information using the Internet, we can streamline our ordering process and make sure that we don't run out of essential materials. The Microsoft technologies that we are using provide the stability and scalability which enable us to concentrate on our business with the peace of mind to know that our backbone technologies won't let us down," Coxon explains.
Personalization of the pages and accounts has been achieved using Active Server Pages and the system is based on the Microsoft Visual Studio® development system, and Microsoft Windows NT Server Internet Information Server and Microsoft Transaction Server technologies, with plans to extend to Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition.
The Solution: A Web-Based Supply-Chain System
As a result, the company conducted a survey to identify its customers' key requirements for an EDI system. The most apparent were the need for stock information, order-progress information, and order entry. To address these needs, H&R Johnson worked with Microsoft Certified Solution Provider (MCSP) ABS to create an e-commerce solution.
Using advanced client/server environment (ACE) from ABS, the two companies developed a Web-based supply-chain system using Microsoft Windows NT® Server as a gateway to the existing AS/400 system. Because ACE is a development environment for Microsoft Windows® operating systems, it enables programmers to concentrate on the business logic and user interface by generating much of the application code automatically.
The business-to-business system, which is based on the Microsoft BackOffice® family of server applications, allows H&R Johnson's smaller distributors, which could not previously access the EDI system, to enter orders via the Internet, check stock levels, and track the progress of their orders.
Mike Coxon, IT manager for H&R Johnson, says, "An EDI system is fine for many of our larger customers but we have other, smaller distributors who do not have the technical infrastructure or know-how to work in this way. This is where our online ordering system is so useful. Any shop can check stock, place an order, and track delivery for no more than the price of a local phone call."
Because its distributors already hold an account with the company, H&R Johnson has not had to address online payment and security. Once an order is placed, the credit control department co-ordinates invoices in the same way that it would for orders made by fax, mail, or telephone.
ABS marketing manager Sue Banks says, "The project proved that business-to-business Internet commerce was being successfully implemented. Right from the start, the company achieved real value from its virtual supply chain and this value has not diminished. This is largely thanks to the reliability and quality of the Microsoft products which were used and which allowed the company to adapt and integrate its existing infrastructure with the online commerce systems."
Thanks to the online success of the Web-based stock control and ordering system between H&R Johnson and its distributors, the company more recently decided to extend the system to include its own suppliers. Once again the company enlisted ABS. A prototype has been developed which will enable H&R Johnson's established suppliers to monitor internal stock requirements. The system, which will integrate packaging and raw materials suppliers into the supply chain, will mean that the company no longer needs to devote unnecessary effort to monitoring stock levels and processing orders. While these materials are critical to its business, the company cannot hold large amounts of stock. Improving the lines of communication with its suppliers means that they can take responsibility for anticipating when the stock will need replenishing.
Using advanced client/server environment (ACE) from ABS, the two companies developed a Web-based supply-chain system using Microsoft Windows NT® Server as a gateway to the existing AS/400 system. Because ACE is a development environment for Microsoft Windows® operating systems, it enables programmers to concentrate on the business logic and user interface by generating much of the application code automatically.
The business-to-business system, which is based on the Microsoft BackOffice® family of server applications, allows H&R Johnson's smaller distributors, which could not previously access the EDI system, to enter orders via the Internet, check stock levels, and track the progress of their orders.
Mike Coxon, IT manager for H&R Johnson, says, "An EDI system is fine for many of our larger customers but we have other, smaller distributors who do not have the technical infrastructure or know-how to work in this way. This is where our online ordering system is so useful. Any shop can check stock, place an order, and track delivery for no more than the price of a local phone call."
Because its distributors already hold an account with the company, H&R Johnson has not had to address online payment and security. Once an order is placed, the credit control department co-ordinates invoices in the same way that it would for orders made by fax, mail, or telephone.
ABS marketing manager Sue Banks says, "The project proved that business-to-business Internet commerce was being successfully implemented. Right from the start, the company achieved real value from its virtual supply chain and this value has not diminished. This is largely thanks to the reliability and quality of the Microsoft products which were used and which allowed the company to adapt and integrate its existing infrastructure with the online commerce systems."
Thanks to the online success of the Web-based stock control and ordering system between H&R Johnson and its distributors, the company more recently decided to extend the system to include its own suppliers. Once again the company enlisted ABS. A prototype has been developed which will enable H&R Johnson's established suppliers to monitor internal stock requirements. The system, which will integrate packaging and raw materials suppliers into the supply chain, will mean that the company no longer needs to devote unnecessary effort to monitoring stock levels and processing orders. While these materials are critical to its business, the company cannot hold large amounts of stock. Improving the lines of communication with its suppliers means that they can take responsibility for anticipating when the stock will need replenishing.
It's a New Day
So what is it that's rattling around in the brains of today's young adults? To understand their mindset, look again at the world in which they're growing up. Gone are the days of putting in 50 years with one firm, then retiring with a smile and a gold watch. Today's entrants to the workforce follow a switch-back trail through the professions. Four or five careers are par for the course. Moreover, the Internet has launched a stay-at-home revolution. It's the age of freelancing, day-trading, and working in one's pajamas. Careers are patchworks of varied roles and responsibilities.
This environment shapes young people into integrative thinkers, people who make the most of whatever resources they can find. But it's these qualities of youth, not youth itself, that foster new-economy success, Colony argues: "I don't think it has anything to do with age. It has to do with openness. It has to do with the ability to learn."
Flexibility and speed are essentials. "What's important is being willing to change your mind," says Web pundit and venture capitalist Esther Dyson. "If you can't change," she adds, "someone else will implement your business model better and put you out of business."
Julie Wainwright, CEO of Pets.com, describes the struggles of the old-school executives she has hired: "Sometimes they get paralyzed because they are required to move very, very quickly in making a lot of decisions."
Yet Wainwright concedes that mistakes and dead ends are to be expected when navigating mysterious terrain. She counsels CEOs to create an environment where mistakes are okay, as long as the people making them learn from them, and fast.
Like young adults who assemble hodge-podge careers, CEOs seeking to establish an Internet presence, or boost revenue overall, should exploit all the resources at their disposal. The traditional three channels—person-to-person, mail, and telephone—aren't going away. The Internet simply adds a fourth to the mix. "The artistry in this," says Colony, "is to harmonize these channels. Leverage your strength in one, two, and three to dominate the fourth." Use the Internet, for example, to publicize this weekend's giveaways at your 90-year-old corner store.
"My best advice," Colony adds, "is to swim in this technology. Go online at least a half-hour a day. Place a technologist or two on your board of directors. Visit Silicon Valley once a year. Be connected to this world." And above all, field your kids' advice. Ask them for a grand tour of the information age. They hold the key.
This environment shapes young people into integrative thinkers, people who make the most of whatever resources they can find. But it's these qualities of youth, not youth itself, that foster new-economy success, Colony argues: "I don't think it has anything to do with age. It has to do with openness. It has to do with the ability to learn."
Flexibility and speed are essentials. "What's important is being willing to change your mind," says Web pundit and venture capitalist Esther Dyson. "If you can't change," she adds, "someone else will implement your business model better and put you out of business."
Julie Wainwright, CEO of Pets.com, describes the struggles of the old-school executives she has hired: "Sometimes they get paralyzed because they are required to move very, very quickly in making a lot of decisions."
Yet Wainwright concedes that mistakes and dead ends are to be expected when navigating mysterious terrain. She counsels CEOs to create an environment where mistakes are okay, as long as the people making them learn from them, and fast.
Like young adults who assemble hodge-podge careers, CEOs seeking to establish an Internet presence, or boost revenue overall, should exploit all the resources at their disposal. The traditional three channels—person-to-person, mail, and telephone—aren't going away. The Internet simply adds a fourth to the mix. "The artistry in this," says Colony, "is to harmonize these channels. Leverage your strength in one, two, and three to dominate the fourth." Use the Internet, for example, to publicize this weekend's giveaways at your 90-year-old corner store.
"My best advice," Colony adds, "is to swim in this technology. Go online at least a half-hour a day. Place a technologist or two on your board of directors. Visit Silicon Valley once a year. Be connected to this world." And above all, field your kids' advice. Ask them for a grand tour of the information age. They hold the key.
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