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Enterprise Resource Planning is one of the biggest trends across all industries, whatever their nature, today. This breaks the traditional concept of a company as a singular entity, instead creating a culture of integration and synergy with suppliers and even competitors. ERP systems encourage healthy cooperation among traditionally separate business divisions, thereby driving cost savings and efficiency. Accpac is one of these ERP systems offering ERP integrative systems for small to medium sized enterprises. It is completely customizable to every business's legal and commercial need, at the same time thoroughly creates cohesion among the financial, administrative and manufacturing branches of...

In the age of the consumer-led supply chain, the industry-wide implementation of track and trace technology is the next logical step. Logistics companies want to know where their fleet is at any given time, and consumers want to be able to follow the journey their goods take. Today, that technology covers RFID, GPS and EPOS, all of which aim to increase the efficiency of the supply chain throughout the life cycle. Albis Technologies, which develops and markets electronic systems for the industry sector, has identified several ways in which companies can benefit from adopting this technology: reduced search time, automated real-time inventory, prevention of loss, improved quality, cost and usage...

Supply chain metrics are important for company executives to have a better understanding of how their company operates within a period of time. By regularly monitoring the critical areas in the supply chain, they can be assured of efficient performance. A supply chain is defined as the network of units that obtain raw materials, units that transform these materials to intermediate goods and final products, and business units that bring the products to customers through a distribution system. The main objective of logistics or supply chain management is to obtain the right products at the right place in the right quantities at the right moment at minimum costs. Modern supply chains have become too...

Part two of RFID and the supply chain. Markets The RFID market is currently in a state of increased activity and heightened interest triggered by various regulatory and customer mandates, necessitated by the need for increased supply chain visibility and security. Visibility is the foundation of supply chain event management. It is the glue that binds the total business decision-support and technical processes to integrate the supply chain components, both within the business, and with external providers, suppliers and customers.. These visibility and security requirements have come about mainly as a means of cost control and maintaining the integrity of goods within the...

Business model innovation must be continuous and continually focused on the most important customer needs, compared to what competitors are doing. Do sports teams get better by practicing often, or by only practicing when they think they have been losing? Everyone who has played on a winning team knows that regular practice is very critical for improving the group's performance. Working on improving business models is no exception. The idea is to be constantly reexamining, improving upon, and replacing your business models. As you do, be sure to also constantly reexamine the process you are using for this innovation. Most organizations find that they need to vary the process at least in terms of...

Do sports teams get better by practicing often, or by only practicing when they think they have been losing? Everyone who has played on a winning team knows that regular practice is very critical for improving the group's performance. Working on improving business models is no exception. The idea is to be constantly reexamining, improving upon, and replacing your business models. As you do, be sure to also constantly reexamine the process you are using for this innovation. Most organizations gain by varying the process at least in terms of the questions that are being asked in order to stimulate improved ideas, rather than further development of old ideas down a overly worn track. After you have...

ISO 9001 Consulting has been available ever since the ISO 9001 quality management system standards were first published in 1979.. At present, nearly a million companies worldwide have been certified to one ISO business management standard or another. These include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS9100, ISO/TS 16949, etc. The stats that have been accumulated to date indicate that while a number of companies went about implementing ISO standards using internal resources, those that used outside ISO 9001 consulting services benefited the most in terms of speed of implementation, effectiveness and payback. ISO 9001 Consulting firms offer a number of services. Let us check out some of these so that you can...

Before Business Process Management, BPM, was even a buzz word countless number of companies were rushing to develop in-house BPM Tools that would map their business processes and eventually automate them. More than a decade ago, creating such software tool required an army of programmers and budgets that were never met. Today, there is a slew of BPM Tools that can do pretty much whatever your company desires. There are tools that require very little interaction by your IT group. There are even free Business Process Modeling Notation stencils that are available as Microsoft Visio plug-ins. These stencils will be loaded into Visio which does not have native BPMN support. They will allow for simple...

It's a given that maintaining inventory is costly on many levels, the least of which is the notion of stagnant inventory and/or raw materials becoming obsolete before your very eyes. In working inventory control, there is often a fine line that marks the threshold between having too much on-hand inventory and not having enough to ensure on-time delivery. In the modern supply chain, planning for sourcing issues and automated purchasing puts manufacturers on better terms when it comes to real-time inventory management. However, as lead-times become increasingly reduced and demand levels usually unpredictable from one month to the next, inventory management is integrally connected to the notion of...

If you are unfamiliar with our OFFICE MASTER SYSTEM™business software, we will start by saying we will refrain from bombarding you with acronyms and buzz words. We will not use them to describe our OFFICE MASTER SYSTEM(TM) software products.  Our first tip is that if after reading about our OFFICE MASTER SYSTEM(TM) software for five minutes you still don’t understand what our OFFICE MASTER SYSTEM(TM) software does, you can stop ask us, at any time: "Okay, but what does it actually do?" It’s worth a shot. The most important part of a software selection process is defining the processes within your organization and determining functionality that is critical to your operation.  Many times...

Aidmatrix wins Supply Chain Distinction Awards 2009 For Technologies that place people first The Aidmatrix Foundation, a non-profit organization specialized in supply chain solutions for humanitarian relief also having its India operations, has won the Supply Chain Distinction Awards 2009 in the category Best Supply Chain Solutions Provider. Shari Temple, Managing Director, Aidmatrix Europe, accepted the award yesterday at the European Supply Chain and Logistics Summit 2009 awards dinner in Düsseldorf. Commenting on the achievement, Shari Temple, Managing Director for Aidmatrix in Europe said,“It is an honor for Aidmatrix to receive this prestigious award and to be recognized by top supply chain...

The inventory in your warehouse or factory is both an asset and a liability. In either case, if it just sits there, it is worse than worthless - it's of negative value. Whether it's pens in the stationary cupboard or multi-million dollar machine tools in the dockside warehouse, inventory must be stored and cleared in as cost-effective and efficient a way as possible. Inventory optimisation is about managing what is in the warehouse and how those contents flow into and out of the warehouse. It is the area where most ERP software implementations normally get the highest and fastest return on investment. It is therefore surprising that many companies that have implemented ERP have not yet added a...

For most manufacturers, the second biggest operating cost next to payroll is the cost of the shipping process. If you dream of starting a manufacturing company and making it big, you'll eventually realize that maximizing your bottom line has more than to do with how many products you sell; it also has to do with how economically you're able to ship your products. The more products that companies produce, the more their shipping costs increase, which has lead to a competitive carrier industry that offers several shipping options for companies of all sizes. To arrive at the best shipping solutions, companies have three basic options: they can hire in house logistics experts; they can outsource to...

Omar Bradley offered a truism, that amateurs study tactics, armchair generals study strategy, and professionals study logistics. This is just as true in the world of business as it is in the military. Logistics is the art of getting supplies where they're needed so other functions can happen. In the modern business world, logistics means freight shipping - both internally and externally. In this field, freight rates and carrier rates are the price of doing business. Freight shipping is one of those expenses that can be minimized, but never totally eliminated. It's also a manpower time sink, and because of this, more and more companies are outsourcing their freight needs to third party logistics...

Implementing a document management strategy is the key to increasing efficiency and reducing costs in your company's business processes. Making the switch to a paperless office need not be painful. A professional document imaging firm will walk you through the entire process step-by-step. They'll meet with you to assess your needs and work to meet those needs with cost-effective solutions that can be implemented quickly and easily. Review these six key areas in document management planning to help assess your needs. Where is Your Paper Pain? Start small by choosing a single area of focus for your document management strategy. Which department, project or business process is the most paper-intensive...

                                       The Strategic Planning Process                                                    Market Research – Political, Economic, Regulatory, Competitive                          ……….and the greatest of these is Competitive Research A well integrated Strategic Planning Process has always been the cornerstone of strong Company earnings and positive market share growth among industry leaders. Within the Strategic Planning Process there is a wealth of information available on the potential impact of Political, Economic and Regulatory changes for the...

Some would assume that NAPM (formerly ISM) would have been the first to offer supply chain certification; however they continue to focus on the supply side. The APICS “product” is centered on both the SCOR ( and GSCF models. There are currently fewer than five hundred CSCP certified individuals. Preston Blevins, vice-president with BatchMaster ( has received the APICS (Association for Operations Management) CSCP certification. It is the first certification from any professional society or association for verifying supply-chain management competence. With the continuing decline of the manufacturing base in North America and out-sourcing to China and other low cost locations around the world...

When a student enrolls into the different business programs offered by the Babson University, he or she will not only expect to learn about entrepreneurship and business management in the traditional method but to experience so much more. In fact, Babson University offers a well-rounded education that has lent credence and prestige to this Massachusetts-based institution. For one, Babson University has a fine athletics program with the emphasis on enhancing the quality of life of students who participates in the different programs of the Athletics Department. Apart from teamwork, the department also promotes sportsmanship and fair playing, qualities that could easily be brought into the boardroom...

The well publicised plight of manufacturing companies in the United Kingdom has led to an ever increasing demand for reduction of internal costs and now, more than ever, the focus has been on the cost of supply chains. The nature of supply chains and their structure is however often overlooked, and many of the internal costs can be eliminated by examining the overall supply chain strategy. By developing a supply chain that reflects the needs of the internal customers, many of the previously unidentified inefficiencies can be eliminated and subsequent performance improved. There are three categories of product that can be used to define the supply chain strategy for a typical manufacturing company...

Infor ERP Syteline in wholesale distribution supports multi-tier customers, multi site and multi warehouse. It also comes with greater flexibility than others. An ERP system is bound to give solutions which are specific and in line with globalization and price pressures. Infor ERP Syteline also offers solutions to a wide range of companies manufacturing products with distinct parts or by blending ingredients, lean manufacturing to wholesale and distribution. Infor ERP Syteline is build on flexible, open and service oriented architecture with latest web based user interface, it is capable of automating complex manufacturing and financial processes, collaborate with complete supply chain and reduce...

Manufacturing houses the world over have to deal with production and supply chain related issues, and this often calls for quick responses and timely intervention clubbed with innovative approaches. Not only does a manufacturing house have to deal with customers, but also with an array of distributors, suppliers, vendors, and its own workforce. While there have been various attempts in the past to streamline production processes through the use of various enterprise solutions, the results have been quite mixed. This is mainly because the focus doesn't always remain on the business' individual process requirements. Business units are broken down into smaller assembly units and each use stripped down...

Sound corporate travel management policies and reductions in global corporate travel expenses are significant challenges facing procurement, corporate travel and senior  executive managers. Despite this, travel expenses remain an element of your overheads that are largely controllable. Customer relationship management, business development, networking and site  management are all more effective with face-to-face contact regardless of technological improvements in global supply chains and increased globalization. There is no substitution for human interaction - it is far more constructive than phone calls or web-conferencing. Businesses should therefore not be  questioning the need for travel, but...

Microsoft Dynamics AX is an ERP solution for medium to enormous businesses. Dynamics AX 5.0, often called AX 2009, is the present version, with Dynamics AX 6.0 to be released in the summertime months of 2011. This business application is hot, and integrates well with Electronic information Interchange systems. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is even compatible with the latest Windows 7 OS. EDI and Microsoft Dynamics AX together help companies in industries as diversified as car manufacturing plants to medical care, improve efficiency daily. With database management, accounting, payroll, money services, and cost, service, and environmental management functions, Dynamics AX is al nicely rounded solution to...

For any business to extract maximum benefit from its CRM deployment, it is important that it be linked to the back processes. Supply chain management, when connected via business intelligence tools with CRM, can throw light on many hitherto unknown aspects of a company's business processes. The insight offered by CRM into customer behavior and demand patterns can be made use of to streamline manufacturing and distribution of products as managed by the supply chain function. An important feature to understand when deploying CRM is that it can only provide information that has to be used both at the front end and back end to improve processes. Customer segmentation information can be used to structure...

In January 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) issued a mandate to its suppliers that each item sold to them must be marked with a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The need for this mandate arose from decades of logistical challenges faced by the military with regard to the supply chain. Implementing RFID technology to enhance existing Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) efforts will greatly improve inventory management, asset visibility and interoperability in support of DoD business processes. Even if your company is not a supplier for the DoD, you may benefit from using their mandate as a guide for implementing your own RFID application. The main challenge...

Capability is often defined in terms of the capacity and ability that has the potential for development or use. This means that to improve Procurement to reach the stage of excellence you need to demonstrate or acquire certain abilities and then put them to use. Here are seven of the abilities you need. 1. Develop category strategies that are aligned to corporate value. A category strategy summarises the approach you will take to managing a related group of purchased items. There are a range of possible permutations of strategies that you can deploy. What you need to do is select the one that has deliverables that can be clearly traced to the way in which your organisation delivers value. 2. Select...

The complex business process of oil production gave rise to a newer concept of Balanced Scorecard in this industry. Balanced Scorecard, also known as BSC, is a performance assessment system to manage oil assets. A balanced scorecard, was developed by Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Norton in 1992, is used to monitor the performance of any industry and to provide a proper communication among the various channels into the production line. A balanced scorecard is simply the next step of Japanese concept Quality circle, which empowers the employee to realize their strengths and to work on their weaknesses to overcome them, by a proper chain of communication in all the levels of organization of the oil producing firm...

Today's customer is not someone who merely decides to buy or not to buy. He is educated, well-informed, widely traveled, discerning and knows that he can always get it elsewhere at a price which he is more comfortable with. Gone are the days when a company rested happy if it sold a product or service to a customer. Advertising and promotion were the only tools to inform, educate and attract new customers. Customization, break-neck competition amongst multiple-players, price wars and globalization - all this and more have made marketing companies wary of not only wooing the new and potential customers but to retain them on a long term basis. Companies are spending significant amount of resources to...

Converting your inventory into cash is as critical a process for the health of your company's cash flow, as the process of converting Accounts Receivable into cash.  The effective conversion of inventory into cash requires a methodical system that efficiently moves products from order to delivery.  Without a well-defined inventory management system in place, inventory stock levels may become too low or too high, resulting in lost sales and increased costs. The longer an item(s) remains as inventory, the greater the chance for the item(s) to become either damaged or obsolete and this eventually results in an inventory write-down.  Slow-moving inventory adds to a slower cash flow and consequently...

Have you ever been sitting at your desk during a quiet day when all of a sudden your phone is ringing off the hook, your boss and his/her boss are at your office door, and the familiar ping of "you've got mail" comes crashing down upon you like wildfire because of an inventory stock out, or a failing promotion because an important detail was left out, or a large customer is unhappy they have to wait three weeks to get their order? It is times like these that the finger pointing exercise commences and the powers that be "want answers" as to what went wrong. Often, like the scenarios mentioned above, the failure to meet the customer's expectations, rightly or not, falls upon the supply chain...

SAP Company was found by five former IBM employees- Dietmar Hopp, Hans Werner Hector, Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira and Claus Wellenreuther. It was founded in Germany in the year 1972. SAP stands for systems, applications, products in data processing. In a year’s time the first financial accounting software was completed which was known as R/1 System. R stands for real-time data processing. The full name of the parent company is SAP AG. It has subsidiaries in nearly 50 countries. SAP AG is the third largest software maker in the whole world and it has nearly 27,000 employers all over the world and over 17,500 customers. It is listed in Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE. Sap delivers software to...

If you are looking out for a SAP job, it is important that you know certain important things on it before you turn up for the interview. The first essential thing that an interviewer would ask you is what you know about SAP. If you give a good answer to this question with a tone of confidence in every word you speak out, you will have a great time ahead. If this question is asked, you can answer in brief that SAP was established by five ex-IBM engineers in 1972 in Germany. It stands for Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing. The parent company is known as SAP AG, and is situated in Walldorf with subsidiaries in above 50 countries. Keeping your answer short and to the point is important...

With the cost of raw materials apparently not going down any time soon, scrap reduction has never been more important for manufacturers. To ensure the maximum use of materials, precision laser-cutting and water-jet machines have been developed. Computerized metal stamping can bring out parts and pieces to the very edge of the stock. In manufacturing, materials management has been made better because both machining technology and management through cost accounting have been improved. In short, accountability is in place on the shop floor and in the front office, and this means that tracking scrap is part of the production process. Of course, the relationship between shop floor and front office has...

Lean thinking in manufacturing has always been a practical means to that most desirable end: A better quality product produced in less time at lower cost. For the past two decades, manufacturers have constantly striven for tight integration of shop floor activities, hopefully resulting in a streamlined environment capable of achieving this Lean sense of "perfection". In more basic terms, at its core Lean thinking is informed by the goal of shop waste minimization through the elimination of those activities that do not add value to the product. Simultaneously, the use of scarcer resources is maximized, such as capital investment and personnel. However, while capital investment in tooling and...