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Radio-Frequency Identification chips can be either passive or active; passive ones hold data that’s permanently burned onto the chip and can’t be edited or changed in any way. Active tags are more expensive to produce, but allow data contained within to be read, written or changed; including anything from test results and product characteristics to even customer or vendor specific data.

Previously, the cost of RFID tags was a prohibitive barrier to their widespread adoption, but now chips and readers are reaching cost-effective levels. From a software perspective, some Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) such as SAP’s WM and Extended WM solutions have been capable of RFID integration for quite some time, with implementation no longer requiring a total system overhaul.

These factors are leading warehouse managers and manufacturers to view RFID as an attractive option when looking to identify and track goods.

Inventory and production management

RFID tags can hold more information than labels holding 1D, 2D or QR codes. They are also more accurate than any other tracking method, virtually eliminating user error, and can be programmed with an algorithm to protect against counterfeiting.

In conjunction with a fully-integrated software solution, this means that managers can rely on accurate stock levels, allowing for the identification of potential shortfalls in stock which would impact production. Real-time information can also be used by WMS to optimise production through the streamlining of the supply chain process, for instance forecasting demand for raw materials or improving production scheduling based on current stock levels.

The burden on manufacturers can be further reduced if vendors pre-apply tags populated with stock data before parts are sent on to assembly, saving the time of having to enter data such as item details.

Easy access and enhanced traceability

Assembly lines can be a challenging environment for components. Tagging raw materials correctly can ensure a seamless process, where the correct stock is issued at the right time to the right place on the production line.

Once a finished product is manufactured, tags on finished goods can help with track and trace. For instance, large and bulky parts must be housed outdoors and are subject to adverse weather conditions. This means that serial numbers have needed to be etched onto parts, or waterproof labels used.  Neither solution has been optimal, with serial numbers linked with minimal information which has traditionally been manually recorded, and waterproof labels being relatively expensive and not completely reliable, being easily damaged.

RFID chips avoid these difficulties and mean that there doesn’t have to be a direct line of sight when scanning information - incredibly useful when receiving and working with large, unwieldy or high volumes of parts. Smaller components can also contain RFID tags; if a case containing 150 items comes into the warehouse, each individual item can be scanned simultaneously, with records accurately updated accordingly.

Farther down the line

The accuracy and amount of data storage made possible by RFID benefits everyone involved in the manufacturing supply chain. With the data contained within an RFID tag, a WMS can utilise Advanced Ship Notices (ASNs), allowing warehouse operatives to receive order and shipment information in one simple, electronic transaction prior to goods receipt.

Even after undergoing partial or full assembly, an item’s status will be updated, meaning that at each stage of the supply chain, the receiver will know ahead of time exactly what it is being delivered. When operating a fixed-line supply chain, this will inevitably lead to enhanced visibility and greater efficiency, a must in the increasingly automated manufacturing business where the biggest hold-up is processing of stock.

Perhaps most exciting for a manufacturer is the potential RFID technology affords for innovation. The ramifications of dynamic data attached to parts and raw materials, information which can be written, re-written and added to, are enormous for the industry.

Companies could begin using such dynamic data to create dynamic supply chains, where for instance information was updated until the moment it passed to the customer without the need to change a label. Customers themselves could then exploit the power of RFID, using the data to accelerate goods receipt and know its origin and content.

RFID is playing a more important role than ever in the industry, but in reality its full potential is yet to be realised. It will be those innovative manufacturers at the leading edge, those maximising the capabilities of RFID, who will gain a significant competitive advantage through the emerging technology.

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Manufacturers are facing increasing cost pressures at a time when demand is fluctuating due to the faltering global economy.

In a recent industry survey, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply announced that the UK manufacturing had contracted for a second successive month in March. Weak demand from domestic and European companies was cited as a factor, but also the increasing cost of raw materials, fuel, utilities and food products were weighing heavily on profit margins.

Weak demand is a symptom of the global economic situation, with France, Italy and Spain also experiencing contractions in their manufacturing sectors despite being some of the largest European economies.

Forward-thinking Manufacturers, looking to improve their bottom line and reduce costs have started turning to e-procurement.

The roots of e-procurement

The technology is not an entirely new concept. During the 1990s, many businesses automated their supplier relations processes through the implementation of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems.

Internet-usage becoming more widespread within businesses ushered in an era of rapid growth in the adoption of online tools which promised to automate purchasing processes, leading to the appearance of a number of online B2B e-commerce sites.

However, the constraints on internet bandwidth available at the time and the questions of security related to e-commerce both served to cool initial enthusiasm for these solutions.

Since then the growing sophistication of web-based technology, particularly zero-footprint solutions sitting in the cloud, coupled with increases in available bandwidth, have been responsible for a renewed interest in e-procurement solutions.

For example, the EU has mandated that by 2016 all European public bodies should have implemented this type of solution to facilitate any public purchases. Estimates suggest that member states could cut purchasing costs by as much as 30 percent as a result.

E-procurement and manufacturing

In the face of such striking figures, plenty of industries are examining how e-procurement could benefit them. For manufacturers the main goal of the procurement team is to reliably facilitate the purchase of materials at the specified quality and the best possible price. E-procurement technology can be employed to support both of these goals.

Cost reductions in raw materials translate directly into increased profit, which is one of the key reasons why this is seen as the Holy Grail of manufacturing procurement. Manufacturers need to make informed purchasing decisions and the key to this is the provision of complete and relevant data on expenditure.

Spend analysis features within e-procurement platforms enable manufacturers to quickly analyse all purchasing data to show top suppliers, exact spend on specific components, which departments are spending most and what are the most purchased products. Having a clear, overarching view of accurate data enables cost reductions by providing intelligence on exact spending levels in a fast and efficient manner.

A major part of the procurement process is ensuring that lower costs do not mean lower quality or standards. One consequence of this quest for quality is the need to track supplier accreditations, such as ISO standards.

E-procurement platforms can provide a foolproof method of ensuring quality and compliance by showing at a glance which suppliers meet the required standard, and even the required renewal date for any expiring qualifications. This information can be used to rank suppliers and to select which companies to invite to tender.

Large manufacturers might have thousands of contracts on their books, all of which need careful management. Attempting this process manually is a painstaking and expensive task, and can lead to the lapse of contracts with suppliers and purchasers.

E-procurement solutions avoid that risk and enable manufacturers to keep tabs on all of their contracts, even offering alerts to ensure that contracts can be renegotiated in good time before they expire.

E-procurement solutions can even score suppliers on their performance to flag issues or underperformance. Typically companies which use a supplier assessment see a 20 percent improvement in supplier performance metrics such as on-time delivery, quality and cost benefits.

Manufacturers should be managing all supplier relationships to ensure compliance with agreed standards and to reduce risks, but for large companies in particular this can be a full-time job without the necessary technology.

Because of its reliance on purchasing raw materials, arguably manufacturing has even more to gain from e-procurement solutions than service industries. With costs of production increasing and demand static, manufacturers need to get creative if they are to maintain a competitive edge.

By focusing more on procurement savings manufacturers can boost the bottom line without sacrificing quality, and using e-procurement technology is a powerful enabler to unlock these benefits.

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At $372.50 million, total manufacturing technology orders in the US was down 26.6 percent from March and down 12.6 percent when compare with the $426.44 million reported for April 2012. The year so far is also down 7.0 percent compared to the same time period for last year.

Compiled by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), the report represents the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national US orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment.

Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

AMT President, Douglas Woods commented:

“Order totals levelled off to the averages we’ve seen so far this year, but they aren’t out of line with analyst predication. Likewise, the Purchasing Manager’s Index recently dropped below 50 – indicating contraction within manufacturing – but hiring continued to expand throughout the industry.

“With auto-sales strong, the housing industry showing signs of a true rebound and consumer confidence on the rise, we expect to continue seeing stead but slower activity.”

The breakdown of US manufacturing technology orders was also reported by region:

Northeast– totalled $72.29 million, unchanged from March but up 4.4 percent compared with April 2012. At $251.08 million, 2013-to-date is down 4.0 percent compared with the same period in 2012.

Southeast– totalled $35.16 million, down 3.3 percent from March but up 1.0 percent compared with April 2012. At $139.10 million, 2013-to-date is down 16.3 percent compared with the same period in 2012.

North Central-East– totalled $71.30 million, down 50.9 percent from March and down 34.6 percent compared with April 2012. At $434.94 million, 2013-to-date is down 2.8 percent compared with the same period in 2012.

North Central-West– totalled $69.88 million, 10.8 percent lower than March but up 30.0 percent compared with April 2012. At $238.30 million, 2013-to-date is 9.1 percent higher than the same period in 2012.

South Central– totalled $59.60 million, 10.8 percent lower than March and 30.7 percent lower than April 2012. At $257.42 million, 2013-to-date is 28.3 percent less than the same period in 2012.

West– totalled $64.27 million, down 19.6 percent from March but up 30.0 percent compared with April 2012. At $238.30 million, 2013-to-date is down 9.1 percent above the same period in 2012.

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The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, the Rt Hon Vince Cable MP has announced plans to invest £14.7 million in new projects involved in the UK’s cutting-edge 3D printing industry – also known as ‘additive manufacturing’.  

Cable made the announcement while visiting the Manufacturing Technology Centre to meet representatives from the 18 successful projects chosen to receive the funding under the recent Technology Strategy Board initiative, “Inspiring Design Freedoms in Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing”. He commented:

“Investing in tomorrow’s technology will bring jobs and economic growth throughout the UK. That’s why last month the government announced the biggest ever investment in the work of the Technology Strategy Board. With £440 million of funding, they will support new manufacturing techniques to maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in technology and design.

“This joint investment (£8.4 from public bodies and £6.3 million from private) highlights the commitment from across the sector to boost manufacturing in the UK.”

The Secretary of State was shown around the centre by MTC Technology Director Ken Young, who commented:

“As well as the technology on show, we were able to emphasise that the MTC is already hitting targets from 2018 and 2020 business plans. In addition we have been able to recruit more than 160 employees in the last two years, while at the same time establishing a graduate recruitment and development programme and a fast-growing apprenticeship programme.

“Our growth in memberships to the current level of 52 members is a testament to our success, with major international companies keen to work with our own engineers and partner universities.”

The Manufacturing Technology Centre opened in 2011 following a £40 million investment. It is a partnership between some of the UK’s major global manufacturers and three forward-thinking universities – Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough – as well as TWI Ltd, the operating division of The Welding Institute.

The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, with a focus appropriate to both large and small companies and applicable across industry sectors. 

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Having recently introduced two stripped-down versions of its flagship Galaxy S4 mobile, the South Korean multinational electronics company has sparked worries of margin decline and slowing growth momentum for its high-end S4 model.

Following the footsteps of its global competitors, such as Apple and HTC, Samsung is trying to expand its offering to the more popular low-to mid segment to better compete with the Chinese manufacturers currently dominating the sector.  

Analyst at Korean brokerage and investment banking company Shinhan Investment Corp, Kim Young-Chan commented:

“Sales of high-end handsets are lagging behind expectations, while low-to mid-end handsets are selling briskly worldwide. As the portion of low-to mid-range handsets is expected to increase in Samsung’s overall mobile phone business, this has also sparked concerns about thinning margins and lower growth.”

The slide in Samsung shares comes after Woori Securities; Korea’s leading securities firm reduced its price target for Samsung by 4.8 percent to 2.0 million SK won this week, citing weakening profit growth of is mobile business – which generate around 70 percent of Samsung’s total profit.

The securities firm also cut 2013 and 2014 earnings per share forecasts by 9.2 percent and 11.7 percent respectively.  

Head of tech-sector research at KDB Daewoo Studies, Song Jong-Ho said:

“After market talk of Galaxy S4 sell-ins being worse-than-excepted, third-quarter sales forecasts are seen revised down from 30 million to 25 million handsets sold (globally).

The leading global financial services firm, JP Morgan also slashed its earnings estimates and said monthly orders for the S4 have been cut by 20-30 percent to between seven and eight million from July due to weak demand in Europe and south Korea.

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Alongside the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and four leading UK universities, Jaguar Land Rover’s research programme will provide the UK an opportunity to take a global lead in virtual simulation technology.

The unique £10 million, five year collaboration between JLR and academia (universities of Loughborough, Leeds, Cambridge & Warwick) will not only develop the capability of the UK’s virtual simulation industry, but give manufacturers access to new, world class simulation tools and processes.

Announcing the funding during his visit to Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, the Rt Hon Vince Cable MP commented:

“With world class universities and cutting-edge companies like Jaguar Land Rover, the UK is well placed to be at the forefront of driving innovation and developing new technology. This investment will support the government’s industrial strategy by boosting the UK manufacturing’s capability and helping to keep us globally competitive.”

This is just the first phase of a 20 year strategic project that could put the UK at the leading edge of virtual simulation globally. The research will improve the quality and capabilities of simulation, using sights, sounds and even smells to make virtual simulation more realistic.

Manufacturers will be able to deliver more complex new vehicle programmes swifter and save costs in product development with reduced reliance on real world prototypes.

JLR Engineer Director, Bob Joyce said:

“While we already utilise a wide range of sophisticated virtual engineering tools and processes to design, engineer and test our new vehicles, we are to enhance the full capability of virtual simulation and tailor them for automotive product development.

“We want to make advances in the simulated driver and passenger experience, including more realistic imagery, sounds and even smells. These projects will help us analyse increasingly complex cars at whole vehicle, system and component levels, as well as enhancing the high performance computers that industry will use in the future to mine increasing amounts of more complex data.”

He continued:

“Jaguar Land Rover believes the UK needs to be globally competitive in industrial innovation. Collaboration between JLR and academic to develop new automotive applications will give the UK an opportunity to take a lead in virtual simulation technology.”

ESPRCS’s Chief Executive, Professor David Delpy added:

“This partnership shows how the research community can work hand-in-hand with industry to push boundaries in science and engineering. ESPRC’s role, as a sponsor of innovative research, has been to work with JLR to define the longer term research needs of the industry, issue a call for proposals and facilitate robust peer review.”

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Completed on 3 June and handled by unique business-seller BCMS Corporate, the Preactor Group currently operates through subsidiaries in North America, India, Europe and China; with its breakthrough APS software proving to be its breakthrough.

Installed by over 4,500 SMEs and multinationals in 75 countries, Preactor’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) solution optimises production and logistics, boosts productivity, improve adherence to delivery deadlines and reduces costs.

Frequently integrated with ERP, MES and SCM, Preactor offers a portfolio of applications ranging from mid to long-term capacity planning to detailed scheduling and has been translated into 30 languages.

The Preactor Group’s President and CEO, Mike Novels commented:

“We have no plans to divert from our existing successful course. With our highly qualified workforce and Siemens behind us, we will be in a position to supply our future-oriented APS software solutions as a global partner backed by worldwide presence and support.

“We will be making a major contribution to the ability of companies around the world over to fully utilise their resources and adhere to confirmed deadlines.”

Integrated into Siemens Industry Automation Systems, the division supports the entire value chain of the business’ industrial customers through an unrivalled combination of automation technology, industrial control technology and industrial software.

Comprising five interrelated units – Industrial Automation Systems, Control Components & Systems, Engineering Sensors & Communications, Siemens PLM Software and Water Technologies – the division can shorten the time-to-market of new products by up to 50 percent.

Associate Director within the BCMS Major Transactions Group who led the deal, Hugh Ashburner said:

“We were engaged by the shareholders of the Preactor Group to identify the best strategic acquirer for the business. We had several meetings with potential acquirers, and it was with Siemens that the best fit was found.”

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A Fleetmatics Group brand, SageQuest’s guide offer information specific to enterprise fleet operators to enable them to critically evaluate a variety of options and choose the system that best meets their business’ specific requirements.

The Buyer’s Guide gives a thoroughly in-depth explanation of the four key capabilities of GPS tracking solutions – data collection, data transmission, turning data into information & customer presentation – and highlights the pros and cons for both handheld systems and real-time vehicle-based solutions.

The guide also demonstrates how GPS tracking systems are used by other companies to carry out operations such as auditing timecards and billing, real-time dispatch and supervision, eliminating unwanted driver behaviours and driving improvements in efficiency and production.   

SageQuest’s UK Managing Director, Peter Bingham commented:

“Choosing a provider for your company’s GPS tracking solution is an important decision – a decision that your business will have to live with for a long time when you consider that the average contract agreement is for three years.

“That’s why it’s essential to spend the time in ensuring you are opting for the right solution to not only manage your company’s long-term business needs but to also ensure you are given the right level of customer service and support from your chosen supplier.

“The SageQuest Buying Guide makes it simple for enterprise fleet operators to know what to look for in a system and this is important when it comes to GPS tracking systems; a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t always have the capabilities required to manage large fleets of more than 50 vehicles.”

First published in 2007, a recent survey of readers indicated that 86 percent of respondents felt more comfortable in making a purchasing decision after reading the guide.

You can download your copy of the 2013 Buyer’s Guide here

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A world leader in voice-enabled solutions for mobile workers, Vocollect has partnered with platinum-level Total Solution Provider, Vitech Business Group to share the major operational optimisations being achieved at Fox Head Inc.

Fox Head is currently the most recognised and best-selling brand of motocross apparel in the world, with offices in Irvine and Morgan Hill - California, Calgary – Canada and Barcelona – Spain. Its highly successful initial deployment of Vocollect Voice for picking resulted in a rise in accuracy (from 82 percent to 99.9), productivity (up 50 percent), reduced training time (from one day to 1.5 hours) and six month ROI.

Fox’s Global Vice President of Operations, Robby Dhesi commented:

“We would have been happy with the results we attained from using voice just with picking, but the value-add we’ve found in applying voice for many other workflows and the ability to interleave tasks has taken us to an entirely new level of workforce optimisation.”

With integration support from Vitech Business Group and its HighJump warehouse management system (WMS), Fox uses voice to support picking, replenishment, cycle-counting, slotting, receiving and soon, packing. Having to process 35,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) across multiple business channels, including e-commerce, international retail and wholesale, Vocollect Voice has been invaluable.

Vocollect Voice has served as a catalyst for company growth, enabling, among others, the ability to:

• Keep pace with a highly fluctuating and rapid order volume
• Improve labour management
• Address geographical and cultural customer ordering differences

Dhesi continued:

“We will soon launch a packing station application for voice in our distribution centres. We think it’s also going to help us eliminate as much as 50 percent of unnecessary travel time, which will help us meet seasonal order demands with our existing workforce even better.

“Voice enables the highest levels of accuracy and order detail required for e-commerce, catalogue and mail order operations to maintain top-level customer service. The superior accuracy level through voice also reduces the cost of returns. We’re also planning to extend voice to receiving in our North American operations this year.”

Vocollect’s Vice President – Americas Sales, Marc Osgoodby added:

“Fox is a prime example of how Vocollect and its ecosystem of certified supply chain solution partners help companies run a better business. The operational efficiencies Fox has gained through its voice-centric deployment have generated a bottom-line boost as well as highly satisfied customers.”

Dhesi’s insights and experiences are also profiled in Vocollect’s new e-book, The Talking Warehouse: Understanding How Voice Unleashes Higher Performance in Product Distribution

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A business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division, Siemens PLM Software is offering students the chance to augment classroom learning with anytime access to training in Siemens NX software, Teamcenter portfolio and Tecnomatix portfolio.

With the same courses used by leading commercial global manufacturing companies, an individual subscription to the entire library of more than 1,000 self-paced courses is being made available to technical high schools, colleges and universities for less than the cost of an average single textbook.

Assistant Department Head of Computer Graphics & Associate Professor at Purdue University, Nate Hartman commented:

“There is simply not enough time in our curriculum to cover every aspect of the software. The projects we ask students to perform in NX and Teamcenter require them to dig a bit deeper than the concepts we demonstrate to them. So Learning Advantage helps us supplement what we demonstrate to the students in class and also helps us keep our faculty’s skills sharp.”

Currently in use by more than 11,000 academic institutions around the world, Siemens’ PLM Software, the ability to enhance and grow an effective talent base is core to sustained competitiveness, according to Deloitte’s 2013 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index.

The index also found that access to talented workers is the top indicator of a country’s competitiveness, followed by foreign trade, financial and tax systems, and the cost of labour and materials.

Using the same technology employed by more than 71,000 manufacturers around the world, Siemens’ Learning Advantages self-assessment tools enable students to measure and validate application knowledge, as well as track and record their progress throughout each course; fortifying their engineering skills and enhancing their CVs for potential job opportunities.

Senior Director, Partner Strategy, Siemens PLM Software, Bill Boswell stated:

“We’ve heard from the global academic community that engineering classroom and lab times is focused on software training in basic concepts, leaving little time for advanced instruction. Through the use of Learning Advantage, students and educators can augment their educational experience using the same training courses that their potential future employers use every day.

And in the US, Community Colleges play a unique role in retraining workers and educating students for skilled manufacturing jobs.”

Iowa Western Community College Instructor and Program Chair, Joe Vanstrom said:

“Learning Advantage is a great tool for both educators and students. (It) helps students isolate issues and provides a concise learning plan to address them. Its self-paced format helps me stay ahead of my students and develop comprehensive lesson plans covering sometimes overlooked features in the software. In the future, I will also use Learning Advantage’s online assessments for testing my students’ skills.”

Learning Advantage academic subscriptions are available immediately, with courses in English, German, Chinese and Japanese languages.

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Ian Campbell, Mike Kelly and Dr Bruno Le Razer have launched Innovate 2 Make (i2M), a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing components for the aerospace, automotive, motorsport and medical industries.

 Having already invested £750,000 into a site on Tachbrook Park, in Lemington Spa, and the acquisition of an EOS M280 400 watt laser melting platform (the very latest metal additive manufacturing machine); i2M is now in talks with a number of blue chip clients.

Ian Campbell, who has worked in air weapons in aerospace, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), IBM, TWR and Arrows F1, commented:

“Additive manufacturing has the potential to cause a paradigm shift in the way we design and make things...it is simple as that. We can now manufacture from the ‘inside out’ and through the use of layers achieve angles and shapes that – a few years ago – would have been deemed impossible.

“There’s a lot of people and universities talking about additive manufacturing or venturing into making the odd prototype. We are looking at this technology with a view to developing techniques and processes that will guarantee high quality components in medium to high volumes. This is relatively early-stage in the marketplace.”

With support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), i2M is in discussions regarding the possibility of re-designing critical components to make them lighter, more cost effective and enhanced long-term performance.

Mike Kelly, who has been involved in additive manufacturing since the very early days of 3D printing technology added:

 “Our aim is to get involved with the client at the earliest possible stage we can influence their thinking, from the initial design right through to the material selection, prototyping and volume production.

“This is a great opportunity and a major challenge all rolled into one. A the moment additive manufacturing is a lot like CNC machining was in its infancy...industry knew it was the next big thing, but had to be convinced they could achieve the control and repeatable quality we now take for granted today.”

He continued:

“I see our role as helping to bring this market to maturity and believe we’ve already come up with ways in which we can use the technology to provide customers with full traceability, full control of material properties and long-term performance of the components.

“Better still, we can actually simplify the number of parts that are used in the process, with one medical product reduced from 32 individual components to just one.”

Qualified materials scientist and responsible for the firm’s material development, Dr Bruno Le Razer said:

“You can secure massive weight and cost savings by using alternative materials and embracing additive manufacturing.

“We’ve already see the effect of changing airline seat belt buckles from steel to titanium, with a total weight saving of 74kg. Based on the lifecycle of an Airbus A380, this equates to a 3,300,000 litres of fuel saving and 740,000 less tonnes of CO² emissions.

“We are currently working on a number of similar components that we believe can change the way automotive, aerospace and medical sectors operate.”

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Software vendors want everybody’s software to share the same look and feel; with everyone using the same protocols for opening up applications so that their own software will easily interface with others and vice-versa.

Customers of Public Cloud software want the same ecosystem as well for all the same reasons. The customer wants to have a choice of multiple apps to satisfy their own specific business requirements. Additionally, they will benefit from knowing that software solutions that they, and others, will want in the future have a very strong likelihood of being developed in this same ecosystem.

As a corollary, the software developer also benefits in that there is a very high chance that future software solutions that could connect to their software will be developed in the Public Cloud that they have chosen. As the community of developers, users and ecosystem grows, developers can spend more time focusing on their core competencies, confident that their customers will value their solution much more if they can plug in other required connecting pieces effortlessly.

Talk Has Been Cheap

The concept of a software vendor community is not new. Indeed, it seems there have always been movements for software vendors to adopt standards and protocols. But, until recently, there’s been little action to put money where the mouth is, especially when it comes to ERP. That is changing.

The Public Cloud Salesforce.com platform is a fresh force insuring the success of software standards. Not only does its force.com platform provide development tools used by a large community of software vendors to ensure their products react as though they belong to the same family, it also serves up common objects, including customer, product, vendor and employee, which all software developers, including ERP providers, should use in their software solutions.

Significantly, there are certain coding standards for development which facilitate the connection of different applications on the same platform. Salesforce.com undertakes periodic software reviews to insure adherence to this standard, providing teeth to the rules dictating that those developing software for their platform are, indeed, developing communal software.

They don’t do this just to be helpful. To grow its brand, Salesforce.com needs these applications to easily integrate. By creating software standards and enforcing them, the company insures that this goal is met. As a result, we all benefit.

Yes, it’s a win-win for all. Software vendors want to become part of this community’s ecosystem because it extends their applications with a minimum investment to a wide audience of prospects. That’s because customers/users are beginning to look first at the Salesforce.com application exchange for solutions that hook to the Saleforce.com CRM and other software applications, the same applications to which their presently-installed software is connected.

Customers want to find such solutions; vendors want such customers to find them.  

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The Talkman A700 solution improves user productivity while reducing the need, cost and management of multiple peripherals, creating an entirely new mobile worker experience.

Vocollect’s solution facilitates hands-free scanning for process steps such as inducing totes at the beginning of assignments, batch-picking and product traceability, while retaining the ergonomic and performance benefits of a compact, purpose-built mobile device.

Vocollect’s Vice President of Product Management, Jay Armant commented:

“With the advent of our A700 solution, there is no better time for companies to take a new look at voice for transforming their distribution operations. As the global voice market leader, Vocollect brought forth a vision of the voice-centric warehouse, and today offers the most comprehensive end-to-end, integrated solution to help companies optimised their supply chain performance.”

Designed to be used by both new and existing users of Vocollect Voice, the A700 provides a flexible, configurable architecture approach, allowing it to adapt to new supply chain challenges as the environment evolves.

Dematic Vice President and General Manager of Software and Supply Chain Intelligence, Robert Nilsson added:

“We are excited to see our strategic global partner integrate scanning and voice technologies in a single compact unit. With our growing software capabilities in warehouse controls, we can now execute voice direction with quality control and product tracking functions that often require a scanning device.

“Having these capabilities in a single platform improves efficiency and delivers a better customer experience.”

Senior Director, Hardware Systems, Manhattan Associates, Bill Morris said:

“In the past we have deployed Bluetooth ring scanners to support scanning in voice workflows. All indications are that eliminating the extra piece of equipment, the additional battery required to power the scanner, and the management of pairing the Bluetooth scanners to the Vocollect Talkman A700 solution will be beneficial in both productivity and reduction of maintenance.”

Due to be commercially available early this autumn, the A700 solution supports a range of innovative features to accelerate deployment and improve both system performance and user comfort:

• Vocollect SoundSense– maximising speech recognition quality by blocking unwanted environmental sounds
•  Vocollect TouchConnect– Brings immediate touch-pairing of worker’s Vocollect SRX2 wireless headset to the A700, reducing start-up times
• Vocollect RapidStart– Provides workers with consistent, self-guided education, minimising supervisory coaching time and increasing the speed of work competency
• Personalised Voices– Introduces a new option which enhances the nearly 200 voice options currently offered by Vocollect, providing additional flexibility for their distribution operations environment

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The new EVX-530 series portable radios, EVX-5300/5400 mobile radio series and EVX-R70 repeater is Vertex Standard’s latest endeavour to offer a complete digital solution.

The compact new radios are designed to deliver enhanced capabilities and flexibility for greater communication, working with existing analogue radios for supremely easy conversion.

Ideally suited for commercial and industrial applications, to replace basic two-way radio currently being employed for voice communications; customers benefit from better audio quality, coverage and privacy without incurring higher equipment costs.

EMEA Distribution Director for Vertex Standard LMR, Paul De Carte commented:

“We built the eVerge radio series to be highly compatible for customers who need greater flexibility and maximum value. The name eVerge is comprised of two principles: evolve to change and emerge to be known.

“It’s important that radio users understand that not all digital radios are the same, and not all brands of digital radios will talk to each other in digital mode. eVerge digital radios help customers evolve to better communication and do digital right the first time – getting the right radio with the right protocol and right performance – all at a better cost to connect without compromise.”

The ability to operate in both digital and analogue modes enables users to migrate to digital at their own convenience to best support their functional and financial needs. The series are also designed to help customers use the right digital protocol, TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), for optimum power and spectrum efficiency.

eVerge’s portable EVX-530 series and mobile EVX-5300/5400 series offer enhanced communications including:

• Better call quality versus analogue
• Enhanced call management capabilities to control who hears what is transmitted on a channel
• Enhanced privacy when operating in digital mode without the need for extra encryption hardware
• EVX-530 series key features include up to 40 percent longer battery life operating in digital mode and IP 57 fresh water submersible for 1 metre up to 30 minutes
• Entire eVerge series provides complete suite of safety alert capabilities
• Exclusive Auto Range Transpond System (ARTS) monitoring that enables users to always know their connection status with other ARTS-enabled radios

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MD: Could you please provide a brief overview for Autodesk? (In terms of history, ongoing ethos, product offerings)

DS: Autodesk helps people imagine, design and create a better world. Everyone—from design professionals, engineers and architects to digital artists, students and hobbyists—uses Autodesk software to unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets.

In Autodesk’s experience, what are some of the challenges manufacturers are currently facing on a global scale?

The manufacturing industry is quite diverse, comprising multiple segments and sub-segments. It’s our experience, however, that whether a company makes automotive components, conveyor equipment, or luxury watches, the challenges they face when bringing products to market have more similarities than differences. 

The common challenges we have heard from our customers include meeting customer expectations for product complexity; reliability; affordability within ever tightening delivery schedules; compliance with regulations; and increasing competition in today’s global marketplace.

How does Autodesk’s existing software not only address, but provide innovative solutions to these challenges?

A common characteristic among companies who've achieved superior financial performance in today’s challenging global competitive marketplace is the adoption of Autodesk Digital Prototyping.

These companies use Digital Prototyping extensively, not just in engineering, but throughout the entire process of developing new products, from concepting, design and engineering, through test and validation, into manufacturing and production.

Furthermore, these companies leverage a comprehensive data management approach that allows multiple people and departments to collaborate on a single digital product model while maintaining the appropriate level of control and change management.

The on-ramp to Digital Prototyping for companies of all sizes is Autodesk® Product Design Suite, which includes Autodesk® Inventor® and Autodesk solutions for simulation and data management to support the overall workflow.

The advantage of Digital Prototyping over conventional methods is two-fold:  because more product knowledge is available earlier in the process, data loss is minimised or eliminated as you move downstream, and physical prototypes can be eliminated.

This means productivity is dramatically increased while costs are reduced significantly. At the same time, the ability to innovate is dramatically increased, which results in bringing a better product to market in less time, resulting in increased revenue, market share and customer preference over the competition.

Simulation is critical to Digital Prototyping. It helps digitally evaluate how a product will perform and respond to the physical conditions it will experience in actual operation. By leveraging the simulation capabilities in Digital Prototyping, manufacturers can answer critical questions like is it strong enough? Can I make it lighter? What happens when it moves? Will it fail? The ability to do this without the need to construct a physical prototype can provide a significant competitive advantage. 

At the end of the day, our primary goal at Autodesk is to ensure that our customers are able to manage the Digital Prototyping process from concept all the way through to manufacturing, while making sure the right stakeholders get the right data at the right time.

What are some of the enhanced functions and innovations included in Product Design Suite 2014?

Available in Standard, Premium or Ultimate editions, Autodesk Product Design Suite 2014 offers an economical way for customers to access their primary design software, plus the complementary software and cloud services needed to more effectively complete design, engineering, or entertainment creation tasks.

A key addition to the portfolio of suites is Autodesk ReCap; a family of new reality capture software and cloud services that simplify the process of creating intelligent 3D data of physical objects and environments using laser scans and photos.

This allows customers to bring the actual job site or physical object directly into their design and engineering process. Rather than beginning with a blank screen, designers and engineers can add, modify, validate and document their design process in context. For example, a machine designer may use Autodesk ReCap to capture the operating environment of a proposed new product and consider that during the design phase or as a more realistic background during design reviews or sales presentations.

The 2014 release also contains AutoCAD Raster Design software, which extends the value of scanned engineering drawings and maps, aerial photos, and satellite imagery. Effective use of such information translates into dollars saved.

Finally, Autodesk Product Design Suite 2014 now also includes Autodesk Inventor Professional, while the Ultimate edition includes Autodesk Navisworks Manage for clash detection.

How is Autodesk responding to growing trends among manufacturers to embrace mobility and cloud-based applications/services?

The flexible, economical software access provided by Autodesk Suites means designers and engineers have a broader palette of tools to choose from — they can choose the best tool for the job at hand and better respond to changing business requirements.

Suites customers on Autodesk Subscription will have access to select Autodesk 360 cloud services, which extends the suites workflow advantage by connecting the desktop to secure and virtually infinite computing power in the cloud, helping subscribers rapidly design, visualise, simulate, and share their ideas anywhere, anytime.

What’s next in terms of future innovations for design software in general, where is the market heading and how will/is Autodesk respond/ing?

At Autodesk, we’ll continue to create desktop software and cloud offerings that help users become more productive and, as always, dedicate resources to delivering enhancements requested by our customers.

We also intend to provide new and more powerful cloud services that enable our users to be creative while mobile or working across multiple devices, which will allow them to work whenever, wherever and however they want.

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Antony Bourne, global industry director at enterprise applications firm IFS, said:

“Chrysler Group announced over the weekend that it’s recalling nearly half a million SUVs worldwide, after discovering a fault with circuit boards which can shift gears from park to neutral without warning.

“This follows similar problems for the likes of Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and Honda recently, and will put Chrysler’s global supply chains under a great deal of stress over the coming weeks. The company will no doubt be pooling its resources already to keep disruption to its day-to-day business to a minimum.

“Chrysler is recalling all 469,000 Jeeps and offering owners a free software update to fix the problem. Luckily, no spare parts will be needed – one of the biggest problems faced by manufacturers in this scenario is quickly replenishing global stock levels, running at full capacity to assemble and deliver new parts to destinations around the world.

“But it won’t be plain sailing. The success of such a wide-scale recall heavily relies on the company having immediate, simple access to all necessary information, coupled with scrupulous planning and management at all levels globally.

“Chrysler will be hoping its traceability systems are able to notify owners of the fault and physically call the cars in for repair – the oldest of the affected vehicles were manufactured eight years ago, so it will be interesting to see if the required systems and processes were sufficiently in place that long ago.

“Advancements in technologies like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications, used to manage supply chains and ensure quality control, means the old excuse that these incidents are unavoidable no longer stands up.

“There’s a wide range of tools available to analyse and monitor quality control and maintain proper procedure, all but eliminating this sort of costly recall. Problems like Chrysler’s, though, and what seems like a never-ending tide of similar recalls by other manufacturers, suggest that these systems are not in place or are not optimised to the right level.

“It’s vital that manufacturers get their supply chain management in order – the initial financial outlay and time associated with implementing or upgrading ERP systems is nothing compared to the resources spent and negative PR suffered through addressing these global product recalls.”

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Generating over £140 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and employing around 2.6 million people in 2010 alone, the manufacturing sector is crucial to the UK economy. It’s a sector which stands to benefit substantially from utilising technology to streamline production processes and boost productivity.

New technologies are enabling businesses across all sectors increased efficiency and it’s imperative that those in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing are responsive to the opportunities offered by the digital age, remaining ahead of the curve by embedding mega-trend technologies into their business models.

Education is key to helping businesses recognise the enabling potential of ICT and the Welsh Government is hosting a workshop looking specifically at the use of ICT in manufacturing at a national event – Digital 2013.

Digital 2013

The event - at the Celtic Manor in Newport, South Wales on 3 and 4 June - will give around 1,000 businesses the opportunity to hear from global ICT thought-leaders - from organisations including HP, IBM and Microsoft - on current ICT topics and what they could mean for businesses in the UK.

As part of the event, an ‘ICT and Advanced Materials and Manufacturing’ workshop will take place, focusing specifically on how businesses in this sector can best exploit ICT; including a close look at how technology can be harnessed to simplify supply chain management processes and improve customer relations, logistics, warehousing and distribution practices.

The workshop will also look at how smart manufacturing is seeing companies introduce a combination of technologies to streamline manufacturing processes - such as the introduction of community platforms for the virtual plant enterprise, and through open platform software and hardware to integrate and transfer data between SMEs and OEMs.

Smart manufacturing

Crucially, the workshop will focus on how smart manufacturing is bringing about flexibility in reprogramming schedules, speeding up production times and offering key environmental benefits for businesses.

With electronic security being paramount for businesses utilising ICT, the workshop will also look at ICT security issues that are specific to the manufacturing industry. It’s hoped that delegates will leave the workshop ready and confident to develop their own ICT security, continuity and disaster recovery plans for their businesses.

Issues around big data solutions in manufacturing will also be covered in the event, including how big data is helping generate new insights and responses from collected data – important in the context of predictive modelling within digital manufacturing.

The cloud

Cloud-based technology will also form a key part of discussions, with the workshop looking at how the adoption of remote network solutions is allowing manufacturers cost-sharing benefits, ease of collaboration with peers and the ability to conduct business in accessible, non-traditional locations.

It’s our goal that the workshop will showcase the implications new technologies have for manufacturing and demonstrate how, with the right insight and know-how, all businesses stand to benefit. Effective adoption of ICT is essential for companies wishing to position themselves in the global market as world-class operators.

It is imperative that, as an industry, we recognise ICT as a key enabler in supporting innovation in products, processes and services. By exploiting digital technology in this way, the UK manufacturing sector will have every chance to compete on the world stage in the digital age.

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The internet has provided many useful and time saving opportunities both for businesses and consumers. Without doubt, the biggest of them all is communication, whether through websites, electronic newsletters, social media, forums or simply email and messages. 

We can be more easily connected to a greater number of people and businesses than ever before. We can research potential suppliers using the ubiquitous Google. We can engage with them as groups to discuss our requirements and, of course, we can buy goods and services.

This connectedness has enabled a digital form of procurement often referred to as e-procurement. We are now able to specify our requirements, share them with interested parties and get quotes before selecting our supplier.

Buying specific items has never been easier; there are sites that trawl prices for consumer goods and connect you with a single click to the cheapest supplier, sites that aggregate your and others’ needs to bulk buy on your behalf, again saving you money, and there are internet-only retail sites that undercut the traditional high street shops by operating on lower margins and passing on some of the benefit.

This is all well and good for products, but what about services?

It seems that many larger companies and government bodies now procure their business services online. But is this the best way to buy the service? Are you likely to get what you need at the right price? Will the service match your expectations? Will you get the best value for money?

Specification, specification, specification

As with any procurement exercise, specification is key. But can you accurately specify your requirements without consulting the industry experts, i.e. your potential suppliers? Without their input, what you specify is likely be your current solution and is unlikely to take into account any industry developments that may provide a better service and greater value for money.

E-procurement also tends to be hands-off, i.e. read my spec, give me a quote, accept my terms and conditions, etc. Are you sure you want to enter into long-term service contracts with someone you have hardly met, bearing in mind that success will rely on people and relationships as much as the contract and the pricing?

Are you sure your specification and required pricing model meets your future requirements?  How can you be? Because e-procurement requires you to ‘fix’ your requirement there is a tendency to specify shorter-term contracts with fixed pricing mechanisms, effectively commoditizing your needs. 

While this may help with your short-term cost base, it will also stifle innovation, reduce the overall value for money gained and restrict a supplier’s ability to adapt to your changing business needs as time goes by. 

Additionally, the supplier will be unable to develop bespoke solutions to your needs as the shorter length of the contracts will impact on their ability to invest in you and your business.

The strengths of e-procurement

• Buying commodities - if your requirement is easily specified, short term or a one off, i.e. a transport load or a pallet from A-to-B on a specific day, time and to a clear lead-time, then e-procurement is appropriate and could save you time and money

• Researching and short-listing - if you need to develop a short list of potential suppliers quickly then e-procurement can help you gain access to the wider market, communicate with the supplier base and quickly shortlist suppliers based upon a set of pre-qualification questions.  As a first stage, e-procurement will save you time and money

The weaknesses of e-procurement

• The resultant agreement is unlikely to have the flexibility needed for a long-term contract

• You will not have met the team and had the opportunity to build confidence in their ability to meet your requirements

• You won’t have that all-important relationship that is required to ensure the long-term success of any complex logistics contract

• You will not get the most innovative, value for money offers as your requirements will need to be specified and fixed

• You will miss out on the ‘give and take’ during the contract negotiations that ensure you get the best value for money

In summary, while e-procurement has a place in today’s logistics environment, so too does the good old-fashioned need to speak to people, understand their needs and negotiate a good value for money contract face-to-face.

If you want Davies & Robson to help you navigate the outsourcing or renewal of a logistics services contract please contact Paul Wilson on 07515 876346

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Dell laptops, which adhere to stringent regulatory standards, are to be pre-loaded with FlySmart with Airbus software and installed as Class-2 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) equipment in an effort to eliminate the need to carry paper-based flight documentation.

 Class-2 EFB equipment covers a device, such as a portable laptop which is connectable to an aircraft’s avionics systems and power supply, but can be disconnected and removed to enable pilots to continue working with the data while preparing for the next flight.

The device can be used at any point during a flight to access performance applications, electronic documentation like operational manuals, weather information, navigation charts and airport information.  

Airbus Executive Vice-President of Customer Services, Didier Lux commented:

“Airbus is dedicated to helping airlines enhance the profitability of their fleets by working with industry experts like Dell OEM to deliver the best possible solution. Pilots will soon benefit from the very latest portable IT technology for viewing and interacting with their key documentation and information during all stages of the flight.

“Further, this powerful and robust EFB solution will add value and increase efficiency to their daily work.”

Dell’s solution ensures the overall physical robustness needed for a cockpit operational environment, as well as complying with all regulations, security measures and in-depth data and device management options.

Vice-President and General Manager OEM Solutions at Dell, Joyce Mullen added:

“Dell OEM’s ability to deliver customisable, best in class solutions designed to meet unique business goals is crucial to our customers. Our market insight, flexibility and speed differentiate us from other Tier One manufacturers and integrators.

“Our relationship with Airbus further cements our commitment to the aviation industry and our agility in delivering and supporting the EFB solutions to Airbus customers globally reinforces the strength and efficiency of our global supply chain.”

This initial partnership announcement covers solutions for Airbus’ Single Aisle aircraft, though the agreement has the scope to broaden the application to additional aircraft types.

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Forbes’ first prediction: ‘The accelerating, chaotic pace of change driven by customers, will force the majority of Fortune 500 companies to reconsider and refine their ERP and enterprise computing strategies.’

An interesting prediction, especially as many smaller manufacturers have shown that there are still businesses struggling along with spreadsheets, rather than the creaking ERP systems of the corporates.

The Fortune 500, according to Forbes, says the key driver in upgrading ERP systems is revenue-generation: ‘existing systems are getting in the way of attracting new customers and holding onto current ones.’

The smaller sector however, is more likely to enter the ERP arena, to improve productivity without increasing staffing levels - a move that also results in improved customer service.

In this ever-changing market place, smaller players have unprecedented opportunities to grab market share from larger competitors by using ERP systems to gear up, stay nimble, and generate increased capacity.

Those of us who offer ERP systems to smaller organisations have to be more responsive than the providers of giant systems, as we have to be really inventive to satisfy the varied demands of smaller manufacturers.

For example, Senstronics, a manufacturer of bespoke high-accuracy, thermally-compensated pressure sensors and transducers, has used our Priority integrated ERP system for 14 years. It has no plans to change, because the system is flexible enough to meet all the current and foreseen requirements of its business.

Second prediction: ‘The highest-performing Chief Information Officers will rejuvenate monolithic, dated ERP systems and make them agile and customer-focused, while at the same time excelling at change management.’

In the smaller sector, the role of CIO rarely exists; it’s the Chief Executive and senior cohorts, such as the Finance Director, who are in the ERP driving seat. 

However, there is little doubt that ERP-focused players are high-performing and that their key strategy is customer focus.

So I concur that those ERP users who make the most of an agile structure and use ERP to keep their organisations as customer-focused as possible will be the most successful in their growth aspirations.

Forbes’ third prediction: ‘Quality ratings of ERP systems by internal customers will become commonplace, including 360-degree feedback on ERP performance.’

“It takes a courageous CIO and senior management staff to value feedback as to how their ERP systems are performing,” says the author.

The contrast here is that staff working in companies in the small manufacturing sector will be giving feedback to their ERP vendors, like my team and I, rather than a CIO.

We are all-ears, when it comes to receiving feedback from our customers about how well their Priority installation is performing, and how we can improve our support to them.

There is always a balance to be struck between how our system has been built, and how a customer wants their systems to work and increasingly, we are able to accommodate the latter in ways which are perfectly affordable.

Forbes’ fourth prediction: ‘ERP systems built on a strong foundation of personas, or clear definition of customers and their roles, will overtake those built just on features alone’.

The contrast here is one of the joys of operating as a small vendor. Whenever we go into a new industry and find a role that we haven’t catered for, we implement it with that customer initially, and then make it a standard optional module within Priority. As a result, Priority is being used in practically every industry, for pretty much every conceivable persona.

All this has come about through building on real people’s needs and is set to continue.

Fifth prediction: ‘Customers will push speed and responsiveness from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have” as advances in mobility platforms and integration make real-time possible.’

Again, there is an advantage in working outside the constraints of a very large player; we have already developed real-time solutions as standard, because our clients need them.

External sales teams need their system when they’re on the road; warehouse workers need to input on a hand-held device. Using hand-helds in their private lives means that staff have no difficulty adapting away from a static PC.

As in the consumer world, and as predicted by Forbes, speed and responsiveness will become ever more important in the future.

Final prediction: ‘What were once considered ERP-based operations bottlenecks will be shown to be lack of customer insight.’

For a good example of this, I will again cite Senstronics, who have pushed through the bottleneck of complex quotations by creating a sales configurator in Priority to make buying easy for its customers. 

When a prospective customer calls for a quote, the system takes them through a series of responsive questions that narrows until the final specifications are defined. The specifications are then evaluated by the system to determine whether it’s a workable entity.

The configurator then pulls in all of the manufacturing and production overheads, so that the quoted price is made up of all costs - including profit.

The beauty of the configurator is that once the customer is happy with the part and the price, they can place the order. The specifications then goes into the manufacturing plan.

Manufacturing and labelling details are supplied on a work order instruction in barcode form, and used throughout the many production processes to build, calibrate, label, and test the product to the customer’s exact requirements.

From the very start, information is only ever entered into the system once.

The configurator has significantly improved Senstronics processes, as work that was previously carried out manually can now be carried out by one person, who can achieve both price and production-ready specifications in a very short period of time. The system takes care of 95 percent of the business’ configuration needs.

In conclusion, companies clinging onto antiquated systems such as spreadsheets will fail to grow, or survive, in all but the most niche operations. Those who focus on reducing costs and increasing sales using ERP will be the winners.

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