Shortlist Cover.qxp:Layout 1 7/5/08 12:31 Page 41 A special report from The definitive guide IT systems, software and services for UK manufacturing In partnership with lean/agile business systems CAD/CAM and PLM enterprise systems factory/plant/automation supply chain systems IT & network infrastructure Contents Foreward.qxp:Layout 1 2/5/08 10:42 Page 42 IT Shortlist 2008: in print and online critical business and operational potential? We pick up on the thinking at analysts hortlist 2008 is our annual reference directory of IT Butler Group and Gartner, and explore systems, software, ICT consultancy and service everything from Microsoft’s collaborative Sproviders. Our objective in this issue is to make your SharePoint Server portal range and task of finding and shortlisting IT suppliers as fast, easy and enterprise content management (ECM) efficient as possible. solutions, to the raft of so-called We start by examining subtle, but important, changes in enterprise service buses (ESBs) and new the way manufacturing business leaders view the value and potential of RFID on page 44. nature of their IT investments – and the upsides and As for supplier shortlisting, your first port of call is downsides of that. The real concern going forward is that opposite, on page 43: the alpha list by function. Look for the technology itself has largely fallen off the business thinking functionality you require to find appropriate suppliers that radar. At most, we see directors explaining that new IT should be on your shortlist – then go to the pages indicated solutions are needed because they have become over-reliant for further details. on unsupported and/or under-developed software, or that Starting on page 49, you will find details on key they want a more modern, user-friendly system. providers of solutions, systems and services – in alpha order Foreword That may not matter – there’s not a lot to choose between by company name. Everything is covered: from providers of many of today’s systems, post consolidation, anyway – but ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems to supply chain the worry is that we only know what we know. Unless we management systems; advanced planning and scheduling keep up, we’re laying ourselves wide open to missing tricks. (APS) systems to product lifecycle management (PLM) And for manufacturers, that means we’re setting ourselves systems; plant and factory controls to sophisticated up for a fall at the first business hurdles – the ones marked shopfloor data capture systems; and network providers to ‘competitiveness’ and ‘sustainability’. hardware developers. What, for example, is the value of apparently abstruse IT Finally, remember the Manufacturing Computer Solutions advances, such as service orientated architectures (SOA – website at www.mcsolutions.co.uk for your shortlisting. It’s a the concept of configurable, re-usable services in place of key adjunct to the 2008 Shortlist annual, providing access to fixed IT functions)? In a similar vein, what about the products, services, suppliers, business and technology news significance of web technologies that broadly purport to and reference material – both from MCS and filtered sites on enable the ‘c’ word ‘collaboration’ – those that effectively the world wide web. Importantly, it includes a search engine change the scale of ad hoc integration (inside the four walls and database of ICT for manufacturing that’s second to none. and out to customers, suppliers and business partners)? Could some of these hold the keys to unlocking new and Brian Tinham BSc CEng MInstMC FSOE FIPlantE Overview Epicor Software (UK) 51 The benefit of foresight Exel Computer Systems 53 IT is largely taken for granted today. At one IFS UK 55 level, that’s fine, but at another it means Infor 57 opportunities are being overlooked. Brian Inform 59 Tinham examines the issues and suggests K3 Business Technology Group 61 some key topics to get on the agenda 44 Oracle 63 Preactor International 65 Profiles Rent-IT Systems UK 67 Here, we profile the offerings of leading Sage (UK) 69 system and service suppliers to SAP 71 manufacturing industry Sescoi UK 72 SSL WinMan 73 Access Supply Chain 49 XCL Technology Group 75 42 May 2008 www.worksmanagement.co.uk Contents Foreward.qxp:Layout 1 2/5/08 10:45 Page 43 IT Shortlist Contents Contents by function To find the suppliers most relevant to your project requirements, simply use the listing below CAD/CAM/CAE Sescoi 72 Time & attendance Sescoi 72 SSL Winman 73 Access Supply Chain 49 XCL 75 Epicor 51 Product data management Exel Computer Systems 53 Epicor 51 Planning/scheduling IFS 55 Exel Computer Systems 53 Access Supply Chain 49 Infor 57 ICAPS 46 Epicor 51 K3 61 IBM 76 Exel Computer Systems 53 Oracle 63 IFS 55 IBM 76 Sage 69 Infor 57 ICAPS 46 Sescoi 72 Oracle 63 IFS 55 SSL Winman 73 Sage 69 Infor 57 XCL 75 SAP 71 Inform 59 SSL Winman 73 K3 61 Supply chain systems XCL 75 Oracle 63 Access Supply Chain 49 Preactor 65 Epicor 51 Factory/plant systems Rent-IT Systems 67 Exel Computer Systems 53 Access Supply Chain 49 Sage 69 IBM 76 Epicor 51 SAP 71 IFS 55 ICAPS 46 Sescoi 72 Infor 57 IFS 55 SSL Winman 73 Inform 59 Infor 57 XCL 75 K3 61 K3 61 Oracle 63 Sage 69 Business intelligence Preactor 65 SAP 71 Access Supply Chain 49 Rent-IT Systems 67 SSL Winman 73 Epicor 51 Sage 69 XCL 75 Exel Computer Systems 53 SAP 71 IBM 76 SSL Winman 73 Process industry systems IFS 55 XCL 75 Access Supply Chain 49 Infor 57 Epicor 51 Inform 59 IT & network infrastructure IBM 76 K3 61 IBM 76 IFS 55 Oracle 63 ICAPS 46 Infor 57 Sage 69 Infor 57 Oracle 63 SAP 71 K3 61 Sage 69 Sescoi 72 XCL 75 SAP 71 SSL Winman 73 XCL 75 XCL 75 Consultancy services Access Supply Chain 49 Enterprise systems CRM systems Epicor 51 Access Supply Chain 49 Access Supply Chain 49 Exel Computer Systems 53 Epicor 51 Epicor 51 IBM 76 Exel Computer Systems 53 Exel Computer Systems 53 ICAPS 46 IBM 76 IBM 76 IFS 55 ICAPS 46 IFS 55 Infor 57 IFS 55 Infor 57 Oracle 63 Infor 57 K3 61 Sage 69 K3 61 Oracle 63 SAP 71 Oracle 63 Sage 69 Sescoi 72 Rent-IT Systems 67 SAP 71 XCL 75 Sage 69 SSL Winman 53 SAP 71 XCL 75 www.worksmanagement.co.uk May 2008 43 overview.qxp:Layout 1 2/5/08 16:30 Page 44 The benefit of foresight IT is largely taken for granted today. At one level, that’s fine, but at another it means opportunities are being overlooked. Brian Tinham examines the issues and suggests some key topics to get on the agenda ou know, some things never change, advancing technology itself. and vertical-focus application has enabled us and business drivers – healthy Look at speciality chemicals manufacturer to boost our operational effectiveness under competition, cost cutting, and the BWA Water Additives or, for that matter, some very challenging conditions.” Ypursuit of ultimate efficiency and radiation therapy equipment manufacturer Similarly, Martin Christopher, director of IT profit – are right up there. Others do change TomoTherapy. Both recently implemented new at TomoTherapy (which went live a few months though, and one that comes to mind is the ERP systems – and what they have to say of ago on a SAP Business All-in-One ERP solution large number of manufacturers now thinking them is undoubtedly good, insofar as it after just 16 weeks of implementation), of their IT investments almost exclusively in indicates that manufacturing business IT has describes his company’s system as enabling those self-same terms. very much come of age. And yet... international growth – as well as managing It’s subtle: ERP projects were always a Paul Turgeon, president and COO of BWA product innovation electronically and means to the joint ends of cutting costs by (which went for CDC Software’s Ross consolidating its technology leadership. automating business processes, while Enterprise ERP in both the UK and North “With SAP Business All-in-One, we have increasing efficiency by integrating America), says of his system: “Since much better visibility into our global departmental silos – both leading to better implementing Ross Enterprise, we have operations and performance, and we enjoy competitiveness and greater profits. But the exceeded our targets for working capital, the peace of mind that comes from having a detail of those thought processes seems inventory turns and days sales outstanding. fully compliant business system,” he says. “In virtually to have vanished – and with it, any We also now have a deeper and broader view addition, we have more than doubled the consideration of the potential for more radical of the business than we did with our previous throughput for engineering change orders, or tangential advantages conferred by systems… This out-of-the-box, cost-effective which directly benefits our customers.” 44 May 2008 www.worksmanagement.co.uk overview.qxp:Layout 1 2/5/08 16:31 Page 45 IT Shortlist Overview Admittedly, for both of these more modern, user-friendly system. word – collaboration – effectively changing manufacturers, there was slightly more to it Does that matter? On the face of it, no, the scale of ad hoc integration (inside the four than just these top line business assessments. because there’s not a lot to choose between walls and out to customers, suppliers and Each, for example, also makes it clear that the modern systems today, certainly given the business partners) now routinely possible. project team selected a system it felt would be scale of recent consolidation and resulting At one level, many modern ERP systems capable of matching immediate and future standardisation.