Manufacturing Software Guide

Discrete Manufacturing

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:07:09 +0000

Discrete manufacturing is a method that involves the production of the separate parts of a final product. Discrete manufacturing requires flexibility as the manufactured product continues to change and discrete manufacturers must adapt quickly to meet the reflected change in the order coming from another company or consumer demand. In order to succeed, many companies must rely on discrete manufacturing software to streamline their manufacturing processes in order to cut costs and meet the volatile demand for their products.

Companies that commonly use discrete manufacturing are those in the electronic, computer, toy, and car industries.

Job Shop Manufacturing

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:19:09 +0000

Job Shop Manufacturing involves smaller manufacturing processes that involve the production of smaller quantities of goods for multiple clients. Scheduling and allocation of resources is critical to the success of job shop manufacturers. Rapidly adapting to changing customer orders is also necessary to succeed.

Similar to Engineer-To-Order manufacturing, job shop manufacturing is highly specialized to meet the specifications of their customers. Job Shop Manufacturing often involves smaller quantities of production due to the amount of skill and precision necessary to successfully fill the many customer orders.

Mixed-Mode Manufacturing

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:09:26 +0000

Mixed-mode manufacturing involves multiple types of production environments and strategies. Companies that run mixed mode manufacturing plants must quickly switch production without interrupting their existing operations. Often, the number of mixed mode manufacturing companies tends to increase in periods of economic trouble as companies adapt to take on any orders they take in.

Companies looking for mixed-mode manufacturing software often need a flexible solution that can adapt to their rapidly changing production lines. Often, mixed-mode manufacturing companies may look for software that incorporates both discrete and process manufacturing requirements in their ERP solutions. The ability to rapidly adapt to the needs of the market is critical in allowing mixed-mode manufacturers to survive.

Process Manufacturing

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:07:29 +0000

Process manufacturing is a form of manufacturing that result in the formulation of a final product. Unlike other manufacturing processes, the end result of process manufacturing is a final product that cannot be separated into the distinct components used to create the product. Process manufacturing involves the use of recipes and formulas that require exact proportions of different ingredients.

Process manufacturing software must be able to handle distinct and specific processes of the manufacturing process. In able to benefit the manufacturer, process manufacturing software must be able to handle many functions including the management and calculation of input ingredients as well as the packaging of the final product.

Process manufacturers are typically found in the food and chemical industries where the process of manufacturing the final product involve exact amounts of different ingredients. Often, these products cannot be easily separated back into the original component parts used to form the final product.

Process Manufacturing Software Provider Introduces Environmental Reporting Course

admin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:58:23 +0000

Deacom, Inc., producer of process manufacturing software, is offering a training course on environmental reporting for users of the DEACOM Integrated Accounting and ERP Software System.

Wayne, PA (PRWEB) April 16, 2009 — Deacom, Inc., producer of process manufacturing software (http://www.deacom.net/home/process-manufacturing-software.aspx), in June will offer its first in-depth training course on environmental reporting for users of the DEACOM Integrated Accounting and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software System. Part of the DEACOM® University continuing education program, DEACOM® Environmental Reporting will give manufacturers hands-on instruction in the setup and generation of SARA Reports, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), Certificates of Analysis (COA), and other environmental regulatory documents.

DEACOM® Environmental Reporting is designed to teach laboratory and technical personnel how to easily create various federal and state-required environmental reports through the DEACOM ERP System. The two-day course will teach system users how to set up and maintain reports based on current material, formulation, and Quality Control (QC) data. Participants also will learn how to generate up-to-date regulatory data into downloadable PDF files on their corporate Web sites.

Under the supervision of a Deacom instructor, participants will apply course concepts in the development of their own environmental reporting system using actual company data.

“That’s part of DEACOM® University’s value,” explains Deacom Implementation Specialist and course instructor Paul Heinmiller. “By the end of the course, users will not only know how to design reports, but they’ll have completed environmental reports for their companies.”

DEACOM® Environmental Reporting is scheduled for June 10 and 11 at Deacom’s corporate headquarters in Wayne, Pa. Course participants can earn up to 19 CPE credits from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Visit deacom.net (http://www.deacom.net/home/deacom-training.aspx) to register for the program.

To learn more about the DEACOM Integrated Accounting and ERP Software System or to schedule an online demonstration, call 610-971-2278 ext. 15 or visit deacom.net (http://www.deacom.net/home/about-us/contact-us.aspx).

About Deacom, Inc.

Headquartered in Wayne, PA, Deacom, Inc. is the producer of DEACOM, a complete accounting and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for building component (http://www.deacom.net/home/building-component-manufacturing-software.aspx) and process manufacturers (http://www.deacom.net/home/process-manufacturing-software.aspx)with difficult-to-handle requirements. The DEACOM System seamlessly links all departments within a manufacturing company, providing a comprehensive view of the entire operation. By making complex issues simple, Deacom helps streamline manufacturing business processes to maximize productivity and profitability.

Engineer-To-Order (ETO)

admin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:47:16 +0000

Engineer to Order or Build To Order manufacturing is a highly specific manufacturing process. Engineer To Order manufacturers manufacture products based on orders and specifications received from customers. To thrive in this environment, Engineer To Order manufacturers must be able to quickly adapt their factories to meet the needs of constantly evolving customer demands. Customers are often very involved in the process as they provide input and feedback on the manufacturing process in order to tailor it to meet the specifications of their final desired product.

Engineer-To-Order manufacturing works best for products that require high customization. Engineer-To-Order manufacturing also makes sense for products where manufacturing or maintaining inventory can be expensive such as the production of aircraft. Traditional methods of manufacturing will be too inefficient or costly for products made using Engineer-To-Order manufacturing.

Lean Manufacturing

admin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:32:57 +0000

Lean manufacturing or also known as lean production, which is often known simply as “Lean”, is a manufacturing production method that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, “value” is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for. Basically, lean is centered around creating More value with less work. Lean manufacturing is a generic process management philosophy derived mostly from the Toyota Production System (TPS) (hence the term Toyotism is also prevalent) and identified as “Lean” only in the 1990s^[1]. It is renowned for its focus on reduction of the original Toyota seven wastes in order to improve overall customer value, but there are varying perspectives on how this is best achieved. The steady growth of Toyota, from a small company to the world’s largest automaker, has focused attention on how it has achieved this.

Evaluating ERP Manufacturing Software

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:30:10 +0000

Looking for an ERP Manufacturing Software Solution? Not sure what to look for? Here are a few things you should consider when looking to purchase your ERP Manufacturing Solution.

Implementation Period
How soon does your company need the new manufacturing solution?
The time it takes to implement new software can vary from hours to months. Consider the time and hassle it takes to implement the solution and if your company can handle the longer implementation periods for the more complicated manufacturing solutions.

How much are you willing to pay up front?
Timely implementation periods are also very costly as well. Consider how much your company is willing to spend on an implementation and whether or not it fits into the company budget. Implementation costs can vary widely with some SaaS solutions having little or no associated implementation costs while some on premise solutions require costly hardware and software upgrades that require a lot of time and money.

Pricing
What is the company budget for this solution?
Get a sense of a reasonable amount the company is willing to spend on this new solution. Understanding how much the company can budget for this will save lots of time and hassle as it will quickly eliminate solutions that are out of the company’s price range. Also, consider the pay structure and pay model of any considered solutions. Some solutions require high up front costs with monthly maintenance fees while other solutions many require no up front cost but could charge monthly based on the number of users. How a company chooses to charge for their services varies widely. Do your research and find out what the company would be paying in the long run for the different solutions.

Features
What features are your company looking for in the solution?
Understanding the needs of your company is critical in being able to select a solution that will solve your company’s problems. Although a solution may be packed with features, many of them may be useful or irrelevant to what your company needs. Evaluate your own company and determine your needs. Then look at different manufacturing solutions and identify the features of each and how they will help solve your company’s needs.
Proceed to the features page for more in depth information on useful manufacturing software features.

Scalability
Does your company plan to grow soon?
Stay a step ahead by planning for future growth. Choosing an easily scalable solution can save the company plenty of headaches in the long run. Some manufacturing solutions are much more scalable than others. Take company growth into consideration and consider how well the manufacturing solution you choose can grow with your company.

Feedback
What are other people saying about the solution?
Make sure to look at case studies and research to find out what other companies are saying about this solution. Look for reviews and reports that detail the company’s solutions. Also, look at any awards the company may have received for its solution to gauge its performance.