Intelligent Manufacturing € November € 1996 € Vol. 2 € No. 11
Intelligent Manufacturing € November € 1996 € Vol. 2
€ No. 11
PeopleSoft Inc. (Pleasanton, Calif.), a provider of client/server
business software, has signed a deal to acquire PeopleSoft
Manufacturing Inc. and PeopleMan LP, a joint development venture and
a limited partnership, collectively referred to as PMI. This
transaction, valued at $28.5 million, is expected to be completed by
the end of the year.
PMI is engaged in developing new applications for discrete
manufacturers, including those having plants located in several
countries. PMI's development work contributed significantly to the
PeopleSoft Manufacturing product suite (see Intelligent
Manufacturing, June 1996).
Founded in 1994 by PeopleSoft and Norwest Venture Capital, PMI's sole
operating objective was to develop a line of manufacturing
application software products using PeopleTools, PeopleSoft's rapid
application development environment. PeopleSoft has exclusive
distribution rights to all of PMI's software application products, as
well as the right to acquire all remaining interests in PMI. Through
the acquisition, PeopleSoft will own and control all technology and
software products incorporated into PeopleSoft Manufacturing, and all
PMI employees will become PeopleSoft employees.
The newly-formed Supply Chain Planning Division (SCP) of American
Software (Atlanta, Ga.) (see Intelligent Manufacturing, September
1996) has signed a partnership agreement with PeopleSoft (see above
item) to provide demand-driven supply chain management solutions. SCP
software (forecasting, demand planning and inventory planning) will
supplement PeopleSoft's Enterprise and Production Planning
products.
Each company will actively promote PeopleSoft and SCP products as
complementary supply chain solutions.
FastMAN Software Systems Inc. (Ottawa, Ont., Canada), a provider
of supply chain planning and scheduling software for manufacturers of
complex products, has changed its name to ProMIRA Software Inc. The
company's flagship product, Reflex, is a suite of applications and
utilities that employs a constraint-based scheduling engine to
support: real-time order promising and on-time delivery; product
change management; global supply chain management; and other asset
optimization analyses.
Workgroup Technology Corp. (Lexington, Mass.), a producer of
product data management (PDM) and workflow systems for engineering
and manufacturing environments, has signed an agreement with SAP
(Wayne, Pa.), a supplier of integrated business software, to tightly
integrate Workgroup Technology's CMS software with SAP's R/3 business
applications software. The integration will allow users to
electronically manage their product information from the first
conceptual models in advanced product marketing through all
manufacturing phases.
CMS manages the processes and related information required during
product development, referred to as the product realization process.
CMS helps improve the product realization process by ensuring the
capture, integrity and efficient distribution of critical product and
process information.
NeoMedia Technologies Inc. (Fort Myers, Fla.), a supplier of
document management hardware, software and systems integration
services, has signed an agreement with Industrial Computer Corp.
(ICC) (Atlanta, Ga.), a vendor of real-time manufacturing execution
system (MES) software. NeoMedia has selected the ICC's Shop Floor
Data Manager (SFDM) software as a component of its solution for
automating the high-speed, print-to-mail industry. NeoMedia will
repackage and resell SFDM as a part of its integrated Document
Factory Software System (DFSS).
NeoMedia will provide business consulting and integration services in
addition to reselling hardware and software as part of its solution.
ICC and Berclain (Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada), a provider of
scheduling and manufacturing synchronization solutions, will provide
manufacturing expertise and system support and be paid a royalty on
system sales. Solution pricing will begin at $500,000. NeoMedia
projects doing $25 million in business the first year, and growing
its print-to-mail automation business to $170 million in three
years.
SFDM will provide the reporting capability for tracking
work-in-process and detailed resource utilization, as well as
providing the integration with Berclain's MOOPI scheduling and
optimization software.
Rockwell Automotive (Heath, Ohio), a manufacturer of specialty
truck axles and bevel gear sets, has gone live with the Resonance
Theory of Constraints/Drum-Buffer-Rope (TOC/DBR) scheduling software
from Thru-Put Technologies (San Jose, Calif.). With DBR/Resonance,
Rockwell expects to halve machining cycle times from four to two
weeks, reduce inventory by $8 million, coordinate manufacturing
operations plantwide to provide materials management visibility to
actual shop floor needs, and increase throughput.
TOC/DBR software helps manufacturers develop finite schedules that
identify, exploit and subordinate their constraints.
Xerox Corp. (Stamford, Conn.), a manufacturer of photocopiers and
other business document systems, and its Japanese division Fuji
Xerox, have jointly selected Structural Dynamics Research Corp.
(SDRC) (Milford, Ohio), a supplier of product data management (PDM)
software, to enhance the efficiency of their worldwide product
development process. Under this multi-year, multimillion-dollar
agreement, SDRC will provide Xerox with I-DEAS Master Series
software, implementation services, software training, and process
reengineering expertise.
Xerox is implementing I-DEAS Master Series software and its
previously acquired licenses of Metaphase Series 2 PDM software
throughout its worldwide design and manufacturing operations under
its "Time-To-Market" initiative. Xerox expects to phase in worldwide
implementation of I-DEAS and Metaphase Series 2 over the next two
years, including its European (Rank Xerox) operations. In addition to
providing software and services, SDRC will work to establish
Competence Centers in Rochester, N.Y., and Tokyo to help Xerox
personnel in the implementation, training and efficient use of the
newly acquired software.
I-DEAS Master Series software addresses Xerox's CAD/CAM/CAE
requirements, providing technology in a single system for designing,
simulating, testing and optimizing product concepts electronically --
long before physical prototypes are constructed. Metaphase Series 2
will help improve the way Xerox creates, shares, accesses, defines,
manufactures and supports its product development process. Using this
integrated suite of tools, Xerox engineering teams can work together
more collaboratively, sharing information and building on each
other's work, while avoiding the time-consuming chore of duplicating
data and translating files from one software system to another.
Nematron (Ann Arbor, Mich.), a manufacturer of PC-based industrial
automation products, has signed a cooperative marketing agreement
with Wonderware Corp. (Irvine, Calif.), a supplier of Windows-based
software for industrial automation. Nematron will provide new
hardware platforms -- the Pentium and Pentium Pro family of Nematron
Industrial Control Computers -- for Wonderware software
distributors.
Effective Management Systems Inc. (EMS) (Milwaukee, Wis.), a
provider of pre-integrated manufacturing software, has formed a
strategic alliance and technology-sharing agreement with Pritsker
Corp. (Indianapolis, Ind.), a supplier of manufacturing scheduling
technology and software. The partnership will join the real-time
data-collection capability of EMS's Time Critical Manufacturing
software with Pritsker's OrderLinX scheduling products.
Tyecin Systems (Los Altos, Calif.), a supplier of planning and
scheduling software to the microelectronics industry, has formed a
consortium to accelerate commercialization of an enterprise
optimization system. Based on Harris Semiconductor's IMPReSS 2.0
enterprise planning system, Tyecin's new TEOS software will provide
supply chain optimization from wafer fabrication through final test
for total order management.
Consortium members include Dallas Semiconductor, Harris
Semiconductor, Hewlett-Packard, Level One Communications and United
Microelectronics. Through consortium input, TEOS (Tyecin Enterprise
Optimization System) will be enhanced to address a broader range of
applications. Tyecin's current simulation-based scheduling and
planning products are being integrated with its TEOS software for
factory level through enterprise supply chain management.
Manugistics (Rockville, Md.), a provider of supply chain
management software, and Ernst & Young LLP (New York, N.Y.), a
management consulting firm, have formed a strategic alliance to
leverage the companies' combined expertise in supply chain
management, enabling clients to more quickly implement and integrate
supply chain management solutions in their existing environments. The
two companies will engage in joint education, training and marketing
activities; share information on technology and product directions;
and implement Manugistics solutions together. Building on the Ernst
& Young Supply Chain Management practice, the Ernst & Young
consulting teams have an in-depth knowledge of Manugistics solutions
and extend Manugistics existing professional services
organization.
Sherpa Corp. (San Jose, Calif.), a supplier of product data
management (PDM) systems and technology, has formed a strategic
partnership with Aspect Development (Mountain View, Calif.), a
provider of component and supplier management (CSM) systems. Sherpa's
IPD (Integrated Product Development) application will be integrated
with Aspect's Explore CSM system.
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