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SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 Adds Innovative New Features to Established Direct Materials Procurement Solution
Wireless kanban, globalization features, and enhanced configurability and usability mark latest major release of proven SRM suite BEDFORD, Mass, 5/24/04 —SupplyWorks, Inc., the leader in direct materials supply management software for discrete manufacturers, today announced the availability of SupplyWorks MAX version 5.0, a major new release. New functionality in SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 includes enhanced kanban-based replenishment to support lean manufacturing, innovative new wireless connectivity based on the Microsoft .NET architecture, advanced globalization features to facilitate worldwide deployments, and a wide range of customer-driven features to support enhanced configurability and usability. Benefits of the new features include freeing up more clerical time for strategic supply management, further lowering of inventory levels without compromising operations, and greater flexibility to configure SupplyWorks MAX to the business processes in virtually any discrete manufacturing environment. "SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 cements our position as the leading application for managing the incoming flow of parts and materials in discrete manufacturing plants," said Jeff Herrmann, president and CEO of SupplyWorks. "This new release underscores our commitment to offer the most complete and comprehensive set of features possible for managing direct spend and synchronizing procurement with production. No other package can match the breadth and depth of SupplyWorks MAX 5.0's purchasing execution, collaborative planning, and strategic sourcing functionalities, along with exceptional ease of use for both buyers and suppliers." An innovative new feature bundled into SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 is a wireless connectivity solution integrated with handheld data input devices on the plant floor. Based on the Microsoft .NET framework, the wireless architecture supports a complete range of devices running Microsoft Pocket PC O/S and Mobile 2003 O/S. It also includes a pre-configured Microsoft Windows applet called SupplyWorks MobileMAX (v1.0), which enables users to download kanban parameters to a handheld device, scan bar codes to capture replenishment requirements, and submit orders from the plant floor directly to suppliers. The new wireless functionality in SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 complements the solution's extensive replenishment features, including the newly enhanced kanban support. In a traditional kanban environment, replenishment depends on the movement of physical cards, manual order creation, and human supervision of orders submitted to suppliers. Wireless kanban triggers supplier shipments from the plant floor with a minimum of human intervention and overhead. This facilitates implementation of a lean manufacturing environment, with low inventories, frequent replenishment, and fast cycle times. Meanwhile, the advanced globalization features introduced in SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 are designed to facilitate worldwide multi-plant deployments. "As manufacturing and direct material sourcing are quickly becoming a global phenomenon, supply management solutions must be ready to install rapidly in diverse locations and cope with a far-flung, distributed supply chain," added Herrmann. SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 incorporates numerous additional enhancements in the areas of configurability and usability, based on SupplyWorks' substantial customer experience in field use. Examples include configurable tolerances for alerts and notifications, configurable system preferences, new labor-saving automation features such as mass-submittal of orders, and improved data export from SupplyWorks views into Microsoft Excel. SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 is available immediately and is in the process of being deployed at established SupplyWorks customers in the automotive and industrial sectors.
About SupplyWorks
Media Contacts: Erik Clausen or Nicole Piotrowicz |
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