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Dimensional Products Manufacturers
are characterized by the requirement to manage multiple
product lines, with those product lines representing
a broad range of finished
goods. The complexities of the product lines supplied
range from standard stock products to simple
option oriented configurations
to complex dimensional and engineering variations. As
these markets continue to mature and expand,
these product line complexities
can translate into operational and technological challenges
that must be addressed by Dimensional Products
Manufacturers to be successful.
Some of these challenges include:
- Increased Product Complexity: Changing market conditions dictate
increased options within existing product lines, as well as the
introduction of new product lines. Coordination across all departments
is required to maintain the existing product lines and effectively
roll out changes and new product lines as required.
- Reduced Lead Times: Competitive pressures, along with the
introduction of “quick ship” programs, have forced
the overall order fulfillment lead times to be reduced. Streamlining
the
processing
of customer specified products, along with improved access and
utilization of business information to drive material planning
are key requirements to reducing lead times.
- Sales Automation: The availability of technology within the
customer base has put pressure on the manufacturer to provide
more effective
quoting and order entry solutions. PC and Internet based solutions
are required to maintain customer loyalty, as well as protect
and expand market share.
- Technology Integration: Technology improvements throughout
the supply chain have placed an increased demand on the availability
and access to business information. Customers, manufacturing
equipment,
component and material suppliers are just a few examples where
business information integration is required across multiple platforms.
Frontier is a configuration-based ERP application that has been
specifically designed to address these and many additional challenges
facing Dimensional Products Manufacturers. Frontier is a fully integrated
suite of application software modules, built upon the foundation
of a table-based, dimensional Product Configuration module. The
functionality of the product Configurator, along with the supporting
application modules, has been designed to streamline all activities
associated with the order fulfillment process for stock and custom
products; from Dealer/Customer quotes to sales orders, production
planning and scheduling to material optimization, product tracking
to truck loading, performance measurement to after sales service.
Over the years, Friedman Corporation has developed extensive
operational and software implementation experience across many
Dimensional Products
industries. Friedman Corporation consultants have documented
this experience in the form of an implementation methodology,
COMPASS,
that has been proven to be a highly effective method of defining,
executing, and tracking all aspects of a Friedman Corporation
software implementation project. The configuration-based functionality
within
the Frontier application, along with this extensive Industry
expertise, ensures that Dimensional Products Manufacturers will be
successful
in achieving their business objectives within an aggressive implementation
timeline. The successful implementation of a Friedman Corporation
software solution has provided existing Friedman customers with
initial and ongoing benefits to their business, including:
- Dramatic reductions of overall order cycle time by integrating
all operational and technical aspects of a Dimensional Products
Manufacturing business.
- Improved customer service and quotation fill rates by providing
integrated PC and Internet-based quotation and ordering applications.
- Improved efficiencies across all aspects of the organization,
allowing Dimensional Products Manufacturers to support substantial
growth trends with limited increases in staffing and the associated
labor and overhead costs.
- The realization of extensive cost reductions (inventory, scrap,
procurement) by integrating all aspects of the supply chain,
from internal component production to outside material suppliers.
- Reduction of order errors and manual “special orders” that
are processed thru the introduction and leveraging of an integrated
product Configurator.
- Improved responsiveness to changing market conditions by providing
a centralized product specification and pricing engine for
both internal customer service and external Customer use.
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