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Planning & Forecasting
RF Integrated Circuit Maker Implements Zemeter S&OP Solution
Anadigics, a supplier of radio frequency integrated circuits for broadband and wireless communications markets, has retained Supply Chain Consultants to implement its Zemeter Sales & Operations Planning software solution.
Anadigics high performance RF products enable a wide spectrum of wireless and broadband applications, including mobile handsets, WLAN devices, and cable set-top boxes.
"We selected Zemeter S&OP because we required an easy-to-use, robust planning solution that would help us meet an ever increasing demand for our products," says Gerry Groundwater, vice president and chief information officer at Anadigics. "In addition, Zemeter helps our sales force and operations with improved available-to-promise capability, which is clearly very important in meeting customer needs."
The Zemeter implementation should make it possible to select and synthesize information from multiple sources, and analyze and report demand with greater accuracy.
http://www.supplychain.com
New Functionality in S&OP Module from John Galt Solutions
John Galt Solutions, which offers software for collaborative forecasting and demand planning, has released version 3.0 of its Atlas Planning Suite Sales & Operation Planning Module.
“Balancing supply and demand through effective sales and operations planning has become a priority for companies seeking to preserve profit margins while satisfying customer demand,” says Kai Trepte, vice president of sales and services. The Atlas Planning S&OP Module allows users to build an enterprise-wide, consensus-based planning process that fosters real-time collaboration among internal marketing, sales, operations and financial budgeting groups, as well as external supply chain partners and key customers.”
Enhancements include:
• New user interface with advanced filtering and exceptions; faster navigation with easy-to-understand graphs and spreadsheets; and easy system configuration, including user and data set-up.
• Seamless exporting of data to Microsoft Excel, as well as highly integrated security into Microsoft Active Directory for streamlined access and security management.
• Straightforward promotional planning with street dates and shipping offsets.
• Dynamic aggregation and desegregation of data, as well as disconnected access with web services connectivity for users working offline at home or while traveling.
John Galt's Atlas Planning Suite comprises a set of business process applications designed to centralize and standardize key data from all of a company's data systems to make real-time business information available in an intelligent reporting format. Currently, the suite offers seven business process modules: Demand Management Engine, Inventory Management, Promotional Performance Management, Rough Cut Capacity Planning, Sarbanes-Oxley Reporting, Sales & Operations Planning, and the Planning Portal.
http://www.johngalt.com
Galleria Solutions, SAF Say They Deliver Cost Benefits to Retailers
Galleria Retail Technology Solutions, which provides automated retail cluster, assortment and space optimization solutions, and SAF AG, a specialist provider of automated ordering and replenishment systems to retailers, say their new partnership optimizes inventory turns, reduces costs and increases sales for retailers.
Galleria's optimized assortment and space planning solutions facilitate the automated production of planograms. This automated schematic encompasses the optimal assortment of products and the required quantity of stock, tailored to a cluster of stores or individual store's local demand and space configurations.
"By seamlessly combining assortment and space planning processes into a single, scalable solution, Galleria delivers the highest level of store-specific planning intelligence available," says Shaun Bossons, executive vice president for Galleria's U.S. operations. "Assortment planning creates the optimal product mix while historical performance data enables recommendation of the required amount
of stock. The automated plan fits the assortment to the available space helping retailers achieve unprecedented in-store compliance levels. This leads to increased sales, greater availability of key products, reduced wastage/markdown of slower moving products and improved bottom line performance."
Using the demand chain management approach, the SAF solution is the only software available that automates the ordering process and influences retailer replenishment decisions based on actual customer purchase behavior. Based on demand forecasting, frequency of delivery and case pack information, SAF can calculate optimal inventory requirements. This process allows SAF to identify the exact amount of stock required for each product at each store.
"By combining our automated solutions, we are able to deliver a level of granular planning on a scale previously unattainable with manual systems," Bossons says. "Using SAF's inventory forecasting data, Galleria can improve their planogram creation process to ensure the most optimal assortment and number of units required to meet customer demand. The benefit of using performance data in conjunction with forecast data is stock that reflects future demand on a store by store basis, instead of a purely historic view. This results in improved availability of fast-selling product lines. Additionally,
the retailer can improve on future frequency of delivery and case pack configurations prior to upcoming category reviews."
http://www.galleria-rts.com
http://www.saf-ag.com
Datamonitor: IT Budgets to Increase for Software that Cuts Costs
A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor , “Understanding IT Budget Trends,” reveals IT budgets have grown in 2006 and that the outlook for 2007 is also optimistic. Though increases are not even across the board—there are variations by geography and type of expenditure—relatively stable economic conditions are having a positive effect on enterprises' IT investments in the U.S. and Western Europe.
Forty-three percent of the surveyed enterprises state that they see their IT budget increasing in 2007, compared to the 32 percent whose budget increased from 2005 to 2006.
Projected increases to IT budgets in 2007 mask some interesting differences in expenditure by type of investment. Enterprises plan to increase their spending on software (2.4 percent) and services (1.7 percent) most markedly, with communications and consulting services likely to generate slightly above average growth (both 1.2 percent). Hardware spending, on the other hand, is forecast to decline very marginally (-0.2 percent). Hardware-based technology solutions tend to be fully established within enterprises and the technology is mature and proven. With many hardware products facing downward price commoditization, enterprises are aware that their replacement initiatives can potentially be met at lower price points than previously.
Enterprises view raising efficiency and cost cutting as primary objectives for their IT investment strategies in 2006. Since the technology downturn earlier in the decade, meeting these objectives has been central to most enterprise IT managers' strategies and vendors have been aware of the need to position their solutions accordingly.
http://www.datamonitor.com
German Baked-Goods Company Uses Cognos 8 BI Platform
Harry-Brot GmbH of Germany has selected Cognos 8 Business Intelligence as its standard business intelligence platform. A long-time Cognos BI customer, Harry-Brot, a bread and baked goods specialist, reportedly chose Cognos 8 BI because of its open Web services-based architecture and virtually seamless integration with IBM components such as Websphere, AIX and DB2. Harry-Brot decided to standardize its BI environment to reduce maintenance and administration time and costs, and at the same time, provide one holistic view of all sales and production figures. As a result, Cognos says, Harry-Brot will be able to track sales for specific bread and baked goods, and optimize ongoing production processes. In addition, Harry-Brot will leverage Cognos 8 BI as its foundation for an enterprise-wide performance management system.
Harry-Brot sought to replace a self-programmed fourth-generation ERP system and in order to successfully migrate to a new java-based platform, it needed a new reporting and analysis solution that was able to integrate with any data source.
“For us, the implementation of Cognos 8 BI is a major step toward establishment of a standardized enterprise-wide reporting and analysis platform,” said Heiner Kruse, system development manager, Harry-Brot. “By integrating with our ERP and IBM technologies, we can gain one single view of any aspect of our business. As a result, we are now able to determine in real time whether our products are in great demand and identify interrelated market factors and dynamics.”
“Performance management is the key to maximum market success in the baked-goods market, and Harry-Brot's outstanding track record is the result of rigorous and systematic analysis and planning,” says Paul Hoy, director of manufacturing industry solutions at Cognos. “As a market leader, its success shows that timely implementation of innovative solutions, such as Cognos 8 BI, directly translates into successful company performance.”
Cognos provides enterprise planning and BI software and services to help companies plan, understand and manage financial and operational performance.
http://www.cognos.com
Demand Management, SoftBrands Help Mid-market with Planning
Demand Management Inc. and SoftBrands Inc. have partnered to provide an end-to-end manufacturing, forecasting and planning solution encompassing all ERP and SCM best practices. Demand Solutions from Demand Management is designed to give small and mid-sized businesses easy access to critical supply chain information to reduce inventory investments and improve on-time delivery. Demand Solutions is integrated with SAP's core business automation capabilities.
Fourth Shift Edition for SAP Business One, a SoftBrands product, also targets small and mid-sized manufacturers, providing them with a modular, manageable and affordable solution that offers “the best of Fourth Shift, SAP and now, Demand Solutions.”
“This provides unprecedented opportunities for the small and mid-sized manufacturer to become more competitive through improved efficiencies,” says Ralf Suerken, senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing for SoftBrands. “Demand Solutions provides a rich feature set without overwhelming users. It's the perfect complement to Fourth Shift Edition.”
“The small and medium-sized enterprise now has an integrated solution that will streamline ordering needs, administration and operations,” says Mike Campbell, president of Demand Management. “They can now take on important processes such as Vendor Managed Inventory, CPFR and Sales & Operations Planning.”
http://www.demandsolutions.com
http://www.softbrands.com
Terra Joins Oracle Partner Network to Enhance Real-Time Solutions
Terra Technology, which provides Real-Time Forecasting and Inventory solutions, has joined the Oracle Partner Network by incorporating Oracle database management into the company's suite of real-time solutions. Terra's solutions read, interpret and analyze multiple streams of demand information for thousands of SKUs every night, requiring a flexible and reliable database tool for collecting and organizing large volumes of data.
“Terra's clients depend on our real-time solutions to analyze demand signals for thousands of products every night,” says Robert F. Byrne, president and CEO of Terra Technology. “We required a database solution that is not only flexible and scalable but one that our clients know and trust. Oracle is the perfect compliment to our real-time solutions to ensure faster results and higher customer satisfaction.”
The Oracle Partner Network is a community of more than 16,000 partners worldwide, a management portal, an interaction center for partner support and a global business program. Oracle partners gain access to Oracle's premium products and solutions for additional growth opportunities, education, technical services and support from across all lines of business within Oracle.
Terra's pattern recognition technology works with traditional demand planning systems to monitor daily demand signals and reduce near-term forecast error.
http://www.terratechnology.com
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