Earned value management (EVM) is not a new concept, having its origins in United States government agencies during the 1960s as a way to ensure accountability among contractors working on long-term, complex projects. But in this century, EVM has become standard required practice. Learn how to get certified in earned value management (EVM) and compete for government aerospace and defense contracts.
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This white paper defines reverse logistics as it relates to aftermarket service, describes how it differs from forward logistics, and then discusses the difficulties inherent in selecting and using enterprise software to facilitate reverse logistics and repair processes including warranty repair, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair and handling return material authorizations (RMAs) from distributors. Download the paper.
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Choosing the right device for field service management needs is not easy. This white paper will guide you through the different factors, including your organization’s technology outlook, how a customer’s perceptions of you might be affected by the device, and how the hardware features make your employees more efficient. Know the four steps to consider for choosing the right device for your field service mobility needs.
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Because enterprise resource planning (ERP) came from the world of materials planning for repetitive manufacturing, these applications cannot address the more anecdotal, complex, and dynamic requirements of real-time enterprise project management. Even tier one ERP products cannot meet the needs of some companies—engineer-to-order manufacturers, engineering procurement and construction contractors, and even process manufacturers. Read this white paper to learn more.
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Rig owners and operators today have an increased focus on asset integrity management (AIM) and risk management, and are reassessing their investments in enterprise asset management (EAM) software to ensure they have applications in place that are properly implemented and functional, ensure compliance with regulations, and adopt AIM best practices. This white paper discusses the EAM software features that can play a role in software project ROI for drilling contractors as well as specific, discrete steps to take during implementation.
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Every enterprise asset management (EAM) application can be used as a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), but not every CMMS can be used as, or has the broad functionality of, an EAM application. More specifically, CMMS is essentially about managing maintenance work necessary to sustain an asset, whereas EAM has more to do with managing the asset over its lifecycle to minimize cost and risk while maximizing return. This white paper explores how CMMS applications and EAM applications drive value.
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Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) ratings are driven by regulation, but can be turned into a competitive advantage in the market for an aerospace and defense contractor or manufacturer running the right software. Selecting the right enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise asset management (EAM)), and other enterprise software is a challenge, and this white paper contains tips for a successful selection.
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Field service management software often needs to be integrated with other enterprise software. Learn the three essential tips for integrating your service management system with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and other operational systems, data warehouses, or data sources.
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Most enterprise resource planning (ERP) software was not designed for a project-oriented environment like engineer-to-order (ETO). How do the needs of ETO manufacturers differ from more traditional manufacturers? And how can an ETO manufacturer go about selecting ERP software that truly meets their needs for project visibility and control? Download this white paper to find out more.
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Most ERP products have been designed from repetitive manufacturing, and thus lack the powerful asset management and project management functionality that mining companies require. But ERP is becoming a higher priority for these organizations. This white paper offers tips on selecting ERP software for the mining industry. Learn how you can you select ERP that can handle the entire mining project and asset lifecycle.
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Most enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is not designed to effectively capture cost in a project-based environment, such as engineer to order, engineer procure construct, or services. This white paper covers organizational and technology barriers to capturing project cost, along with criteria for selecting the ideal ERP for effective project costing for your organization.
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Design-operate-maintain is an approach to asset management designed to maximize value over the entire asset lifecycle—from asset planning and design through years of maintenance and operation through to decommissioning and replacement. How can you select EAM software capable of supporting this enlightened approach? Download this white paper to find out.
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If your business is running more than a single enterprise resource planning (ERP) software package, you need to consolidate down to one. In this white paper, we’ll provide you with four good reasons for making this move, and how to get around the various organizational barriers to doing so.
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What is a dynamic scheduling engine, and why does your field service management operation need one? Learn the ins and outs of this technology, which can help you adapt to rapidly changing priorities, schedule in real time, meet demanding service level agreements, and more, all while reducing cost.
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There are three distinctly different approaches to solving the puzzle of getting the right people to the right place at the right time. This white paper describes the three strategies for better field service scheduling plans--manual processes, traditional scheduling automation, and real-time scheduling automation--and explains why each approach matches different needs. Which strategy is right for you?
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The database is an essential component of enterprise applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and enterprise asset management (EAM). This white paper outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server database platforms. How do the two compare when it comes to reliability, scalability, and total cost of ownership (TCO) when integrated with enterprise software?
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In selecting enterprise asset management (EAM) software, usability ought to be a major consideration in your decision. Download this white paper for expert advice that will help you identify key usability features in EAM.
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In this white paper, we’ll examine the different enterprise agility barriers reported by study respondents and discuss how energy industry executives can select software for enhanced enterprise agility and change readiness.
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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)/Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) usability is a challenge for the electric energy industry according to a study conducted for IFS North America. This paper outlines study results of 100 electric energy industry executives and offers advice for selecting ERP and EAM for maximum usability. ERP and EAM with enhanced usability increases productivity and system usage, maximizing value realized.
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Engineer-to-order (ETO) companies can use enterprise software to implement eCommerce strategies in order to improve customer service, reduce waste, and increase profits. This white paper outlines the ways that enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can facilitate ETO eCommerce by opening portals to suppliers, project collaborators, and customers. Realize the benefits of eCommerce in the ETO setting with ERP software.
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Enterprise asset management (EAM) software is a mission-critical tool for asset-intensive industry. These tips from some of the world’s most prominent EAM experts will help you select the right EAM solution. The importance of usability, the ability to manage outside contractors, and other important considerations are covered here.
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This white paper presents an overview of IFS Applications for asset management of nuclear power plants, including corrective, preventive, and condition-based maintenance functionality for safe work management in a hazardous environment. Also included are asset lifecycle management tools to track changes to the assets that affect operational limits and conditions (OLCs).
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Project-based solutions (PBS) is a new type of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for complex, engineer-to-order companies and companies facing rapid change. And these days, most companies do face change, and their legacy ERP systems strain to keep up. Is PBS a better choice for you than traditional ERP?
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This paper demonstrates how IFS Business Modeler and IFS Applications support the principles of developing a lean enterprise, normally associated with repetitive manufacturing, for engineer-to-order (ETO) organizations. It demonstrates how process improvements apply equally to office-based functions as they do to manufacturing, installation, and service activities.
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PAS 55 compliance is a priority for asset-intensive companies that must maximize asset value. Learn how enterprise asset management (EAM) software can facilitate the practices in this specification, including the most demanding requirement—asset lifecycle management encompassing all asset stakeholders including contractors, suppliers, engineers as well as internal users.
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This white paper discusses the compelling business reasons for industrial companies to pay close attention to ISO 26000 and the UN Global Compact. It also explores the different ways that enterprise software like enterprise resources planning (ERP) and enterprise asset management (EAM) can be leveraged to help document compliance with the various requirements of the ISO standard.
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Manufacturers are under pressure to document their impact on the environment. This white paper addresses the various drivers for the green supply chain trend. It also shares considerations for satisfying a customer’s green supply chain initiative or initiating your own. Finally, it discusses the role of enterprise software like enterprise resource planning (ERP) in keeping pace with this industry trend.
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White papers offer no shortage of advice about what best practices can lead to enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation success. But equally important is a thorough understanding of what practices are to be avoided during an implementation. This white paper reviews four “worst practices” that should be avoided at all costs—unless you want to go out of your way to cause your ERP implementation to fail.
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When the top management at Hamworthy Gas Systems realized that the company needed to prepare for considerable organic growth, and gain better control of its core and support business processes, they began upgrading the company’s IT systems. Learn how a new solution, encompassing project and contract management, engineering, procurement and material management, and more, helped Hamworthy gain new perspective on its future.
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Everything manufacturing executives thought they knew about project management and operations management is changing. Now, project managers may be connecting elements of an ongoing enterprise with a project in order to achieve certain defined goals, or use projects in a recurring way. Discover the many benefits manufacturers can realize by adopting a management-by-project approach with project-centric ERP software.
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Sales and operations planning (S&OP) is a practical way to streamline manufacturing operations. With a disjointed view of your company’s departments, it’s impossible to make decisions about where to allocate resources or which parts of the company have excess capacity. S&OP helps fix this by delivering one set of numbers from one planning period to the next, and allows you to track your effort over time. Learn more.
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A lean supply chain is more than just those activities relating directly to supply chain management (SCM). Lean supply chain improvements require a commitment to finding the correct mix of efficiency and responsiveness. But the reward is great for manufacturers that do embark on the path to lean. Using the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can be your key to reaping the benefits of lean SCM. Learn how.
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Suppliers to the oil and gas industry are under more pressure than ever before to increase quality, collaborate closely with the customer, and take on more project risk. Learn how enterprise resource planning (ERP) helps engineers procure construction companies, equipment fabricators, and service providers to meet the new demands from oil and gas companies. Download this white paper to learn more.
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The common perception is that top-tier enterprise software takes years to implement. This is true for more complex solutions. But other applications, when combined with effective project management by capable professionals, can be rolled out rapidly when it counts—like after a merger or acquisition. Get tips for a speedy enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, from a company that lived to tell the tale.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is often criticized for being complex and difficult to use—which puts up a barrier to receiving potential benefits. Systems with integrated search functionality and Web-like interfaces can make ERP solutions easier to use. Learn how to evaluate ERP software for its usability, so you can avoid investing in platforms that aren’t evolved toward usable and efficient interfaces.
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IFS co-founder Ulf Stern and senior advisor Anders Wilhelmsson discuss how project management functionality that is tightly integrated with enterprise asset management (EAM) and asset lifecycle management (ALM) tools is essential to executives of asset-intensive industries. Lacking this integration, valuable asset data is lost and asset utilization cannot be maximized.
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In asset-intensive industries, the need for an overall equipment efficiency (OEE) system is driven by the need to capture real-time information. When equipment operation data is automatically collected and refined by the operator, the quality and quantity of data, and the ability to access and analyze it in a specific manner can greatly help to reduce costs and maximize productivity.
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The key to plant efficiency and profitability is open communication between those who design industrial facilities and those who operate and maintain them. Communication between these entities has long been lacking, however. Companies that use design, operate, and maintain (DOM) concepts can facilitate and standardize their proactive approaches to this open communication—whether collaboration takes place internally, or with outside designers. Learn more now.
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The multitude of messages and media in this interactive age contributes to a fragmented consumer goods market. Shorter product life cycles, mass product customization, and increasing supply chain complexity are all symptoms of the new project economy. The arrival of this new age must be recognized by business leaders, and the systems supporting business must change to accommodate this reality.
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Consider the case of two hypothetical companies—Company A and Company Z—each using an identical enterprise software package delivering identical core functionality. Company A has the same number of users, but the total cost of ownership (TCO) experienced by Company Z is about twice the TCO enjoyed by Company A. Why? We explain.
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IFS Applications is built using the same principles employed by successful manufacturers—the production and assembly of components. This allows change and evolution within a component without affecting other components. With a proven track record of building for change, IFS provides step-by-step, non-disruptive introduction of new technologies into operational systems.
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Anyone even peripherally exposed to business media that touch on enterprise application technology has seen the term service-oriented architecture (SOA) bandied about in advertisements and articles. Given the central role of SOA in information technology, it is important to get beyond a buzzword level understanding. There are three key concepts surrounding SOA: granularity, Web services, and change management.
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Any enterprise suite will pay for itself faster if you work diligently to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO). Those who interact with companies on implementing and maintaining their systems know that some project owners are very good at keeping the cost of their enterprise applications as low as possible. We’ll look at their TCO secrets.
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Technology can be used to achieve competitive advantages, increase customer service and loyalty, and increase efficiency, but technology can also cause vendor lock-in and escalating costs. Learn how the object orientation, and service oriented architecture features in IFS Service-Oriented Component Architecture can help develop agile business software.
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The requirement that enterprise software vendors deliver a measurable return on investment (ROI) has never been greater than right now. Customers are demanding that ROI analysis be a critical factor in their decisions to acquire new enterprise software. Without a demonstrable return, few customers are willing to invest scarce capital and human resources in new enterprirse software. A more complete analysis of return can be had by looking at the overall payback that enterprise software can offer to a company. Enterprise software payback includes not only quantifiable improvements in bottom and top line functionality, but also more qualitative measures-—such as new business opportunities, improved customer and partner relations, and improved time to market—-that contribute significantly to the success of a company's enterprise software implementation and use.
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In the relentless pursuit of profitability and competitiveness, more and more companies are turning to lean manufacturing to reduce or eliminate waste in their production processes. Once confined to the automotive industry, lean principles are becoming standard operating procedure in many industries today. The reason is simple: When implemented with a good performance management system, lean principles have a proven track record of operational and strategic success, which ultimately translates into increased value to the end customer. This paper illustrates how IFS Applications supports lean principles, particularly in the many manufacturing environments that require both rate-based (takt-driven) and order-based shop-floor execution.
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Lean manufacturing, which focuses on eliminating waste in the production process, has been called the production system of the twenty-first century. Learn how IFS’ lean manufacturing solution gives you the technology platform you need to make your lean initiative a success—and your business more profitable.
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