IDII Software Newsletter Volume 2 No. 4 March 19th 2001 ISSN 1533-435X

To assist the professional dealing with software in Warehousing Distribution, Logistics, and the Supply Chain.
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• FREE CD-ROM - The most comprehensive library of Collaborative Logistics information is now available on a single reference CD. It has Dr. John Langley and other writer's technical & professional articles on it. See http://www.nistevo.com/CLRC/index.html to get your free CD.
  
  
• FREE WHITEPAPER - If you enjoyed the series from Mark Taylor on Computerized Shipping Systems, then view the complete article in our white paper section. View it now (PDF).
  
  
• FREE WHITEPAPER - Collaborative Logistics (PDF) white paper by Dr. John Langley.
  
  
• FREE WHITEPAPER - 7 Immutable Laws of Collaborative Logistics (PDF) white paper by Dr. John Langley.
  
  

• Lilly Software (ERP, WMS, MRP, CRM) announces new product VISUAL Jobshop (integrated manufacturing solution designed for small, growing manufacturers with less than 20 employees). VISUAL Jobshop allows companies to continue using their existing accounting package, such as Quickbooks Pro and Peachtree, while offering complete sales, work order, job costing, purchasing, and inventory management capabilities. It helps companies save money by consolidating purchases across an entire shop to take advantage of price breaks. Customizable reports and drill down capabilities empower small manufacturers to make profitable managerial decisions.
  
  
• AremisSoft to Acquire Fourth Shift(Nasdaq:FSFT, ERP,MRP)
  
  
• Descartes Systems Group Inc., (B2B, TMS, NASDAQ:DSGX), launches new B2B Collaborative Logistics Suite for any organization that needs to manage multi-modal freight, including manufacturers and private or public B2B exchanges.
  
  The Descartes B2B Collaborative Logistics Suite offers a portfolio of services available in combination or as separate services. Services include:
  
  
  • Total Landed Cost Calculator, including freight cost, taxes, duties and insurance
  • Multi-Modal Freight Rates, including access to public, privately-negotiated and spot rates
  • Electronic Booking, with access to Shipping Schedules and Transit Times
  • Multi-Modal Shipment Tracking and Proactive Alerting
  • Delivery Status Confirmation
  • Payment Processing for Transportation Services, including credit card payment processing
  • Historical Performance Analysis
    
    
    
• J.D. Edwards and Logistics.com plan to develop standard interfaces between Logistics.com's OptiManage transportation management system and JD Edwards' OneWorld enterprise solution. OptiManage automates such tasks as routing and scheduling, while OneWorld system provides an enterprise functionality.
  
  
  
• LIS (WMS, TMS, US, Europe) launched new module Dispatcher-ShippingManager, a new carrier selection and rating module designed to group and prioritise orders by carrier and pick-up time. Dispatcher-ShippingManager automatically produces carrier-compliant labels in the correct barcode and tracking number formats for the carrier selected. A module of Dispatcher-SCE, LIS' supply chain execution solution, the system increases operational efficiency by ensuring orders are picked and dispatched on time.
  
  As the module can be fully integrated with LIS' Dispatcher-WMS warehouse management system, the customer can see the actual transport cost based on the weight and dimensions of the goods selected at the point of ordering. Once the transaction is complete, the system automatically groups and prioritizes the orders to be delivered and allocates picking and packing tasks according to shipping requirements. Dispatcher-ShippingManager is designed to work in conjunction with other modules within the Dispatcher-SCE portfolio covering dynamic pick face optimization, resource planning, route scheduling, proof of delivery, sales forecasting, compliance and labelling, and web-enabled supplier communication.
  
  
• LIS (WMS, TMS, US, Europe) launched two new modules, Optimizer and ResourcePlanner, to increase productivity and efficiency in the warehouse. Optimizer enables warehouse managers to optimise the movement of inventory through the warehouse, complementing ResourcePlanner which directs the management of warehouse personnel. They can be used together or independently of each other. Both of the new modules can be fully integrated with LIS' Dispatcher-WMS warehouse management system, as well as other modules within the Dispatcher-SCE portfolio.
  
  Optimizer regularly evaluates the speed of movement of inventory held within the warehouse. It combines this information with data on the physical attributes of each product and dynamically alters location zones and individual pick faces. In this way, inventory is always stored in the most appropriate location, even as demand changes. The system ensures that inventory is organised so that the fastest moving products are located on the ends of aisles, minimising operator movement. It also takes into account factors such as the size and weight of individual items when assigning storage locations.
  
  ResourcePlanner tracks fulfilment schedules and provides a warning if the shipping deadlines of incomplete orders are likely to be missed. The system automatically recognises when orders will not be picked by the shipping deadline and alerts managers by PC, email or pager regarding which zones may be undermanned. This allows the manager to direct resources to where they are most needed, providing optimum levels of customer service. The module uses information based on four variables to determine whether a shipping deadline will be met; the number of items to be picked, the likely duration of the picking task, the deadline of the task, and the workforce available to complete it.
  
  A further benefit of ResourcePlanner is that it allows hypothetical scenarios to be tested in order to assess new business models against warehouse capacity. It analyses the productivity of staff in each zone and calculates if available resources are adequate to cope with new customer demands.
  
  
  
• Logility(WMS, TMS, NT, Div of American Software) announced three new products.
  
  Logility Voyager Solutions Life Cycle Planning supports the dynamic introduction of new or rapidly changing products to increase demand visibility and allow company executives to compare operational forecast against long-term business plans. Life Cycle Planning provides:
  
  
  • An integrated solution that expands demand visibility and management for complete control of a product's life cycle including test marketing, product launch, replacement, substitution and sunset.
  • Flexible profile definition that allows management to derive, test and revise profiles based on management intuition and/or similar existing products, product families or user defined families.
  • Innovative self-correcting model management that will automatically reforecast based on the latest point-of-sale and demand information, ensuring demand patterns dynamically represent market conditions.
  • A Life Cycle Expert Advisor that provides a rapid approach to building and revising your life cycle models to speed implementation and encapsulate market intelligence.
  • Flexible exception management to alert users of changing market conditions, supply chain performance and other life cycle profile that may be more predictive of true demand.
  • Automatic links to the forecast of accessories, components, consumables and service parts to the forecast of the parent product.
  • Top down or bottom up budget analysis to evaluate spending allocation and product profitability.
  • The ability to model the front-end requirements of pipeline fill and sell-through to analyze the impact on suppliers, manufacturing, distribution and customers and evaluate the impact of supply constraints such as manufacturing, distribution, inventory or allocation prior to committing assets.
  
  Logility Voyager Navigate (Supply Chain Event Management = Intelligent Alerts) monitors business performance, expedites the resolution of exceptions and provides decision support including:
  
  
  • Instant alert notification of time critical events such as key customer orders, issues, shortages, and on-time delivery via e-mail or wireless devices such as PDM, mobile phone, pager or field service equipment.
  • User-defined business conditions to schedule, prioritize and alert trading partners to exceptions and issues that require further investigation and action.
  • Alert nesting for complex business conditions and active monitoring across the full suite of Logility Voyager Solutions as well as any ODBC compliant data source to coordinate and prioritize cross-enterprise and supply chain activities.
  • A Control Tower that consolidates and prioritizes daily activities to increase productivity and quickly resolve exceptions via a personalized view of your responsible areas throughout the supply chain.
  • Key Performance Indicator (KPI) definition, subscription and presentation from a centralized Control Tower.
  • User-defined, ad-hoc inquiries to investigate business conditions and gain additional business insight for better decision making.
  • Workflow-based alert dependencies that can predict pending business conditions and automatically initiate activities and resolution processes throughout the supply chain.
    
    
  Logility's Voyager Collaborate does real-time collaboration:
  
  
  • A flexible architecture that supports standards-based CPFR collaboration for procurement, logistics, and demand management, as well as customized collaboration for any number of business processes.
  • Business rule definition at any level of the collaborative framework to provide business alerts that enable proactive resolution and management of exceptions, prioritizing daily management and optimizing human resources to support large trading partner networks.
  • Dynamic multidimensional views to support aggregation and disaggregation of items by location and includes multiple hierarchy definitions.
  • Production proven scalability and performance to support collaborative e-Business across large-scale supply chain networks deployed in both private company portals and public trading exchanges.
  • A zero deployment client that eliminates maintenance efforts and removes barriers to entry for smaller trading partners.
  • Role-based support of portal definition, security, workflow, and exceptions that speeds implementation and rollout across multiple trading partners.
  • The ability to resolve exceptions and exploit real-time collaborative efforts through online chat with trading partners.
  • Automatic exception resolution based on agreed criteria to improve user performance and expedite the collaborative process.
  • User targeted marquee that informs trading partners with customized reports and banner announcements of special events or upcoming promotions.
  • Flexible collaborative business process definitions that support unique trading partner requirements to fully automate collaboration between buyers and sellers throughout the supply chain using the latest in XML technology.
  • Full support of the latest VICS and Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) XML standards defined for collaboration between multi-national organizations and global trading partners.
  
  
  
• Majure Data (WMS, MSS, APS) and DMSi (ERP solution provider with 230 of North America's building product distributors) announce agreement to provide Integrated Supply Chain Solutions for Wholesale Building Products Industry.
  
  With the RF Navigator/ DMS+ interface, DMSi's current inventory control module will be replaced with RF Navigator (WMS), an intelligent execution system that manages material flow and labor from receiving through shipping. RF Navigator will perform instant verification of operator entry to ensure accuracy and prevent errors in receiving, stocking, and picking that cause productivity lapses, poor customer service, and lost revenue. DMSi's customers will be able to respond quickly and accurately to changes elsewhere in their organizations due to the dynamic real-time communication between DMS+ and RF Navigator.
  
  
  

• Provia Software (WMS, TMS, APS) - Adds Advanced Kitting/Light Assembly to ViaWare WMS. With Provia’s advanced kitting, the final assembly process of kits or complicated assemblies can be postponed until just before the product needs to be shipped from the distribution center to the final destination. In addition to kitting and assembly operations, the software can be used for a wide array of value-added services such as unique product configuration, packaging and documentation. In ViaWare WMS, bills of material can be created so that the kit part number is the same as one of the components in the kit. This allows the material to be routed through operations without changing the part number, supporting many types of special packing and labeling operations.
  
  The full advanced kitting functionality in Provia’s ViaWare WMS includes:
  
  • Bill of Material – a list of the components required to assemble a kit, along with the quantity of each component and any non-stock accessories.
  • Assembly Work Plan – a workflow based routing that describes the steps required to assemble a kit.
  • Kit Assembly – Dialogs to assist workers assembling kits by showing the portion of the bill of material for the assembly operation.
  • Assembly Instructions – HTML-based graphical instructions that illustrate how to build each kit.
  • Kit to Stock – Kits made by manually created (or downloaded) production orders to build a quantity of kits for storage
  • Kit to Order – Kits made by automatic creation of an order to build kits for an outbound order. These kits would ship without storing prior to shipment.
  • Configure to Order – Product where the specific configuration of the product can change with each order, not by exploding a standard bill of material.
  • De-Kitting – The process of disassembling kits back into its component pieces and returning the pieces to active inventory.
  • Back-flush – As kits are completed, ViaWare relieves or “back-flushes” the quantity of component parts from the available inventory at the assembly workstation.
    
    
  Companies can determine which style of kitting is the right solution for each client or each particular order. Portions of kits or sub kits can be prepared in advance of a customer’s anticipated order or for a special promotion. The sub kits can then be incorporated into another kit to create various products. “For a computer manufacturer, a large portion of the computers will have the same motherboard and chassis,” said John Pulling, COO of Provia. “A number of those could be pre-assembled. As individual orders come down for each computer, the remaining components would be added in a configure to order scenario.”
  
  
  

• "We have to dare to be ourselves,
  however frightening or strange that self may prove to be."
  --May Sarton
  

"Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): The Dynamics of Operations Management"
Shtub, Avraham	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

"What To Look For In Warehouse Management System Software"
Obal, Philip	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

"Warehouse & Logistics Software Directory"
Obal, Philip	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

Valuable Future Events

April 2-4, 2001 - Supply-Chain World North America Conference and Exposition - Hilton New Orleans Riverside - New, Orleans, Louisana, USA. Conference by the Supply-Chain Council. For more information, call 412-781-4101 or visit www.supply-chain.org or www.supplychainworld.org.

MAY 9 TO 11, 2001 - E-LOGISTICS EXPO - The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, GFB, Announce an Educational Conference and Team-focused Tradeshow in Atlanta, GA. Responding to the need to bring leading-edge education and world-class solutions providers together in a "team environment," the e-Logistics Expo announced today the creation of a new "knowledge tradeshow" to be held next May in Atlanta. The Expo will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center. The Expo features a full three-day educational conference led by The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech. Contact Carrolyn Prescott at GFB at 404-524-7777, or e-mail to cprescott@gfb-expo.com

June 10-13, 2001 - Exciting ASRS - AGVS - Carousel Users' Conference at Columbus, Ohio. Excellent speakers are making presentations, two plant tours, and special interest groups will convene during the conference to discuss ASRS, AGVS, and Carousel plans, ideas, and issues. Contact Sam Powell of the 2001 ASRS AGVS Users' Conference for details and brochure.



About This Newsletter - ISSN 1533-435X

We educate and share news on software for warehousing, transportation, shipping, packing, slotting, loading, optimization, and enterprise wide software solutions. This free newsletter is published twice a month. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others that you know. One may quickly subscribe by accessing our website at www.idii.com.

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