FlexNet Manufacturing Process Intelligence 2.0 delivers real-time visibility to improve manufacturing and supply chain performance

PALM DESERT, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 23, 2012 — Apriso, a leading provider of manufacturing software solutions, today announced availability of the second version of FlexNet Manufacturing Process Intelligence, MPI 2.0, a next generation solution for enterprise manufacturing intelligence. MPI 2.0 has redefined manufacturing intelligence by not only providing greater detailed visibility into production, machine and labor activity, but has eased the global distribution and synchronization of this intelligence across the manufacturing enterprise. An immediate benefit is real-time comparisons of operation’s execution to plan for improved manufacturing and supply chain performance.

Increasing demand variability, globalization of today's product supply networks and heightened competition are driving a need for a more integrated, granular view of manufacturing performance. Managers and engineers need faster access to the right facts to accelerate continuous process improvement and enhance supply chain collaboration. More importantly, this manufacturing intelligence must be delivered in real-time – at the right level with the right information – to help management achieve and sustain their business objectives.

“The misalignment between plant-floor performance measures and corporate measures, such as return on capital expenditures; working capital … or more granular measures, such as profitability by stock-keeping unit (SKU), continues to challenge manufacturers. One version of the truth exists on the plant floor, while another is in business intelligence (BI) or ERP applications. The result is a discontinuity between the process of managing the business and the business of managing the production process,” stated Simon Jacobson and Leif Eriksen in “The Manufacturing Performance Dilemma, Part 1: Overcoming Visibility Hurdles With Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence,” published in July 2011 by Gartner [ID: G00214298].

Apriso’s MPI 2.0 addresses this challenge by ensuring a single version of the truth, which is now more readily visible across the plant and enterprise. Faster access to more detailed information, within the right context, helps manufacturers better leverage emergent opportunities, perform continuous improvement and improve agility when responding to demand variability and supply chain disruptions. Specific MPI 2.0 improvements include:

• Expanded Global Capabilities – MPI 2.0 can either be deployed individually, on a plant-by-plant basis, or consistently to multiple locations; managed either on a centralized or decentralized manner; process or data query modifications can be instantly updated to any or all locations; those initially deploying MPI 2.0 to selective plants can later change their mind and update their deployment profile to be consistent across all global locations.
• Greater Ease of Integration – machine, production and labor activity data queries can now be configured and updated faster with Apriso’s Reporting and Analytics Platform (RAP) 2.0; this enhancement pre-configures and “bundles” systems integration logic through an improved user interface and wizard, helping to greatly simplify data query integration to work flow processes; as RAP 2.0 is built on standard Microsoft technology and tools, it is easy to learn and use.
• Improved Visibility to more Granular Data – real-time access to machine level data (by hour, by employee, by product, etc.) allows new levels of intelligence reporting and analysis that are simply not possible when working with just traditional ERP and BI applications; a combined solution of MPI 2.0 for manufacturing intelligence and BI or ERP for corporate planning offers the best of both worlds, with nearly 300 KPI measures now included, including “order adherence,” which is a comparison to plan that adds business context to the extracted intelligence.

“Another way to understand the importance of faster, more detailed visibility into manufacturing data is to look at your performance variability within and across plants. Real-time visibility delivers insights into bottlenecks, variability and best practices that can then be used to control and improve your manufacturing operations and supply chain performance,” explained James Montgomery, Apriso’s product manager responsible for MPI 2.0.

FlexNet Manufacturing Process Intelligence (MPI) is an integral component of Apriso’s broader FlexNet solution – an adaptive platform for global manufacturing operations management. Built with a native Business Process Management (BPM) framework that incorporates a unified data model, FlexNet applications enable continuous improvement and rapid response to market changes.

About Apriso Corporation

Apriso is a software company dedicated to helping its customers transform their global manufacturing operations. It does so by enabling manufacturers to achieve and sustain manufacturing excellence while adapting quickly and easily to market changes. Apriso's FlexNet is a BPM platform-based software solution for global manufacturing operations management. Apriso supports global continuous improvement by delivering visibility into, control over and synchronization across manufacturing and the product supply network. Apriso serves nearly 200 customers in 40+ countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Customers include GM, Volvo CE, Honeywell, L'Oréal, Trixell, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier, Textron Systems, MBDA, Saint-Gobain and Essilor. Learn more at: www.apriso.com . Visit our blog at http://www.apriso.com/blog .