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IFS Launches Unique CAD
Integration/PDM Tool
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Last week, IFS announced
the North American beta launch of SOA-based CAD
integration for IFS Applications, and attendees at the
IFS Customer Summit in Chicago, were the first to see a
demonstration of the revolutionary new integration. The
first customer deliveries are scheduled for November,
with general availability in early 2009.
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While some other
enterprise software products - including enterprise
resources planning (ERP) software - have CAD interfaces,
they typically are designed to import and export data in
and out of a CAD tool. This creates two separate product
data management (PDM) databases and related
synchronization problems. IFS leverages web services
built into its service-oriented architecture (SOA) to
share PDM data common to both engineering and
manufacturing, resulting in "real time CAD to PDM"
integration. For customers that want to keep separate
the engineering and manufacturing functions, a future
release will also support a more traditional "PDM to
PDM" integration model.
"We find that many customers use
multiple CAD applications, often as the result of
mergers and acquisition activity," IFS North America
Chief Technology Officer Rick Veague said. "This often
results in a battle to see which CAD application will
'win.' The IFS solution makes it easier for multiple CAD
applications to co-exist within a company, since there
is a common PDM system they can all share. Companies
running IFS Applications will use the same PDM data to
support both engineering and manufacturing, eliminating
the need for redundant PDM applications and data
synchronization requirements."
IFS "plug-in" adapters support
multiple CAD platforms, including AutoCAD, AutoCAD
Inventor, PRO/Engineer, and Solidworks, allowing each
CAD application to access the same web services within
IFS Applications to access PDM and engineering data
stored in IFS Applications in real time.
IFS CAD, PDM and Document
Integration Service Capabilities:
Parts Management
- Create (new part and/or part
revision) and modify part revision information.
- Bidirectional - possible to
modify part information from both sides.
- Search for part revision and best
fit search.
- Update part journal when a part
has been modified by a CAD system.
- Status handling and approval
routing of parts.
- Create, delete and modify
characteristics for a part.
Product Structures
- Create, delete and modify the
product structure.
Documents
- Bidirectional handling of the CAD
files as document structures.
- Revision handling.
- Status handling with or without
approval routing.
- Document search.
- Document connections create,
delete and modify document connections for a part.
Change and Impact Analysis
- Overview of all product models
and change management that a part is connected to.
List of Value (LOV)
- List of value functionality on
basic data fields.
BOM
- Export BOM to PDM
(one-directional transfer of information from CAD to
IFS PDM Engineering BOM).
- Export BOM to Manufacturing (one
step transfer of information from the CAD BOM to
Manufacturing BOM via IFS PDM EBOM).
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IFS Customer Summit 'Roaring' Recap
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Thank you to those who attended the first ever IFS
Customer Summit in North America! It was a great event,
with more than 450 IFS customers, partners and staff in
attendance.
Attendees got an up-close look at the
new user interface for IFS Applications, called IFS
Enterprise Explorer, the first deliverable from the IFS
Aurora Program. They also got direct access to senior
IFS leaders and had the opportunity to network with
industry peers.
Like
any other IFS gathering, the Summit was filled with
new software developments, excitement, and fun social activities. Attendees were
treated to a Roaring 1920's Chicago-themed party,
complete with a big band and time period access ories.
If you attended, please send us your feedback and ideas
to improve future events. Click the feedback button
below.
Save the date for the next IFS user
event! The IFS World Conference will take place in
Gothenburg, Sweden, November 2-4, 2009.
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IFS' Enhanced .Net Sales & Marketing
Client |
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On September 26, 2008 the enhanced IFS Sales &
Marketing Client was released. The new Sales &
Marketing .Net Client replaces the existing Sales &
Marketing Windows Client and has already proven to
be easier for users to apply to their working
environments.
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to enlarge - Sample IFS Applications CRM
screen of the enhanced reporting tool.
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According to Chief Industries,
Inc., an IFS BETA customer, now live Sales &
Marketing .Net Client, "Compared to the Windows
Client, the .Net Client has an updated look and feel
that is user friendly, even to a novice computer
user. The .Net Client views can be customized by
users, not only the screen layout but down to the
column level. You can also work with multiple
selections at a time by 'opening' additional result
tabs."
Besides the modern look and
navigation of the new .Net Client, end-users will
also benefit from:
- Greater flexibility in
presenting data.
- Customized "work spaces"
through a drag-and-drop element on the screen,
minimizing unnecessary items and expanding
essential items.
- Hiding/displaying panes based
on needs and roles.
- Customized views to show only
necessary field data.
- Access to information from
more than one screen or record simultaneously.
- Increased user productivity
through fewer clicks for each action and reduced
time spent on drilling down within fields.
- Embedded reporting tools for
important metrics, like sales pipeline.
The new Client is built on
Microsoft .NET technology and a plug-in
architecture. This allows organizations to use
standard tools and competence to create and embed
customized views/plug-ins into the standard Sales &
Marketing core application, while also applying
standard application security and business rules.
More BETA User Comments
Include:
- "Highly customizable
software. Can access information from multiple
platforms not just IFS Applications. This allows
you to create a complete overview of the company
in one location."
- "I would say the biggest
benefits are the ability to customize the data
in CRM and to show data from other sources
besides IFS Applications. Both of these are
pretty easy to do with IFS CRM."
Can Current Customers Install and Run the New
IFS Sales & Marketing .Net Client?
Any customer that
has purchased IFS Sales & Marketing base package
and is running IFS Applications on an Oracle
10.2.0.1 (or higher version) database is able to
run the new .NET Client.
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Podcast: What's Next for
Enterprise Software?
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This month on the IFS
Radio Networ k
podcast series, listen to the keynotes delivered at
the IFS Customer Summit, held in Chicago, by IFS
Senior Advisor Anders Lif and Chief Technology
Officer Dan Matthews. Lif explains the economic
megatrends affecting manufacturers - megatrends that
show entire product lifecycles are becoming shorter,
and comprehensive product lifecycle management must
be undertaken at a very granular level. Matthews
discusses how enterprise software design must become
more intuitive to deliver productivity gains and
cost savings in the 21st Century.
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"The competitive landscape has
never been as tough as it is today...
We are working in virtual
environments, with virtual factories
and we are going into production of
new products sometimes without
even having a real live prototype."
~ Anders Lif,
IFS Senior Advisor
Subscribe through iTunes to automatically receive these
monthly podcasts.
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Visit IFS at Upcoming Events
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Upcoming Events |
Consulting Summit
October 30 in New York City
Join your p eers
and colleagues for the profession's largest
networking event
where together you'll explore the
theme - "Rethinking Consulting Firm Management."
This year's Summit will feature
the second annual Consulting Magazine's Achievement
Awards for 2008: Women Leaders in Consulting. It
brings together consulting leaders from some of the
world's top firms for a gala recognition dinner at
the Waldorf-Astoria.
While
at the Summit, visit IFS at
booth #3 and discover how you
can maximize your client's profit
generating potential through IFS
Applications!
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Free Web-Based Tool Simplifies
CMMS/EAM Evaluation Process
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Are you looking for a CMMS or EAM
solution but don't know where
to begin? Try the Plant Services CMMS/EAM Software
Review tool,
an industry-unique, web-based tool that simplifies the
software evaluation process. David Berger, principal of
Western Management Consultants and a well-known
authority on CMMS and EAM, has teamed up with Paul
Studebaker, Editor-in-Chief of
Plant Services
magazine,
to create this sophisticated comparison tool.
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Compare with 3 levels of complexity & up to 360
distinct data points
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Weight software attributes that are most critical to
you business
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View objective side-by-side comparison of multiple
solutions at once
No other web-based program offers superior analytical
capabilities than this CMMS evaluation program. Try it
now and save valuable time!
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IFS Supports Lockheed Martin F-35
Joint Strike Fighter Autonomic Logistics Information
System
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Lockheed Martin has decided to extend the use of IFS
Applications in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Autonomic
Logistics Information System (ALIS).
IFS Applications is currently deployed
in ALIS for supply chain management. Lockheed Martin has
now also selected IFS Applications as the foundation for
ALIS maintenance management capability. The expanded IFS
Applications footprint is expected to be contractually
awarded and rolled out in support of the third Low Rate
Initial Production (LRIP) contract of the F-35 Lightning
II stealth fighter, which is planned to be fielded in
2010.
ALIS is an embedded solution that
integrates aircraft performance, operational parameters,
aircraft configuration, scheduled upgrades and
maintenance, component history, diagnostics,
prognostics, health management, and service support for
the F-35 aircraft. Essentially, condition reporting of
aircraft wellness is automatically reported in-flight,
so crews on the ground can rapidly marshal appropriate
maintenance and repair efforts.
In July, Lockheed Martin signed a
contract for IFS Applications to provide the software
for the JAMES Land (Joint Asset Management Engineering
Solution) project for the UK Ministry of Defence. This
expanded IFS' role in the JAMES 1 Project by adding IFS
Applications components for engineering, asset data
collection and analysis, as well as workshop management
for the modification of assets.
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"As IFS grows its relationship
with important aerospace and
defense companies like Lockheed Martin, and becomes
the go-to maintenance and enterprise
asset management solution for government programs
like the
US Air Force Expeditionary
Combat Support System (ECSS),
it solidifies our leadership position
in the aerospace and defense
industry. We have built this
position through developing specialized industry
solutions, specifically in the area of maintenance
and logistics,
and through close alliances with
well-respected partners like
Lockheed Martin. We look
forward to deepening these
existing relationships and working with suppliers to
major aerospace
and defense OEMs as they equip themselves for
success in today's demanding environment."
~ Cindy Jaudon
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IFS North America
President & CEO
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Photo - Courtesy of Lockheed Martin
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White Paper:
Components - A Prerequisite for SOA
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 Service
oriented architecture (SOA) has become a buzz word in
the enterprise software industry. But what benefits does
it really deliver? This white paper explains why a
component-based architecture helps manufacturers adapt
to regulatory (Wee/RoHS) and market changes, including
mode shifts from Make to Stock (MTS) to Make to Order
(MTO) to Engineer to Order (ETO).
Download this white paper today!
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IFS MP3 Player Contest Winner
Announced
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IFS had a prize drawing
for an IFS MP3 Player at this year's
APICS
International Conference and Expo, held September 14-16,
in Kansas City, Missouri.
The
winner of the MP3
player was Brian Hickman.
Congratulations!
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Sign you or a friend up to receive IFS World monthly!
If you would like to be on the mailing
list for IFS World, please click below.
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Contact IFS today
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Order Free IFS Materials
The IFS Download Center offers a
complete library of IFS white papers, brochures,
customer stories and annual reports. Most materials are available in
both electronic
and print format.
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Welcome IFS New Customer:
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Altair Nano - A world leader in the creation and
delivery of advanced materials and energy storage
products.
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Upcoming Industry Events
Meet IFS at the following events:
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Designed for Agility
IFS, the global enterprise
applications company, provides solutions that
enable
organizations to respond quickly to market changes,
allowing resources to be used in a more agile way to
achieve better business performance and competitive
advantage. Founded in 1983, IFS pioneered
component-based enterprise resources planning (ERP)
software with IFS Applications, now in its seventh
generation. IFS' component architecture provides
solutions that are easier to implement, run, and
upgrade. For more information, visit
www.ifsworld.com. |
About IFS
If
you're considering new ERP/EAM options, take a closer
look at IFS -the choice of successful companies such as
General Electric, BMW, Ericsson, and Lockheed Martin.
IFS' component-based software makes it easier for
companies to achieve rapid bottom-line results.
We'd like the opportunity to tell you the IFS story and
provide you with the latest IFS product releases.
IFS Solutions For:
E-mail
us at
request@ifsworld.com, and one of our representatives will
be in touch with you shortly. |
Seven IFS Key Vertical
Industries
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