Guide to Manufacturing Software

infor.com/manufacturing Guide to Manufacturing Software SECOND EDITION Contents 3 Manufacturing Outlook 31 Important links 16 Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) 17 Resources for PLM 18 PLM shopper’s checklist 19 PLM customer stories 20 Get to know Infor PLM 11 Supply Chain Management (SCM) 12 Resources for SCM 13 SCM shopper’s checklist 14 SCM customer stories 15 Get to know Infor SCM and GT Nexus 21 Customer Experience (CX)—CRM, CPQ and CLM 22 Resources for CRM, CPQ, and CLM 23 CPQ shopper’s checklist 24 CX customer stories 25 Get to know Infor CX 26 Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) 27 Resources for EAM 28 EAM shopper’s checklist 29 EAM customer stories 30 Get to know Infor EAM 6 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 7 Resources for ERP 8 ERP shopper’s checklist 9 ERP customer stories 10 Get to know Infor ERP Aerospace & Defense Automotive Consumer Goods Distribution & Logistics Fashion High Tech & Electronics Industrial Manufacturing Process (Chemicals/ Food & Beverage) Industries Legend 2Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Manufacturing Outlook Walking the talk to modernization In 2015, most manufacturers experienced modest levels of profitability helped by lower commodity prices and low wage inflation. This environment provided a brief window of opportunity to consider the role new “disruptive” technologies might have on manufacturing businesses and to discuss potential investment strategies. In addition to contributing to the hype surrounding the Internet of Things (IoT), experts called for continued digitalization and smarter manufacturing, shifting to customer-centric operations, adoption of mobile and social platforms, and, of course, cloud deployment. But despite this optimism about the “Factory of the Future,” 2015 ended with a cautiousness that continues. A January 2016 report from PwC reveals a reduction in forecasted growth for US industrial manufacturers.1 World economic optimism is down overall. To overcome this downturn, manufacturers will need to prioritize their investments and make incremental steps toward their personalized vision of the future. As always, trends are varying by vertical. In the automotive industry, growth will come via mergers and acquisitions and innovation due to an increased investment in R & D.2 For aerospace and defense companies, new technologies will be essential for navigating dwindling municipal budgets and stagnant hiring. Across the board, though, being more responsive to customers will be paramount for manufacturers. In a recent report, IDC predicts that manufacturers that invest in “customer-centricity” will gain market share growth by 2% to 3%.3 Will your company come out on top? Read on to see how the right software can help you continue to grow your market share. 3Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second EditionManufacturing Outlook Finding and managing growth Companies of all sizes are exploring niche and emerging markets, while “re-shoring” to domestic factories continues, albeit in a more limited fashion than previously predicted.4 Top concerns for manufacturers Recruiting and retaining top talent Finding and retaining talent continues to be challenging in manufacturing, which remains a relatively undesirable industry for Millennials. According to a PwC report, new hiring will remain flat, despite a brighter outlook a year ago.5 Creating a competitive advantage To fight brand commoditization and shrinking profit margins due to the need for ultra-competitive pricing, manufacturers need to accelerate product releases and jumpstart innovation, while balancing speed with affordability. Improving quality and program controls Customers demand precision from order to delivery and expect vendors to proactively solve regulatory compliance challenges. Accelerating speed to market and customization Customers continue to expect more, which is forcing manufacturers to achieve faster turnaround times, rely on 24/7 facilities, and adapt plans more quickly based on information derived from customer-focused analytics. Configure Price Quote solutions can help here. 4Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second EditionManufacturing Outlook To help manufacturers choose the right software in a rapidly changing industry landscape, this guide will explore five key solution areas that are essential to any successful manufacturing operation: We’ll discuss the market trends increasing the need for adoption of each technology, provide a “shopper’s checklist” of essential features and functions, and share success stories from real-life industry leaders. This guide will also outline how Infor’s industry-specific software and cloud-based platform are helping global companies thrive. ERP Enterprise Resource Planning EAM Enterprise Asset Management SCM Supply Chain Management CX Customer Experience PLM Product Lifecycle Management 5Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Manufacturers have relied on ERP systems as their technology backbone for at least 25 years now. That’s a lot of history, a lot of ingrained commitment to on-premise ERP, and a lot of “we’ve always done it this way” habits. Times change, of course, and the classic ERP focus and deployment models simply don’t make sense in the post- recession market, where being competitive in virtually every area is essential for survival. One strategy that’s been proven to build a more agile business is moving to the cloud. A cloud-based ERP system can not only shift a company’s payment structure from a capital expense to an operating expense (which frees up precious funds), it allows a business to rapidly expand as needed and integrate with whatever system will be needed for future success. IDC’s principal research manager S. Ramachandran recently said it best: Manufacturing companies need to keep looking for opportunities to migrate to a cloud-based ERP in stages, if not in entirety, to fully leverage the advantages offered by the next generation of applications and their deployment methods available in the market today. The advantages range from better cost models to improved functionalities leveraging best practices, global performance standards and competitive SLAs that cannot be ignored. In the cloud, your ERP system is more flexible than ever before, which comes in handy when considering manufacturing’s inevitable volatility. And, you’re spared a lot of IT staffing headaches because your cloud partner handles upgrades, hardware, databases, integrations, migrations, security, disaster recovery, and hosting for you. No wonder everyone’s talking about it. Read on to learn more and have a conversation of your own. 6Enterprise Resource Planning Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Analyst Report MPI Group—High expectations for high- tech value chains This report from the MPI Group explores how the proliferation of advanced technology is changing manufacturing and provides strategic advice for manufacturing executives who find they suddenly need high-tech expertise. Resources for ERP Learn more about the trends driving ERP adoption and specific strategies for addressing common challenges in various industries, from automotive to fashion. Analyst Report Mint Jutras—The hidden cost of ERP customization What happens when your CIO is ready for retirement? Are you prepared? Enterprise software expert Cindy Jutras explores the perils of IT staff retirement and costly ERP customizations, as well as upgrade options. Read the report › Read the report › Guide Ten steps toward cloud enablement for fashion companies: A roadmap to modern ERP solutions Increasingly, fashion companies are recognizing the need to replace their current business software. Read these helpful guidelines to help you make sound decisions concerning your fashion ERP selection and deployment. Read the guide › White paper Manufacturing trifecta: Optimism, growth, and infrastructure investments for the automotive industry In this white paper, we examine new optimism in the automotive industry, see how it is impacting growth strategies, and look at how modern IT solutions can help a company be better equipped for future challenges. Read the white paper › Analyst Report Aberdeen Group— Upgrading enterprise systems for success in process manufacturing This Aberdeen report identifies how top performing process manufacturers compete in an evolving landscape and how industry leaders can take advantage of new functionality to outperform their peers. Read the report › 7Enterprise Resource Planning Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Is your company on the path to becoming a “digital enterprise”?” Receive an assessment plus valuable resources to help guide you › ERP shopper’s checklist Upgrading an aging ERP system or deploying a new solution is not a decision to be made lightly. While all ERP systems span operations, finance, customer relations, and human resources, you should choose software that aligns to your business drivers— and that can help you differentiate your business from the pack. If you’re in the market for a new ERP system, look for a solution that offers: Ease of use—Your ERP system has to match the way you do business and put information from all the systems that run your business at the fingertips of your users. This information must be presented in a way that makes sense to users and doesn’t force them to toggle between disparate screens, repeatedly log in and out of multiple systems, and waste time digging through data. Integration—Fashion companies often have designers and merchandizers in New York, product developers in Alabama, and production staff in China. To keep data flowing smoothly and ensure adherence to tight schedules, your ERP system must seamlessly integrate with any specialized applications you rely on, and be able to do so across business units and geographic locations. Industry-ready functionality—A pharmaceutical manufacturer has little in common with a fashion manufacturer. And their sales, production, supply, and accounting requirements couldn’t be more different. Your ERP provider should have vertical-specific software bundles that eliminate the need for costly, time-consuming customizations. Your business moves too fast to wait for custom development. Flexibility—The right cloud computing solution is available 24x7x365, no matter where your employees are located or what devices they’re using. Because of their scale and expertise, cloud computing providers such as Amazon® Web Services can achieve system up-time levels and security and disaster recovery measures that cannot be matched. 8Enterprise Resource Planning Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition ERP customer stories Infor ERP solutions are designed to address the specific challenges of your industry. Here is a sample of our many success stories, spanning industries from Automotive to High Tech. Large metal fabricator MetCam cuts inventory in half and gets deeper shop-floor visibility with Infor SyteLine. 03:04 For more customer success stories, visit our ERP customers page. › Ellwood Group enables growth and acquisition with Infor CloudSuite Industrial’s out-of-the-box functionality Learn why the large steel manufacturer chose Infor’s cloud-based solution over SAP’s ERP to unify its previously disjointed operations. Watch the video › PT. Cipta Saksama Indonesia increases value to OEMs with Infor LN The Indonesian company reduced working capital, decreased the time to process customer orders, cut lead times, and delivered more goods to customers—faster. Read the customer innovation study › 9Enterprise Resource Planning Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Get to know Infor ERP Infor CloudSuite™ Industrial helps manufacturers and distributors of all types improve productivity and respond faster to change. From selling and sourcing to production and fulfillment, this robust enterprise resource planning solution provides organization-wide visibility. Even organizations with highly complex supply chains are able to cut costs and ensure on-time production and delivery by using Infor CloudSuite Industrial to automate and manage key business processes, implement highly efficient process flows, and better match supply with demand. Infor CloudSuite Industrial— proven power with total flexibility Watch demo: Infor CloudSuite Industrial expedites ordering and production 06:32 Flexibility to grow As your business grows and your needs change, the solution’s unmatched scalability is there to provide support. Add a new company to your organizational structure with no downtime. Easily separate data if you sell off a subsidiary. Plus, cloud deployment allows you to expand the solution to any location you want—without IT involvement. Extensible framework Whether you’re an engineer-to-order or mixed-mode manufacturer, Infor CloudSuite Industrial adapts to your needs, rather than forcing you to follow a rigid set of procedures. Without the cost and delays involved in modifying or writing new code for unique business requirements, you get a powerful, easy-to-use solution that works the way you do. Built-in experience Infor CloudSuite Industrial is packed with nearly 30 years of industry expertise. Advanced manufacturing and supply chain planning capabilities—including role-based dashboards and KPIs, in-context data visualization, and more are built into the core solution, so you can concentrate on your business, not your systems. Visit the Infor CloudSuite Industrial page to learn more › 10Enterprise Resource Planning Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Supply Chain Management (SCM) Assessing risk is a common part of supply chain management today. But current risk analysis usually doesn’t take advantage of the rich contextual information that’s available. At the outset, a company might consult with a risk management firm to determine places from which they should avoid sourcing. But once those plans are set, there isn’t much maneuverability regarding execution if new risk factors pop up. Information about supply chain risk might come in daily, but that information is often abstract, without any clear, actionable value. “Live” contextual data can change that. Supply chain platforms make use of real-time news feeds, weather feeds, and other IoT data to find out if a disruption is happening. But more than that, they can provide personalized context for individual supply chains. So instead of a company finding out that there’s a typhoon in the Pacific and ships might be affected, it can be alerted about which orders will be affected. And the sooner a company knows this, the faster it can mitigate any pending disasters. This is why the integration of “live” data into a supply chain transaction platform is so important. It’s not enough to know that something is happening— it’s important to know how you will be affected by it. It’s one thing for an alert system to tell you that there’s a strike in a country where you have suppliers, but it’s more useful to be alerted about which orders could be affected. Couldn’t your business benefit from having this type of visibility? 11Supply Chain Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Research report GT Nexus: State of the global supply chain White paper The key to success: Enterprise social collaboration fuels innovative sales & operations planning Infographic IDC—The automotive value chain White paper Overcoming the complexities of tank scheduling Infographic The MPI Group—7 steps to supply chain optimization Created with research firm YouGov, a global online community of 1.2 million individuals, this research report explores the top issues facing manufacturing executives today. Learn which technologies are having the biggest impact on the supply chain and the most common goals for improvement. If you’re like most S&OP professionals, your biggest challenge is keeping all of your stakeholders in alignment. Learn how social technology can support your goals streamlining your extended team’s access to the right data, in the right place, at the right time. View this infographic to learn why the automotive supply chain must become more customer-centric and introduce new products and services. Due to customers’ increasing expectations, this is now a necessity for OEMs. Many software solutions are not equipped to manage the challenges of volume scheduling. Read this white paper to learn which tools are most effective for process manufacturers. Success requires transformation of supply chain management from a tactical exercise into a strategic weapon using new technologies. View the infographic to learn benefits and strategies for realizing this goal. Resources for SCM Learn more about the trends driving SCM adoption and specific strategies for addressing common challenges in a range of industries, from food & beverage to automotive. Read the research report › Read the white paper › View the infographic › Read the white paper › View the infographic › 12Supply Chain Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition SCM shopper’s checklist When considering a new SCM solution, think beyond just managing your supply chain to optimizing it with big data and advanced analytics. An article in Refrigerated Transporter says, “Predictive analytics and business intelligence are becoming a decisive essential in developing supply chain strategies to improve effectiveness and efficiency of processes, and support innovation to enhanced logistics planning.” To optimize the balance of supply and demand, your company should deploy a supply chain management solution that provides: Capabilities for strategic network design/tactical planning—Look for a solution that lets you build a time- phased plan of material movement through your enterprise, trading off capacities and evaluating different transportation and inventory options. A collaborative view of demand planning—Make sure you can get an accurate picture of demand to drive production, inventory, distribution, and buying plans across your operations. Social collaboration tools can help accelerate decision-making. Multi-site and multi-product capabilities—Optimize planning across multiple sites, balance product mix capability with profitability, and consider shelf-life constraints in build-ahead strategies. Is your company ready for today’s manufacturing industry challenges? Take our readiness test to find out › Advanced production scheduling and optimal sequencing—Pick a solution that lets you synchronize products across all lines, checking interdependencies and optimally sequencing to shorten make- time and increase productivity. Warehouse management tools for mastering fulfillment—Make sure the solution you choose offers tools for organizing and managing inbound and outbound deliveries, putaway, and picking, as well as optimizing your labor resources. Performance management for analyzing key metrics—Look for a solution that allows you to create your own key performance indicators and monitor the effectiveness of all operations, bringing sharper focus to critical decisions. 13Supply Chain Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition SCM customer stories Infor SCM solutions are designed to address the specific challenges of your industry. Here is a sample of our many success stories, spanning industries from distribution & logistics to industrial manufacturing. Lineage Logistics talks supply chain execution in the cloud. 05:03 For more customer success stories, visit our SCM customers page. › Allergan streamlines its operations with Infor Demand Planning and Advanced Scheduling Infor SCM gave this chemicals & life sciences company increased operational efficiency, more agile inventory management, and enhanced decision-making. Read the customer innovation study › Cremer S.A. replaces incumbent ERP systems in acquired business with Infor SCM solutions This Brazilian company consolidated its value chain to increase efficiency and gain an integrated view into all of its operations across its entire supply chain. Read the customer innovation study › 14Supply Chain Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Get to know Infor SCM and GT Nexus With Infor SCM, you get the tools you need to optimize your end-to-end supply chain and harness the power of social networking to collaborate more effectively internally, as well as with customers, partners, and suppliers. Gain greater visibility into your supply chain to optimize utilization of resources and labor, improve inventory and shipping accuracy, deliver the perfect order every time, and respond faster to customer opportunities and market fluctuations. Visit Infor SCM to see our complete list of solutions. › Infor Sales & Operations Planning ties together your operational plan and your strategic business plan, giving you a holistic view of demand, supply, and finance with real-time data from all departments. Use social S&OP to speed decision-making with input from your social networks. See the impact of your decisions immediately, to help you plan for profit. Learn more › GT Nexus’ network integrates directly with the order management system of companies and transmits order information to their suppliers, freight carriers, and logistics providers. Deployed as a single, multi-tenant technology stack, the GT Nexus platform is built for scale and broad adoption, enabling companies and their partners to quickly connect as collaborating networks, on a many-to-many model. Learn more › Infor Supply Chain Planning allows manufacturing and distribution companies to achieve the right balance between demand and supply—from forecast through to production planning and scheduling. Collaborate more easily with customers, partners, and suppliers and manage the complexity of your supply chain with end-to-end optimization that helps you drive profit margins and meet customer expectations. Learn more › Infor Supply Chain Execution reduces the complexity of warehousing and logistics management. Its unified warehouse management, transportation, and labor management can help you make faster and better decisions to achieve more perfect orders and higher customer service levels. Learn more › 15Supply Chain Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Innovation has always played an important role in the success of manufacturers. But in recent years, the role of innovation at manufacturing companies has changed in fundamental ways. First, innovation is now a top business imperative. Second, the approaches to innovation that worked in the past won’t suffice in the present, where the manufacturing industry is more competitive and fast-paced than ever. A rise in customer demand is coinciding with the emergence of breakthrough innovations in materials and processes like nanomaterials, 3D printing, and advanced robotics. Manufacturing companies need to protect their innovations from theft and still actively work with new partners in new markets. The deployment of a next-generation product lifecycle management (PLM) software platform can federate data from multiple systems across an extended global supply chain, creating a central repository for all data associated with a particular project or program regardless of the location or origin. 16Product Lifecycle Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Analyst Report CIMdata— Flexible, scalable PLM for discrete manufacturing enterprises eBook Empower your creative, technical, and commercial teams White paper Achieving superior product development in process manufacturing White paper How product lifecycle management fuels the momentum of fashion Read CIMdata’s assessment of Infor PLM Accelerate and find out why they recommend that manufacturing companies consider this product when evaluating their product lifecycle management needs. You may have designers and merchandisers in New York, product developers in Alabama, and production staff in China. Multiple teams working in multiple time zones on multiple projects still need to act as one—while satisfying shorter, faster development cycles. Now you can bring these teams together. Even the best innovators have notorious flops. The risks are even greater for process manufacturers, who must continually innovate with new and iterative products to excite customers and generate new revenue. Get strategies for efficient product development. Fashion companies must improve the ways they handle sourcing, design, merchandising, compliance issues, and operations at every phase of the business. Find out how PLM solutions can help balance customer tastes and responsive operations. Resources for PLM Learn more about the trends driving PLM adoption and specific strategies for addressing common challenges in a range of industries, from fashion to chemicals. Read the report › Read the eBook › Read the white paper › Read the white paper › Infographic Aberdeen Smartbite: The product development process in best-in-class companies Consumers want more functionality at a fraction of the cost. How do companies deliver this? They provide higher complexity products on short timelines and a tight budget. View this infographic to learn how best-in-class companies can use advanced PLM to handle the complexity required by today’s market. View the infographic › 17Product Lifecycle Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition PLM shopper’s checklist Some manufacturers are already leading the way to modern manufacturing, setting new production standards for product lifecycle management (PLM). They are making bold advances and reaping greater rewards. A holistic approach is required to propel manufacturers into the modern realm of advanced PLM practices. Multiple IT capabilities need to be harnessed in order to fully benefit from next generation product innovation technologies, including collaboration on product design, price-quote-configure tools, assemble-to-order capabilities, automated functionality for quality control and compliance, and 3D printing for rapid prototyping. If you’re in the market for a new PLM system, look for a solution that can: Simplify integration—A PLM solution with pre-built integrations to your ERP solution will be your best bet for realizing a rapid return on investment. It will also let your technical resources focus on value-added activities. And a cloud PLM solution will let you put maintenance on the backburner. Is your company on the path to becoming a “digital enterprise”? Receive an assessment plus valuable resources to help guide you. › Optimize input materials—Process manufacturers, for example, can use a raw materials rationalization engine to intelligently select input materials to generate significant, measurable savings that directly impact inventory. Provide intelligent workflows— Decision-based workflow capabilities can help you improve overall efficiency and prevent potentially costly errors. Managers enjoy greater visibility—in real time. Provide “staged” capabilities—With a stage-gating approach to product development, product rollout schedules can be met or exceeded, despite the various departments—and locations— contributing to a new product line. The PLM software you choose should automate this process for maximum efficiency. Integrate with engineering systems— You need to integrate with more than just your ERP system with your PLM software. By connecting your CAD or other systems, all your teams—R&D, engineering, and manufacturing—can work toward common goals. Move you closer to 100% compliance— No matter the industry, complying with regulatory requirements is not optional. Fail to meet compliance requirements and you incur enormous risk. Accordingly, your PLM system should provide the capabilities you need to design, produce, and update products that consistently meet government regulations. 18Product Lifecycle Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition PLM customer stories Infor PLM solutions are designed to address the specific challenges of your industry. Here is a sample of our many success stories, spanning industries from process manufacturing to food & beverage and aerospace & defense. AkzoNobel reduces costs and gains efficiency with Infor Optiva. Henkel speeds its time to market with Infor Optiva Read how this German beauty products company improved its decision-making for its product development team. Read the customer snapshot › Sypris Electronics improves accuracy and efficiency with Infor PLM Sypris, a leading provider of electronics manufacturing and engineering services for government agencies, enjoyed better compliance and other benefits with Infor PLM. Read the customer snapshot › For more customer success stories, visit our PLM customers page. › 19Product Lifecycle Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Get to know Infor PLM Infor PLM can leverage data from across your entire enterprise to help you make better decisions about product development, management, design, and production. With Infor PLM, you can optimize every step of the product lifecycle to create higher quality products, launch new products in less time at a lower cost, and maximize profits. Visit Infor PLM to see our complete list of solutions. › Infor PLM Accelerate With Infor PLM Accelerate, powered by Aras, discrete manufacturers like you get a functionally rich, highly scalable, and secure product lifecycle management solution that can handle the level of complexity you have today and quickly adapt to the accelerating rate of change. Infor PLM Accelerate goes beyond the capabilities of standalone PLM products to unite your entire product lifecycle for a single view of the truth. You get actionable information from design and manufacturing to purchasing, quality control, the supply chain, and beyond. Learn more › Infor Optiva With Infor Optiva®, process manufacturers get the tools to protect brand integrity, dramatically reduce regulatory risk, and bring high-quality, least cost formulation- based products to market more quickly. They can also better meet regulations, such as FDA, REACH, and Chemicals Compliance, and drive new product innovation. Learn more › Infor Fashion PLM With Infor Fashion PLM, you get the industry’s only tool that integrates planning into every aspect of product lifecycle management— from line planning, design, and development to sourcing, production, inventory management, customers, and distribution. Whether you’re a fashion brand, manufacturer, or private brand retailer, you’ll have the latest Infor technologies to help you develop styles more quickly and efficiently. Learn more › 20Product Lifecycle Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Customer Experience (CX) Customer Experience (CX)—Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Configure Price Quote (CPQ), and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Do your customers get the same great experience with your brand whether they interact with you through phone, web, email, Twitter®, or another channel? Maximizing satisfaction throughout the customer journey may increase customer satisfaction by 20% and revenue by up to 15%, while lowering customer service costs by as much as 20%. And by 2020, customer experience is expected overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.6 Companies must think beyond traditional campaigns with start and stop dates, and instead map the entire customer journey—that fluid and often- complex web of customer interactions. Strategically anticipating touchpoints along the customer journey and ensuring a consistent experience is key to supporting long-term customer relationships. By developing an omni-channel marketing strategy and employing technology that helps you efficiently stay on top of it all, you can deliver great, consistent experiences to your customers—any time, any place, and through any service channel. A robust software suite that encompasses the full Customer Experience (CX)—and includes solutions such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Configure Price Quote (CPQ), and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)— can equip your company for success. Read on to learn more. 21Customer Experience Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Resources for CX—CRM, CPQ, and CLM Learn more about the trends driving Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Configure Price Quote (CPQ), and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) adoption and specific strategies for addressing common challenges. Infographic Drive engagement, increase satisfaction, and improve profitability White paper Speed your sales cycle with configure price quote (CPQ) technology White paper Manufacturers turn to Internet of Things to boost customer engagement Infographic Why CRM is critical for value-selling In today’s world, your customers have more ways to research and buy than ever before. If you want to attract and keep them, you need to create a satisfying, consistent customer experience across all your channels. This infographic can show you how. You mustn’t forget that the journey must end with a sale. Learn how configure-price-quote (CPQ) technology provides an essential fork in the road in the customer journey, an exit ramp, as it were, from engagement to conversion. The Internet of Things is no longer a promise in the distance—it’s being used now. See how manufacturers are using the benefits of the IoT to further engage with customers and harness valuable customer insights. Manufacturing customers today are well informed about their options, and sales people have less control over the sales process. How can manufacturers continue to add value to the customer relationship and deliver great customer experiences, rather than just fill orders? View the infographic › Read the white paper › Read the white paper › View the infographic › White paper Four strategies to help move beyond lean and build a competitive advantage Manufacturers that enhance their lean manufacturing environments are reaping strategic competitive advantages by aligning sales processes with manufacturing capabilities, and by reducing order errors, scrap, and rework. Learn four strategies that can help you take this step. Read the white paper › 22Customer Experience Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition CX shopper’s checklist Building a positive customer experience is becoming a critical path to differentiation for manufacturers. A customer experience suite should help you integrate customer data across the enterprise, accelerate customer engagement, and drive profitability. Key applications within customer experience include: customer relationship management (CRM), configure price quote (CPQ), and contract lifecycle management (CLM). Is your company ready for today’s manufacturing industry challenges? Take our readiness test to find out › CRM–Look for a CRM solution that delivers a complete view of customer interactions across your sales, marketing, customer service, and support teams. In addition, look for a CRM solution that provides: Superior mobile and tablet support—Your workforce is mobile, and your CRM solution should be, too. Look for one that delivers purpose-built applications for the mobile workforce, to give you a strong competitive advantage. Ultimate flexibility—Choose a CRM solution that can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise, or in a hybrid application, with mobile options to accommodate your business needs. You’ll want to buy, finance, or subscribe while maintaining full control of your data. Intelligent interactions—To drive revenue and deliver an exceptional customer experience, you need a solution that can build rich customer profiles and provide best practice automation across sales, marketing and service. CPQ–A CPQ solution focuses on accelerating product configuration, pricing, and quoting. Look for one that delivers: An intuitive, customizable user experience—You’ll want to provide your sales team and dealers with a dynamically rendered user experience that presents the right product view and pricing, based on role, language, location, and viewing device. An image-based design studio—With a graphical user interface, you can create a visual presentation of a complex product model, with point-and-click access to details of every rule and constraint. A powerful configuration engine—With a powerful configuration engine, you can instantly process rules and constraints in product models to enable guided selection of only compatible features, options, and dimensions. CLM–A CLM solution should help streamline the creation, negotiation, execution, and management of contracts throughout their development. Your company should deploy a CLM solution that provides: Dynamic creation of new contracts—Through rules-based definition, provide users with policy guidance and compliance recommendations through every stage of the contracting process. A consumer-grade user experience—Boost efficiency and user adoption by providing an intuitive interface that is optimized for all devices and easy to learn with templates to generate differentiated documents with ease. Easy review cycles—Designate terms, conditions, and clauses as attributes to make it easy for reviewers to quickly see the key characteristics for each contract. 23Customer Experience Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition CX customer stories Infor’s Customer Experience (CX) solutions are designed to address the specific challenges of your industry. Here is a sample of our many success stories, spanning industries from process manufacturing to equipment manufacturing. Independent Stave consolidates worldwide account information and customization capabilities. 02:58 For more customer success stories, visit our CX customers page. › Plastimayd reduces costs and increases sales with Infor CPQ This US manufacturer of vinyl pool liners and safety covers embedded nearly 20 years of design and quoting knowledge into a guided selling platform in just 6 months. Read the customer case study › Great Plains increases sales and improves operations with Infor With the standardized, fully electronic quote system that Infor CPQ provides, the large US equipment manufacturer has eliminated errors and delays in both orders and quotes. Read the customer case study › 24Customer Experience Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Get to know Infor CX Overcome the challenges of doing business globally by attaining a 360° view of your customers with the Infor Customer Experience Suite. You’ll be able to easily keep track of all customer transactions and meet unique customer requirements in a profitable way. And you can integrate and share data across departments to support your organization’s workflow. Visit Infor CX to see our complete list of solutions. › Infor CRM is an award-winning CRM solution that delivers a complete view of customer interactions across your sales, marketing, customer service, and support teams, so they can collaborate effectively and respond promptly and knowledgably to sales opportunities and customer inquiries—both in the office and in the field. Learn more › Infor Marketing Resource Management (MRM) is a crucial operations tool that helps you better plan, execute, and monitor multi- channel marketing campaigns. You get digital asset management, resource management, project management, budget and cost tracking, creative approval processing, capacity planning, analytics, and more. Learn more › Infor Configure Price Quote (CPQ) captures knowledge about your customizable products once and then shares it with dealers and your sales force—on any device—to make selection and configuration intuitive and error- free. This image-driven, easy-to-use solution, delivers fast and accurate quoting and helps guarantee one vision from order to delivery, while cutting costs and boosting profits. Learn more › Infor Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) helps improve the creation, negotiation, execution, and management of contracts throughout their development. With Infor CLM, you can define and manage attributes to help ensure corporate compliance, while also tracking changes from version to version. In addition, the analytics-pricing engine in Infor CLM allows you to automate pricing, costing, and margin calculations to ensure accuracy and visibility. Learn more › 25Customer Experience Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) In manufacturing, what is more crucial than the equipment itself? Downtime, which is detrimental to any business, is especially damaging and costly for manufacturers. According to Mining Global, each hydraulic power and belt drive failure can result in up to $180,000 in lost production. Yet many organizations lack the insight and visibility they need to proactively refine their operations in a cost- effective way. Asset managers need to keep their equipment performing, despite constrained budgets and aging infrastructure. Advanced enterprise asset management (EAM) solutions give companies deep visibility into their assets and allow them to plan and prioritize maintenance activities more effectively. This, in turn, curbs the tendency to overspend or underspend on maintenance practices. By recognizing priorities, increasing asset visibility, analyzing patterns, and responding with greater agility, companies equipped with EAM solutions can reduce costs even as they reduce risk. They can also perform at higher levels of reliability, quality, and safety without needing more resources. More manufacturers are adopting enterprise asset management (EAM) software to help them make the most of their limited resources, while managing risk. According to a report by research and consulting firm MarketsandMarkets, the EAM market will exceed $4 billion by 2019. The following section can help your company get up-to-speed on the benefits of EAM software and help you find the right solution for your business. 26Enterprise Asset Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition White paper Improve risk management, compliance and customer satisfaction in asset management with ISO 55000 Checklist Five ways to improve plant floor productivity Infographic Heavy traceability requirements Analyst Report MPI Group—Improving ROA in asset- intensive process manufacturing– balancing safety, compliance, growth, and profitability Kevin Price, Senior Product Manager of Infor EAM, explains how ISO 55000, the international standard covering the management of physical assets, can help organizations across the world improve risk management, compliance, and customer satisfaction. High tech & electronics manufacturing has seen steady growth as the global economy continues to recover from the recession. Learn strategies to improve productivity and drive operational improvements. Process manufacturing industries, like food & beverage and chemicals & life sciences, share the challenge of heavy traceability requirements. See how an asset management system can help mitigate risk. Global chemical output is on the rise, and revenue growth is good—but it needs to be managed profitably. Learn strategies for maintaining profit margins and improving return on assets (ROA). Resources for EAM Learn more about the trends driving EAM adoption and specific strategies for addressing common challenges in the food & beverage and high tech & electronics industries. Read the white paper › Read the checklist › View the infographic › Read the analyst report › 27Enterprise Asset Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition EAM shopper’s checklist EAM software is essential for managing asset performance and maximizing resources, but this crucial component of a company’s IT infrastructure requires long-term considerations. “Selection is becoming increasingly based on the relationship with the vendor rather than simply the software tool it sells,” says expert David Berger, director of Western Management Consultants. “This is because partnering with the right vendor can facilitate the implementation of more long-lasting improvements.”7 To maximize the life and performance of your equipment and machinery, your company should deploy an EAM solution that provides: Is your company on the path to becoming a digital enterprise? Receive an assessment plus valuable resources to help guide you › Analytical tools—The system you choose should offer not just simple analytics, like Pareto analysis, on high frequency or high-cost problem and cause codes, but more sophisticated tools for performing root cause and trend analysis as well. Look for role-based dashboards that enable you to easily make better business decisions. Advanced scheduling capabilities—Look for sophisticated tools that help you distinguish between long-term planning of a maintenance program and short-term scheduling (multiple priorities, what-if analysis). With a system-wide view, your company can meet changing demands without impacting production schedules. Mobility—Deploy a system that lets you view up-to-date information when and where you need it the most. Your field service team, for example, can be more responsive and efficient when all systems are accessible via mobile device. Maintenance optimization—Look for a system that includes capabilities for determining the right mix of failure-based maintenance (run to fail), use-based maintenance, preventive maintenance, and condition-based maintenance. Health, safety, and environmental safeguards—Look for a solution that can help ensure a safe environment, with features such as lockout/tagout, safety checklists, safety priority field, and material safety data sheets. Notification and workflow features— When you can automate processes, like alerting a supervisor that maintenance is required or that a key warranty is expiring soon, you can increase asset productivity. 28Enterprise Asset Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition EAM customer stories Infor EAM solutions are designed to address the specific challenges of your industry. Below is a sample of our many success stories, spanning industries from food & beverage to industrial manufacturing. Keystone Foods tracks orders easily with Infor EAM Enterprise in the cloud. 02:45 AWE controls risks, boosts productivity with Infor EAM Learn how Infor EAM has helped this defense company to improve our performance substantially through tighter processes and improved data quality. Read the customer case study › Argentinian automotive manufacturer Taranto enhances maintenance with Infor EAM Learn how this Latin American manufacturer gained a company-wide, centralized view of repair records and modifications made to production tools. Read the customer case study › For more customer success stories, visit our EAM customers page. › 29Enterprise Asset Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Infor EAM Enterprise helps companies improve asset performance, increase service life, and cut costs by providing complete configurability to address the most specialized and important asset management challenges. Learn more › Infor EAM Energy Performance Management helps you gain end-to-end control of emissions, energy usage, and carbon tracking, so you can consistently maintain and improve sustainability. Learn more › Get to know Infor EAM Infor EAM boosts efficiency for the mass transit industry 03:37 Visit Infor EAM to see our complete list of solutions › Products in the Infor EAM suite for manufacturing help improve plant and equipment performance by eliminating unplanned downtime, directly addressing energy waste, and improving compliance. 30Enterprise Asset Management Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition Stay up-to-date–follow Infor Manufacturing Follow Infor Manufacturing on Twitter › Twitter View Infor’s Manufacturing page › LinkedIn Visit Infor’s YouTube channel › YouTube Blog —Manufacturing matters Learn the latest manufacturing news and trends affecting your vertical. Sign up for our RSS feed and get new posts delivered directly to your inbox. RSS Feed ›Visit Blog › 31Guide to Manufacturing Software, Second Edition References 1 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, “Manufacturing Barometer, Business outlook report,” January 2016. 2 Dustin Walsh, “Auto execs expect uptick in M&A deals through 2016,” Automotive News, November 16, 2015. 3 Louis Columbus, “IDC’s Top 10 Manufacturing Predictions for 2016: The Cloud Enables Greater Customer Centricity,” Forbes, December 19, 2015. 4 Bill Conerly, “Are American Manufacturers Reshoring?” Forbes, May 2015. 5 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, “Manufacturing Barometer, Business outlook report,” January 2016. 6 McKinsey and Company, Customer Satisfaction Survey, February 2014. 7 David Berger, “Ten Pitfalls to Avoid When Selecting a CMMS/EAM (Part 1),” Manufacturing Business Times, 2013. Disclaimer This document reflects the direction Infor may take with regard to the specific product(s) described in this document, all of which is subject to change by Infor in its sole discretion, with or without notice to you. This document in not a commitment to you in any way and you should not rely on this document or any of its content in making any decision. Infor is not committing to develop or deliver any specified enhancement, upgrade, product, or functionality, even if such is described in this document. Copyright © 2016 Infor. All rights reserved. The work and design marks set forth herein are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Infor and/or related affiliates and subsidiaries. All other trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective owners. INFDTP1487914-en-US-0316-2 About Infor Infor builds beautiful business applications with last mile functionality and scientific insights for select industries delivered as a cloud service. With 14,000 employees and customers in more than 200 countries and territories, Infor automates critical processes for industries including healthcare, manufacturing, fashion, wholesale distribution, hospitality, retail, and public sector. Infor software helps eliminate the need for costly customization through embedded deep industry domain expertise. Headquartered in New York City, Infor is also home to one of the largest creative agencies in Manhattan, Hook & Loop, focused on delivering a user experience that is fun and engaging. Infor deploys its cloud applications primarily on the Amazon Web Services cloud and open source platforms. To learn more about Infor, please visit www.infor.com.