V I S I B I L I T Y.net

Transcription

1 V I S I B I L I T Y.net

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3 V I S I B I L I T Y.net

4 VISIBILITY.net TABLE OF CONTENTS VISIBILITY.net Introduction...1 Core Modules Chart...1 Integrated Applications Chart...3 PRODUCT FOUNDATION Technology...5 Microsoft.NET % Browser-based Zero Client Footprint...5 System Security...5 Service Oriented Architecture...6 Database Independent...6 Multi-Lingual Multi-Currency...6 Collaboration...7 Workflow...7 Personalization...8 Document Management Secure Portals Threaded Discussions Business Performance Management Business Intelligence Multi-Entity Consolidation Corporate Governance Managed Reports ENTERPRISE SOLUTION MODULES Customer Relationship Management Prospect and Sales Force Automation Customer Portal Quoting and Estimating Available to Promise Order Management...15 Service... 16

5 Financial Management General Ledger and Financial Consolidation Product Costing Revenue Recognition and Installment Billing Project Accounting and Management Cost Accounting Human Resources and Payroll Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable...21 Engineering & Product Lifecycle Management Product Configurator CAD Interface Parts and BOMs Part and Product Attribute Management Routings Change Management Material & Production Planning Forecasting/MPS/MRP/CRP/APS - ETO/MTO/Repetitive Supplier Portal Purchasing Lot/Serial Number Control Inventory Control Operations Management Quality Systems Management Labor Management...33 Shop Floor Control Work in Process Maintenance Operations Data Collection... 36

6 VISIBILITY.net Introduction VISIBILITY.net is a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution for complex product manufacturers. Through an unparalleled suite of business applications, VISIBILITY.net is the leadingedge enterprise solution that enables organizations to significantly optimize business effectiveness and dramatically enhance performance. VISIBILITY.net provides businesses with strategic insight, ability to differentiate, increased productivity and the flexibility needed to achieve business goals. VISIBILITY.net provides strategic advantage across the entire enterprise. Business integration, comprehensive functionality, collaborative capabilities, global features and compliance based controls enable effective decision making, increased organizational productivity and a system infrastructure optimized for profitable business growth. Operations Management Quality Systems Management Labor Management Shop Floor Control Work in Process Maintenance Operations Data Collection Engineering & Product Lifecycle Management Product Configurator CAD Interface Parts and BOMs Part and Product Attribute Management Routings Change Management Technology Microsoft.NET 100% Browser-based Zero Client Footprint System Security Service Oriented Architecture Database Independent T

7 ENTERPRISE SOLUTION MODULES Customer Relationship Management Prospect and Sales Force Automation Customer Portal Quoting and Estimating Available to Promise Order Management Service Financial Management General Ledger and Financial Consolidation Product Costing Revenue Recognition and Installment Billing Project Accounting and Management Cost Accounting Human Resources and Payroll Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Multi-Currency BUSINESS PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT COLLABORATION E C H N O L O G Y Material & Production Planning Forecasting/MPS/MRP/CRP/APS - ETO/MTO/Repetiti Supplier Portal Purchasing Lot/Serial Number Control Inventory Control Business Performance Management Business Intelligence Multi-Entity Consolidation Corporate Governance Managed Reports Collaboration Workflow Personalization Document Management Secure Portals Th d d Di i

8 VISIBILITY.net ENGAGE YOUR CUSTOMER > QUOTE THE JOB > ENGINEER & PLAN Typical Business Needs Tightly coupled design and engineering Tailored products Support of complex product configurations Collaborative supply chain processes Estimates and engineered quotes Strategic inventory forecasts Bid cycle management Key component sourcing Sales to engineering hand-off Frequent engineering changes Design collaboration with sup and customers Reduction in total cycle time Concurrent design, build, and sourcing Project and operations resource planning Customer Relationship Management Prospect and Sales Force Automation Customer Portal Quoting and Estimating Available to Promise Order Management Enterprise Sol Financial Management General Ledger and Financial Consolidation Multi-Currency Product Costing Revenue Recognition and Installment Billing Project Accounting and Management Cost Accounting Human Resources and Payroll Engineering & Product Lifecycle Management Material & Production Planning Operations Management Product Configurator CAD Interface Parts and BOMs Part and Product Attribute Management Routings Change M Forecasting / MPS / MRP / CRP / APS - ETO / MTO / Repetitive Supplier Portal Purchasing Lot/Serial Number Con Invento Quality Systems Management Labor Management Shop Floo Work in Pr Maintenan VISIBILITY Product Foundation COLLABORATION Workflow Personalization BUSINESS PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY Business Intelligence Microsoft.NET 100% Browserbased Zero Client Footprint Multi-Entity Consolidation 2 Sy

9 BEGINNING TO END LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT > SOURCE & BUILD > MANAGE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE > SERVICE YOUR CUSTOMER pliers Extended job life cycles Direct job and project purchasing Long lead material purchases Project inventory requirements Mixed mode manufacturing Drop shipments Outsourced manufacturing processes Direct shipments from work in process Tracking true costs by jobs and projects Monitoring project tasks and resource budgets Milestone billing Project, product, business unit reporting Managing multi-entity performance Consolidated financial reporting Installed equipment tracking Contract management Global service and support Integrated e-commerce Multi-language capabilities ution Modules Service Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable anagement trol ry Control r Control ocess ce Operations Data Collection Document 1 Secure Portals Management Corporate Governance stem Security Service Oriented + Architecture Database Independent Managed Reports Oracle TM Others SQL Server TM Threaded Discussions EXCEL 2 ª text string a text string b text string c text string c1 text string c1a text string c2 222 PDF HTML Multi-Lingual Multi-Currency

10 PRODUCT FOUNDATION TECHNOLOGY Technology is the basis on which an ERP system stands. Having a strong foundation upon which the ERP application is supported allows organizations to operate with confidence in their system infrastructure. The strong foundation facilitates supportability and growth. The VISIBILITY.net technology framework provides companies a significant competitive advantage by providing a comprehensive, scalable, adaptable and lower cost to deploy and maintain foundation. This foundation offers database choices of Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server and is built using industry standard contemporary technologies. The technical environment is far ahead of most ERP solutions through its clean architecture ensuring a consistent methodology throughout the system. The system is based on industry standards, open systems, ease of integration, use and collaboration. This gives companies unmatched flexibility to meet the challenging demands cost effectively for all business operations. MICROSOFT.NET Microsoft.NET is a set of software technologies for connecting information, people, systems, and devices. This new generation of technology is based on web services; small building block applications that can connect to each other as well as to other larger applications over the Internet. Based exclusively on.net technology, VISIBILITY.net is one of a new breed of ERP products that has been architected as an Internet application..net architecture and Object Oriented Technology With VISIBILITY.net native use of the.net architecture and object oriented technology means that as an application it can easily integrate with, and use, other applications by communication with XML web services. The very core of the VISIBILITY.net application makes use of this technology today, without the need for additional middleware or integrated applications. VISIBILITY.net provides a common user interface, a single integrated platform and a single software technology. 100% BROWSER BASED, ZERO CLIENT FOOTPRINT VISIBILITY.net is one of the first enterprise business applications to be written from the onset entirely using the Microsoft.NET framework and web services architecture. This provides the user with a distinct set of advantages when it comes to deploying the application. IT administration benefits include elimination of client-side PC configuration issues, and fast, reliable deployment of upgrade patches. VISIBILITY.net has a highly functional user interface, providing the user with a multi-document interface (multiple windows) in a single browser session. Visibility has extended the standard Microsoft ASP.NET TM development environment to provide a highly intuitive, interactive user experience that would not normally be possible within an Internet application. All of this is achieved with a zero client interface. In other words, VISIBILITY.net does not download any software onto a client PC in order to operate. SYSTEM SECURITY System security is provided at all layers of the application and general environment. The Database connections are made through an embedded data object model, providing for tightly 5

11 secured data access between the VISIBILITY.net application and your database. Application security is built into each application form and individual form controls and links. Business data access permissions are checked at every access point. This standards based approach includes the use of managed code and associated web services to deliver a high performance and highly scalable Service Oriented Architecture. Web services deliver the ability to perform concurrent work within a multiple document workspace contained within a single browser session. The result is not only a productive work environment, but one which is highly efficient with virtually no application cost incurred on the client workstation device. DATABASE INDEPENDENT VISIBILITY.net currently supports Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases. The application server may be located either within the customer intranet, or in the Firewall DMZ, where external access is to be granted. Standard firewall to web server access methods are used at this layer. Secure socket layer access [ is typically set up using commercial methods. Additional information on user level security can be found in the Secure Portal section of this document. SERVICE ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE VISIBILITY.net is constructed using the Microsoft Visual Studio.NET application and web service IDE toolset. COMPLETE MULTI-ENTITY/INTER-ENTITY/MULTI- PLANT/MULTI-CURRENCY CAPABILITY In a global or multi-entity environment, take advantage of strong and deep multi-company, inter-company and multi-currency support throughout every aspect of the application. MULTI-LINGUAL CAPABILITY The VISIBILITY.net application is multi-language ready. All form labels, report labels, and internal codes are administered with internal translation tables; allowing for linked translation text in any alternate language. Based on a user s login, the application can be automatically presented in the selected language. Double byte languages such as Japanese and Chinese can also be supported.

12 PRODUCT FOUNDATION COLLABORATION Improved communication with suppliers, partners, customers and employees, through easy to use electronic interaction, dramatically optimizes business processes, increases responsiveness and enables new levels of achievement throughout the enterprise. Collaboration refers to electronic communication between one or more individuals or groups, enabling the ability to share information, track the exchange of information and manage communications. The VISIBILITY.net collaborative product foundation improves, streamlines and automates communication between all users associated with the system. Complex product manufacturers gain competitive advantage with improved real-time information access, traceability and control of information throughout every step of the business process. Additionally, integrated collaborative capabilities provide an automated approach to managing project communications at a hierarchical level and ensures products are delivered on-time and within budget. The VISIBILITY.net collaborative and secure foundation provides improved controls through the use of workflow, document management and threaded discussions. In addition, the system allows for personalization at both the system and user levels. These added controls increase compliance as well as help tailor and extend the application increasing usability and adaptability to best fit the business requirements. WORKFLOW Many difficulties in business process management relate to off-system manual tasks, such as notification, investigation, authorization, and follow up. VISIBILITY.net has the ability to automate business processes through the use of workflow templates; making it easier to control and administer standard processes through the necessary steps. A flow or process may have been documented outside of an ERP system, where there is no formal way to ensure compliance. In the past, paper documents and unmanaged have provided the best solution, but with no controls to assure visibility and compliance, the value was limited. Using VISIBILITY.net Workflow, the system enforces the process. This allows companies to improve and standardize daily functions across the company without burdensome manual administration. This provides employees visibility into the status of in-process tasks, making it easier for them to execute their tasks effectively. The VISIBILITY.net implementation team assists every client with the creation and activation of business process workflows that reflect the business process and support the orderly operation of business through a specified sequence of steps. Workflows can be defined with multiple or conditional branch points or event nodes. The VISIBILITY.net workflow engine automatically monitors the execution of each activated workflow to assure its timely processing. The workflow task list allows users to quickly determine the exact state of an in-process workflow. Automating Business Processes Business processes can remain stable and unchanged for many years, or until a new product line is developed. They are significantly influenced by the nature of the order or contract being executed. Not only can each order and contract involve different types of processes, but the value of contracts can have a significant influence. 7

13 Automating business processes streamlines operations thus minimizing overhead costs and enforcing disciplines based on best practices. Together this helps preserve the integrity of the business data and ensures that users of the ERP system adhere to the processes that are set by the business. Process compliance assures the best value for the business efforts, helps to contain costs and maintain the value of corporate data. VISIBILITY.net process flow mapping and tracking of business events guarantees that employees are automatically notified when important events occur, or when a transaction requires input. This ensures that cycle times of critical and complex business processes are optimized. Simplified Workflow Process Definition The VISIBILITY.net process modeling tool allows establishing business processes such as approval routings for purchase requisitions and sales quotes without the need for specialized programming skills. This is generally reviewed and controlled by a system administrator. Notification Simple workflows consist of notification only tasks. Based on system status, or transaction event settings, such tasks automatically alerts to designated personnel. Automated Approvals Certain workflow tasks may be set up to require electronic sign-offs. Set into conditional logic paths, the request is routed to the appropriate signature authority. Transactions Purchase requisitions, customer credit approvals, engineering change releases and estimate sign-offs are typical processes which can benefit from the use of formal workflow. Standard Reports Historic performance and open task reports allow a company to manage and identify business activities, tasks and bottlenecks. PERSONALIZATION When assessing how a comprehensive ERP application fits each individual business requirement, Visibility recognizes that seldom does one size fit all. However, the cost of custom fitting an application to a specific business is frequently expensive. Worse yet, retrofit tasks represent added cost, implementation delay and long term support ramifications. VISIBILITY.net offers a number of builtin options that allow a business to set up, adjust and extend the core application to best fit the business requirements within the standard framework. Master Control Major business process switches and default values for key transactions are managed within the Master Control settings. Business choices for product line accounting, invoice-at-shipping, and use of inspection/mrb are examples of Master Control settings which are set to run VISIBILITY.net reflecting each business process choice. Default values facilitate easy data entry where complex choices exist. Style Sheets All of the colors, styles and fonts associated with windows are controlled by Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). This allows each individual business to tailor the look of the application to suit their corporate identity. Individual reports and inquiries can utilize different style sheets, meeting every organization s output requirements. 8

14 Reports Using the VISIBILITY.net IQPlus inquiry and report writing tool, users can create personalized reports and drill-down inquiries to compliment the VISIBILITY.net standard reports. With.NET technology, the line between reports and online inquiries is advantageously blurred with comprehensive flexibility. User-created inquiries deliver one-page-wonders; multi-domain information packaged into a single view. Drill-thru hyperlinks are standard and link to all related areas within the system, making drill-downs only a click away. Reports may be tailored for each user, removing unwanted data items or by moving columns. The system incorporates frequently used report parameters which can be saved, for rapid recall and report execution. Preprinted forms are a thing of the past. All forms are formatted for laser printer output. User Defined Fields VISIBILITY.net allows definition of User Defined Fields (UDF) for any ERP data. UDFs enable controlled data entry, extending the content of transactions or master data records. UDFs may be subject to code selection lookup validation, and formatting. UDF data entry can be required or optional and are easily maintained within the ERP application. The UDF utility increases the flexibility of the VISIBILITY. net system. With it, each company has the ability to add, define, maintain, and populate additional fields to meet the specific needs of every business. Unlimited Text Virtually unlimited text may be added to any transaction. Pre-specified text categories organize extended text information into useful groups. Standard capabilities within VISIBILITY.net allow string searches within the extended text information. Part and order extended text can automatically print on appropriate business forms as specified by each business. Field Level Validation and Default Value Specification Maintenance form fields may be configured to either restrict values eligible for entry or to define default values as an aid to either ensure accuracy or improve the efficiency of data entry. The integrated security and permission system supports field by field access and permissions per user. Personal Portal Each user login begins with a personalized portal homepage. The portal page provides a portable desktop for each user, whether accessing the system from a work PC, home PC or other system. Individual portlets make up the user s portal and can include embedded websites, intranet sites, a favorites URL list and other VISIBILITY.net links. The favorites portlet provides links to user s most frequently visited transactions in the system for quick access without the need to utilize menus. 9

15 PRODUCT FOUNDATION Menus A variety of menu presentations are available, from the basic system display, to the functional group organization to limited function menus. The tree organization of menu items provides for efficient access through the multitude of available ERP forms and functions. Master menu templates may be selected as a site preference. Each user may copy and select variations, according to personal preference. Users only see menu links to which they have been granted access. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT Files and documents can be attached to any transaction or to master data. Attached documents are efficiently uploaded for storage in the backend relational database and linked to the originating transaction for absolute audit control. Attached documents can be retrieved for review via reference to the original transaction at any time. SECURE PORTALS VISIBILITY.net implements the use of a role based security menu interface that allows a security administrator to assign each role the most appropriate access to transactions, application forms and reports. For many transactions and forms, security may be enabled down to the field level within a discrete transaction or data record. Based on the role to which each user is assigned, the application will display only those forms, reports, transactions and field level information to which the individual has access. Logical Access Logical Access is about controlling who is allowed to view or modify information. For application related security, the application framework includes a standard security protocol that uses authentication native to the accessed system. Change Management Change management and compliance tracking is provided in three methods: formal activity trace records, transaction user ID and date stamping, and trace audit triggers. Formal activity trace systems are in place for quotes, sales orders, purchase orders, and engineering part revisions. These records track every change to the related business items, with change control codes, and formal output reporting. All records in VISIBILITY.net track the insert user, last changed by user, and the associated date of insert and change. Adhoc reports can easily be generated to investigate potential compliance issues. Trace audit triggers unique to each business may be added to address specific business needs. Easy to set up, these consist of a trace audit table, a database trigger to capture specified events and adhoc analysis reports. THREADED DISCUSSIONS Transactions and master data forms may be configured to allow for entry and maintenance of threaded comments. Threaded comments store notes in a conversational thread for multi-user collaboration. This is particularly useful for maintaining notes against items that need approvals, or for expediters notes on projects or orders. All comments are automatically stamped with user identification and the date and time. 10

16 PRODUCT FOUNDATION BUSINESS PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Business Performance Management (BPM) is a focused approach to analyze critical business data. It involves consolidation of data from various sources, querying, analyzing and presenting the results in an organized view. Through the consolidation of data, BPM enhances processes by creating comprehensive views, improved controls and better access to management information in order to anticipate and overcome potential business challenges. VISIBILITY.net BPM is supported by a suite of pre-linked data marts using Microsoft SQL Server analytic tools. These pre-linked data marts (Analyzers) have been developed to capture the data most appropriate to analyze a particular business function. Use of Microsoft Excel as the analysis viewer delivers familiarity, comfort and ease of deployment. Best practice analysis of business information results in improved business operations. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Retrieving departmental or enterprise data to make informed business decisions is challenging for many organizations. Critical business information is often hidden in transactional systems, spreadsheets, or disparate databases. Although, databases organize and store large volumes of data for easy computer transaction processing, they are not constructed for easy user access for analysis. The VISIBILITY.net Reporting and Analytic Analyzers can be easily linked to VISIBILITY.net data in the following areas: Finance Sales Inventory Labor Procurement Projects MULTI-ENTITY CONSOLIDATION Visibility s Financial Analyzer contains data from multiple business units; in both base and consolidation currencies. Powerful analytic displays deliver interactive comparative and consolidated results. The data loading phase of the consolidation data mart, processes currency conversion, ledger account mapping, and elimination entries. Visibility s Reporting & Analytic Solutions unlock critical business information and transform data into knowledge. All pre-built departmental solutions are designed with a best practice architecture that facilitates speed to deploy and flexibility to accommodate unique Key Performance Indicators for your organization. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Governance and audit controls exist both in the VISIBILITY.net ERP application and in the Financial Analyzer. Every record in the ERP application is user and date stamped. Changes to user and role permissions are tracked thus meeting control standards such as Sarbanes-Oxley. 11

17 In financial consolidation, business unit controllers electronically authorize unit financials prior to clearing them for use in the consolidation. Where revisions are made, change history records are recorded. Additional information on Change Management and Logical Access can be found in the Secure Portal section of this document. MANAGED REPORTS Business reporting may be sourced from the core ERP database, or from the Visibility Analyzers. VISIBILITY. net supports security controlled access to reports and data sets, and content may be delivered on request, or using scheduled publication/intranet folder or delivery methods.

18 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as a business strategy understands that customers are a company s greatest asset. Through establishing more effective customer relationships, companies decrease costs and increase customer satisfaction and profitability. The VISIBILITY.net CRM suite maximizes the value of every customer interaction through its integrated approach that manages, synchronizes and coordinates every customer and potential customer interaction. In complex manufacturing, companies and their customers interact through every step of the process, from engaging the customer as a prospect all the way through to servicing the customer. Efficient sharing and management of these processes provides faster communication, improved customer support and enhanced customer loyalty. One key element of the VISIBILITY.net CRM Suite is the Customer Portal which allows customers to access individual prospect and customer information including as-built data, job status, documents and notes. Additionally, the Customer Portal provides customers with a 24/7 business solution that enables automated self-service. PROSPECT AND SALES FORCE AUTOMATION The sales organization in every company directly impacts the overall business performance as it relates to revenue generation and margin attainment. Through Contact Management capabilities, VISIBILITY.net facilitates timely and coordinated management of leads, contacts and opportunities. Having the ability to configure and price complex quotations and sales orders, gather and review historical sales data, access information associated with customer related jobs and projects allows appropriate individuals to quote more quickly and accurately. VISIBILITY.net offers built-in Sales Force Automation capabilities via the use of its integrated Workflow automation engine. Support for detailed or extended sales and marketing campaigns can be further facilitated by leveraging the opportunity for integrated use of tools such as Salesforce.com or Microsoft CRM. Contact Management VISIBILITY.net will improve the customer experience at every stage of the customer lifecycle starting with the first contact. VISIBILITY.net supports unlimited contact names and addresses, with multiple phone, fax and references. Extended contact information and business data is retained in the central system, along with unlimited call logging. Workflows provide automated notification of select system and contract events as defined by the unique needs of an organization. In complex manufacturing, a contact or partner can have more than one relationship to an organization. A partner is a prospect for some items and a customer for others, and may also be a supplier. VISIBILITY.net supports very complex organizational relationship where businesses have divisions, multiple sites and contacts throughout the organization. CUSTOMER PORTAL Customer accessibility is made easy and securely with the Customer Portal. It provides self-service 13

19 capabilities with a multi-lingual 24/7 e-commerce storefront to facilitate the customer s investigation and ordering activities. Product catalogs are groomed for both anonymous and trusted partner access, with appropriate access to pricing and part availability. Self-Service Customer Portal access provides self-service inquiries to current and historic orders and quotes, with links to transit tracking sites. Online ordering and quoting are provided within a secure framework. Automated Messaging Collaborative communications are delivered using event based workflow and messaging. For example, users receive notification when the status of a workflow has changed. In addition, electronic document attachments and extended text provide extensive collaborative capabilities. QUOTING AND ESTIMATING Accurate estimates are a key element for manufacturers of complex products and critical to company profitability. VISIBILITY.net Quoting and Estimating module allows rapid development of comprehensive and accurate cost and profitability estimates for all projects. This integrated system supports the concurrent engineering aspect of the To-Order business by utilizing its data with other business processes. All users work from the same database and information once. Quoting and Estimating provides a complete breakdown of all materials, labor and delivery costs. It allows companies to quote standard products where price and availability are the key variables, as well as products that require extensive design engineering or multiple configurations. Configuration templates, with inter-dependant selections and linked graphic elements, are easily set up without programming. These configuration capabilities can pass product details to quotes or directly to the planning and fulfillment functions. Estimating allows the work up of Pre-Engineered product costs and price estimates without the use of engineered parts. Integrated Information Linkage of quotes, projects and orders assures efficient business flow from initial estimate development, through bid proposals, into operations management. Workflow Quoting and estimating links to workflow templates to allow the in-process estimate to be routed to the appropriate departments and provide complete online status checking. The module automatically converts quotes to sales orders upon acceptance, and provides user definable won/lost analysis for every quote created. Integrated Configuration Quote and order line development is supported by use of the integrated Product Configurator. This provides guided parameter selection, web access, rule- based definition of content, costs, pricing, and engineering structure. 14

20 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AVAILABLE TO PROMISE Available to Promise (ATP) is an important element in providing superior customer service. Setting proper expectations at the time of order enables subsequent on time delivery and solidifies the customer/partner relationship. Order Administration Available to Promise provides real-time order administration support, displaying current and future planned product availability, while accessing the integrated ERP data set for reliable information. Providing access to total supply as well as to allocation details, ATP empowers order administrators with the data needed to process customer requests in real-time. ORDER MANAGEMENT Process orders more efficiently through gaining visibility into the process of generating, tracking and managing orders across departments and between companies with the VISIBILITY.net Order Management system. VISIBILITY.net streamlines the order fulfillment process by providing accurate and complete information. This reduces the cycle time from the sales function, to entry of customer product specifications, to actual production on the shop floor. Reduced cycle time means increased profitability and customer satisfaction. The VISIBILITY.net Order Management system generates sales orders through direct input from quotes, EDI, configurator or Customer Portal. Orders can be tracked in real-time through the manufacturing, shipping and invoicing processes, while capturing accounting information such as project costs, pricing, profit margins and Accounts Receivable. Many customer relationships involve complex contract and credit arrangements. Using VISIBILITY. net, simple orders, as well as complex order types, are easily executed. Additionally, CRM functionality supports customers with master billing and credit structures, pooled credit within subgroups, and pre-defined contracts for deposits, percent complete, and retention terms. Traceability Quote and order changes as well as shipment history are retained and are accessible both internally and via the self-service Customer Portal. Detailed material, labor, and overhead costs are available, along with as-shipped product configuration details. Order Types Blanket, service and large systems orders are fully supported with as-shipped unit definitions, multiple ship-to destinations and full logistics paperwork preparation. Flexible material allocations and picking optimization deliver efficient volume order processing. Rich data Customer, part, cross reference, and price books support the needs of product line and channel managed sales Extended text and powerful internal comments features support real life automated business processes Unlimited User-Defined-Fields are available for prospects, customers, quotes, orders, and parts Lot and serial tracking delivers product lifecycle history and installed equipment profiles for effective management of design and repair activity Powerful interactive analytics by product, territory, customer, and time frame are available using Visibility s Reporting & Analytic Solutions. 15

21 Automation Order management automation improves effectiveness and efficiency by: Eliminating administrative duplication of effort using the automated Quote-to-Order process Reducing cycle time in delivering complex products using automated multi-level shop order generation Eliminating tedious bookkeeping using the powerful cash and revenue recognition management processes Project Framework Complex and long duration contracts are supported via the integrated project accounting and management feature set. Non-production cost management, cradle to grave tracking, multi-order consolidation, budgeting and estimate to complete analysis are core benefits. Sales order, shop order, purchase order, and inventory links to specific projects allow precision within project planning and deliver transparent activity rollups while eliminating duplicate data entry. Powerful multi-dimensional project analytics are available via the VISIBILITY.net Project Analyzer tool. Alerts Business process controls are incorporated using integrated workflow capabilities. Event based alerts, based notification, online electronic acknowledgements and authorizations are all supported. In addition to typical events like order arrival and shipment, changes to customer credit limits and order changes can be formally controlled and tracked. a combination of printers, destinations, and file folders. Form reprints are immediately available for attachment in expediting scenarios. Self-Service In addition to the Customer Portal capabilities, deployment of flexible self-service inquiries for customers, brokers, and sales representatives can be accomplished via IQPlus. IQPlus is an integrated inquiry and web based reporting solution that is both secure and web accessible. SERVICE The ability to track incidents and service equipment after installation is an integral part of capital equipment, To-Order, and complex product manufacturers. The Service module assists with the tracking and resolution of customer service calls through its integration with the controls, labor and order entry features, resulting in a lower number of customer service calls while reducing service costs. The VISIBILITY.net Service module provides call center logging, tracking of site and module equipment, along with as-manufactured properties. RMA and Service orders provide for administration of billable and warranty returns and repairs. VISIBILITY.net Service lets all companies maintain online service history and product configuration information. With highly accurate and easily accessible service records, each user can flag problem parts and processes whenever they may occur in the life cycle of a product. Business Forms Quotes, order acknowledgements, packing slips, and invoices are all available online as laser print PDF output, to specific layout requirements. Form output packet templates provide automated multiple copy delivery to 16

22 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT The requirements associated with manufacturing complex products places high demand on Finance and in particular managing cash flow. Lengthy business development and engineering cycles require effective cost tracking, optimized supervisory controls, and procedures that insure compliance and accuracy. Through improved business automation and tight compliance-based financial integration throughout the organization, companies today can achieve effective and timely financial results. The strong integration of the VISIBILITY.net Financial Management suite and its reporting and analysis capabilities allows companies to manage and monitor financial performance in real-time. Most engineering projects involve progress payments and retentions or holdback. In this environment, being able to ensure that billing is synchronized with milestones and being able to accurately predict cash flow are critical. VISIBILITY.net Financial Management functionality includes: General Ledger, Project Accounting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable (including Revenue Recognition) and Installment Billing, Product Costing, Cost Accounting, and Human Resources and Payroll Management. This suite provides customers with a solution that addresses all financial management needs. 17 GENERAL LEDGER AND FINANCIAL CONSOLIDATION General Ledger defines the financial core of a company s business. The VISIBILITY.net General Ledger provides the tools to measure performance against budget at individual levels including project, department and account levels. Transaction cost reporting and processing is available based on either actual or standard cost. General Ledger transactions are processed and posted in real-time to assure immediate visibility into the health and performance of every business. Complete support for multi-entity businesses is built-in assuring every individual the ability to conduct and manage business within any combination of single or multiple business hierarchies. Specifically, it makes it possible for everyone to track and report costs, including real-time actual costs, and actual cost to estimate or budget cost comparison in relation to different account types including: Balance sheet and income statement accounts Department overhead accounts Project accounts Work orders Sales orders Unlimited Ledger Account Hierarchy The General Ledger structure is capable of supporting any number of levels within an account hierarchy, and providing both detailed and summarized information at any point in the account hierarchy. To assure cost accounting accuracy at all transaction levels, each financial transaction is recorded including all composite actual costs. Easily create and manage the company s ledger using account numbers with up to fifty characters or numbers organized in User-Defined-Hierarchies with automated sub-account to account roll-up for reporting. To provide solid audit controls, accounts may be defined with links to departments, work orders, sales orders, warehouses, cash accounts as well as for General Ledger journal entry record keeping.

23 Currency Management Integrated support for multiple currencies exists through all transactions. Currency exchange rate management can be controlled via the use of the built-in time-phased exchange rate table or by implementing a connection to a web based exchange rate service provider. Bank accounts may be set up to manage transactions in single or multiple currencies with automatic exchange rate gains and losses recorded automatically in relation to the defined reporting currency. Department Accounting Use of a common account structure for department charges simplifies department expense, overhead, data collection, and management reporting. Department accounting enables analysis of department expenses either for a selected department across all expense accounts or categories, or to compare departmental expenses to budgets within the context of selected expense categories. Financial Inquiry With each transaction occurring in real-time, IQPlus report generation allows immediate access to financial information including transaction status and direct access to the transaction audit trail with easy to use drill through. Consolidation and Reporting Consolidated financial reporting across one or multiple business entities and multiple currencies (including automated posting of inter-company eliminations) is available using the VISIBILITY Financial Management Analyzer. The Analyzer combines multi-dimensional analysis with additional functionality which enables viewing of financial measurements at a high level with the ability to easily drill down into transaction level detail. This dramatically improves analysis and reduces the time and effort required to produce monthly consolidated financial statements. Month-end close cycles can be reduced from days to hours and the data accuracy increases exponentially. Immediate access to General Ledger information is provided via IQPlus real-time inquiry and report generation. PRODUCT COSTING Product costing provides for the robust calculation of standard costs. Standards for material, labor and overhead are established for lower level assemblies; the lower level assembly costs are rolled up through each level on a Bill of Material (BOM). Labor and overhead costs are calculated using routings and work centers, or assigned directly to each manufactured item. Standard cost versions can be maintained by entity, warehouse and operating budget. Labor variations are supported by warehouse and part revision dependent routings. 18

24 Cost Methods Many businesses often demand the flexibility to be able to make use of multiple costing methods. VISIBILITY.net supports the use of multiple costing methods including: Standard Cost Actual Cost FIFO Actual Cost LIFO Actual Cost Average Revised Cost Modeling VISIBILITY.net cost modeling performs what if costing scenarios, maintains multiple versions of revised standard or revised current replacement costs, and provides the ability to select and promote the most appropriate revised cost to current with a single click. REVENUE RECOGNITION AND INSTALLMENT BILLING Automate the generation of accounts receivable invoices based on user defined installment billing templates. These templates allow for timed generation of invoices in relation to order progress based on predefined business specific event triggers. Order acceptance, order allocation, material issue and shipment are typical events subject to the billing template. In addition, invoice amounts can be subject to pre-defined revenue recognition templates resulting in automated conversion of deferred income to recognized revenue. VISIBILITY.net supports recognized earned value measurement. PROJECT ACCOUNTING AND MANAGEMENT Successful project management is the key to profitability in complex manufacturing. The VISIBILITY.net Project Accounting module together with fully integrated project management capabilities, provides the tools needed to manage all projects on time and within budget. The Project Accounting module extends into every module of the system, providing the means to manage on a project basis. Additionally, it also enables each department to operate optimally with a mix of project and non-project work. Project structures within VISIBILITY. net create the opportunity to integrate with third party project management tools. Cost Reporting and Analysis Both real-time actual or standard cost are available. The system provides the ability to immediately inquire, report and analyze the state of the business or drill to individual cost elements. 19

25 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Project Accounting is a cost collection and planning tool that provides the ability to: Define and organize projects or master projects and project Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) Capture and report actual costs charged to a project through any linked transaction or activity Get real-time reporting for analysis of budget vs. actual cost amounts Predict final project costs and margins based on actual costs and estimated completion amounts Extrapolate revenue to recognize from actual and estimate reconciliation Project Hierarchy The project structure is a hierarchical definition of the contract or project. This structure allows for organization of projects into multiple branches and levels of subtasks. Those tasks belonging to the same activity or final product are grouped through the project structure. RollUp The project accounting processes are governed by the project structure when accumulating costs throughout the levels of a project and are accomplished without the need for rollup. The reporting and inquiries into a project allow users to view budgets and actual costs incurred to date. COST ACCOUNTING Work order and sales order transactions accumulate costs to Work In Process and Cost of Goods Sold ledger accounts. Cost Accounting delivers real-time standard to actual analysis. Cost Accounting provides a number of estimates to complete/ estimate at complete cost analysis reports including: Master Order Job Cost Detail Report Master Order Job Cost Summary Report Sales Order Job Cost Detail Report Sales Order Job Cost Summary Report Sales versus COS (Export/Domestic) Variance Accounting and Write Off Automated cost variance or cost recognition can be applied, resulting in the generation and posting of required journal entries to properly recognize accumulated cost. HUMAN RESOURCES AND PAYROLL All aspects of employee definition, time tracking and expense posting are managed via VISIBILITY.net Human Resources, Payroll and Time and Attendance functionality. Employees and Resources Employee details include pay class and rate, department and resource code assignment. In addition, employee skills, training and certifications can be tracked and referenced. Time and Attendance Collecting time is fast and efficient using the VISIBILITY.net standard web browser interface. This ability is key to accumulating accurate time keeping records for all employees from any location. Time and attendance includes functions that enable supervisors to create and maintain schedules for breaks and shifts, and to establish transaction types that further control the clock-in/clock-out data entry process. All data collection and update of associated costs can be performed in real-time and be subject to confirmation before acceptance for posting. Time data, including hours worked detail, can be quickly extracted in a variety of forms, including XML for delivery to payroll service providers. Labor Distribution Time and expense transactions can be posted directly to project tasks, sales order lines, work order operations, department overhead or other charge accounts. Project Accounting Labor hours, expense transactions and analysis can be performed in relation to project tasks or linked work orders, sales orders or overhead accounts. 20

26 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS PAYABLE The VISIBILITY.net Accounts Payable module allows the ability to maintain the supplier data and provides for the entry, maintenance and payment of supplier invoices, debit memos and adjustments. During data entry, default information is retrieved from the supplier master file, application and entity specific control settings, and applicable receiving reports, to reduce entry time and ensure accuracy. Supplier invoices can be matched with actual receipts, automatically distributed to posting accounts, or manually distributed to appropriate charge accounts. Multi-Currency capabilities are available throughout Accounts Payable transactions. Invoice Management Invoices are updated to Accounts Payable or held in an edit file for verification and updated at a later time. Once invoices are updated to the Accounts Payable files, information such as the invoice date, due date, discount, and payment terms can be changed prior to payment. Invoice payments can be subject to retention or hold back terms. Easy Entry / Three-Way Match Streamlining the entry and matching process is accomplished via capabilities such as: Quick entry forms for invoice and debit memo entry Automatic selection of payment terms Pre-defined expense distributions Invoices for items purchased via the use of purchase orders are subject to three-way matching for receipt and value validation. Debit memos may be applied directly as full or partial payment against invoices. Check Generation / Electronic Signature Payments may be generated via laser printed checks with or without pre-defined, secure signatures or delivered via electronic banking transactions. Check printing does not require the need for special forms. VISIBILITY.net offers an electronic funds transfer interface in support of Automated Clearing House (ACH) and Bankers Automated Clearing Services (BACS) and other similar financial clearing services. Bank Reconciliation Reconciliation of payments and deposits made in relation to each bank account and currency are made easy through several quick review features. Audit Trail Inquiry and drill through reporting allow all payments to be traced through each stage of payment processing from original purchase commitment to final payment reconciliation. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Accounts Receivable provides for the entry and maintenance of customers, currencies, credit terms, tax codes, installment billing plans, contact management groups, invoices, credit memos, finance charges, adjustments and cash receipts. Data entry is accelerated with pre-populated information retrieved from the customer data, system and entity configuration settings, as well as applicable sales orders and invoices. Customer and group credit restrictions are enforced at all stages of order and invoice management to ensure credit sensitivity. In cash receipts entry, customer payments are accepted, credit memos can be applied to invoices, and finance charges can be accepted or reversed. Invoices are updated to Accounts Receivable, or held in an edit file for verification and updated at a later time. Finance charge invoices are always 21

27 posted to this edit file so they can be reviewed before appearing on the customer s statement. Multi-Currency capabilities are available throughout Accounts Receivable transactions. Once updated to Accounts Receivable, the information can be changed, such as the invoice date, due date, discount, and payment terms prior to posting the invoice payment. Invoice and Statement Generation Invoices may be printed on demand or via a predefined automated process on a scheduled basis. Invoice printing and distribution can be completely automated with invoice delivery via multiple methods including with document attachment and fax. Aging Ranges Aging date ranges, typically 0-30, 31-60, 61-90, and 90+, are optional and may be defined by a specific site. Flexible aging ranges facilitate meaningful reports for those responsible for credit and collections and monitoring performance. Automated Credit Control Automated Credit Control functions define credit terms by customer or group where total credit allowance can be shared among a defined set of distinct customers based on common trade terms or a common paymaster. Assigned credit limits are automatically applied throughout Order Management and Accounts Receivable with automatic credit terms enforcement (hold) and reporting together with the ability to allow release by exception. Sales and Value Add Tax Management Sales orders can be processed at the line level with or without applying sales and use tax and/or value add tax. Applicable tax codes and rates may be defined and assigned in relation to specific customers, tax jurisdictions, government tax collection and reporting requirements. Finance Charge Management Finance charges can be generated automatically or entered manually. Finance charges may be applied as invoices updating Accounts Receivable and General Ledger, or as memo charges for inclusion on generated customer statement but excluded from actual transaction posting. Project Accounting Integration Accounts Receivable invoices may be linked directly to a project cost element and task. Entry of invoice adjustment, credit memo application or other value transactions can post directly to the linked project cost.

28 ENGINEERING & PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT Engineering & Product Lifecycle Management (EPLM) manages the lifecycle of a product from its conception as a quote, to production and into field installation. Through the use of the capabilities of EPLM, companies can more effectively and efficiently innovate and manage their products and services throughout the entire lifecycle. The VISIBILITY.net Engineering & Product Lifecycle Management suite provides an integrated product backbone in support of multi-department enterprise requirements. Complex product manufacturers require robust product data management, continuous engineering and support for cradle to grave and crossdomain elements all of which are facilitated using the VISIBILITY.net application. Common data access and efficient transaction handling allows complex manufacturing companies to develop, describe, manage and communicate information about their products. PRODUCT CONFIGURATOR The VISIBILITY.net Product Configurator provides powerful, rule-based generation of product structures, costs, and pricing, in a flexible guided user interface. Configuration templates, with inter-dependant selections and linked graphic elements, are easily and economically set up without the need for custom programming. The product configurator is fully integrated with quoting, order entry, and engineering, delivering efficient data entry and reliable generation of simple to complex Configure-To-Order items. Product Configurator delivers all the functionality typically found in features and options, but so much more. Inter-dependent validations are performed in realtime. All selections are immediately displayed in the configurator workbench, with graphic icons to provide notification of the current validity. Selections may be nested within categories to hide invalid selections and to emphasize items necessary to support earlier selections. Part and Process Structures Both Bill of Materials (BOM) and routing steps are generated from the configurator selection set. Based on flexible formulas, new part numbers can be specified on the fly. Costs and Pricing Costs and pricing are developed from flexible formulas at the lowest level, and then rolled up to generate quote pricing. CAD INTERFACE The CAD Interface provides for export and import of parts and BOMs, either from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets or directly from contemporary 2-D and 3-D CAD or PLM systems. The CAD Interface also eliminates re-keying of customer and CAD supplied product definitions. VISIBILITY.net provides online links from ERP product data to part drawings and electronic files. 23 Validation and Notifications PARTS AND BOMS VISIBILITY.net focuses on ergonomics as well as rich functionality in creating and maintaining product data.

29 Elimination of duplicate entry and access to both quick entry and full maintenance forms allows engineers to focus on engineering not data entry. Early Engineer New parts are generated based on entry of manufacturer part reference and an estimated cost. of part attributes to aid in locating parts to avoid duplicate entry. The VISIBILITY.net search engine enables wildcard searches by any part property, or attribute, as well as by User-Defined-Fields (UDF) and extended text. Part Grid Maintenance New parts may be entered in spreadsheet mode. Extensive field defaults have been incorporated to allow new part entry with only two items: part number and part description. BOM Tree Any level in a multi-level BOM can be accessed via an integrated tree style panel, supporting real life scenarios in complex product design. Split BOM Item part lists can be developed in a two panel form; loading previously engineered BOM or part-list data from a product into the source panel, then copying selected items into the working BOM. Manufacturer Cross Reference Multiple manufacturer cross reference part numbers are supported with pass through warranty specifications. BOM properties Floor stock, phantom, fixed-quantity, and process operation linkage properties are all supported. PART AND PRODUCT ATTRIBUTE MANAGEMENT The VISIBILITY.net Part and Product Attribute Management capabilities allow for explicit management Extended part description Fifty character part number and a one hundred character descriptor support the most demanding technical requirements. In support of complex products and customer contracts, the system provides the ability to enter unlimited extended text. Extended text has the ability to be output to business documents such as quotes, sales orders, and purchase orders. User-Defined-Fields An unlimited number of text, numeric, and date-based UDFs may be attached to parts, with flexible properties for required entry, code lookup and formatting. Part Attributes Part Attributes are similar to UDFs in the type of site-specific data that is stored. Part Attributes allow set up of different attribute sets for different product types. For example; diesel engines have a different set of attributes than integrated circuits or aluminum stock. 24

30 Part attributes can be used to provide a baseline for powerful, extended part search functionality based on any combination of part attributes together with common part record column values, UDF values and user defined long text field values. Sets of attributes are linked to parts via part type. Attributes specify physical properties, including median value and tolerance ranges. Part attributes are used by a variety of modules, including Customer Portal, Configurator, and Quality Control. The full range of engineered part properties are supported, including product line, commodity, part class and web catalog cross reference. ROUTINGS VISIBILITY.net Routings define the steps within the process required to build a make part. Routings are used in standard cost development and as a template for job specific shop routings. Routing files contain instructions on how and where to build products. Each routing contains the sequence of operations that need to be performed and identifies the work centers where the operations are to be performed together with the resources, machine and labor used to perform each operation. Times listed in the routing determine the labor costs, scheduling, and the capacity required to manufacture the product. Outside Process Operation steps support identification as outside routing steps thus driving correct cost estimating and providing the planning trigger for purchases. Revisions and Versions Multiple routings may be maintained for the same item thus providing for changes during part revision, or for alternate facility job planning. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Rapid change is a reality in today s outsourcing and new technology environment. VISIBILITY.net supports the entire span of appropriate change control; from simple revision audit tracking to tightly controlled change request/change notice procedures. Change control can be applied as needed to a selection of parts. BOM components, part field values, and part drawing links may be placed under change control. Traceability Some changes are tracked automatically while others can be specified by the business: Part revision and BOM changes are tracked automatically Engineering Change Requests require change authorization through the engineering management cycle Engineering Change Notices require authorization through the business management cycle, where change-impact is evaluated by quality, materials, program management, sales, purchasing, and production 25

31 ENGINEERING & PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT Global Component Replacement Specification of a part replacement automatically generates an Engineering change number for all affected assemblies. to each customer s business process, without the need for custom programming. Impact Impact reports provide for easy identification of impacted field equipment, open sales orders, jobs inprocess, stock and open purchase orders. Workflow Integrated workflow provides powerful, multi-step online notification and electronic authorization. Workflow is set up and unique

32 MATERIAL & PRODUCTION PLANNING For complex product manufacturers, purchasing frequently needs to begin before the engineering process is finished. Through improved controls and integrated workflow over the procurement process, companies can dramatically improve productivity and reduce costs. The VISIBILITY.net Material & Production Planning suite provides the ability to match supply with demand at each stage of the product lifecycle. In addition, the suite provides the ability to manage production and material and resource requirements using input from forecasting, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) to generate and manage supply in relation to demand requirements. This suite provides organizations with a solution that improves the efficiency of the procurement and planning process. 27 FORECASTING / MPS / MRP / CRP / APS-ETO / MTO / REPETITIVE The VISIBILITY.net Master Production Schedule (MPS) is used to specify demand, independent from sales orders and forecasts, to drive the MRP process. Multiple named forecasts can be maintained for consumption by MRP. Forecasts may be specified for high level family items. The MPS process can be run as a simulation or as an actual run, and allows for optional direct entry of planned orders. Other features include: Consumption of forecast by sales order Master Production Scheduling What-if MPS simulation capability Product family demand forecasting User-defined warehouse planning groups and date planning/reporting buckets To-Order aware MRP Project pegging and plan segregation MRP planned order maintenance Rough Cut Capacity Planning Finite/infinite capacity scheduling Forecast Maintenance The Forecast Maintenance function allows each user to enter, view or modify forecasts. It has the ability to record by part number the version of the forecast, the warehouse, date required, quantity required and revision level of the part being forecasted. Master Production Schedule The VISIBILITY.net MPS and Rough Cut Capacity Planning modules give each business the ability to turn a high level business plan into a schedule that balances operation and financial objectives with manufacturing constraints. MPS is fully integrated with the VISIBILITY.net Material Requirements Planning module, which combines To-Order and Make-to- Stock planning. MRP is fully aware of To-Order manufacturing projects and maintains the integrity of project planned items by ensuring that project related items are only made available to the appropriate project related demands and shortages. Similarly, in a To-Order environment, items that have been bought to a job are pegged only to the appropriate job. At the same time, lower level Maketo-Stock items can be fully controlled through MRP and their requirements batched to ensure Economic Order Quantities. To supplement Rough Cut Capacity Planning, VISIBILITY.net also provides the tools to help each supervisor manage the work load through the shop

33 floor at a detailed level. With both finite and infinite capacity scheduling, VISIBILITY.net makes it easy to identify bottlenecks and put each user in control of scheduling, thus reducing the need for fire fighting and improving the ability to meet customer expectations. Cause and effect schedule manipulation can be facilitated with the integrated use of scheduling applications. Family BOM Family Bills of Material (BOM) sometimes known as planning bills can be used to group items that have a demand relationship. Using Family BOMs forecasting can be simplified and done at the family level rather than the part level. MPS Processing Buckets An unlimited number of date-phased MPS buckets may be specified for use with production planning reports and inquiries. In MPS, these buckets are also used as points at which the forecast consumption by sales orders is reset. Supply / Demand Inquiry Supply and demand pegging inquiry provides the ability to immediately view the source of supply for each demand, whether real, simulated or forecast. Material Requirements Planning Traditional Engineering and Inventory modules provide part master and BOM records. VISIBILITY.net increases effectiveness by supporting the data models necessary in To-Order businesses. The as-quoted, asdesigned, as-built and as-installed BOM capabilities and detailed part planning parameters assure timely and accurate provisioning of the materials required to meet business demand. Part Planning Parameters Default MRP part planning parameters are defined for use where part specific planning parameters have not been specified. Where appropriate, discrete part planning parameters may be specified based on order policy code including: Fixed order quantity Lot for lot Period of supply Reorder point Details may be added to parameters to account for order multiples, minimum lot size, and lead times for demand, planning, paperwork, purchasing, receiving and inspection, fixed or queue, quantity dependent variable lead time and order plan firming. Warehouse Planning Groups Warehouses can be grouped or net together for planning and reporting purposes by giving each group an identifier. MRP then treats the grouped warehouses as one warehouse, thus planning the group instead of individual warehouses. The system has the ability to assign only one warehouse to a group if so desired. There may be as many warehouse planning groups as there are warehouses. The use of warehouse planning groups achieves both efficiency 28

34 in warehouse stocking and distribution together with efficient material planning and utilization among related warehouses. Capacity Requirements Planning VISIBILITY.net Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) analyzes and controls the scheduled load from shop floor control and the planned load from MRP. CRP is designed to analyze a production plan in terms of plant resource capacity. Work centers, resources and time periods can be identified during which overload or unused time conditions are likely. CRP allows for meeting a short-term overload or unutilized resources condition by entering a temporary increase or decrease in work center capacity for a specified period of time, or by shifting work from one work center to an alternate thereby more effectively distributing the work load. Analysis of the results of the CRP run can help distinguish between scheduling problems and capacity problems that may require changes to a work center or the production plan. CRP uses a production plan based on capacity requirements from these sources: Planned orders - MRP planned work orders Firm planned orders - work orders with status planned in Work In Process Released orders - work orders with status released in Work In Process Critical Resources VISIBILITY.net supports the use of infinite resource schedules subject to defined resource constraints. Each resource defined as critical will be scheduled as a constraint resource while non-critical resources will be scheduled using infinite capacity planning logic. Bill of Resources VISIBILITY.net enables capacity demand modeling via the use of user maintained Bills of Resources. This allows demand models to be constructed without requiring the entry of forecasts. A Bill of Resource may be used to quickly model the introduction of a new product into the capacity and resource planning requirements to determine the impact of this addition via Rough Cut capacity planning. Rough Cut Capacity Planning Rough Cut Capacity Planning for high level planning of resources can be performed at any time. These resources determine and display the load which exists in relation to each critical resource based upon the collection of defined Bills of Resources, indented BOMs and routings used for assembly. Reports and inquiry forms facilitate the ease with which critical resources with overload and bottleneck conditions may be identified and appropriate action taken to maximize throughput. SUPPLIER PORTAL Manufacturers of complex products have generally been required to operate in a global market. Irrespective of customers geographic spread, excellent customer service must be provided in order to build a lasting relationship. Agents and distributors need to work seamlessly with the organization. Customers in different time zones need fast access to price and inventory availability. Spares departments need quick turnaround on quotes and orders. Dramatic opportunities for efficiency improvements 29

35 MATERIAL & PRODUCTION PLANNING exist for many manufacturers through streamlined supply chain procedures that exist with key customers and suppliers. To meet this objective, the VISIBILITY. net suite provides partner self-service access to key collaboration data. The Supplier Portal process is designed to help optimize the business procurement process, significantly reducing the overhead involved and achieving the best value for purchasing. The Supplier Portal gives companies and vendors the tools to collaboratively manage the procurement process from requisitions, to quotation, and finally through to goods receipt. Internal users are able to create purchase requisitions for Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) items or production parts via a simple web based form. The purchasing team is able to quickly take purchase requisitions and either convert them to purchase orders, or publish them online to selected vendors as a Request for Quote (RFQ). The Supplier Portal lets vendors access selected data in order to provide online quotes, updated price schedules, part lead time information and delivery promises. The Supplier Portal provides buyers with tools to analyze vendor responses for the best balance of price and delivery performance. It supports the use of reverse auctions where the company determines the method of purchase cost management that is appropriate. PURCHASING VISIBILITY.net Purchasing permits preparation of requisitions and purchase orders, including blanket order parts against a warehouse or any work order, sales order, project or valid general ledger account. It is fully integrated with VISIBILITY.net Accounts Payable, Cost Accounting, General Inquiries, Inventory Control, and Work In Process to track materials, costs and activity. Specialized Buying With the VISIBILITY.net Purchasing module, engineers can requisition long delivery items and charge them to a project before their product design is completed. The VISIBILITY.net planning modules are fully aware of these project inventory requisitions and are capable of correctly matching them with the appropriate project related work order when the design catches up with the procurement and manufacturing process. Workflow integration and pre-set buyer limits allow control of the purchasing process and ensure that all the appropriate approvals are satisfied before a purchase order can be released. Contact Management Relationships Purchasing makes use of the Contact Management database that is used as the common repository for addresses in VISIBILITY.net. This helps to minimize duplication of effort and improve the accuracy of vendor data. Contacts can be defined as either or both a customer and a vendor. Requests for Proposal and Vendor Quotes Complex product manufacturers frequently need to buy specialized or one off items. VISIBILITY. net allows the buyer to convert a requisition into a RFQ that can be distributed to as many vendors as desired. Once vendor quotes are received back, the chosen RFQ can be converted into a purchase order. The Supplier Portal module allows for web based interaction and management of vendors in-line with actual material requirements. 30

36 MATERIAL & PRODUCTION PLANNING 31 Automation and Planning The VISIBILITY.net Purchasing module is fully integrated so that purchase requisition lines or purchase order lines can be created directly from engineering and production BOMs, shortages or MRP planned orders. Business specific workflows can be used to assure the acceptance of a defined business process for requisition, quotation and purchasing as a best practice. LOT / SERIAL NUMBER CONTROL The Lot/Serial Number Control option enables tracking the activity of inventory items that are sold, purchased or manufactured. Lot and Serial Number traceability meet the requirements for CFR 21 Subpart 15 traceability and management as well as CFR 21 Subpart 11 electronic records & signatures. Parts can be designated as lot or serial control and then assigned a lot or serial number. Once assigned, parts can be selected by their lot/serial numbers when performing functions over a wide range of activities. New and existing parts can be recalled by a part using the lot/serial number in the general inquires module. These inquires show when a specific lot/serial controlled part was involved in a material transaction. Tracking & Tracing Lot/serial tracking enables the ability to determine where a specific part or its lot was used. Tracing identifies the lot/serial number of each part as well as the lot/serial controlled components that went towards its production. Lot / Serial Reports The following are lot/serial reports which provide access to specific lot/serial information: Lot/serial parts in inspection Lot / serial part stock status Lot and serial number expiration Physical tags Multi-level lot/serial track Single level lot/serial track INVENTORY CONTROL VISIBILITY.net offers enterprise wide Inventory Control that integrates planning and management of inventory at all warehouse locations. It provides the flexibility needed to; Manage the different types of inventory involved in building complex products Provide high levels of traceability and control for high value or long lead time components Ensure suitable levels of safety stock for bulk or re-order point items Multi-Level Inventory Control The amount of information and what level of control each part needs can be defined. Traceability can range from part level to individual serial number or lot reference control. Location tracking can be by warehouse/location or just warehouse primary location. Project Inventory Project Inventory provides the capability for parts to be bought, charged and reserved in inventory for specific projects. Once project inventory items are received into a warehouse location, VISIBILITY.net prevents them from being utilized for any purpose other than their reserved project. Warehouse Maintenance Any number of warehouses can be defined in VISIBILITY. net. Each warehouse is assigned a General Ledger account number against which transactions related to material movement will be charged. It allows for active use of warehouses for any or all of parts, finished goods, in-transit, MRB or inspection. Parts which are subject to incoming inspection may be optionally defined as available for accounts payable invoice match, or held as off balance sheet items until accepted from incoming inspection. Warehouse Detail Maintenance Warehouse Detail Maintenance records the warehouse each part is stored in, specifies whether location control is enabled for the part and warehouse combination and

37 establishes the primary location of each part number in the warehouse. Safety Stock, Economic Order Quantities and Reorder Point Quantities can be stored for each part in the warehouse. Location Control Location Control integrates with the Inventory Control Module. Location control enables the organization to receive issue and transfer on-hand quantities of parts in and out of locations within warehouses. Inventory control allows for location control by: Warehouse Master Maintenance Warehouse Detail Maintenance Location Master Maintenance Location Detail Maintenance Inventory Count and Cost Accuracy VISIBILITY.net provides the tools to ensure that Inventory records are maintained with maximum accuracy. Support is provided for cycle counting of perpetual inventory, management based on the ABC classification of parts and full stock count facilities for annualized counts. ABC category calculation and how cycle count requirements are associated with each category can be defined. Inventory may be costed by warehouse using the following methods: Standard Cost Actual Cost - LIFO Actual Cost - FIFO Actual Cost - Average Automated Data Collection Barcode identified inventory data collection is available for the following inventory related transactions. Kit completion (material issues to work orders) Production receipts from work orders Physical inventory count Cycle count In addition, using web services, VISIBILITY.net can be integrated for use with Warehouse Management Systems. Multi-Entity Inventory Management VISIBILITY.net provides a true multi-entity environment where multiple related or non-related businesses may be operational within the context of a single VISIBILITY.net installation and database. Where business entities may have a customer to supplier relationship in one or both directions, VISIBILITY.net supports the use of inter-entity purchasing, warehouse transfer and cost accounting.

38 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT The VISIBILITY.net Operations Management suite simplifies the day-to-day and longer-range operational tasks of complex product manufacturers. All of the information needed for the creation, development and distribution of complex products is readily accessible. It enables organizations to streamline their operations by reducing excess inventory, investing in the right inventories, improving quality assurance, efficiently allocating personnel and resources, and enhancing overall communication. VISIBILITY.net encompasses the many aspects of Operations Management extending well beyond inventory management. VISIBILITY.net delivers cost effective Operations Management capabilities throughout the manufacturing system. This integrated suite of modules and sub-systems ensure superior business process in the areas of Quality Systems Management, Labor Management, Shop Floor Control, Work In Process (WIP), Maintenance Operations and Data Collection. Functionality in these areas is critical to realizing the benefits of an optimized manufacturing business operation. QUALITY SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT VISIBILITY.net Quality Systems Management module is integrated throughout the application and business process. It delivers integrated quality assurance management by extending standard shop floor control and provides for the creation and use of revision controlled, process oriented routings. Quality Systems Management also offers a number of tools to assist in quality control data collection and analysis. This module can help businesses achieve ISO compliance with a well defined process throughout the business from the shop floor and in all aspects of the production cycle. Closed-loop controls are accomplished in the Quality Systems Management module via the following six key items, each of which has a definition process and an execution process: Online maintenance and availability of procedures and work area instructions Process attributes definition and data collection Linkage of employee skills and tools to process steps Tooling use and life-cycle management Integrated, online corrective action requests Online enforcement of strict document revision control Linkage of procedures or work area instructions with processes and tools LABOR MANAGEMENT VISIBILITY.net Labor Management provides all companies with the ability to generate timely management information, in addition to facilitating the company s ability to ensure the smooth running of Human Resource (HR) administration. In complex product manufacturing there is typically a greater span of resources that need to record specific time against customer sales orders, work orders, projects or department charges. VISIBILITY. net provides comprehensive tools for capturing both production related and overhead time bookings, ranging from hourly timesheets to web based time collection for remote employees. Timesheet Maintenance Timesheet maintenance lets supervisors account for all employee time, whether it is booking time to a project task, manufacturing time on a specific work order operation, other maintenance or overhead time. SHOP FLOOR CONTROL Shop Floor Control supports the operational side of production. It provides shop floor work center and routing definition, operation scheduling, and production activity reporting. Comprehensive 33

39 information is available regarding shop capacity, order status, work center performance versus plan and actual operation costs. Multiple scheduling methods are available and can be applied to selected work orders. The VISIBILITY.net Shop Floor Control module provides maximum flexibility to deploy plant wide resources using finite, infinite, backward or forward scheduling. Users may split work orders, track material and change routing operations content and scheduling to meet the critical needs in the time required. VISIBILITY.net also provides comprehensive shop floor control capabilities to enable full definition of routings along with primary and alternate work centers, alternate work centers, man/machine resource costing capabilities and the ability to manage sub-contracted operations. This allows employees to control the level of resolution used in tracking jobs throughout the manufacturing process at each data collection or input point, from work order origination, to in-process change management, to active shop floor monitoring (in relation to defined process execution) and actual cost performance (in relation to estimated cost.) Shop Routing Management Shop routings enable management of each operational step to produce a work order end product. Multiple work order types and execution methods are supported including hard allocation and issue of required materials and resources; execution with material and / or labor back flush operations; with or without enforced execution of operations in pre-determined order. VISIBILITY.net Shop Routing Management allows work centers and work stations or cells to be scheduled in accordance with the overall site calendar or based on a work center specific calendar of availability. In addition, detailed shop control dispatch reports and WIP detail status inquiries and reports are available for review in real-time. Shop Floor Data Collection VISIBLITY.net provides the means to collect both job progress and time information through a single transaction form. It is also capable of printing barcode shop floor documentation to enable automated collection of data via third-party shop floor data collection systems, ranging from simple barcode readers to radio frequency terminals. Additional features of VISIBILITY.net include: Extended employee master data Jobs and skills management Training & certification management Department & resource maintenance Shift pattern maintenance Shop floor data capture Hourly/salaried timesheet Holiday allowance accounting Active supervisor timesheet approval Charge to work order, sales order, project or General Ledger codes 34

40 WORK IN PROCESS VISIBILITY.net Work In Process (WIP) takes advantage of the integrated drill-down functionality featured through all inquiries. From one screen, a planner can allocate material, check deliveries, adjust scheduling and inquire into the status of costs and hours posted to the job. The production Bill of Material may be adjusted, copied or completely customized. The VISIBILITY.net job hierarchy allows all work orders related to a sales order to be linked together. Work orders can be created directly from a sales order line in one action, generating a complete sales-order-towork-order hierarchy for both single and multi-level assemblies for manufacturing. The VISIBILITY.net WIP module allows each business to effectively manage the production functions of the business. It identifies assemblies to be built, channels material for work orders into the production floor and returns finished assemblies to the warehouse for shipment to all customers. VISIBILITY.net delivers real value to WIP management: Provides complete support for mixed mode (hybrid) and To Order manufacturing Supports paperless work order production Tracks and manages job related costs throughout the manufacturing process Enables effective scheduling and load balancing of resources and work centers Facilitates the orderly definition and management of related work order hierarchies Provides real-time comparison of actual vs. expected cost Allows for direct generation of work orders from sales order demand, MRP planned orders and requisitions Supports planning and execution of outside processes Allows direct linking between purchase order supply and work order operation MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS The ability to track incidents and service equipment after installation is an integral part of capital equipment manufacturers. The VISIBILITY.net Maintenance Operations module assists with the tracking and resolution of customer service calls through its integration with the controls, labor and order entry features of other VISIBILITY.net modules. This module allows you to: Track and report equipment service calls Track and report equipment failures Track and report equipment repairs Catalog contract types and associated coverage Manufactured equipment service information integrated with ERP system 35

41 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Maintenance Features VISIBILITY.net Maintenance Operations covers a wide variety of maintenance needs: Failure Code Maintenance provides the ability to enter part or product failures associated with service calls. Repair Code Maintenance functionality holds the repair codes and has the ability to link them to the failure codes easing the technician s job in providing a resolution. Urgency-Deadline Code Maintenance allows you to set up codes to designate the level of urgency or priority on a particular call type and the associated timeframe in which the call will be responded to and completed. Contract Type Maintenance allows you to catalog the types of service contracts your company offers; for example, service, warranty, time and materials. Contract Coverage Type Maintenance allows the designation of service contract types that your customers can purchase. Order Maintenance is used to enter the service calls for dispatch and inventory assignment associated with the parts used on the calls. Order Invoicing is used to invoice your customer for the labor incurred and parts used on service calls. Preventative Maintenance VISIBILITY.net allows businesses to perform preventative maintenance in relation to both internal and as-sold and serviced equipment, tools and parts. VISIBILITY.net Maintenance Operations allows all businesses to define and manage the tooling used within the company from engineering to the shop floor to quality assurance and in the field. Tool usage and life cycle consumption can be tracked subject to proactive preventative maintenance or service interval controlled removal from use. Warranty & Service Management VISIBILITY.net Maintenance Operations module integrates with order entry, serviceable items and related components and labor distribution to plan for field service events and track the activity of field service personnel associated with customer warranty or service calls. Using VISIBILITY.net Maintenance Operations module will help each company provide clients with efficient and reliable service related to both the resolution of warranty issues, proactive service and preventative maintenance service contract sales while reducing the cost of such services. VISIBILITY.net Maintenance Operations module lets all companies maintain online service history and product configuration information. With highly accurate and easily accessible service records, each user can flag problem parts and processes whenever they may occur in the lifecycle of a product. DATA COLLECTION Support for barcode identified inventory data collection is available in support of the following inventory related transactions. Kit completion material issues to work orders Production receipts from work orders Physical inventory count Cycle count In addition, using web services, VISIBILITY.net can be integrated for use with certain third-party Warehouse Management Systems. Using this open architecture VISIBILITY.net supports linkage to data collection systems such as wireless data capture or barcode systems. Approaches such as these offer the opportunity to further reduce the cost of collecting and improving the timeliness and accuracy of all inventory, work in process and related operations data. 36

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44 WHY VISIBILITY Visibility has long been recognized as an ERP software leader focused on the demanding needs of manufacturers of complex products. With hundreds of clients worldwide, Visibility has more than 20,000 end users and serves its customers with US headquarters in the Boston area and International headquarters in Manchester, UK. Major alliances include Microsoft, Oracle and Cognos. Our dedicated market focus, experienced support staff and ability to implement our solutions quickly have yielded solid results since Our long term commitment ensures optimum results for our clients now and in the future. FOCUS: on the distinctive requirements of the complex product manufacturer EXPERIENCE: assisting complex product manufacturers in achieving a competitive advantage since 1987 VALUE: industry standard technology and best practices yield high returns and a low cost of ownership SERVICE: consulting and support teams with industry-focused experience combined with proven rapid implementation methodologies TECHNOLOGY: Microsoft.NET browser-based, zero-client footprint, Oracle or SQL Server database, easily scalable, long-term supportable foundation Corporate Headquarters Visibility Corporation 200 Minuteman Road, Suite 202 Andover, MA United States Phone: (978) Fax: (978) sales@visibility.com European Headquarters Visibility Europe Limited 3rd Floor, 1 Ashley Road Altrincham Cheshire WA14 2DT United Kingdom Phone: +44(0) Fax: +44(0) ecsales@visibility-europe.com 2009 Visibility Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Microsoft.Net is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. SQL Server is a trademark of Microsoft. Oracle is a trademark of Oracle Corporation.