QC Software creates and expands sampling procedures.

Press Release Summary:



As hub for Enterprise Quality Management, FlexNet® Quality v3.0 streamlines inspection and improvement programs by aligning quality to pace of manufacturing, warehouse, and supply chain operations. Quality characteristics can be collected according to Inspection Plan residing within FlexNet instead of relying on external systems. Results are available in real-time to support immediate corrective actions as well as provide information to corporate planning and reporting activities.



Original Press Release:



Apriso Expands Enterprise Quality Solution with FlexNet Quality Planning



New application helps streamline quality inspection and improvement programs, aligning quality to pace of manufacturing, warehouse and supply chain operations

(LONG BEACH, CA - December 2, 2008) - Apriso®, a leading provider of adaptive software solutions for global Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), today announced expanded quality planning capabilities within the latest version of FlexNet® Quality 3.0. FlexNet Quality functions as a "hub" for Enterprise Quality Management across manufacturing operations. This product expansion allows quality characteristics to be collected according to an Inspection Plan residing within FlexNet, instead of relying on external systems such as ERP, which may lead to unnecessary delays or disruption of material flows, impacting Lean and other continuous improvement initiatives.

This highly integrated solution creates and expands sampling procedures, which can then be scheduled to integrate inspection priorities across manufacturing, warehouse and supply chain operations. FlexNet customers can now perform sampling with far greater flexibility, including based on ISO 2859 rules, which includes determining sample size according to lot size or severity level. Results are available in real-time, to support immediate corrective actions as well as to quickly provide valuable information to corporate planning and reporting activities within enterprise applications, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).

"Manufacturers must realize that a common model is essential to bind organizational quality realization processes that currently reside in numerous manufacturing and enterprise systems in order to bridge the gaps between quality planning and execution," explains Simon Jacobson in the September 12, 2008 AMR Report entitled Quality Management Hubs: Mitigating Brand Risk Across Complex Value Chains. "Doing so requires an integrated approach to enterprise quality management that extends beyond the manufacturing lifecycle of the product, providing the traceability needed to manage both supplier and customer quality issues."

Apriso's FlexNet delivers all the functionality of a Quality Management System (QMS), leveraging a platform-based unified data model to join multiple quality, traceability and containment management capabilities, each working cohesively across an enterprise manufacturer's operations. With FlexNet, quality is managed seamlessly across operational "silos," offering an innovative solution to accelerate product and process quality assurance across all operations, to approach a zero defects "nirvana."

"Quality sampling performed after production may improve customer satisfaction, but does little to reduce the total cost of quality. Manufacturers applying Six Sigma and Lean are eager to remove waste completely from their value streams, which includes avoiding the production of defective materials in the first place," states John Fishell, director of product management at Apriso. "Manufacturers can leverage FlexNet Quality Planning to perform inspections within production, warehouse and supply chain processes before final assembly. Based on the inspection results, corrective actions can then be performed in a timely manner, whether that involves containment, process adjustment or a complete shutdown of production. The direct result is a lower total cost of quality, and an overall reduction of 'muda' or waste."

Recognizing that 'one size' seldom fits all, Apriso has designed its latest Quality application to work in a modular fashion. By including as much or as little quality management functionality as needed, ERP users need not embark on a "rip and replace" strategy. Instead, manufacturers can complement and leverage existing IT, QMS or ERP investments, adding FlexNet Quality where appropriate, addressing unmet Quality assurance needs without "over-purchasing" software with redundancy in functionality.

About Apriso
Apriso Corporation is a software company dedicated to providing competitive advantage for its customers. It does so by enabling organizations to adapt quickly and easily to market changes and unexpected events. Apriso's FlexNet platform provides visibility, adaptability and real-time control of manufacturing operations across the enterprise and supply chain network. This is accomplished by integrating planning, execution and control, increasing operational efficiency and eliminating errors in the production process. Apriso serves more than 170 customers in 41 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Its customers include General Motors, Lear, Honeywell, L'Oreal, Trixell, Lockheed Martin, Becton Dickinson, Saint-Gobain, Novelis and Essilor. For more information, please go to www.apriso.com.

Apriso and FlexNet are registered trademarks of Apriso Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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