Apriso logs record Q2 revenues, confirming need for Enterprise MES

Apriso completed a record sales quarter for the period ending June 30. New and expanded customer activity was driven by industry recognition that manufacturing execution systems (MES) have become a strategic enterprise application necessary to expand the visibility, reach, and control of ERP systems.

By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff August 21, 2007

Apriso completed a record sales quarter for the period ending June 30. New and expanded customer activity was driven by industry recognition that manufacturing execution systems (MES) have become a strategic enterprise application necessary to expand the visibility, reach, and control of ERP systems.Growth was well balanced amongst each of the company’s targeted verticals: aerospace & defense, automotive, consumer goods, mill products, and life sciences. The growth indicates how widespread the need is for better integration between “the top floor and the‘shop floor.”“The momentum Apriso is experiencing is the result of a market transformation that began over a year ago, when we recognized a shift from using MES as a tactical, plant-level program to a strategic enterprise application,” says Jim Henderson, president and CEO of Apriso. “By placing an expanded emphasis on our strategic alliances and global implementation partners, we are able to better serve the global manufacturing community.”The implications of globalization and the necessity for adaptive manufacturing have expanded the need for enterprisewide systems integration. Manufacturers must develop, implement, and maintain highly responsive IT systems to synchronize their planning and operations execution needs to minimize inventory levels, reduce product development life cycles, and shorten time to global market for new products. Each of these market pressures is driving the need for better global visibility—and the IT systems—to support this vision.Examples of global manufacturers that have started or expanded their Apriso FlexNet deployments in the second quarter to embrace this philosophy include: global manufacturer, distributor and exporter of cigarettes now has four Apriso FlexNet locations live and is adding a fifth site in Singapore, resulting in 40% of all production volume running through FlexNet a leading global missile manufacturer jointly owned by BAE Systems, EADS and Finmeccanica is using the enhanced features of FlexNet to shorten their process lifecycle workflows between their MES and PLM systems, demonstrating the need for integration which extends beyond just ERP one of the top three glass manufacturers in the world has increased its total number of FlexNet locations to 45. Saint-Gobain Sekurit has unified its manufacturing and logistics operations execution to be totally integrated with its SAP ERP system a leading producer of household appliances has begun its FlexNet implementation to consolidate disparate MES systems while integrating MES into their ERP systems, which will ultimately be performed over several sites.Apriso recently announced general availability of FlexNet 9.4, providing a new standard for their business process-centric operations execution solution. Upgraded FlexNet applications include Business Process Builder 2.0, Quality Management 2.1, and Machine Integrator 2.0. These upgraded applications within Apriso’s Operations Execution System (OES) work together to deliver improved performance, expanded user visibility and real-time integration capabilities to a manufacturer’s shop-floor automation layer.An important breakthrough contributing to the company’s momentum has been the institutionalization of a‘Core’ methodology of OES implementation. Recognizing that a quicker return on investment is only possible through timely implementation, Apriso’s proven implementation strategy helps manufacturers accelerate and better integrate ERP with manufacturing and operations.Apriso’s Core program is a unique implementation methodology designed to quickly take advantage of Apriso’s FlexNet platform. Applying an 80/20 rule, a Core implementation approach identifies the approximate 80 percent of consistent business processes performed throughout the manufacturing environment– across all locations – as a Core system. These standardized business processes and performance measurements (KPI) are then packaged and distributed enterprisewide, yet remain sufficiently flexible to accommodate future updates.