Apriso: Enterprise approach to quality management cuts manufacturers’ cost of quality

With Apriso, manufacturers can embed the execution of quality processes across manufacturing operations for an easier, more cost-effective, closed-loop, enterprise approach to quality management.

October 27, 2009

Apriso, a provider of adaptive software solutions for global Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), today announced expanded focus on supporting global manufacturers in discrete and batch process industries to address their top five market pressures driving a push for higher quality at a lower cost. According to the latest research published by AberdeenGroup, Best-in-Class manufacturers use solutions – like those provided by Apriso – to take an enterprise approach by standardizing Quality processes across their manufacturing operations, to achieve and maintain high customer satisfaction for a lower total cost of quality.

Apriso FlexNet goes beyond the capabilities of managing a traditional MES, providing a global solution, the company says.

Uncertain demand, growing use of global contract manufacturers, shorter product lifecycles and ever increasing process and supply chain complexity are making it difficult – if not impossible – to meet rising customer expectations while reducing the total cost of quality for manufacturers. Research conducted by AberdeenGroup indicates the top 5 market pressures driving a focus on quality are:

1. Ensure consumer satisfaction;

2. Reduce the ‘cost of quality’;

3. Adhere with government regulatory requirements;

4. Improve new product Introduction performance; and

5. Manage risk due to adverse event.

Apriso’s FlexNet solution directly addresses these pressures by enabling quality processes to be built into the design-manufacture-distribute production cycle. By using FlexNet in production and quality operations, a manufacturer’s profitability, customer satisfaction and cash flow can be improved upon by removing variability, building products right the first time and containing any nonconforming materials should an adverse quality event occur, Apriso says.

Inside this Apriso story
Apriso offers a commontechnology platform for global manufacturers to integrate quality withPLM, ERP and other enterprise and shop floor applications, lettingmanufacturers more easily and cost effectively take a closed-loop,enterprise approach to quality management. Apriso recently sponsoredmarket research showing how manufacturers can benefit by taking aclosed loop approach to quality management. Continuing on this concept,there are five top issues manufacturers are facing based on thisresearch.

Apriso customers are enabled to address eachof these issues by taking an "enterprise" approach to quality,resulting in their achieving higher quality for a lower total cost. Anenterprise approach includes standardizing processes across everylocation, yet still having the flexibility to modify and update theseprocesses as often as needed. In the end, the platform allowscontinuous quality improvement.

A partial listing ofcustomers includes General Motors, Lear, Honeywell, L’Oreal, LockheedMartin, Becton Dickinson, Rubbermaid, Saint-Gobain, Novelis andEssilor, among others.

One manufacturer that has already achieved results based on Apriso’s enterprise approach to quality is L’Oreal.gility and traceability.

Apriso offers a common technology platform for global manufacturers to seamlessly integrate quality with PLM, ERP and other enterprise and shop floor applications, letting manufacturers more easily and cost effectively take a closed-loop, enterprise approach to quality management. By synchronizing the execution of quality processes with warehouse, maintenance and production operations, Apriso offers a collaborative approach to quality management that spans the entire production lifecycle, helping to reduce the risk of releasing poor quality products to the market.

"Apriso offers an enterprise MOM solution with interlocking tracking and traceability across manufacturing operations activities, with real-time containment capabilities, should a quality issue arise, minimizing disruptions and the potential for eroding customer satisfaction," said John Fishell, director of product management at Apriso.

Also read from MBT: Apriso and Accenture collaborate on software to support lean manufacturing .

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, electronic products editor, Manufacturing Business Technology , MBT www.mbtmag.com