Ayoka brings American business acumen to apps development, systems integration

The U.S. manufacturing industry has lost its share of jobs to overseas competition, so when these companies seek outsourcing assistance, they may well prefer to work with U.S. partners. Arlington, Texas-based Ayoka offers an affordable onshore alternative for software outsourcing, targeting underserved industries such as manufacturing.

By William Atkinson, contributing editor (w.atkinson@mchsi.com) June 1, 2008

The U.S. manufacturing industry has lost its share of jobs to overseas competition, so when these companies seek outsourcing assistance, they may well prefer to work with U.S. partners.

Arlington, Texas-based Ayoka offers an affordable onshore alternative for software outsourcing, targeting underserved industries such as manufacturing. For manufacturing in particular, Ayoka’s factory automation software and remote monitoring allow users to access data whereby the Web browser functions as the human-machine interface, providing much broader access to machine controls and monitoring. In addition to real-time responsive interaction, the data is warehoused in integrated databases for business intelligence and reporting.

“When people use the term ‘application outsourcing,’ they usually are talking about the application in a post-production environment,” notes Rona Shuchat, program director of application outsourcing services for Framingham, Mass.-based IDC . “However, when Ayoka uses the term, it is referring to the application development and/or systems integration of the applications.”

Shuchat says Ayoka is moving companies—especially small to midsize manufacturers—forward to the state of automation where they can control how to tie the front end of the process—i.e., the sales order entry piece—into the production flow, and then into the output side, including control of accounting and shipping.

“In sum, Ayoka can go into a company and identify where lack of automation is hurting the company, and make recommendations on how to create a more automated flow,” says Shuchat.

One company using Ayoka services is HelloLabels , a subsidiary of Safford, Ariz.-based DRG Technologies . HelloLabels makes product identification solutions for electronics and other products. Ayoka developed an open-source e-commerce system for HelloLabels, which features back-end integration with production work orders, inventory management, and shipping systems.

“When I was brought into DRG to launch the HelloLabels division, we didn’t have a Web site and wanted to do our main sales online,” explains Matt Milliorn, general manager for HelloLabels. “We sell through a number of channels, including wholesalers, dealers, and direct consumers.”

HelloLabels deployed an Ayoka system that allows the company to seamlessly address all three channels with a single system.

“We also use it internally to input orders that come to us via mail or other sources,” says Milliorn. “We’ve been able to take the process of quoting and ordering that once took two hours with back-and-forth communication to one where orders can be quoted and entered in about two minutes,” concludes Milliorn.