for forwarding to the factory. Then, the order entry department would call the representative to confirm, then talk to the field application engineer to confirm technical details before entering the order for manufacture. The system took from two days to a week for processing and was prone to error.

To address this issue, Azul implemented a product called Fastraq, from Selectica Inc., San Jose, Calif. This is an application built to work within Salesforce.com, a Web-based application in which remote sales people can enter information from wherever they have Internet access. The result is faster customer fulfillment and fewer mistakes—an important advantage, given the company’s global supply chain.

Summarizes Rockwell Software Marketing Director Matt Bauer, “When things are all comparable within a company, then managers can prioritize and go after the bottlenecks. The sales cycle for these products takes a lot of upfront consulting. Companies must go through a process of data harmonization—that is, take a look at all the data, see what’s replicable and how it can connect. Then they make the technology selection.” The most successful implementations are those who have a strong executive sponsor and crossfunctional team, Bauer says.

Adds Rockwell’s Roach, “It’s OK to run a pilot program, but the real return on investment is when you roll it out to 10 to 20 plants. That will save millions of dollars.”

In its May 2006 benchmark report, “Global Manufacturing: MES and Beyond,” Boston-based analyst firm AberdeenGroup Inc. looked at survey participants’ responses and divided manufacturers into three categories, with recommendations for companies lying within each.

The categories are “Best-in-Class” (those who have achieved operational excellence within the four walls and across facilities), “industry average” (companies that have achieved some level of excellence in manufacturing operations, but have yet to achieve global operational excellence), and “laggard” (those who are just beginning their journey toward excellence). Here are AberdeenGroup’s recommendations for each group:

BEST IN CLASS: Deliver real-time intelligence to the boardroom; continuously improve manufacturing for operational excellence; leverage technology to fuel ongoing innovation.

INDUSTRY AVERAGE: Set global manufacturing standards; create strategic alliance between manufacturing and corporate IT; create value-focused metrics program.

LAGGARD: Gain visibility and control over production; close the information gap between the plant and corporate; empower customer-focused teams to drive improvements.

For more information, search keywords “global,” “MES” and “performance management” at www.automationworld.com.

See sidebar to this article: Dear A.W. How do I organize my flow?

See 2nd sidebar to this article: Be the Best