2011 February Issue: Paperless Manufacturing – An IT Friendly Application

One of the most challenging divisions in a manufacturing company today is IT. IT personnel face a daunting task: how to keep up with rapidly changing software technology for the shop floor. Technology that will solve company problems today becomes obsolete tomorrow. IT must not only consider the customization, adaptability and sustainability of the software, but must be aware of operation’s need to improve quality and efficiency and corporate’s goal to improve the bottom line.

The IT Deal Breaker

Customization. Challenges arise for IT when an MES system requires customization to meet shop floor requirements. This puts a burden on IT to either write and test custom code or bring back the vendor each time a modification is needed. Application upgrades and enhancements become complicated and time-consuming tasks. This method quickly becomes complex and costly.

What Does An IT Friendly System Look Like?

• It is simple to install, use, change, enhance and upgrade
• It enables IT enhancements and additions without changing the application code
• It has an easy installation feature for all future upgrades and fixes; no rework required
• It has a simple and adaptable way to integrate systems and data

The paperless manufacturing Interax application is IT friendly. Interax is a configurable “off-the-shelf” application. CIMx Software will support all changes and enhancements made by the IT organization. This removes the challenges and complexity and creates a value-adding benefit for the IT organization. They can be responsive and cost effective with minimal resources.