Managing Automation - October 2008 - (Page 10)

FREE Online Membership managingautomation.com news managingautomation.com maonline Go online for daily news updates in perspective Alliances, Executive Appointments, Mergers & Acquisitions, Products Transform your business through technology FREE Membership includes: • Award Winning Editorial • Web Exclusive Articles • Whitepapers & Webcasts • Improved Online Tools and Expert Forums • TechMATCH: The most powerful product search tool in Manufacturing Technology. • Targeted Newsletters • Special discounts for Executive Conferences • “My Profile” which allows you to save products, comparisons and more Sign Up Today at: MANAGINGAUTOMATION.COM maintaining applications installed on premise, Littleson added. JDA had no comment on Kinaxis’ moves. Following the announcement of the JDA-i2 deal, Bob Parker, vice president of research at IDC Manufacturing Insights, a research firm, predicted that a number of small, bestof-breed supply chain application vendors, including Kinaxis, Axeda, and Logility, would indeed seize the opportunity to capitalize on the resulting market uncertainty. Late in August, Axeda launched its own “safe harbor” program for i2 customers, under which the company would offer a one-to-one exchange of its applications for previously owned i2 products at no cost. But with inventory levels and lead times expected to rise in the near future as companies begin to consider more cost-effective and environmentally friendly transportation options, manufacturers have more reasons than market consolidation to re-evaluate their supply network technology. “For most clients, today’s application choices look nothing like the ones available when they made their original selections,” AMR Research analyst Lora Cecere wrote in a recent research report. “Those companies that have built global planning instances to manage intercontinental dependencies for source, make, and deliver will be ahead of the game.” Kinaxis bills RapidResponse as a compre- hensive offering that includes integrated demand-supply planning, monitoring, and collaborative response capabilities that surpass the abilities of traditional supply chain “optimization” software. “Today’s marketplace is characterized by frequent supply disruptions, volatile demand, and the fast pace of product innovation,” Littleson said. Customers with complex, multitiered supply networks, he notes, need more than a static plan based on fixed parameters. “Everyone still needs a plan, but the premium now is on this notion of monitoring the exceptions that will cause pain, and being able to take action,” Littleson said. “The problem is that, more often than not, things aren’t happening according to plan anymore.” — Diane Himes PATENT MAY GIVE MOBILITY A NEEDED SHOT IN THE ARM dding mobility to business applications has been elevated to the top of the priority list for companies managing global operations, a traveling sales force, and aftermarket field service requirements. To date, however, making that back-office application — be it ERP, SFA, or CRM — portable, has been more problematic than practical. That’s because it meant engaging the IT de- A UPCOMING BigMachines Big Ideas 2008 Oct. 5-7, 2008 Sofitel Chicago Water Tower Chicago www.bigmachines.com/bigideas WonderWorld 2008 North America Oct. 6-10, 2008 The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Las Vegas, NV www.wonderware.com Inforum 2008 Oct. 14-16, 2008 Venetian Palazzo Hotels & Sands Expo Las Vegas, NV Inforum.inforum2008.com KronosWorks 2008 Oct. 19-22, 2008 Walt Disney World Swan and Dophin Lake Buena Vista, FL www.kronos.com/KronosWorks EVENTS AMR Research Business Technology Conference Nov. 10-12, 2008 Westin Boston Waterfront, Boston www.amrresearch.com Manufacturing Data Management Conference Nov. 11-12, 2008 Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development Fayetteville AR www.sme.org Managing Innovation in a Connected World Dec. 15-17, 2008 Singapore Management University, Singapore www.ispim.org/symposium ProMat 2009 Jan. 12-15, 2009 McCormick Place South Chicago www.promatshow.com Free Demo Request a Demo directly from vendors you choose 10 October 2008 http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.bigmachines.com/bigideas http://www.amrresearch.com http://www.wonderware.com http://www.sme.org http://www.MANAGINGAUTOMATION.COM http://Inforum.inforum2008.com http://www.ispim.org/symposium http://www.kronos.com/KronosWorks http://www.promatshow.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - October 2008

Managing Automation - October 2008 Contents Take 1 Systems Integration Market Braces for a Wave of Consolidation Kinaxis Launches Program to Lure i2 Customers Patent May Give Mobility a Needed Shot in the Arm New Group Aims at More Efficient Smart Devices Solar, Life Sciences Will Be the Next Frontier For Robots Notes Cover Story:�2009 Companies to Watch Special Report:�Siemens plus UGS: Is the Merger Working? Transformation:�Driving Energy Efficiency Integration: How Clean is Your Data Industries:�Fed Raises Red Flag on Chemicals Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.