FlexNetSoftware for Sustained Manufacturing Excellence

The execution of manufacturing processes is

where a company’s strategy and production plans

become reality. Execution on the shop-floor is the

“moment of truth” for any manufacturing enterprise

striving to make the right product, at the right time,

with the right quality, all at the right cost.

Apriso’s FlexNet® is an enterprise software

platform that enables manufacturing excellence to

help transform your manufacturing operations into

an industry leading, real-time enterprise.

That’s the power of manufacturing excellence.

That’s the power of FlexNet.

2

FlexNet lets you transform your operations to achieve and sustain manufacturing excellence.

The Pursuit of Manufacturing Excellence

oday’s manufacturer is challenged by a convergence of conflicting pressures. You have to cut time to market, exceed

customer expectations, improve responsiveness and manage an expanding product portfolio. At the same time, you

have to reduce costs, guarantee quality and ensure compliance while improving manufacturing efficiency.

To achieve success in the face of these conflicting pressures, a traditional approach to manufacturing operations will no

longer suffice.

Apriso can help you meet these challenges with FlexNet, its award-winning software platform for manufacturing operations

management. FlexNet provides visibility into, control over and synchronization across manufacturing operations – becoming

your platform for sustained manufacturing excellence.

Offering far greater functionality than traditional plant-based Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), FlexNet is built on a

modern architecture that empowers continuous improvement across your global operations. Only FlexNet provides:

n A unified suite of plant-level applications to provide visibility, control and synchronization across all manufacturing operations

n The global coordination to manage distributed manufacturing plants as a whole

n The flexibility to enable adaptive manufacturing

n The technologies and applications to extend and enhance your existing IT and manufacturing systems

FlexNet enables global manufacturers to continuously improve and quickly adapt to market changes while driving best-in-class

manufacturing performance.

T

“Apriso has a strong reputation for delivering

reliably and rolling out solutions to multiple client sites.”

Research Vice President, Gartner

3

ncremental change on its own won’t deliver manufacturing excellence. You need to embrace a new way of doing

business with versatile IT systems to support new processes and continuous improvement. FlexNet is a next generation

Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) platform and applications suite that can help transform your manufacturing.

Designed to extend the value of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and automation

systems, FlexNet takes an enterprise-approach to manufacturing operations to ensure your plants and equipment work

efficiently as part of a collaborative global product supply network.

Start with Visibility and Control Across your EnterpriseManufacturing has traditionally been treated as a “black box” with each plant optimizing its own operations while having little

or no coordination with the rest of the organization. With FlexNet, you can gain enterprise-wide manufacturing visibility and

intelligence. Delivered directly to your desktop or ERP system, FlexNet provides up-to-the-minute information on all the elements

of manufacturing: people, processes, equipment, tooling, materials, specifications and suppliers. Actionable dashboards, alerts,

key performance indicators and focused analytics provide a true understanding of manufacturing to ensure predictable order

fulfillment.

Beyond visibility of operations, FlexNet allows you to track, trace and control all of your manufacturing operations – both within

your company and across your global supply chain. FlexNet’s powerful applications manage production, quality, logistics,

materials, maintenance and time & labor activities. These applications help you to drive and sustain continuous improvement,

Lean and Six Sigma initiatives.

Synchronize for Operational ExcellenceWith FlexNet’s visibility and control, you can manage and synchronize all the elements of manufacturing. Just-in-time

production can be accelerated with full Material Synchronization™ while corporate functions are tightly coordinated and

executed across your distributed manufacturing enterprise. Engineering is aligned with production via closed-loop product

data flows and suppliers are synchronized to actual demand and quality information via supplier portals. With FlexNet you

can turn your myriad of plants into a tightly integrated product supply network.

IThe FlexNet Approach to Manufacturing

“When compared to their peers, best-in-class

manufacturers realize 42% better operating margins, are

twice as likely to have implemented MOM, have deployed

MOM across 70% more of their manufacturing facilities,

and have 50% lower IT costs.”

Manufacturing Research Analyst, Aberdeen Group

4

lexNet helps you achieve manufacturing excellence by improving market responsiveness, maximizing asset utilization

and accelerating new product introductions while ensuring the highest quality, customer satisfaction and operational

efficiency. As a strategic, adaptive platform for manufacturing operations, FlexNet delivers improved manufacturing

productivity at the lowest total cost.

The following table explains how FlexNet addresses today’s top manufacturing challenges by delivering the results that drive

business value.

FDriving Business Value

Challenges FlexNet Capabilities Results

Enhance asset utilization and efficiency Directs, sequences and enforces

manufacturing processes to eliminate

waste, reduce inventory and sustain

continuous process improvement

n Consumer goods manufacturer improved manufacturing productivity by 22%

n Medical device company reduced inventory by 30%

Improve quality and compliance Embeds quality into manufacturing

processes and provides global visibility

across operations to eliminate waste,

scrap, rework and production delays

n Automotive supplier reduced quality defects to zero PPM at 26 sites

n Aerospace and defense manufacturer reduced total cost of quality and compliance by 25%

Increase customer responsiveness while

reducing inventory

Synchronizes material flows, production

and suppliers with customer demand,

reducing inventory and lead times

n Consumer goods manufacturer reduced lead times from six to three days on 99% of products

Accelerate innovation and new product

introductions

Integrates manufacturing process

management with design to reduce time

to market

n Medical device company linked FlexNet to product design applications to accelerate new product revenue streams

Maximize your business systems’

effectiveness

Provides global visibility and improved

control of manufacturing by executing

enterprise plans in production

n Industrial equipment company reduced inventory by 45% through faster turnover of WIP and finished goods

Reduce manufacturing IT costs Utilizes SOA and BPM as an adaptive

manufacturing platform to simplify and

rationalize manufacturing IT systems

n Packaging company gained best-in-class manufacturing efficiency at 50% of peers’ manufacturing IT budget

5

Synchronize Manufacturing Operations

lexNet unites manufacturing operations. By enabling manufacturing processes to span traditional operational “silos,”

FlexNet functions as a global platform for sustained manufacturing excellence with a suite of applications that can be

deployed individually, in combination, or as a complete manufacturing operations management solution.

FlexNet ProductionStreamline your operations with FlexNet Production to improve resource management and synchronize production with

planning. Drive Lean, Six Sigma and other continuous improvement initiatives. Attain real-time visibility and control over

manufacturing operations while enforcing best practices through:

n Coordination and synchronization of people, processes, equipment, tooling & materials

n Directive paperless work instructions, Poka-Yoke and in-line SPC

n WIP tracking, detailed genealogy, interlocking traceability and performance reporting

n Material synchronization between production, the warehouse and suppliers

n Prevention of non-compliant processes for higher quality

FlexNet Production goes beyond traditional MES to let you manage all the elements of production with global best-practices

across your enterprise and product supply network.

FlexNet WarehouseControl warehouse processes by aligning logistics with production to meet customer demand. Leveraging FlexNet’s real-time,

end-to-end visibility this Warehouse Management System (WMS) enables Material Synchronization™ across operations. It also

eliminates paperwork, improves productivity, increases accuracy, reduces inventory and cuts labor costs by delivering:

nManagement of cross-docking, receiving, replenishment and shipping operations to enhance on-time,

in-full and in-spec order performance

n Intuitive, user-friendly interfaces designed for warehouse personnel

n Expansion of Lean and continuous improvement initiatives into the warehouse to globally elevate operational excellence

F

“FlexNet covers processes such as production,

warehouse management and quality in a way that

allows good shop floor functionality with integration

into ERP-based management systems.”

Research Director Manufacturing Industry, Gartner

6

FlexNet QualityDetect, track and contain non-conformance events with FlexNet Quality while driving resolution through Corrective and

Preventive Action (CAPA) and other quality improvement processes. Improve quality at the plant through embedded quality

checks, advanced containment management and enforcement of best-practices. FlexNet Quality supports:

n In-line SPC, automated quality validation and alerts of out-of-tolerance conditions

n Planning and execution of quality inspections, making usage decisions, and planning and tracking sampling

n Built-in compliance with security control, e-signature and audit trails

n Six Sigma, ISO and other continuous improvement programs

FlexNet MaintenanceMaximize equipment availability and uptime with a closed-loop, paperless system to drive corrective and preventive

maintenance with FlexNet Maintenance. Keep equipment performing consistently while better managing MTTR and

MTBF by leveraging:

n Electronic dispatching, work instructions, calibration specs and historical tracking of labor, tools and spare parts

n Preconfigured integration to ERP to ensure full enterprise asset management

n Extended control to support MRO and As-maintained histories

FlexNet Time & LaborReduce operating and administrative costs through automated tracking and management of time and labor activities. Implement

FlexNet Time & Labor to:

n Track labor costs and calculate efficiencies to maximize productivity

n Provide real-time visibility and reporting of employee attendance and availability

n Meet regulatory reporting requirements

n Capture labor information as part of traceability and genealogy requirements

Apriso’s FlexNet comprises a global manufacturing operations management suite of applications

Plant Controls (DCS, SCADA, OPC, CNC, DNC, PLC, Historian)

Business Systems (ERP, PLM, APS, SCM)

Global Manufacturing SuiteGlobal Process

ManagerManufacturing Process

IntelligenceGlobal Production

Manager

Production Warehouse Quality Maintenance Time & Labor

Just-In-Sequence Quality Planning Dispatching Board Containment Manager Advanced SPC

Process Builder

Machine Integrator Archiving Business Integrator Reporting Analytics Platform

Manufacturing Applications

Adaptive BPM Platform

Flex

Net

Flex

Net

7

Global Excellence

o be a global manufacturing leader, you must drive operational

excellence across your organization and product supply network.

Excellence demands your plants, warehouses and suppliers work

efficiently both as separate entities and as a cohesive whole.

Standardize to Improve Global Business ProcessesAs a Business Process Lifecycle Management™ application, FlexNet

manages and controls manufacturing operations to ensure global

consistency. Use FlexNet to create a Center of Excellence (COE) and

manage your best-practices on a global scale. FlexNet helps you improve

responsiveness to changing market conditions, quality demands and

supplier constraints while accelerating engineering changes and new

product introductions to maintain brand integrity.

Measure to Elevate Global PerformanceFlexNet lets you centrally define, measure, and manage Key Performance

Indicators (KPIs) to consistently track operations performance and identify

best- practices, in real-time. Actionable, drill-down capabilities let you

immediately address a process that has deviated from spec. Collect and

analyze data from across your manufacturing operations and product supply

network to better understand performance and drive global continuous

improvement.

Extend Visibility to Synchronize Global Suppliers Improve quality, market responsiveness and customer satisfaction with

FlexNet by extending visibility into your global suppliers, helping you to

synchronize your product supply network with actual demand to reduce

idle inventory and Work In Process (WIP). Use FlexNet to avoid inventory

disruption, contain potential quality issues, gain efficiency and reduce costs.

FlexNet Technology at a Glance

■■ .NET

■■ SQL Server and Oracle database

support

■■ Native BPM

■■ Powered by SAP NetWeaver

Certification

■■ Service-Oriented

Architecture (SOA)

■■ RFID-ready (EPC IS)

■■ OPC Certified

■■ VMware ESX

■■ Windows Mobile

■■ Windows CE

■■ 32 and 64 bit

T

8

Leverage Existing Business SystemsF

lexN

et

Fle

xNet

Enterprise Resource PlanningProduct Lifecycle Management

Plant Controls

SUPPLY

CHAIN

VISIBILITY

TIME

&

LABORPRODUCTION MAINTENANCE WAREHOUSE QUALITY

FlexNet fills the gap between your business systems and plant automation

lexNet is designed to complement and enhance your existing business and plant systems. By linking FlexNet’s shop

floor visibility and control with corporate business and engineering systems, you can create a cohesive, real-time

solution for manufacturing operations excellence.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)FlexNet extends and enhances ERP by delivering effective, consistent plant floor interfaces, ensuring 24x7 production. By

providing the flexibility to support your specific needs at each plant, certified preconfigured integration points to SAP, Oracle and

other leading ERP systems enable accelerated deployment across multiple sites. FlexNet provides ERP with visibility deep into

your plants, giving you the control to synchronize production with changing customer demand.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)Close the loop between engineering and manufacturing by integrating FlexNet with your digital design and PLM applications.

Integrate your bill of processes to accelerate new product introductions. FlexNet captures As-built manufacturing data to deliver

production intelligence to PLM systems for further quality and engineering design improvement.

Automation SystemsAddress your heterogeneous equipment landscape by standardizing on FlexNet for connectivity to the shop floor. FlexNet

provides out-of-the-box, certified integration using XML, OPC, RS232 and other integration technologies. By keeping your

business logic in FlexNet instead of your automation systems, you can maximize manufacturing flexibility and responsiveness.

F

9

Strategic Platform for Global Manufacturing Agility

lexNet is more than the sum of its parts. While each FlexNet application offers strong functionality when deployed on a

standalone basis, you can achieve even greater performance by implementing FlexNet as your strategic platform across

manufacturing operations.

A Platform for Unified ManufacturingFlexNet serves as a strategic platform, given its wide application footprint, unified architecture and native Business Process

Management (BPM). FlexNet offers applications across all manufacturing operations, which share a common architecture,

user interface and data model. This architecture enables you to easily manage end-to-end processes and correlate data from

receiving to shipping, including production, quality and plant maintenance.

In FlexNet, every operation and activity is defined and executed as a business process. BPM enables end-to-end manufacturing

processes to be designed, executed and managed, regardless of physical location, function or underlying equipment. Update

your processes as often as needed to respond quickly to changing business conditions. FlexNet’s native BPM automatically

renders the right user interface for the manufacturing operator. Unlike traditional business or MES systems that tend to be

difficult to change, FlexNet is highly dynamic so it can be readily adjusted to meet changing local and corporate requirements.

Flexibility for Global OperationsThe power of native BPM, built on a unified architecture and a wide application footprint, allows FlexNet to support the diversity

of a global manufacturer. FlexNet supports multiple manufacturing models, meets plant specific requirements and fills the

functionality gaps around enterprise business systems. Therefore, FlexNet provides a platform for global standardization while

enabling local execution. This platform approach delivers substantial business benefits by:

n Simplifying IT systems and rationalizing organizations

n Delivering effective governance across manufacturing operations

n Assuring regulatory compliance

FlexNet enables you to address your specific challenges today, while establishing a platform for sustained manufacturing

excellence for tomorrow.

F

“We have a solution that allows frequent configuration

changes without requiring specific IT programming. The

business process modeling capabilities of Apriso’s FlexNet

lets us make changes without stopping production. We now

perform changes 2 to 3 times per month.”

IT Project Manager, Trixell

10

Now is the Time for Manufacturing Excellence

s a global manufacturer, you strive to improve responsiveness and customer satisfaction while ensuring the highest

level of quality. At the same time, you face a series of challenges that often conflict with these objectives. The

balance can be found in simplifying your systems infrastructure while improving agility with FlexNet.

More than 180 global manufacturers in 40+ countries now use FlexNet to drive improved efficiency, greater agility and better

visibility and control across their distributed operations. The following is a partial list of enterprises that have made a strategic

decision to broadly deploy FlexNet throughout their manufacturing operations:

Now is the time to synchronize your global operations to assure you make the right product, at the right time, with the right

quality, all for the right cost. Transform your manufacturing operations into an industry leading, real-time enterprise with FlexNet

from Apriso.

At Apriso, we believe your success is our success – we are passionate about achieving both. Contact Apriso today to learn how

you can gain and sustain greater manufacturing excellence.

“Based on the success we have experienced with Apriso

at the Amcor PET division, we believe it was a low risk

decision to select FlexNet for our Flexibles business to

address data collection, business process integration

and global visibility challenges.”

CIO, Amcor

11

A

www.apriso.com

Copyright © 2012, Apriso, Inc., All rights reserved. All company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Version 1206.0