The New
Collaborative Manufacturing Systems
Beyond the Recession
by Costantino Pipero

Table of Answers
imho
• What is a Manufacturing Process?
• What system(s) do I need?
• What methodology helps me?
• How much time and money will I need?

“Nobody can go back and start a new
beginning, but anyone can start today
and make a new ending.”
Maria Robinson

Manufacturing Process
The nutshell
Take Inputs Generate Outputs
• Manpower • Products
• Materials • Byproducts
• Machines • Waste
• Measurements • Cost
• Methods • Revenue

Process and Product Strategies
cracking the nutshell a little
Process Types Stocking Strategies
• Discrete Manufacturing • Make to Stock
• Batch Processing • Pick to Order
• Continuous Processing • Assemble to Order
• Flow Manufacturing • Make to Order
• Engineer to Order
This just gives a glimpse of the complexity of a process and the
possible permutations and combinations just within one single
enterprise. Think about what you or your customers make and try to
relate to the lists.

The Systems
or some of them

I do not have a particular preference, I tried most of
them. I like the idea of multiplatform,because it makes it
The Systems easier to integrate on a geagraphical scale and reuse
the legacy. But that's just an opinion, it really varies
which one to choose among cases.
Examples Pro's Con's
• Microsoft: .NET + SQL +• Easy to Implement, • Short on security,
Sharepoint + BizTalk, etc. Commonly Known. expensive.
• Oracle: eBusiness Suite + .NET/ Multiplatform, Complex, relatively
• Solid, •
Java, etc. expensive.
No Dev Licenses.
• SAP: Lots of it with xMII, • Leader, Widely • Very expensive, very
NetWeaver, etc.
• Home Grown Adopted. complex.
• Complete • High Risk, High
Independence from Maintenance
Vendors, Easy to
comply with Standards

I love this (the Iconix process); the learning curve
is so fast. It requires less discipline yet has all the
The Method
tools and change management in place. The best
method I used so far...
the one I used with most success

Costs
or what you have to consider
• Off-the-Shelf is a myth: what you think of saving in
maintenance and liability you will pay in specialized services. Even
the so called COTS require a lot of customization at the scale. Trading
requirements for out of the box will guide you to the right choice. And
design is paramount...
• It's more than 50K: unless you are talking about a proof of
concept. And you have to take into account the cost of the end users
and internal expertise needed, the commissioning downtime, the
changes, etc...
• It is cheaper if you call me from the start: I've seen it,
I've done it, I've won it, and I've lost it...

email me at cos@beeond.net