QAD`s Supply Visualisation enables customers to profit from vendor-managed inventory

QAD has announced the immediate availability of QAD Supply Visualisation (SV), an easy to install, hosted application, accessed via the new QAD MFGx.net manufacturing exchange.

Delivering real-time visibility of inventory, manufacturers using QAD applications can quickly and cost-effectively conduct collaborative inventory management with their suppliers to reduce inventory and other costs across the supply chain.

To begin using QAD SV, manufacturers can simply visit the QAD MFGx.net exchange and download Poller software that updates the system every 15 minutes by copying data from QAD MFG/PRO, and loading that data up to QAD SV. Since the Poller code module is pre-integrated with all recent versions of QAD enterprise applications, implementation is quick and painless.

Once the Poller is installed and running at a manufacturing site, it extracts inventory information from the QAD MFG/PRO database and sends it securely over the Internet for storage on the QAD MFGx.net exchange. After suppliers are selectively allowed access to information by the manufacturer, they can immediately begin to manage inventory levels more intelligently and cost-effectively for the benefit of their manufacturing partners.

"Collaboration between manufacturers and their suppliers has never been so easy," said Pam Lopker, president of QAD. "This is just one example of how QAD applications are delivering immediate cost-savings and other benefits through e-business functionality that is easy to access for our 5 000-plus licensed customer sites."

The core of QAD SV is a screen that summarises the total relationship between a manufacturer and supplier. Using it, suppliers see inventory levels for the items they provide, per location, including minimum and maximum levels that manufacturers have negotiated with them. Item quantities that are below minimum appear in red and quantities above the maximum are shown in blue. Items may be sorted based on their importance, usage averages can be tracked and links allow the viewer to drill to review shipment history, cumulative inventory levels, and much more.

Priced on a monthly, subscription basis, which varies depending upon the number of items the system monitors, QAD SV is only the first of several new Internet-based solutions that QAD will be making available through the hosted QAD MFGx.net exchange. Through this exchange, QAD will leverage the speed-to-benefit and convenience of the applications service provider (ASP) model to make many other QAD e-business applications available to its customers.