Top Reliability and Maintenance Web Sites on CD

Reliabilityweb.com has announced the Reliabilityweb.com 50 Top Reliability and Maintenance Web Sites on an interactive CD-ROM. Each web site included in the Top 50 contains valuable information relating to reliability or maintenance that can be accessed at any time for no fee. The Top 50 includes sites from the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The CD-ROM offers a guided and narrated tour of the best features of each web site through the use of hyperlinks that work with an Internet browser while a computer is online.

The CD-ROM may also be self directed by the viewer.

'We wanted a way to acknowledge web sites that teach without asking for anything in return.' states Terrence O'Hanlon, the executive producer of the program.

'The Internet is being used more frequently for research and these sites are all performing a valuable service.' The Reliabilityweb.com 50 Top Web Sites on CD-ROM is available for $49 and offers a 30 day total satisfaction guarantee.

New suite of buyer tools

First Index will launch new suite of buyer tools at Manufacturing Week 2001.
Reearch from First Index, the marketplace for custom manufactured components, shows that buyers see e-Sourcing, the ability to automate RFQs (request for quotes) and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) as key drivers of their online strategy. The research - among 180 buyers already posting RFQs in First Index's findFAST e- marketplace - was conducted as part of the development of a suite of web-based software aimed at the contract manufacturing market. The research and the product will debut at the Manufacturing Week exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham on 30 October.

Early research results Early results from the survey highlight four clear buyer requirements: * to pool buyer experience across large buying organisations via an organised, easy to use supplier database.

* to automate the RFQ process for existing and new parts combined with a way to facilitate online collaboration with suppliers throughout the RFQ process.

* to use online means to build long-term relationships with preferred suppliers that shortens product development lifecycles.

* to be able to evaluate supplier performance and ensure value for money in sourcing.

The research was conducted as part of the process of developing a new product, findFAST PRO, a web-based suite of e-Sourcing, RFQ automation and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) tools, that will be launched at the Manufacturing Week Exhibition, Oct 30 - Nov 1, 2001, National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Hall no 19.

First Index is on stand no.

9225 The suite is aimed at buyers who purchase made-to-order direct materials in, among others, the global automotive, aerospace and defence and electronics sectors.

It complements First Index's established findFAST e-marketplace solution which has over 2000 supplier members that benefited from the 28,000 RFQs posted in the last year.

First Index's Hans Wigart, CEO and David Oliver, will be speaking at Computers in Manufacturing (CIM), which is co-located (in halls 6 and 7 at the NEC) with Manufacturing Week.

Entitled 'E-procurement for buyers of direct services and custom manufactured parts' the seminar will take place on Thursday November 1, at 9.30am highlighting how working online can streamline relationships between buyers and sellers in the contract manufacturing sector.

e-Business and what it means for manufacturing

'e-Business in Manufacturing: Putting the Internet to work in the Industrial Enterprise' has been published by Shari L S Worthington and Walt Boyes. Now that all the Internet hype is sorting itself out, the industry is embarking on a sea change of monumental proportions. In the next decade, manufacturers will change the way they perform many functions, from interacting with customers to controlling plant-floor processes.

What is about to occur is as significant a change as letters of credit were in the Middle Ages, or railroads were in the 19th Century.

The first part of the 21st Century will finally see the much-discussed convergence of business, communications, and computing.

e-Business in Manufacturing takes a detailed look at that convergence and what it will mean for the manufacturing organization.

What we're talking about is much more than e-commerce.

What will emerge is a change in how industry will work.

The manufacturing enterprise of the 21st century will blend sound business practices with the power and reach of the Internet's networked conversations.

Manufacturing companies will learn to put the Internet's myriad of communication tools to work for them, allowing them to fully participate in the global networked market.

e-Business in Manufacturing is about the creation of an 'extended enterprise.' From the sign out front to the loading door out back, there are changes happening in the way companies buy tools, parts, raw materials, and even services.

There are changes happening in the way product designers develop new offerings and in the way pricing managers price products.

There are changes in the way marketing departments are interacting with customers and how customers are seeing their vendors.

For the first time, the independent initiatives of Sales Force Automation, Manufacturing Automation, and Information Systems are being integrated and transformed.

Customer Relationship Management is impacting far more than just sales and marketing.

Manufacturing Automation and Supply Chain Integration are combining to produce an organization that functions as a single, real-time value chain, from raw material to customer.

e-Business in Manufacturing looks at each part of the enterprise-from sales and marketing to manufacturing and logistics-and shows how enabling real-time interaction can result in a significant increase in revenue while at the same time produce a leaner, more efficient organization.

To order, visit http://www.isa.org/isastore/isastore.cfm?Store=11 Worthington, Shari L S and Walt Boyes, 'e-Business in Manufacturing: Putting the Internet to Work in the Industrial Enterprise.' Research Triangle Park, NC: ISA Press, 2001.

Reliability centered maintenance training is free

Reliabilityweb.com has announced the launch of an Internet based online training program titled 'RCM Blitz - Reliability Centered Maintenance'.
Reliabilityweb.com announced the launch of an Internet based online training program titled 'RCM Blitz - Reliability Centered Maintenance'. The program is part of the R/CM1 Online Reliability and Maintenance Conference being hosted at Reliabilityweb.com. The 30 minute training program is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about more about Reliability Centered Maintenance, a maintenance strategy to assure machinery function.

The RCM Training program and is narrated and self running and does not require any special software other than an Internet Browser and a Windows or Real Media player.

'RCM Blitz' training is offered free however it does require registration.

To log on to the program visit http://www.rcm-1.com or e-mail training@reliabilityweb.com for instructions.

Reliabilityweb.com is the solution oriented asset management site for the plant maintenance community.

Focus areas include Reliability and Maintenance Program Management, condition monitoring and CMMS.

Website covers all manufacturing service aspects

Aiming to bring the technology of the new economy to the traditional processes of industry a new website helps visitors locate manufacturing goods and services.
The Datumpoint website aims to bring the technology of the new economy to the traditional processes of industry. It does not remove the people to people interaction in the market place. Datumpoint makes these processes and their scope easier and wider.

Under the umbrella of one global site the location of goods and services offered by companies in the manufacturing or production industries is quick, simple and readily accessible to all visitors to the site 365 days of the year 24 hours a day.

Registering and subscribing companies choose a user name and password on line.

This enables them to add or alter the information they put on the site at any time through their own control panel.

Datumpoint is designed to be developed organically through input from its subscribers and will include newsletters, press releases and items for sale and wanted plus contracts available and capacity lists.

These databases will be searchable with several types of query.

Details of forthcoming auctions and exhibitions can be posted.

The manufacturing forum is also online.

Subscribing trade companies will eventually be able to add photographs and equipment specifications according to the level of their subscription as well as receiving e-mail enquiries and web links direct from the site.

The objective of www.datumpoint.co.uk is to give the user complete control in searching the site and subscribers the ability to upload their information.

This enables the site to be as up to date as possible.

Registration is simple and free of charge but not mandatory for all visitors to navigate the site.

By completing the basic registration form visitors are able to place their corporate details under the business category of their choice in the unique on line directory.

If subscription is chosen then this procedure is quick and simple with prices and examples given on line.

Subscribers can upgrade at any time to a higher subscription level.

Human resources and legacy systems join forces

BASF IT subsidiary offers services in the human resources management based on a new licensing model by SAP.
BASF IT Services has closed on a partnership contract with SAP for software to be used in the human resources sector. Thus, BASF IT Services is one of the first IT service providers in Germany to sign a partnership contract, as a so-called HR BPO partner with SAP. With this partnership model, the BASF subsidiary can offer its customers a complete service solution in the human resources management eg payroll services and also the required software licenses.

A single source offers complete solutions For the customer, this has significant advantages: In particular, small and medium sized companies, which have so far not implemented SAP can, as a BASF IT Services' customer, now use the SAP software, without having to negotiate a license fee themselves.

Another advantage lies in the model's flexibility: The customers of BASF IT Services are not bound to a term of contract for a set amount, instead they pay a monthly rental, which is based on the actual number of software components used.

The partnership contract not only spans five years but it is also valid on an international basis.

With the new license model, BASF IT Services can cover the whole service provision spectrum in the human resources management by using SAP-HR.

Included here are payroll services, personnel administration, time management, company pension accounting, the company pension scheme, travel expenses as well as staff portals.

Based on this model, BASF IT Services is able to offer a special solution package for payroll services in the public service sector.

'For non-BASF Group customers, who do not use SAP software and as such do not have SAP licenses, this partnership makes it possible to offer our HR services far quicker because the question of licenses no longer needs to be resolved', says Peter Lugger, Head of BASF IT Services' Human Resources Services Unit.

'Plus, the customer receives all the solutions from one single source.' Certification as prerequisite for partnership A criteria for the SAP partnership is, amongst other things, the certification as a Customer Competence Center and also, certification as BPO partner.

Prerequisite hereto is, for example, that staff who maintain the SAP systems, are sufficiently qualified and that the IT systems possess the necessary security criteria and emergency plans.

Transportation added to manufacturing quotes

MfgQuote, a marketplace for sourcing and selling manufacturing services, has added a new service to streamline the timely and affordable delivery of manufactured goods sourced through its Web site. The unique partnership lets buyers and sellers securely and seamlessly add transportation via Matson Integrated Logistics to their requests for quotes (RFQs) or replies, the core activity on the marketplace. Matson Integrated Logistics (MIL), a leader in an estimated $23.5 billion logistics industry, provides multimodal transportation services including domestic intermodal rail service, long haul and regional highway services, specialized hauling and expedited air and ground services.

MIL is a Top Performer in Logistics Management magazine's Quest for Quality award for service excellence each of the last four years.

MfgQuote users who create or respond to an RFQ will have the opportunity to work through Matson Logistics to develop a customized transportation solution for shipments of a pallet or larger.

MfgQuote's relationship with Matson gives users preferred pricing on Matson services, enabling users to save money on every RFQ they execute.

'MfgQuote connects buyers and suppliers around the globe and each RFQ that passes through MfgQuote will have engineered-to-order components that will need to be delivered,' said Mitch Free, president and CEO of MfgQuote.

'We decided to help streamline the process and provide logistics management, along with special pricing to the MfgQuote community.

Logistics considerations are part of the RFQ creation and quoting process, and now the MfgQuote.com community has convenient, yet highly flexible options with Matson.' The MfgQuote.com/Matson relationship directly addresses supply chain needs outlined in AMR Research's April 2005 report 'Contract Manufacturing at a Cross Roads: Brand Owner Need for Visibility.' These needs include: A wider range of supply and logistics services for brand owners.

The ability for parties in long-distance, overseas contract manufacturing relationships to be more responsive to volatile demand.

More coordination points between brand owners and contract manufacturers because of an expanding range of outsourced services, including the creation of finished goods, configuration to order, and delivery to the customer's distribution center, assembly line, warehouse or end customer's address.

Automation of information transfer and business processes between buyers and suppliers.

'Our partnership with MfgQuote can help turn a low-volume regional supplier into a high-volume global supplier and simultaneously expand procurement options for purchasing agents and design engineers,' said Matson VP of Marketing Gary Eyring.

'With global competition increasing, getting the goods in the right place at the right time is critically important to supply chain success.'