IRVINE,
Calif., February 3, 2003 Epicor(R) Software Corporation (NASDAQ:
EPIC), a leading provider of integrated enterprise, eBusiness
and collaborative commerce software solutions for midmarket companies,
today announced a major upgrade to its Vista manufacturing software
solution designed to automate operations and improve workflow
for small job shops and make-to-order departments of large enterprises.
Available
immediately and designed to fit the way a manufacturer does business,
Vista 6.0 provides an affordable and proven solution that easily
manages scheduling, job tracking and integrates accounting functions
to increase efficiency and productivity. Tailored to the unique
needs of the small to midsize manufacturer, the new version of
Vista affords technology choices offering support for both Microsoft
SQL Server and Progress RDBMS (Relational Database Management
System).
“Providing
our customers the ability to choose the technology that is the
best match for their business will help ensure that a manufacturer
remains competitive in today’s ever-changing economy, said
Paul Farrell, senior director of product marketing for Epicor’s
Manufacturing Solutions Group. “Vista's new features enable
a manufacturer to work smarter and helps employees to communicate
better through tighter integration—the end result, manufacturers
shops will have more flexibility in meeting customers' changing
needs.
More
Choices, Greater Flexibility, Quality Assurance
Vista has
improved business processes and widened the gap between Sterling
Machine Company and its competition by simplifying workflow, boosting
productivity and streamlining the quality assurance process. A
precision manufacturer of helicopter transmissions, landing gear
and structural parts, Sterling Machine was one of the first customers
to go live with Vista 6.0.
“Quality
and precision is critical to the success of our business as an
ISO certified machine shop, said Tim Caravella, office manager
for Sterling Machine. “In the past we had to rely on five different
third party solutions to manage quality assurance, but the new
Quality Assurance module in Vista 6.0 handles the entire process
in a single solution, resulting in significant savings of time
and resources—enabling us to focus on delivering top quality
products and service to our customers. Vista’s Quality Assurance
module streamlines the quality process across the entire manufacturing
operation. The Inspectors Queue gives inspection teams a birds-eye-view
into a shop’s various quality processes—from Receiving Inspections
to First Article Inspection, Non-Conformances and Corrective Actions—Vista’s
Quality Assurance module is integrated with other Vista modules
and provides a full audit trail of shop processes.
Enhanced
Supply Chain Visibility
Vista’s
new Advanced Inventory Management module brings a number of sophisticated
features to small and midsize manufactures, designed to handle
the expanded tracking needs that customers require. With advanced
features like Serial Tracking, Dimensional Inventory, and the
ability to review substitute parts when making key buying decisions,
the Advanced Inventory Management module gives a manufacturer’s
purchasing and inventory management employees real-time visibility
of inventory, enabling them to make better buying decisions.
The Vista
Dashboard puts all this critical business information at a manufacturer’s
and its employees fingertips. A one-stop interface to Vista 6.0,
integration with the Internet makes the Vista Dashboard easy to
use and customize. The Vista Dashboard provides real-time exception-driven
indicator flags to users, like late jobs or expiring quotes, alerting
them to business issues as they arise so adjustments can be made
on the fly, resulting in a more proactively run business.
Vista's
Advanced Bill of Materials (BOM) module offers true complex multi-level
assemblies that can be created, maintained and used for quotes
or jobs—resulting in significant timesavings for engineering
and production departments. The Advanced BOM also enables multiple
revisions tracking with effectivity dates and approvals for enhanced
process documentation and tighter engineering control.
Ensuring
Customer Satisfaction
Because customer
satisfaction and service is key to the success of the small to
midsize manufacturer, Vista provides the basics of customer relationship
management with its new Contact Management module. Designed specifically
for small to midsize manufacturers, Contact Management enhances
customer service by documenting and sharing customer communication
with the entire organization. Offering integration across Vista
modules for Sales, Customer Service and Production Support, ensures
a manufacturers customers receive the personalized attention they
require. Contact Management also combines strong user task control
to improve a manufacturer’s overall responsiveness to customer
inquiries, ultimately resulting in more satisfied customers.
