The Roadmap to Advanced Manufacturing

SPECIAL REPORT

In 20 years, manufacturing is expected to advance to new frontiers, resulting in an increasingly automated anddata-intensive manufacturing sector that will likely replacetraditional manufacturing as we know it today.1

2

Executive Overview

Advanced Manufacturing: ASuccess Strategy for the FutureFor large, enterprise manufacturers, theability to change and renew continuously hasbecome an economic imperative. As abusiness evolves into maturity, it is necessaryto revitalize, reassess and renew. This is whymore and more enterprise manufacturers areturning to Advanced Manufacturing as asuccess strategy for the future.

3

In today’s highly competitive manufacturing landscape,there is little room, time or appetite for risk. Instead,it’s essential to show clear proof of time to value—shorteningthe time between initial expense and positive economicreturn. That’s why Advanced Manufacturing is dependentupon the following three critical factors for success:

• Responsiveness to Customer Needs. AdvancedManufacturing is all about keeping your customers’needs in focus and in the center of your own planning.Roger Martin, in “The Age of Customer Capitalism,”published in the Harvard Business Review, says,“Customer satisfaction and listening to the customer isbecoming more important than ever.”2

• Innovative Operational Processes. The truth is thatAdvanced Manufacturing encompasses all aspects ofmanufacturing, including the ability to quickly respond tocustomer needs through innovations in productionprocesses. Today, there is increasing convergence betweenmanufacturing and services. With manufacturers integratingnew smart service business models enabled throughembedded software, wireless connectivity and onlineservices, there is now less of a distinction between the twosectors than before. Customers are demanding connectedproduct “experiences” rather than just a product.3

• Breakthrough Technologies that Drive Real Value.Advanced Manufacturing and innovation go hand-in-hand,and as manufacturing advances, it is becoming even moreand more knowledge-intensive. The U.S. Department ofCommerce says, “It’s become obvious that AdvancedManufacturing is dependent upon breakthroughinformation technologies for next-generation processes.”4

4

Cincom and Microsoft® have created an ERP systemdeveloped specifically for the needs of advancedmanufacturers. The three critical success factors discussedon the previous page are why Cincom chose to take amodular approach to the many advanced capabilities thatmake up our Manufacturing Business Suite—all of which arebuilt upon the popular Microsoft Dynamics AX platform.

Advanced Manufacturing means capturing opportunity inrapidly shifting conditions, and software that enables this isessential for success. Cincom + Microsoft Dynamics AX ERPtogether deliver an integrated enterprise-wide solution thathelps your company, your distributors, your dealers and yourcustomers make business decisions with greater confidence.The diagram above illustrates how advanced functionalityfrom Cincom extends Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP formanufacturers of highly engineered products and services.

Cincom + Microsoft Dynamics® AX: An ERP System for Advanced Manufacturers

* The Cincom Project Supply Chain module provides project capabilities across the supply chain and production processes.

5

The Roadmap to Advanced Manufacturing –A Step-by-Step Process ViewThe Roadmap to Advanced Manufacturing, discussed inthe following pages of this paper, takes a high-level view ofan enterprise. It covers the entire business operation andmanufacturing process in detail, along with technologyrecommendations for each process. As we move throughthe Roadmap, we divide it into a number of parts andexamine how the assorted parts work together. We discusswhich technologies can best help advanced manufacturersremain competitive by:

• Performing at the highest level of accuracy

• Increasing speed at all levels of the enterprise

• Delivering as promised

Advanced manufacturers understand that future success isreserved for those who are responsive to customer needs,innovative in operational processes and well invested intechnologies that drive real value. Join us as we take thejourney together.

Foundation: A Robust ERP SolutionSince Advanced Manufacturing enterprises live andbreathe by their ERP solutions, the journey starts here. Theright ERP solution for advanced manufacturers is one that:

• Delivers mission-critical data in real time

• Provides a platform to share knowledge

• Simplifies collaboration, while being easy to use

Microsoft Dynamics AX is a robust system, includingcapabilities for financial management, business intelligenceand reporting, supply chain management and humancapital management.

As a matter of fact, global enterprise organizationsoverwhelmingly identify Microsoft Dynamics as thepreferred vendor for their next ERP investment.

Cincom Intensifies Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP for Configure-to-Order (CTO) and Engineer-to-Order(ETO) ManufacturersAccording to Inside ERP, “Not all ERP applications areappropriate for ETO manufacturers, but an ERPapplication specifically designed for ETO can offermultiple benefits and efficiencies. ETO manufacturersstand to gain a competitive edge if they can find the rightERP solution to help improve their business workflow.”6

Microsoft Dynamics partnered with Cincom to extend thecapabilities of Microsoft Dynamics ERP to meet the specialneeds of CTO and ETO manufacturers because we havedeep industry experience sharpened from successfully servingthese types of manufacturers since 1968. Cincom modules aredesigned specifically for manufacturers of highly engineeredproducts and services. They intensify Microsoft Dynamics AXfeatures with critical components for CTO and ETOmanufacturers, such as advanced capabilities for:

• Configure-price-quote (CPQ)

• Estimating ETO projects

• Product data management (PDM)

• Project-based supply chain

• Indirect cost allocation (ICA)

• Project-based manufacturing

“Cincom is the only Microsoft Dynamics ISV focused on the needs of the complex manufacturer.”

- Morgan Wheaton, Director, Dynamics Global Partners, Microsoft Business Solutions

Ovum ChartOverall Preferred Vendor for Next Investment in ERP

A recent survey by Ovum Research reveals a significant trend in the ERPspace: Global enterprise organizations overwhelmingly identify MicrosoftDynamics as the preferred vendor for their next ERP investment.5

6

The Roadmap to Advanced Manufacturing – Process ViewGet your complimentary 11x17 copy of the Roadmap to Advanced Manufacturing at: www.cincom.com/erp-roadmap

7

8

Strategic and Detail Planning

Business PlanningPrior to the beginning of every new fiscal year, companiesbegin strategic planning and budgeting. This forms thebasis for measuring performance of the company over thecoming year.

Since the market dictates the outcome, the planningprocess must include the voice of the customer as astakeholder. Sales and marketing are brought into the planas full partners. They provide relevant input into what ishappening in the market and can represent the voice ofthe customer in every part of the process.

Aberdeen Group illustrates this process quite effectively inits report on Sales and Operations planning.7

• Revenue planning is based on corporate goals, newproducts, market and needs identification and salesopportunities. Sales and marketing participate in theconversation based on their own experiences.

• This feeds the Demand Planning process. Forecasts are based on projected sales, sales and marketingcollaborative campaigns and promotions and overallgeneral business forecasts that are more reflective of thegeneral business climate for the coming year.

• The next step is supply-chain planning. Labor, parts andsupplies are quantified and form the basis for manufacturingand factory strategies, inventory strategies, material logisticsand capacity planning within the production process.

• In the fourth step, Purchasing is charged withdeveloping acquisition strategies to supply theoperation with adequate material and minimalcommitment of cash. Human Resources looks at howstaffing requirements might be met and what existingresource can be used to fulfill the needs of the comingyear. Recruitment costs are quantified and included inthe overall plan.

• Finally, management evaluates the entire plan in light ofrevenue and profit targets, working capital andperformance history, and specific KPIs are established tokeep them informed of progress as the new fiscal yearmoves forward.

Managing Human ResourcesThe consumption of labor and the associated costs ofmaintaining a work force also need to be tracked andallocated across the individual projects and productioneffort. For manufacturers, the goal is to keep as manypeople productive as possible. HR oversees training andeducation, employee history and performance and ofcourse, payroll—all functions handled well by MicrosoftDynamics AX and Cincom.

9

Designing Products and ServicesThe design of products and services is also collaborative innature. Products can’t be developed in a vacuum. Customersagain need to be involved in the process, or the risk offailure is increased greatly. However, customer input mustbe balanced with input from suppliers and employees todetermine if the design requirements are within thecapability of the company.

In some cases, almost everything is designed from scratch.Product engineers will attempt to reuse previous designs;existing or new bills of material (BOMs) are developed; andrevised specifications, documentation and other specificsare updated. The need for replacement parts and serviceoptions are identified and established as sellable productson their own. External suppliers are identified, andexternally sourced contributions to the finished product areestablished. Any special expertise or other humanresources are also introduced into the process in thisphase. Engineering and production planning sign off andmake their accommodations for building their product.

Microsoft Dynamics AX and its partners expertly handle:

• Product design

• Research and development

• Computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aidedengineering (CAE) and product lifecycle management(PLM) integration

• Basic BOM maintenance – drag and drop or grid-baseduser interface (UI)

• Routings maintenance – quantity, set-up and run-time

Cincom adds critical product data management featuresspecifically for CTO and ETO manufacturers to extend basicMicrosoft Dynamics AX with enhanced capabilities for:

• Project-specific BOMs and routings

• Project item dimensions

• Multiple BOM types and BOM maintenance

• Engineering change management with workflow

• Item, BOM, route and document revisions

• Multiple active-item substitutes and alternates

• Centralized and decentralized engineering management

• Release management – pending, release, cancel

• Lifecycle phases

• Document management flowdown

10

Sales Execution

Configure, Estimate and Manage Product SalesSelling and managing the sales process is guided by thebusiness plan. Marketing drives messaging into specificmarkets either defined by geography or line of business.Sales reinforces that messaging through prospectingactivities and campaigns.

Technology facilitates this process through CRM systemsthat support the identification of market-qualifiedcontacts. These can be the focus of prospecting andpromulgating the message associated with the marketingstrategy. Guided-selling technology ensures that themessage, target prospects, selling scripts, product datavisibility and solutions are accurate and adhere to thebusiness plan.

Two diametrically opposed forces contend with each otherduring this process. The customer’s requirements becomemore tightly defined and unique while the availability ofready solutions becomes more difficult to find. Andcustomers today are less willing to settle for “almostperfect” solutions. Their needs are frequently more complexthan ever, and that drives solutions that may be highlyvariable. The need for unique, engineer-to-order solutions isbecoming more common.

11

Sales ModelsMost manufacturers fall into one of the three sales modelsdiscussed below:

• Catalog Sales – These are sales of existing standardproducts sold at list price. Microsoft Dynamics AXsupports these types of sales very well with standardcustomer care, marketing automation and sales forceautomation capabilities.

• Configure-to-Order Sales (CTO) – These involve morecomplex products that need to be configured accordingto the individual customer’s needs. Options involvestandard compatible parts that are selected based uponcustomer specifications. Prices are built based upon thecosts and availability of the options selected. This iswhere manufacturers begin to need some of theadditional functionality that Cincom modules provide.

• Engineer-to-Order Sales (ETO) – These involve productsthat must be designed and engineered based uponcustomer input. They are customized to the needs of thebuyer and require additional functionality to seamlesslysupport this type of sale. Cincom modules are designedspecifically to support the sale and delivery of highlyengineered products and services for this type of sale.

Process Flow for CTO and ETO Models This is where Cincom’s modular family of advancedMicrosoft Dynamics AX capabilities for complexmanufacturing comes into play.

The CTO SaleThe configure-to-order sale involves a more complexprocess (shown below) than catalog sales. There has to bea discussion of specific needs related to specific parts ofthe product being purchased. Even though the eventualversion of the product sold is made up of pre-configuredoptions, each with a cost-driven associated list price, there are numerous variables and constraints driving thepart-selection discussion.

Consider the purchase of an industrial fan. A companymight offer four different sizes, powered by five differenthorsepower motors running off two different voltage levels.Depending on what kind of air you are moving, you mightwant a plastic blade, or aluminum or steel. Perhaps you wantthe fan to be reversible and to offer a one-speed versionalong with a three-speed version. Maybe your fan is rated forindoor or outdoor use, and you offer three different colors.

That’s over 2,880 different variations of the fan.

This type of complexity requires multiple-level bills ofmaterial and complex pricing. Your sales rep will need auser interface that is highly intuitive and mistake-proof.

The configure-price-quote (CPQ) capability driven byrules-based technology and easy-to-use user interfaces isneeded. The selection logic and business rules supportingthe configuration process must be impeccable and highlyreliable. These enable sales reps to walk through the manyoptions associated with complex products to produce asolution that is configured specifically for the individualprospect’s needs.

Configuration technology can be driven by a product andprice database or preferably by a knowledge rules engine, asis found in Cincom’s configure-price-quote module, CincomCPQ™. Highly complex products contain so many variables,usage constraints and other selection criteria that themaintenance of a part and price database in conjunction withthe configurator is daunting. Cincom delivers a great deal ofadded value to Microsoft Dynamics AX with its CPQfunctionality by replacing the maintenance activities associatedwith a massive product and part database with a simple set ofuser-based business rules. The business rules in Cincom CPQare easy to maintain and ultimately more effective.

“We approached Cincom because werecognized them as experts in providingsoftware for complex manufacturing.”

– Morgan Wheaton, Director Dynamics Global Partners,Microsoft Business Solutions

The CTO Sale

12

Here are some of the advanced CPQ capabilities thatCincom adds to Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP:

• Rules and constraints engine

• Products and services configuration

• Multi-level BOM generation

• Complex pricing rules

• Catalog-based pricing and selection

• Deployment flexibility: Web, mobile, native MicrosoftDynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, e-commerce

• Custom UI

Unless your sales operation is exclusively inside, you willneed mobile CPQ that’s optimized for tablets, laptops oreven smart phones. Customers want to “know now” whenit comes to capability and price; therefore, your sales repneeds real-time access to back-office expertise while atthe customer site.

Additionally, if you are a configure-to-order shop, you willneed estimating capabilities for situations where yourstock solutions or common configurations just don’t meetthe customer’s needs. This doesn’t mean that you areredefining your company vision to include custommanufacturing. However, it will give you the capability toprototype efficiently and serve your customer effectively atlower risk while increasing your ability to address morehighly specialized needs. Cincom provides this capabilityas well.

The ETO SaleThe engineer-to-order sale takes this beyond the realm ofconfiguration into the realm of design. This is true custommanufacturing of highly engineered products and services.

During the ETO sales process (shown below), customersneed a specific solution that is not addressed by standardproducts or part configurations. In this more-demandingarena, where the products are essentially designed fromscratch, powerful estimating capabilities are needed. This

is where the Cincom Estimating module extends the basicMicrosoft Dynamics AX capabilities. With highly advancedestimating capabilities, Cincom supports the process withengineering, supply chain and production inputs to allowthe accurate pricing and production planning of unique,new product solutions.

With Cincom Estimating, the sales estimators can accessthe manufacturing supply chain as well as engineering andproduct data-management functions to quickly create aunique product or service proposal with great accuracy.This is not based on a “guesstimate”; rather, a firm quoteis produced based on real data. Once the proposal isaccepted, the system initiates a sales order and invokesproduct data and engineering change processes that feedthe MRP and production scheduling functions.

Regardless of your manufacturing and selling orientation,there are compelling reasons to add configuration andestimating capability to your tool box. RFP, quotes andproposals are generated quickly and with more accuracyusing this technology. The pain of losing money on specialscan be replaced by confidence in being able to fullyaddress your prospect’s exact needs.

Here are some of the advanced CPQ capabilities thatCincom adds to Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP for highlyengineered products and services:

• BOM-WBS hierarchy

• BOM and route drag-and-drop UI

• Trigger purchase request for quote (RFQ)

• Revisions and scenarios with “what-if” comparisons

• Product and project cost by cost category

• Indirect cost application

• Pricing

• Integration with sales order agreement, quote or order

The ETO Sale

13

Supply Chain and Execution

Planning Materials and ResourcesThis is where Advanced Manufacturing steps up to organizethe actual planning and scheduling of materials andresources. It all starts with the sale of products and theresultant order placed. The order received quantifies theparts and supplies required to fulfill the order. Theserequirements drive the development of a bill of material aswell as any need for designed parts such as engineeringchange requests to modify existing parts or to acquire partsfrom an external source. External supplies are acquired andany needed service parts are built and provided. MicrosoftDynamics AX handles master scheduling, resourcerequirements planning and material planning andproduction control for standard manufacturing modes.

However, the ability to facilitate a project view is especiallyimportant with engineer-to-order products. As orders(projects) are pushed through the system, resources andeffort peculiar to that product are reserved. Cincom addsadvanced master planning capabilities to MicrosoftDynamics AX since it is especially important for ETOmanufacturers to be able to segregate and view materialplans by project and revision at this level.

This becomes apparent during resource requirementsplanning. During mixed-mode manufacturing, project andnon-project jobs are going to simultaneously consumeresources from common sources. Therefore, Cincom addsthe ability to view consumables by project, assuring thatcost allocations and effort reporting are accurately tied tothe proper project or jobs.

14

Purchase to PaymentMaterial needs required are input from the planningresources operation. Requisitions, purchase orders and anyneeded expediting are triggered and initiated. Purchasingactivity required for the project is tracked and documentedby project. Specific approved vendors associated with theproject are identified and orders are placed.

Maintaining a project orientation is desirable at this pointbecause future billing and cost identification must be tiedto effort and material acquisition specific to the project.This is necessary to establish exactly how much the projectwill cost from an expense point of view. Allocating these

costs will drive the ability to document contract compliance,effort expended and material consumed.

Invoices from suppliers are matched to specific projects,payments are processed and accounts are reconciled. Thiswill include human effort reporting and the generation of1099 forms as required.

Here, Cincom adds the following capabilities to MicrosoftDynamics AX:

• Approved suppliers by project

• Project/activity-pegged purchase orders

15

Building and Delivering ProductsFinally, the order or project is initiated and executed in theform of a project-pegged production order. All of thestandard production processes are triggered. Reporting isoperational to track critical manufacturing execution data.Labor, rework required, scrap and yield are all active as thebuild process begins. While Microsoft Dynamics AX handlesbasic manufacturing, shop floor control, labor and resourcereporting and rework scrap and yield reporting very well,Cincom adds the ability for project/activity-peggedproduction orders for CTO and ETO manufacturingprocesses at this phase.

As the project consumes material and labor, inventory levelsare continuously updated. Inventory control is tracking andcounting physical inventory, execution velocity, finishedgoods completed and all consumables utilized. Cincomadds the ability to track inventory by project and revision aswell as use-up effectivity capabilities.

As finished goods are completed and packaged, they areshipped to the customer. Logistical processes are managedat this phase in terms of documentation and scheduling.Field returns are received and documented, counts areverified and vendor receipts and returns are handled here.Journal vouchers move funding between units to balance outand account for services rendered and product deliveredfrom within the company. Microsoft Dynamics AX excels here.

Quality control is driven, tracked and executed by practiceand by contract requirement at the project level. Goodsreceived, work in process and finished goods are all subjectto quality control. Quality costs are tracked as well. Lot andserial-number traceability are maintained and documented.This data is critical for after-sale processes and eventual fieldservice requirements, and Cincom also adds project-specificquality requirements here.

Project OrientationThe ability to view production through the lens of projectmanagement provides the manufacturer with the tools tomeasure, manage and produce special products asefficiently as possible. For custom shops, this should notbe news. Project-based manufacturing is what customengineered solution manufacturing is all about.

Cincom provides the ability to isolate costs, effort andresources associated with a given project (or product) by adding the following capabilities that are critical toproject businesses:

• Project/activity-pegged production orders

• Inventory by project

• Inventory by revision

• Use-up effectivity

• Project-specific quality requirements

These capabilities are essential to establishing a real costbase, which is necessary for managing profitability.Additionally, the ability to manage the production processin terms of customer-specific quality specifications,authorized suppliers and other constraints require aproject-based footing.

16

Business Performance Measurements and ReportingMeasuring Financial ResultsMeasurement is essential to executing AdvancedManufacturing. All of the typical financial processes areneeded such as balance sheets, P&L statements andanalysis, budgeting and variance reporting, tracking fixedassets reconciliations and balancing or consolidatingmultiple organization financials. Additionally, Cincomenhances the ability to post to the general ledger byproject, which is necessary for advanced manufacturing.

Cost accounting is another area with very specific needsrelating to Advanced Manufacturing. All of the actual andstandard cost methods are available. Variance analysis isimportant for seeing how well budgeting is aligning withreality as a project or reporting period evolves.

However, the ability to identify, isolate and allocate indirectcosts is important for understanding how general or overheadexpenses can be applied to specific processes. The individualproject consumes a portion of an individual’s labor expense,utility expenses and other costs. Allocation of these expensesis ratably applied to the individual project. Additionally,product costing by project, revision and posting by project areessential again for accurately matching expense and effort toa given project. Cincom extends all of these criticalcapabilities to project-based manufacturers.

Cash received, returns, collections, aging and invoicing arealigned with discounting, and statement generation, invoicesgenerated and any account adjustments are handled withinAccounts Receivable. These are all standard processes thatMicrosoft Dynamics AX handles well.

Part of the planning process should include a detailedrequirement related to establishing what metrics are worthmeasuring. This shouldn’t be too difficult, but also careshould be taken to not collect, store or report onmeaningless statistics. Specific KPIs are usually common tocertain types of industries. The important thing is toidentify the metrics that are most helpful to those who areresponsible for planning and managing the operation.

LNS Research recently published a listing of those metricsthey felt mattered most to manufacturers.8 They organizedtheir listing into sections relating to

• Customer experience

• Quality

• Efficiency

• Inventory management

• Compliance

• Maintenance

• Flexibility and innovation

• Cost reduction/profitability

Measuring of Financial Results

17

This is a good way to organize your thinking in terms offiguring out what data or information has real value to yourorganization from the standpoint of measuring performance:

• If you are spending resources for measuring inventory that isminimal, and you are running a pure demand-drivenoperation, how valuable is measuring inventory turns to you?

• Does the data tell you anything useful?

• Would doubling or tripling your inventory turnover ratehave any material effect on your cash flow?

• If a metric has no impact on your ability to manage, thenwhy bother measuring and reporting it?

A project-management orientation is highly desirable forAdvanced Manufacturing to be fully effective.9 The abilityto manage production as a series of projects facilitates thedevelopment of and accurate view of the productionprocesses. Scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, billing

revenue recognition and performance measurement byproject are all incorporated into the project-managementfunction within Advanced Manufacturing, whether drivenby preference or contract. Cincom adds critical indirectcost allocation and multiple rates capabilities.

ConclusionLike any journey involving multiple stops, careful planning isneeded to make sure that your route is well planned. TheRoadmap to Advanced Manufacturing provides guidance foryour journey to a better, more responsive, customer-centricand profitable business model.

18

Cincom, Microsoft and a World of Expert ResourcesCincom has been delivering innovative ERP and otherenterprise-class software solutions for decades, and hashelped many of the world’s leading manufacturers achieveextremely high levels of operational and financialperformance. Microsoft is the world’s leading technologycompany and fastest-growing provider of ERP solutions.

Together, Microsoft Dynamics AX and Cincom have createdan ERP system developed specifically for the needs of CTOand ETO manufacturers. It combines the comprehensive,functional scope and highly adaptable framework of

Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM withspecialized selling, engineering, contract, project andaftermarket service capabilities from Cincom nativelyembedded throughout the system.

Many of Cincom’s extended capabilities are modular andcan be added to Microsoft Dynamics AX individually tomeet specific needs. However, when the full suite iscombined with the proven breadth and user familiarity ofMicrosoft Dynamics AX, these capabilities deliver anadvanced, end-to-end, highly industry-focused ERPsolution that goes beyond anything available until now.Learn more at: www.cincom.com/mbs.

“Cincom and Microsoft together deliverenterprise-level solutions formanufacturers of highly engineeredproducts with far more depth thananything previously available.”

– Morgan Wheaton, Director Dynamics Global Partners,Microsoft Business Solutions

19

End Notes1. Institute for Defense Analyses, Emerging Global Trends in AdvancedManufacturing (2012).

2. R.L. Martin, The Age of Customer Capitalism (Harvard Business

Review, 2010).

3. Institute for Defense Analyses, Emerging Global Trends in AdvancedManufacturing (2012).

4. Department of Commerce, The Competitiveness and InnovativeCapacity of the United States (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.esa.doc.gov/reports/competitiveness-and-

innovativecapacity-united-states.

5. C. Pedersen, Ovum Research Highlights Trends in ERP Spending ThatMight Surprise You (2014). Retrieved from

https://www.dynamicscafe.com/2014/06/16/ovum-research-

highlightstrends- erp-spending-might-surprise/.

6. J. Ledford, Inside-ERP: 4 Ways ERP Can Strengthen ETOManufacturing (2015). Retrieved from

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insideerp/4-ways-erp-can-strengthen-eto-

manufacturing-66627.

7. Aberdeen Group, Sales and Operations Planning (2008).

8. M. Davidson, 28 Manufacturing Metrics that Actually Matter (LNSResearch, 2013).

9. L. Bateman, The Benefits of Applying Project Management in theManufacturing Industry (2012).

Cincom, the Quadrant logo and Cincom CPQ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cincom Systems, Inc. Microsoft and MicrosoftDynamics are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies.© 2015 Cincom Systems, Inc. FORM MBSUS1504040 7/15 Printed in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved

World Headquarters • Cincinnati, OH USA • US 1-800-224-6266 • International 1-513-612-2769 • info@cincom.com • cincom.comAmericas: Brasil cincombr@cincom.com • Ontario, Canada NOBrien@cincom.com • Quebec, Canada infoquebec@cincom.comEurope: Brussels, Belgium • Lyon and Paris, France • Schwalbach/Ts., Germany • Turin, Italy • Monaco • Culemborg, The Netherlands Madrid, Spain • Maidenhead, United Kingdom InfoEurope@cincom.comGreater Asia Pacific (GAP): Sydney and Melbourne, Australia info@cincom.com.au • New Delhi, India info_india@cincom.comTokyo, Japan info@cincom.com

About the AuthorCraig Phillips has over 32 yearsof experience in the architecture,design, development andimplementation of ERP systemsand technologies in support ofstrategic business objectives. Hiscore competencies includebusiness architecture and ITproject management, supplychain, cost and productlifecycle management business

disciplines and structured analysis and systems design. Healso has in-depth knowledge of the aerospace and defenseindustry, OEM, MRO as well as make-to-order andengineer-to-order manufacturing business practices. Inaddition, Mr. Phillips is an accomplished public speakerand published author.

You may also beinterested in thisspecial report fromSenior Cincom FellowMelissa Cook.

Contact UsTo discuss ways that Cincom can help you gain andmaintain a competitive advantage through technology,contact Gillis West at: gilliswest@cincom.com.