Press Releases
Morgana Systems Selects VISUAL Manufacturing Supply Chain Solution
Expert Implementation, Completeness of Product, Key to Decision
10 April, 2000, Royston, Herts (UK) - Lilly Software Associates announces that Morgana Systems Ltd., of Milton Keynes and Ampthill, has purchased and is implementing the VISUAL Manufacturing® Supply Chain Solution. Morgana are a leading manufacturer and supplier of quality Document Finishing Systems, including suction paper folding machines and rotary numbering machines.
They required an ERP solution to assist them with the increase in overseas sales. Morgana's criteria in selecting VISUAL Manufacturing was both its broad functionality, plus Lilly Software's ability to conduct a speedy implementation.
A creative and rapid implementation
While LSA usually quotes implementations at 90-120 days, the company can document implementations as fast as four weeks. Clive Mattson, LSA's Operations Director proposed a two-stage implementation,-the VISUAL Financials module before the New Year, to ensure Y2K compliance, and VISUAL Manufacturing after.
Mattson and Morgana Operations Manager Jonathan Boys went to work as soon as the contract was signed, identifying required tasks, assigning action items, targeting completion dates, and training Morgana employees. "Our people took to VISUAL very well," said Boys, citing the intuitive Windows environment and strong graphic interface. Morgana went live on VISUAL Financials, within three weeks of implementation.
A Complete Solution
The implementation aside, Morgana had also selected VISUAL Manufacturing based on its completeness as a manufacturing solution. VISUAL Manufacturing integrates e-commerce, ERP, APS, MES, Quality Management, and Warehouse Management capabilities. "That's a lot of work for a single package," said Mattson, "But that broad functionality is what manufacturers like Morgana increasingly demand."
Morgana purchased the VISUAL Manufacturing foundation module and VISUAL Financials, plus the optional Equipment Maintenance and Engineering Change Control modules. These modules are popular choices among make-to-order manufacturers of high-end equipment.
"The e-business and customer services modules interested us as well," said Jon Boys. Morgana exports 70% of its product, through a worldwide sales and distribution network. This distributorships calls for tight control through Internet Order Management which is part of the VISUAL Manufacturing foundation module. Few Supply Chain/ERP vendors offer integrated e-Commerce. "Most offer some third party add-on," said Boys. "This was the only software that had it as a standard."
Morgana was also interested in the optional Customer Relationship Management (CRM), module, due for release later this year. VISUAL CRM will include a contact management foundation module, plus sales, call management, customer service and marketing applications.
Integration = Ease of Use, Implementation
LSA traces the success of this implementation, in part, to the tight integration of its solution. "We believe that 'best of breed' solutions must give way to integrated solutions like ours, which are simply easier to implement, easier to use and I believe, a better value for the customer," said Paul Smit, Lilly's VP of European Operations. The term "best of breed" refers to purchasing different softwares for different functions (e.g., for accounting and manufacturing scheduling).
Industry Analysts AMR Research wrote that "[Users need] integrated front- and back-end business processes," and continued, "Lilly can provide them with the enabling software to achieve such integration." (Chris Newton, The AMR Resesarch Alert on Supply Chain Management, 11/22/99). LSA has aggressively integrated e-business, advanced-planning, distribution and quality functions into VISUAL Manufacturing, and offers richer functionality in optional modules such as VISUAL Distribution and VISUAL Quality.
Said Smit, "I defy anybody to integrate five best of breed products as quickly as we can install VISUAL, and as inexpensively."
LSA will exhibit VISUAL Manufacturing at the forthcoming Softworld Supply Chain event 29th - 30th March 2000 in Hall 19, NEC, Birmingham.
About Lilly Software Associates
Lilly Software Associates, Inc. provides a complete line of enterprise and
supply chain solutions for manufacturers and distributors. The VISUAL
Enterprise™ suite of products helps companies capture and analyze real-time data
about all their business processes using ERP, Project Management, Business
Performance Management, Quality Management, Customer Relationship Management,
and Warehouse Management System capabilities. From award-winning software to
strategies in Lean Manufacturing and TOC, Lilly Software offers companies the
tools they need for higher productivity and profitability.
Most VISUAL® applications run on Windows® 98, Windows NT,
Windows 2000, Windows XP, UNIX®, LINUX, Novell®, using
SQLBase®, Microsoft SQL Server®, or ORACLE®
relational databases.
Lilly Software has received many industry awards for its products, service, and
financial growth since its inception. Most recently, the company has been voted
one of the Top 10 Best of Breed solutions for manufacturing by readers of
Consumer Goods Technology, listed in
Software Magazine's Top 500,
selected as a Top 100 Logistics Information Technology Provider in
Inbound Logistics, listed in the Top
100 Application Vendors in Supply Chain
e-Business, included in MSI's
Top 100 for its eighth year, and ranked as one of
Start magazine's Hottest Companies.
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