Ampy switches on to Microsoft platform

Better reporting and improved integration with internal operational systems through Microsoft .Net technology were enough for Queen’s Award winning electricity manufacturer Ampy Automation Digilog to upgrade to the Mapics SyteLine7 ERP system. The firm has been a Syteline user since December 2000, harnessing the system’s built-in advanced planning and scheduling option, but wanted to move off the Progres database, according to IT manager Richard Wand. “We’ve developed our own Microsoft SQL applications for internal use, so there’s a lot of SQL experience,” he says. By moving the enterprise to a single Microsoft technology platform, Ampy gets seamless integration between the ERP and in particular, its production control system. Ampy was also looking for real-time data visibility when dealing with customers, and wanted to reduce costs associated with IT and maintenance. “With SyteLine, we are able to reduce the time it takes to service our customers and track data, and we have decreased our end-user training expenses,” says Wand. And with the system’s improved query and filters systems, he adds: “Having the capability to customise our reports also gives us the flexibility to manage our information in a way that works best for us.” Mapics has now acquired the Magik! PLM (product lifecycle management) system for an undisclosed price. Dick Cook, Mapics president and CEO, says: “As customers continue their mandate for more custom products, as well as insist on instantaneous responses, manufacturers are driving the demand for this type of solution. “By making the engineering department more efficient and integrating PLM into ERP systems, manufacturers will quickly see their return on investment in the form of shorter lead times, reduced expenses and more satisfied customers.”