APS systems’ uptake bucks manufacturing IT trend

Preactor CEO Mike Novels says Q3 2009 showed strong sales figures amounting to a 13% increase over the equivalent period in 2008 – itself a 17% increase over Q2 2009. While the total number of companies buying Preactor in Q3 is slightly lower than for Q3 of 2008, there has been a "strong increase in revenues" during this quarter, he says. The reason: Preactor says it is seeing larger projects as multi-national businesses look to replicate the achievements of Preactor implementations at SMEs and on single sites across their entire enterprises. Novels also cites growing sales in Europe and the favourable exchange rate, as well as higher maintenance and consultancy revenues – with consultancy up a staggering 300%. "These figures bear out two recent manufacturing IT surveys, which both identified that production planning and scheduling solutions have been either the most heavily or second most heavily invested in area of technology in 2009," says Novels. "This is consistent with Preactor's proven capabilities of providing a quick yet significant ROI, with a minimum disruption to ongoing business," he adds. Gregory Quinn, Preactor vice president for North America adds: "The surge in interest on the execution side has been long awaited by the MES [manufacturing execution system] community. "Hand in glove with that surge is the recognition that scheduling is the integral connection between the ERP and the MES. Reactive, efficient operations management is the name of the game in this uncertain economic cycle, and Preactor is playing a major role in companies in their growth during a down period," he insists.