Lean system to deliver more than lean

The promised lean manufacturing modules for Microsoft Business Solutions’ Axapta ERP system have now been generally released by the firm’s partner eBECS.. Its system covers lean production, with pull techniques like kanbans, as well as lean supply chain replenishment, flow scheduling, lean ordering and vendor-managed inventory (VMI) – all with real-time and web technologies. The Lean Supply Replenishment module, for example, extends electronic kanbans out to suppliers, supporting everything from email kanbans to alerts for website schedule and call-off support. It also handles pulling materials from a central warehouse where the practicality of serving multiple points on a shopfloor can work, and handles more sophisticated kanban triggers, like backflushing for materials consumption, and monitoring bin weigh scales on production cells. Andrew Rumney, solutions director at eBECS says the whole system is geared to eliminating waste. “[Our] modular approach recognises migration will be different for different manufacturers, and offers maximum flexibility.” Clyde Bennett, Microsoft Business Solutions’ Axapta product manager, says: “eBECS are proving that a manufacturing software solution plays a key role in lean thinking. The goal is to make the right decisions at the right levels in the team. eBECS have developed a comprehensive solution within Axapta that uses lean principles to deliver on this objective. By using pull and flow techniques and providing front-line supervisors, operators, and suppliers the right information in a timely way.”