PLM and ERP functions now integrated for process industries

The company makes the obvious point that coupling LX with Optiva eliminates the need for costly custom coding for process manufacturers. The company also says that users will then get streamlined design linked straight into ERP, helping to drive product innovation while ensuring regulatory compliance across facilities and regions. Behind the scenes, it also means better change management and the ability to scale-up production of new formulas, materials and packaging. “Integrating LX with Optiva demonstrates our commitment to extending our customers’ IT investment through integrations to complementary solutions, which enables them to quickly respond to market fluctuations and consumer demand,” says Rory Granros, Infor’s director of industry and product marketing for the process industries. “Infor delivers a combination that allows manufacturers to streamline the processes involved in bringing new products online, while reducing overall costs and time to market,” he adds. Most important, users will get an integrated process covering quality and compliance, starting with kitchen recipes, through R&D, into pilot plants and then to one or more production plants or co-packers. Infor gives the example of a company running a cost reduction project and requiring a new raw material: it will now be able to use the system to source for a low cost option and ensure the reformulation meets regulatory requirements before putting the product into production. Also, because this work takes place in R&D, companies can develop new products without interfering with standard operations, which, insists Infor, will improve first batch success rates, reduce downtime and lower the costs associated with manual interfaces.