QAD acquires plant asset management firm FBO Systems

In September QAD bought Dublin-based transportation management software company Precision Software for $14.5 million. Now it’s FBO for $4 million subject to the usual formalities, with the deal closing by early next year. With FBO now also under its belt, QAD will be able to provide manufacturing companies with considerably extended plant management capabilities. FBO’s flagship solution, MLS - already renamed QAD Enterprise Asset Management - is about actively managing plant MRO workflows, capital projects, spare parts inventories and procurement, and regulatory compliance. It provides planning and process tools to manage planned, unplanned, predictive and reliability-centred maintenance requirements – with, like all such systems, the goal of optimising OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) and asset utilisation. Other benefits routinely cited for such systems include improving quality, product yield and consistency and on-time delivery. “For the past 12 years, our companies have partnered to provide full-range solutions that meet each customer’s needs,” says QAD chairman and president Pamela Lopker. “As we continue to shape a perfect lean market for manufacturing, we are strongly committed to helping customers compete more effectively in the global marketplace. This acquisition, combined with our recent purchase of Precision Software and our new product releases, strengthens our ability to deliver complete enterprise solutions designed to help global manufacturers lay the groundwork for future success and lasting bottom-line results.”