QAD launches Enterprise Applications 2007 for ultimate lean supply chain

QAD says the new suite is built on a service orientated architecture (SOA) and specifically enables global manufacturers to better manage supply and demand chains as well as assets, transportation and logistics. It’s also the first QAD application to offer users ‘deployment independence’ – meaning that you can get this ‘on premise’ (traditional license and delivery), on-demand (using application management services), or ‘on-appliance’ (software pre-loaded on a machine). And there’s a brand new user interface, dubbed QAD.Net UI, which the company insists will help improve productivity, ease-of-use and desktop integration. “In order to compete in today’s global marketplace, manufacturers of all sizes must gain better insight into their business operations,” says Pam Lopker, QAD chairman and president. That’s how we better anticipate and respond to changes in the market and streamline collaboration with trading partners. “With QAD 2007, our customers will become more demand-driven by improving supply chain communication and operational performance without the added complexity that’s typical of older, more traditional ERP software,” she adds. As for her ‘perfect lean market’, she describes that as being enabled by “a frictionless supply chain where communication is virtually instantaneous, inefficiencies are minimised and waste is eliminated.” The belief is that QAD 2007’s new functionality and UI will enable exactly that. And Lopker says the specifics include: improving visibility into overall business operations; enabling swift and efficient movement at the global and local level; and better balancing corporate financial concerns with local market effectiveness.