“We never had a global view of our organisation,” says John Smith, Ampacet's business intelligence data warehousing manager. “We had different reports from our different facilities around the globe coming in different formats, at different times and containing different data. By the time we were able to take the data and normalise them so we could analyse our performance in standardised terms of reference, the information was virtually out of date. We needed a system that would allow us to get near real-time information from our facilities, regardless of where they were located, so that we could react immediately.”

Ampacet had been an early adopter of the Pick Database and had implemented Pick at its US and overseas facilities. “Pick was great for our needs when we started using it years ago,” says Smith, “but as our information requirements grew, it couldn’t keep up with our requirements. It wasn’t built with a relational data model in mind, it had no OBCD drivers and it was hard to pull data out for reports. So in 1999 we decided to upgrade our systems in our larger US-based facilities and implemented JD Edwards' ERP.”

The JD Edwards application was fine for the larger factories, but was too cost-prohibitive for the overseas and smaller locations. “We still had the same problem as before,” says Smith. “We had essentially two separate systems. Our biggest headaches were very basic – we couldn’t easily switch between metric and imperial measures and currency conversions were a nightmare. Finally the word came down from our CEO that he wanted a global view.”

The selection process took a couple of years. “We basically looked at all the data warehouse and business intelligence (BI) solutions on the market but none really satisfied our needs,” says Smith. “They were either too expensive, too complex, too rigid or too restricting. So we kept looking. Then we heard about a new BI solution that was optimised to run in conjunction with JD Edwards called iQ4bis.”

“We were amazed,” continues Smith. “We called them up and had a short conversation. They said they could demonstrate iQ4bis using our own data if we could send them a data extract from our JD Edwards system. Just a few days later they gave us a live web-based ‘proof of concept’ demo that literally blew us away. It was the first time that any company had backed up their BI claims. They proved to us that not only would their system work, but it could be implemented quickly and easily.”

The implementation process went extremely smoothly. “We started by doing a remote install using a VPN connection between our California office and their New York facility,” says Jeremy Dean of iQ4bis. “This worked out extremely well. We then followed up with a week on-site for advanced hands-on training for John Smith. Because he was assigned as the full-t ime iQ4bis Project Manager he has been able to integrate sophisticated business logic into the iQ4bis design, especially in the areas of currency and unit of measure conversions. He has been instrumental in building customised views for their staff world -wide.”

Ampacet is now running iQ4bis in a number of locations around the world over their Citrix-based network. “I can manage the whole system from my home office in Indiana,” says Smith. “I can, for instance, monitor inventory in Thailand, track production from Texas and look at sales by territory from our sales reps in British Columbia. With iQ4bis, we now have a global view of our operations.”

Another benefit of iQ4bis has been that it has extended the life of the Pick database at the smaller US plants and the overseas facilities. “Pick has been great for us,” says Smith, “but, by itself, it couldn’t produce the reporting we needed to stay competitive. With a iQ4bis front end, however, we can fully utilise the data and prepare near realtime reports that give us the metrics we need to make informed decisions. This alone has saved us significant resources as we can avoid upgrading our systems at these facilities.”

Amapcet has almost completed their rollout of iQ4bis around the world. “We just completed the install at our Thailand facility which was still using our old Pick system,” says Smith, “and I’m off to Argentina soon to do the same thing. With iQ4bis, we can continue to use PICK for our local requirements and still have all the advantages of the fully-functional BI solution for a global view.”

Training has been equally painless. “I know it sounds unbelievable,” says Smith, “but we can train new users in less than 15 minutes. We give them a quick demo, show them where to find the data and then they’re able to drive the system like a pro. Having our staff able to do their own analysis takes a lot of pressure off of the IT team – they can now spend their time with other more pressing work.”

Since implementing iQ4bis, Ampacet has been able to respond to market forces that much more quickly. “We can now see exactly what is going on in our various facilities with a few clicks of the mouse,” says Smith. “In fact, one of our most enthusiastic users is Bob de Falco, the chief executive. He can keep current with trends and patterns that were almost impossible to visualise before iQ4bis.”

Click here to register for free iQ4Bis Proof of Concept

For more information contact

Asj Smith            
General Manager- APAC
iQ4bis Management Software Limited
+64 9 366 2635
Visit our website www.iQ4bis.com

April 2005