Dell Tool / Rol-Tru Bearings
Internal Software Development
Manufacturing Execution Software
One area that makes us different than our competitors is our professional software
development expertise. Our President, Paul Jordan, has extensive experience in
the software development field and all aspects and principles of IEEE
SDLC Project Management.
Our
software development team utilizes the SEI-CMM process
methodology and we have
successfully implemented up to level 3 KPA's.
The "process and standards" approach to software
development allows us to decrease variability in the process, something we are
very familiar with on the manufacturing side of things!
We utilize object-oriented development tools (currently VB.NET
on a Microsoft Windows 2003 network platform).
Key Benefits of our Software Systems
- Our internal software development team has over 25 years experience in developing
mainframe and Windows based applications for the manufacturing and distribution
industries.
- Currently, we have 17 internally-developed integrated MES software modules. These
systems were originally built using the Borland Delphi
object-oriented rapid
application development (RAD) environment. Clients include Win95/98,
WinNT, WinXP and Win2000. Our networks migrated from Windows NT 4.0 to
Windows 2003 Server in early 2004. We utilize a fast ethernet (100Mps) system running TCP/IP.
- We are currently in the midst of rolling out the Microsoft Visual
Studio.NET development environment. All MES modules are now being converted and
developed utilizing XML and VB.NET.
- The system includes all standard "key" functions (i.e., order entry,
purchasing, MRP, shop floor control, etc.) as well as interfaces to all of
our plant floor CNC machines, bar-coded shipment
labels, electronic data interchange (EDI) through GE Information Services (GEIS) and
company-wide activity-based-costing (ABC) modules. The system makes
extensive use of COM programming to produce "friendly" end-user information utilizing
Microsoft Office products.
- Our shop floor and Engineering departments are also "wired" - this means
company-wide access to our AutoCAD (release 2004 Mechanical) information as well as network-based
storage and retrieval of our CNC programs and CAM information. We can also
perform CAD and PDF file translations.
- Since our system interfaces with standard office applications such as word processing and
project management, we are able to produce our internal shop floor schedules
via Microsoft Project, which creates PERT chart visual schedules for each work
cell.
- We have even contemplated
making our software system available as a purchased product for small
manufacturing firms!
Flexible Capabilities
- Information is available when YOU need it
- Just call in to our customer service area, and we can provide current
order status as well as answers to "what if" scenarios in a timely
fashion.
- We can adjust to our customer's software requirements
- Because of our internal software development capability within a rapid-application
development (RAD) environment, we can literally implement new software features within
days or weeks of a customer request.
- Our software is customized to the way YOU do business
- Many companies with "canned" packages must sacrifice versatility. When
customer demands mean software modifications, those using canned
packages typically either change procedures to
match the existing software capabilities or pay for (and wait for!) the application to be
customized. With our internal development capabilities, we can ensure our systems
implement the vision of our customers and employees.