| In the current issue of Automation.com, leading | | | | • Manufacturing data collection |
| manufacturing journalist TR Cutler profiles Hollywood | | | | • Shop floor control |
| Woodwork's CFO and reveals the rationale in | | | | • Labor tracking |
| selecting Trakware's MES solution. The article may be | | | | • Work-in-process/progress (WIP) |
| read at its entirety at | | | | management |
| Trakware Systems ( is the worldwide leader in | | | | • Material and inventory management |
| manufacturing execution system (MES) solutions for | | | | • Project execution and control / job |
| engineer-to-order (ETO) and project-based | | | | costing |
| manufacturers maximizing both profitability and | | | | • Financials |
| productivity. Trakware specializes in lean | | | | • Mobile access (laptop, wireless handhelds, |
| business-critical functions such as estimating, | | | | etc.) |
| advanced scheduling, job costing, production | | | | How CFO's in the ETO Environment Find Technology |
| management and labor as well as material shop floor | | | | Driving Culture Shifts |
| data collection. TRAKware software fully integrates | | | | Implementing the new MES system created a culture |
| with existing ERP systems, as well as major | | | | shift throughout the enterprise beyond the initial |
| software providers for financials, engineering design, | | | | estimating functionality. While originally purchased for |
| optimization, payroll and wireless interaction for mobile | | | | the Estimating Department it soon became evident |
| workers. | | | | that the organization needed to bring in |
| According Tony Parkinson, CFO of Hollywood | | | | representatives from all departments of the |
| Woodwork, in Hollywood Florida, "We were finding it | | | | company in order to have a successful |
| harder and harder to hire experienced estimators | | | | implementation. "As an "Enterprise" software package |
| that truly knew our industry and we were spending | | | | we have discovered that imposes coordination |
| an inordinate amount of time developing estimators | | | | among departments throughout the company, it |
| from within the company. We were concerned that | | | | requires defined tasks, sequences, and data formats |
| much of the knowledge we had concerning the "art" | | | | to be used by ALL people," according to CFO |
| of estimating was primarily in the heads of a few | | | | Parkinson. |
| people who were looking to retire in the next couple | | | | CFO's top 3 reasons an ETO (engineer-to-order) |
| of years. We wanted to find an estimating package | | | | manufacturer (such as Hollywood Woodworking) |
| that was geared towards the architectural | | | | should consider in selecting an MES solution: |
| woodworking industry and would help us transfer the | | | | 1. Properly implemented, it will allow a company to |
| knowledge of our senior estimators into a system | | | | focus on reducing costs and increasing margins. |
| that could benefit everyone. We knew if we could | | | | 2. Enable the company to be more responsive to |
| systemize the process at a more granular level we | | | | customers in terms making and keeping |
| could better avoid "ballpark" estimates. We would | | | | commitments, providing details, and delivering a job |
| have the ability to modify and provide estimates | | | | on time, on budget. |
| quicker and at a more detailed level - something our | | | | 3. Help take a lot of data and turn it to information |
| customers were demanding." | | | | to make better informed decisions. |
| Checklist of Feature for MES in the ETO Environment | | | | Trakware recognizes ETO manufacturing as a |
| • Estimating | | | | process and includes a wide range of industry sectors |
| • Advanced production scheduling | | | | including Architectural Woodworking, Cabinets, Store |
| • Advanced parametric configurator / | | | | Fixtures, Doors and Windows, Furniture, Oil and Gas |
| product configuration | | | | Fabrication, Solid Surface, Metal Fabrication, |
| • Change order management | | | | Yachts-building, and Custom Electronics. |