While we may sound like a broken record by harping on how enterprise vendors—especially the smaller ones—need to have a sharper focus, it is always worthwhile mentioning. Any vendor can thrive in this difficult business climate with global cutthroat competition, if it has a focused, complete, and compact solution. This, accompanied with a great value proposition in terms of services, maintenance, and support after the product is installed, will create a winning combination.
For these reasons, IQMS (www.iqms.com) has had a period of growth and expansion in the last few years when other vendors have had difficulty. IQMS is a privately held, Paso Robles, California-based (US) developer of EnterpriseIQ, which is one of the industry's leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for repetitive manufacturing environments, particularly for the injection plastics molding/extruding and rubber industries. In mid-January, IQMS announced that the globalization of manufacturing resulted in a 20 percent growth in its 2004 revenue. IQMS attributed this to double-digit growth in its sale of new systems and to positive revenue opportunities from its new Professional Services Group.
This is Part One of the IQMS Prospers by Helping Enterprises Work Smarter series.
Part Two will begin the market impact.
Part Three will continue a discussion of product differentiation.
Part Four will review IQMS' Single Database Solution and quality management.
Part Five will cover integrated EDI and miscellaneous utilities.
Part Six will present challenges and make user recommendations.
Highlighting IQMS' ability to serve the multilingual, multicurrency, and multiplant ERP needs for global manufacturers, in 2004, one in four new IQMS customers was reportedly located outside the US, in countries such as Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, and China. EnterpriseIQ is a multilingual system available in German, Dutch, Swedish, and Spanish and was recently released Chinese versions.
For IQMS, this growth follows a 12 percent increase in new system sales and a 17 percent growth in revenue in 2003, when it reportedly added more than 700 new licensed users. These additional users resulted in a 12 percent increase in its global (albeit still nascent) client base. To better serve new and existing clients, IQMS has expanded its US Midwest office offering additional training and sales support.
These new contracts also represented a significant expansion of the types of industries where the EnterpriseIQ solution can help capture data, track operations, and improve efficiencies throughout the manufacturing process. The company's new clients span various industries, including automotive, construction, electronics, furniture and fixtures, medical devices, appliances, construction, housewares, packaging, and transportation. With additional offices in Chicago, Illinois (US); Toronto, Ontario, (Canada); and Ede, the Netherlands, and with resellers in other geographic regions, IQMS boasts an installed manufacturing customer base of over 300 companies with more than 5,000 users on four continents and in ten countries. With a proven track-record and by operating in a (presumably) rebounding economy, IQMS believes it is positioned for even stronger growth and market expansion.
IQMS, which supposedly stands for "intelligent quotient (increasing) manufacturing systems", has grown steadily since 1989 when it was founded by seasoned manufacturing savvies. Its first ERP module evolved into EnterpriseIQ. EnterpriseIQ is now an extended-ERP suite that is possibly the most comprehensive single-source software solution available among its peer industry solutions. Namely, IQMS points out that core ERP software is a strategic business application that integrates financial, human resources (HR), manufacturing systems, and other typical corporate functions.
However, extended-ERP software (or sometimes referred to as ERP II, a term coined by The Gartner Group), extends ERP information to other interested users, presumably with no barriers to the data flow (see Enterprise Applications—The Genesis and Future, Revisited). Accordingly, EnterpriseIQ provides extensive business management functionality that was previously available only through solutions from multiple vendors. Such functionality included real-time production monitoring, warehouse management, job shop tooling, quality control, supply chain connectivity, customer relationship management (CRM), and preventive maintenance. Also, IQMS touts that EnterpriseIQ's integrated modules, which are based on an Oracle-powered, single database solution, deliver improved implementation, ease-of-use, and efficient administration for manufacturing companies.
The company also emphasizes that it is a complete enterprise solution provider in terms of one-stop-shop development, programming, sales, implementation, and support services. Consequently in mid 2004, the vendor announced the expansion of its IQMS Professional Services offerings, a group that now provides two programs in addition to IQMS Implementation Services. The EnterpriseIQ Application Analysis (EAA) service assists users of EnterpriseIQ with achieving the outstanding use of the system and helps manage today's rapidly changing business environment by mapping ERP functionality to specific customer needs. The service provides a survey of current business practices; an analysis detailing areas of improvement; an assessment of the use of the current system; and acts as an advocate for software enhancements that better serve the customer. Customer feedback through Professional Services is used to enhance EnterpriseIQ.
On the other hand, customers seeking assistance with rapidly upgrading and integrating new functions and features can take advantage of the newly offered Upgrade Installation Program. In addition to implementation services for new EnterpriseIQ users and on-line support for continuing customers, IQMS hopes that by expanding its professional services, it will establish a direct, clearer path for customers' changing business needs.
Also in 2004, IQMS announced an upgraded version of EnterpriseIQ with a host of new features and functionality that expanded its business intelligence (BI) offering. The upgrade is part of IQMS' ongoing drive to continually strengthen and improve EnterpriseIQ and includes a series of incremental, yet operationally significant improvements to help businesses better capture data, track operations, and improve overall efficiencies. These upgrades include dozens of new reporting features, alert options, CRM, and electronic data interchange (EDI) additions.
IQMS strongly believes in a partnership with its customers. Through annual user groups and on-line forums, customers have reportedly suggested and requested features for EnterpriseIQ that help them better meet their unique and evolving business needs. IQMS has used this feedback to improve its product. Moreover, since IQMS' inception, the vendor guarantees customer success with a money-back, one-year guarantee. This partnership, backed by the guarantee, helps IQMS to grow and improve its system. Additionally, for all existing IQMS customers, the EnterpriseIQ upgrade is available at no charge in the spirit of the "Perpetual License" concept where existing customers receive every upgrade free.
Further, IQMS supports a structured call escalation procedure that involves the testing and development departments at IQMS. It boasts that when customers call for support, they will speak to knowledgeable technical support personnel, who will make every effort to resolve any issues right then and there. If it cannot be resolved, then the call is escalated through the system. The goal is to get to the heart of the problem as quickly as possible, provide a solution, and keep IQMS customers running. To reduce costs, the support office uses multiple technologies to provide rapid, accurate support. For instance, connecting to the customer's system via the web or through a direct connection allows support technicians to work directly with customer data, within the customer's security policies. This should allow support to quickly find the issue and either make adjustments or suggest additional developments to solve customers issues.
For these reasons, IQMS (www.iqms.com) has had a period of growth and expansion in the last few years when other vendors have had difficulty. IQMS is a privately held, Paso Robles, California-based (US) developer of EnterpriseIQ, which is one of the industry's leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for repetitive manufacturing environments, particularly for the injection plastics molding/extruding and rubber industries. In mid-January, IQMS announced that the globalization of manufacturing resulted in a 20 percent growth in its 2004 revenue. IQMS attributed this to double-digit growth in its sale of new systems and to positive revenue opportunities from its new Professional Services Group.
This is Part One of the IQMS Prospers by Helping Enterprises Work Smarter series.
Part Two will begin the market impact.
Part Three will continue a discussion of product differentiation.
Part Four will review IQMS' Single Database Solution and quality management.
Part Five will cover integrated EDI and miscellaneous utilities.
Part Six will present challenges and make user recommendations.
Highlighting IQMS' ability to serve the multilingual, multicurrency, and multiplant ERP needs for global manufacturers, in 2004, one in four new IQMS customers was reportedly located outside the US, in countries such as Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, and China. EnterpriseIQ is a multilingual system available in German, Dutch, Swedish, and Spanish and was recently released Chinese versions.
For IQMS, this growth follows a 12 percent increase in new system sales and a 17 percent growth in revenue in 2003, when it reportedly added more than 700 new licensed users. These additional users resulted in a 12 percent increase in its global (albeit still nascent) client base. To better serve new and existing clients, IQMS has expanded its US Midwest office offering additional training and sales support.
These new contracts also represented a significant expansion of the types of industries where the EnterpriseIQ solution can help capture data, track operations, and improve efficiencies throughout the manufacturing process. The company's new clients span various industries, including automotive, construction, electronics, furniture and fixtures, medical devices, appliances, construction, housewares, packaging, and transportation. With additional offices in Chicago, Illinois (US); Toronto, Ontario, (Canada); and Ede, the Netherlands, and with resellers in other geographic regions, IQMS boasts an installed manufacturing customer base of over 300 companies with more than 5,000 users on four continents and in ten countries. With a proven track-record and by operating in a (presumably) rebounding economy, IQMS believes it is positioned for even stronger growth and market expansion.
IQMS, which supposedly stands for "intelligent quotient (increasing) manufacturing systems", has grown steadily since 1989 when it was founded by seasoned manufacturing savvies. Its first ERP module evolved into EnterpriseIQ. EnterpriseIQ is now an extended-ERP suite that is possibly the most comprehensive single-source software solution available among its peer industry solutions. Namely, IQMS points out that core ERP software is a strategic business application that integrates financial, human resources (HR), manufacturing systems, and other typical corporate functions.
However, extended-ERP software (or sometimes referred to as ERP II, a term coined by The Gartner Group), extends ERP information to other interested users, presumably with no barriers to the data flow (see Enterprise Applications—The Genesis and Future, Revisited). Accordingly, EnterpriseIQ provides extensive business management functionality that was previously available only through solutions from multiple vendors. Such functionality included real-time production monitoring, warehouse management, job shop tooling, quality control, supply chain connectivity, customer relationship management (CRM), and preventive maintenance. Also, IQMS touts that EnterpriseIQ's integrated modules, which are based on an Oracle-powered, single database solution, deliver improved implementation, ease-of-use, and efficient administration for manufacturing companies.
The company also emphasizes that it is a complete enterprise solution provider in terms of one-stop-shop development, programming, sales, implementation, and support services. Consequently in mid 2004, the vendor announced the expansion of its IQMS Professional Services offerings, a group that now provides two programs in addition to IQMS Implementation Services. The EnterpriseIQ Application Analysis (EAA) service assists users of EnterpriseIQ with achieving the outstanding use of the system and helps manage today's rapidly changing business environment by mapping ERP functionality to specific customer needs. The service provides a survey of current business practices; an analysis detailing areas of improvement; an assessment of the use of the current system; and acts as an advocate for software enhancements that better serve the customer. Customer feedback through Professional Services is used to enhance EnterpriseIQ.
On the other hand, customers seeking assistance with rapidly upgrading and integrating new functions and features can take advantage of the newly offered Upgrade Installation Program. In addition to implementation services for new EnterpriseIQ users and on-line support for continuing customers, IQMS hopes that by expanding its professional services, it will establish a direct, clearer path for customers' changing business needs.
Also in 2004, IQMS announced an upgraded version of EnterpriseIQ with a host of new features and functionality that expanded its business intelligence (BI) offering. The upgrade is part of IQMS' ongoing drive to continually strengthen and improve EnterpriseIQ and includes a series of incremental, yet operationally significant improvements to help businesses better capture data, track operations, and improve overall efficiencies. These upgrades include dozens of new reporting features, alert options, CRM, and electronic data interchange (EDI) additions.
IQMS strongly believes in a partnership with its customers. Through annual user groups and on-line forums, customers have reportedly suggested and requested features for EnterpriseIQ that help them better meet their unique and evolving business needs. IQMS has used this feedback to improve its product. Moreover, since IQMS' inception, the vendor guarantees customer success with a money-back, one-year guarantee. This partnership, backed by the guarantee, helps IQMS to grow and improve its system. Additionally, for all existing IQMS customers, the EnterpriseIQ upgrade is available at no charge in the spirit of the "Perpetual License" concept where existing customers receive every upgrade free.
Further, IQMS supports a structured call escalation procedure that involves the testing and development departments at IQMS. It boasts that when customers call for support, they will speak to knowledgeable technical support personnel, who will make every effort to resolve any issues right then and there. If it cannot be resolved, then the call is escalated through the system. The goal is to get to the heart of the problem as quickly as possible, provide a solution, and keep IQMS customers running. To reduce costs, the support office uses multiple technologies to provide rapid, accurate support. For instance, connecting to the customer's system via the web or through a direct connection allows support technicians to work directly with customer data, within the customer's security policies. This should allow support to quickly find the issue and either make adjustments or suggest additional developments to solve customers issues.
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