FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - GE Fanuc Automation, an affiliate of GE Industrial Systems, introduced today the new CIMPLICITY® Collaborative Production Management (CPM) software suite, which provides a new integrated platform that drives manufacturing productivity through digitization.  CIMPLICITY CPM provides the software foundation that, in combination with domain experience and Six Sigma methodologies, can aggregate, deliver and facilitate dynamic business decision-making within the entire manufacturing environment and can be extended to manufacturers’ suppliers and customers.

 “Collaborative Production Management is the source of the next great productivity realization,” said Kevin Roach, vice president at GE Fanuc. “With CPM, we can now maximize the return-on-investment of MRP/ERP systems, which were installed with promises that never fully materialized because of the way they were disconnected from the realities of the plant floor.  CIMPLICITY CPM allows information to be shared freely between business and plant floor applications, helping organizations to better plan, execute, and deliver to meet customer needs and improve their competitiveness.” 

With this new manufacturing model, companies can implement a manufacturing vision for a flexible, Internet-based approach that, as an example, can reduce work-in-process (WIP) inventory and accelerate WIP velocity to deliver aggressive production schedules. GE Fanuc provides the manufacturing knowledge, industry experience, and robust technologies to make this vision a reality.  This vision differs from traditional, separate manufacturing systems that do not permit the flow of real-time data within a company itself, or between a company and its suppliers and customers.

The CIMPLICITY CPM software suite is based on 10 years of GE Fanuc development, integration and experience, culminating in a new architecture with powerful collaborative production management capabilities. The CIMPLICITY CPM framework also will enable users to integrate information across multiple GE data sources.  All GE software and web-enabled hardware will provide information to a set of objects defined by the workflow. By utilizing the latest in web portal and XML technologies, CIMPLICITY CPM will enable users with an Internet platform that auto-discovers object information available from assets, production and business systems.

“CIMPLICITY software evolved from a human machine interface to supervisory control to a manufacturing execution system more than seven years ago, as we developed large MES solutions for the automotive industry,” Roach explains. “Since then, we have built on those capabilities and have now developed a new platform to seamlessly expand beyond MES and into a more complete collaborative production management system.”

The new CIMPLICITY CPM software suite provides the following capabilities:

Manufacturing Execution Systems – Based on nearly a decade of experience providing MES systems to major manufacturers, GE Fanuc offers automated production scheduling, routing and tracking.  These newly expanded MES systems enable flexibility in executing manufacturing schedules from ERP systems, monitoring production flow through the manufacturing facility, and making automated routing decisions, among other capabilities.

Supply Chain Execution – Data critical to business operations and interoperations with other companies resides within the manufacturing environment.  This data is the basis for the dynamic decisions concerning the need for raw material and components, production choices, delivery of finished goods, and the reaction to changing business requirements.  Effective access to this data and the ability to react to the changing parameters is key to effective supply chain management.

Quality Management – Quality of parts and process is critical to predictable production yields that make key business decisions possible.  The systemic use of Six Sigma quality analysis, the implementation of real-time quality monitoring (SPC), and long term quality process correlations (SQC) are the differentiators in an effective manufacturing environment.  The key to quality involves monitoring appropriate parameters, traceability, quick corrective implementation, and sustainability of high levels of quality production.

Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics – RM&D solutions combine continuous on-site monitoring with remote engineering assessment and diagnostics. Proactive monitoring of equipment permits early recognition of problems and identification of corrective actions to dramatically increase user productivity and reduce downtime. In partnership with GE Cisco Industrial Networks, these RM&D solutions offer an improvement over typical ‘remote-access, software-only’ systems by providing first-level monitoring and troubleshooting locally and more robust capabilities remotely.

Enterprise Asset Management – The significant investment in capital equipment mandates a systematic approach to maintaining equipment for maximum performance as well as to extend its useful life.  Solutions are required that closely link maintenance tactics to the needs of the equipment and that utilize factory floor information to close the loop between equipment performance and machine status. 

Business Intelligence, or a real-time portal, enable  companies to collect, aggregate, and disseminate data from multiple disparate backend sources and securely deliver a personalized view with a browser or internet-enabled device.  This consistent and timely view of all information allows employees, customers and suppliers to act on real-time information, resulting in better and faster decision-making.  The solution delivers data to key decision-making platforms, such as ERP and supply chain, extending the investment in these systems. 

Finite Scheduling – The effective utilization of capacity in any production environment is key to increasing the success of that environment and ultimately improving the profit margins of the associated business.  Finite scheduling is the ability to drive efficient utilization of limited equipment and personnel resources to produce the right products at the right time. 

Regulatory Compliance Documentation – The supplement of runtime production and process tracking with automatic record keeping is essential in many advanced manufacturing environments.  Ever increasing regulations by government or industry bodies, make the irrefutable link between as-processed data and product genealogy mandatory.  Electronic tracking and the capture of electronic signatures from machines and personnel are becoming critical to the overall effectiveness of many production environments.

 About GE Fanuc Automation

GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. is a leading global supplier of industrial automation solutions and is a joint venture between GE and FANUC, Ltd. of Japan. GE Fanuc products and services include CIMPLICITY® collaborative production management software, nano to high-end PLCs, a wide range of CNCs, motion control, operator interfaces, industrial computers, lasers, and a wide range of integration and customer support services. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., GE Fanuc is part of GE Industrial Systems.

About GE Industrial Systems

GE Industrial Systems is a $6 billion global leader in manufacturing products used to distribute, protect and control electrical power and equipment, and supplying product and service solutions for commercial, industrial, residential and utility applications. GE Industrial Systems is one of GE's major businesses.

For more information, visit http://www.gefanuc.com or contact:  GE Fanuc Information Center, P.O. Box 229, Whitehall, PA 18052, Phone: (800) 648-2001, Fax: (610) 437-5212, e-mail: gefanuc@gefanuc.com.

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CIMPLICITY is a registered trademark of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc.