Product category:
Supply chain planning and execution software
News Release from: IFS UK | Subject: IFS materials, manufacturing procurement software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 February 2002
Procurement software to improve ship
refitting
Babcock BES has installed materials and manufacturing procurement software as part of a key business systems investment to improve the management of warship refitting contracts.
Babcock BES has installed IFS software as part of a key business systems investment to improve the management of warship refitting contracts HMS Monmouth, one of the Royal Navy's latest Type 23 anti-submarine frigates, will be one of the first ships to benefit from the new system
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 28 Aug 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Systems upgrade paves the way for future business
A leading-edge e-commerce capability that will support the future development of two automotive parts businesses is to replace a centrally managed divisional service.
Business applications integrated with press shop
Business applications for a state-of-the art new panel pressing plant will be integrated with a fully automated material management and logistics system.
Configured initially to meet the requirements of the materials and manufacturing divisions, the software provides better control of material procurement and the processing of emergent requirements as equipment is removed from ships and dismantled for refurbishment.
Babcock's principle customer is the Ministry of Defence Warship Support Agency which is part of the Defence Logistics Organisation.
Whilst Britain's naval shipyards are recognised as essential strategic facilities, many MoD refit contracts are let on a commercial basis and must meet stringent terms for cost and delivery.
Further reading
Electronic data recording - explaining benefits
Developments in electronic data recording technology are opening up new possibilities for the collection, storage and retrieval of process data, in a host of new applications.
Testing electronic braking assist equipment
GM Delphi uses VisSim to reduce brake control system prototyping time from 2 months to 2 days.
Software captures data for global view
Using off-line software, a glass container maker can get a global picture in terms of how processes perform over time, and it is easier to spot large performance trends and unusual patterns.
In addition, Babcock BES also has a core programme of refits, allocated on a preferred contractor basis using the principles of partnership sourcing.
This allows the yard to plan ahead and invest in the facilities required to meet the future needs of all its customers.
Currently Babcock is geared to surface ship refits and the present order book includes a batch of five Type 23 frigates.
In addition the yard is undertaking major modifications to all three of the Navy's aircraft carriers to support operations of the new Merlin helicopter.
The Rosyth dockyard first came under Babcock management in 1987 as a contractor operated facility.
Located on the banks of the Firth of Forth, the site includes four dry docks and a fully enclosed non-tidal basin with 1500 metres of berths, supported by travelling cranes of up to 50 tonnes capacity.
In 1997 Babcock purchased the dockyard outright giving the management greater freedom to pursue a policy of continuous improvement aimed at reducing costs and making the facilities more efficient.
"As part of this on-going review a number of issues were identified within the materials, spares procurement and manufacturing areas in particular with access to information and inventory control," explains Alan Gilmour, project manager for Babcock BES.
The former information system had over the years become heavily customised and inflexible.
Reports were being printed 'by the boxload' many of which were already out of date by the time they were distributed to the department managers.
As a result users were creating localised spread sheet solutions with inevitable duplication of effort and a reduced information flow.
This investment provided the opportunity to take a clean sheet and rethink the company's business requirements.
The search for a replacement system started in 1999 with the formation of a steering group representing all of the relevant business functions and administration areas.
The main board level director responsible for construction and operations chaired the group.
Following some initial benchmarking research, which encompassed around thirteen vendors, a short list of three potential vendors was chosen for a more detailed competitive assessment.
An alternative in-house development option was also kept under review during the preliminary stage.
Each of the candidate vendors was initially asked to produce a detailed proposal and system demonstration / presentation prior to receiving and subsequently responding to a detailed requirement specification.
The final stage of the assessment was a visit to a selected vendor reference site to see the software solution in operation.
"IFS emerged as a clear winner," said Alan Gilmour.
"The company showed that it understood the business and the presentation was more relevant to our requirement for project based engineering-to-order programmes.
And being an Oracle based system also satisfied a key requirement of our IT strategy, " he added.
"Indeed although we started out just to replace the materials and manufacturing function, it soon became apparent that a component based system would provide much greater potential benefit through integration and ultimately replacement of other existing legacy systems." These include a system called VETS, using bar-codes for tracking equipment and material that has been removed from the ship for inspection and refurbishment.
The company also uses another system for managing the refit work breakdown structure.
Babcock can now bring all of these systems together within the IFS infrastructure and then link that structure through to a high level planning system.
As well as the IFS software, Babcock has bought the Primavera project planning software.
A direct 'plug-in' allows the planning software to draw on the core data held in IFS to schedule the overall network plan and show how key events link in and flow through the system down to the low levels of material requirements.
All scheduled dates are then linked back to a single plan to which everybody can relate.
Summing up the benefits of the IFS implementation, Alan Gilmour highlights the wider dissemination of information, available, as and whenever it is required, as one of the most significant steps forward.
"Previously this information was limited because only a select few users had the ability to access the data.
Everybody had to rely on historical reports and regular meetings to co-ordinate activities between departments.
The information is now more readily available, there is a single source of the actual status and priorities are easily understood.
As a result we are anticipating savings on time previously spent in preparing for and attending project review meetings." "In financial terms we expect to see a reduction in inventory and in particular the better use of materials which can be carried forward to subsequent refit projects.
Overall we have also benefited in being able to simplify our processes and procedures and our business managers can interrogate costs and trends for their own areas of responsibility.
Furthermore our commercial department have better visibility which will assist in negotiating future refit contracts." IFS develops and supplies component-based business applications for medium and large enterprises.
IFS Applications, which is based on web and portal technology, offers 60+ enterprise application components used in manufacturing, supply chain management, customer relationship management, financials, engineering, maintenance and human resource administration.
IFS provides customers step-by-step evolution to the extended enterprise with e-business solutions that offer partner, customer, and supplier collaboration.
A leading global business applications supplier, IFS has more than 3,200 employees, with sales in 43 countries.
The company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange (XSSE:IFS).
• IFS UK: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
