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SSI Newsletter - February 2008

Welcome

Welcome to the SSI Newsletter, which brings news of TROPOS and SSI directly to your desktop. For 2008, there are new products, new customers, new events and new faces to tell you about, so please look out for future issues as they will contain information that is relevant to you. I do hope you find these newsletters useful and please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions for content for future editions.

With every wish for a successful 2008,

Derek Lupton
Sales and Customer Services Director, SSI

TROPOS Web Client

Over two-thirds of TROPOS customers now use the Web Client as the user interface to TROPOS and benefit from the numerous advantages that it brings.  If you are not yet convinced of the benefits, please contact your Account Manager to arrange a demonstration.  We think that after seeing the Web Client in action, you will be in no doubt that it can bring significant benefits to your organisation.

New Enquiries in the latest Web Client

SSI is undertaking an ongoing programme of introducing new Web Client enquiries, as development workload allows.  Each new enquiry is designed to replace one or more existing scrolling enquiries, with the new enquiry format and content providing distinct advantages over the traditional enquiry transactions.  These include:

• Easier to read and interpret
• Enhanced selection criteria
• Improved scrolling capabilities
• Additional information available on many enquiries
• Formatted copy/paste to Excel
• Available to Web Client users at no extra cost

The enquiries currently available cover:

• Sales
  • Customer / Product Enquiry (alternative to CPEQ/PCEQ)
• Technical
  • Item Formula Explosion (alternative to FSIX)
• Purchasing
  • Purchase Order Full Details (alternative to POFD / POID / PODX / POSD / GRDY / IVPO)
  • Purchase Orders by Control Ref (alternative to POCR)
• Inventory
  • Pallet Location Enquiry (alternative to PTAL)
  • PI Adjustment History (alternative to PIAH)
  • Quarantine Disposal History (alternative to QRDH)
  • Stock Movement Enquiry (alternative to STMH/LOMH/STSH/PLMH)
  • Selective Stock Movements (alternative to STMH/LOMH/STSH/PLMH)
  • Stock Counts Outstanding (alternative to PIEQ)
• Quality
  • Trace Forwards (alternative to FTEQ)
  • Trace Backwards (alternative to FWTQ)

(NB some enquiries may be dependent on minimum TROPOS server software releases.)

Web Client Look-Aside Lists (LAL)

Web Client users will be pleased to hear that SSI is continuing to work its way through the TROPOS screens, introducing look-aside lists to make searching and identification much easier.  To date, over 220 LALs have been generated and the number is growing all the time.

TIP - Don’t forget that whilst look-aside lists are typically accessed via a button on a transaction screen, you can also access them directly from a Web Client menu.

Role-Based Applications

The suite of role-based applications (RBAs) has grown rapidly since its launch in 2007.  Following on from the successful open day held at SSI in July, we have been continuing to configure these applications, which make TROPOS even easier to use.  Recent additions include:

• Document authorisation – allows senior managers to preview and authorise documents such as purchase orders and credit notes before they are sent out.
• Call management – enables the recording and management of calls with the TROPOS CRM module, to cover such events as customer complaints.
• Fast sales order entry – based on a customer’s template order, order quantities can be rapidly input, enabling sales personnel to concentrate on selling rather than order-taking.

Applications currently nearing completion include:

• Enhancements to production planning – exciting new functionality for the planning of intermediates in a fast-moving environment.
• Forecast generation – create forecasts based on sales history and growth with damping.
• Graphical planning board – the next generation line-sequencing tool from SSI.

User Group

The inaugural meeting for the new-style TROPOS User Group was held in Basingstoke at the end of November.  The small but select turn-out proved no obstacle to having a very successful meeting, at which it was decided to have regularly meetings of a single user group, rather than parallel special interest group meetings, focussing on specific industry verticals.

Andy Giles of Allergy Therapeutics Ltd selflessly volunteered to act as Chairman of the group for the first couple of meetings.  The next meeting is planned for February or March and an invitation will be sent out in advance.  If you have any suggestions for the User Group, then please do not hesitate to contact Andy at andrew.giles@allergytherapeutics.com.

New Customers

We have been delighted to welcome a number of new customers to our user community over the last few months:

• Matrix Polymers – a leading supplier of materials for the rotational moulding industry. TROPOS will enable Matrix Polymers to automate many of its planning, monitoring and reporting processes from order to delivery.
• Gordon & MacPhail – an independent malt whisky specialist that has been in business for over 100 years, Gordon and MacPhail is still family owned and run.  Whisky lovers amongst you may know some of their brands, such as Benromach and Rare Old.
• Bells of Lazonby – a rapidly growing and award-winning bakery situated near Penrith, Bells of Lazonby supplies bread, cakes, biscuits and bars under its own label and also under the brands of Village Bakery and OK Foods.
• Fine Lady Bakeries – consolidating our presence in the bakery market, TROPOS will also be implemented at this Banbury-based bakery during 2008. Fine Lady Bakeries specialise in bread and rolls, together with current buns and teacakes.  You may be familiar with their trucks, which have a “fine lady upon a white horse” painted on the side.
• Carrington Wire - Carrington Wire is Europe's largest independent wire manufacture supplying over 50 countries with wire materials for baling, bedding and seating, cold heading and fasteners, electro-galvanised, pre-stressing concrete, hose armouring and general wire working applications.

TROPOS Go-Lives

Congratulations to both Dairy Farmers of Britain and to Isle of Man Creameries, which have both gone live on TROPOS in the past few months.  Meanwhile, Brendan Herlihy has had a busy few months helping the following customers to go live on CODA: Dairy Farmers of Britain, Matrix Polymers, Eurodix, Bolton Copper, Alba Bioscience, Wrights Pies and Isle of Man Creameries.

Forthcoming Events

Customer Conference 2008

After another very successful conference in October last year, it’s time to get your diaries out and block out the 14th October for this year’s conference.  If you have been before, we’ll be aiming to make things a little different this year.  If you haven’t been before, then do please come along this time – we’re sure that you’ll find it both informative and enjoyable.

SSI Charity Golf Day

For all you golfers out there, SSI is very happy to announce an opportunity to network with your counterparts at the SSI Charity Golf Day.  This is to be held at Rudding Park near Harrogate on 25th June and promises to be an event not to be missed.  Invitations will be sent out later in the year, but please do make a note in your diary now.

SSI News

New Faces at SSI

Further strengthening our skill-base, we’re delighted to announce the arrival of a number of new faces at SSI.  Heading up technical software development is Iain Adams. Iain has been involved in software development for the last 10 years in a wide range of industries and has been tasked with reviewing the current TROPOS architecture and providing a technical strategy for moving forward.

On the consultancy side, Bettina Barker joined SSI towards the end of 2007, bringing with her 15 years of software consultancy experience, focussing on the food and drinks vertical industries.  Having worked extensively throughout Europe and USA, Bettina is looking forward to visiting many of you over the coming months and years, to remind herself of the joys of travel in the UK.

The FM team continues to be strengthened with new Service Administrators (SAs) Lucas Mazarakis and Ashley Farmer nearing the end of their training; and Barry Redpath joining us in the same role. SSI has a successful track record of providing managed services to customers stretching back over 25 years. Our continued investment in this area gives our customers the widest range of services and the most cost effective pricing that we have ever been able to offer. To find out more please contact your account manager.

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