Management Briefing - Match-IT Limitedmatch-it.com/document/briefing.pdfOriginally formed in 1983 by...

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2ContentsManagement Briefing

© 2013 Enter your company name28 January 2013

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

What is Match-IT? 4

Who is Match-IT for? 5

What does Match-IT do? 6

What are its benefits? 7

Who uses Match-IT? 8

Who are Match-IT Limited? 9

How does Match-IT work? 10

3Management Briefing


Introduction

Welcome to Match-IT.This series of pages will give you a very brief introductory overview to the ideas behind Match-IT.Its not a technical presentation.That is available separately elsewhere.However, you’ll find this presentation useful to set the context for the other material available.



What is Match-IT?

A fully integrated production control systemCovering enquiries to invoicingAward winning SMART scheduling technologyIntelligent stock control with full batch traceabilityUnique diary system with prioritised ToDo listsAffordable and relevant to the smaller enterprise

First of all, what is Match-IT?

It’s an integrated production control system, it covers the entire order life-cycle, from an initialenquiry to final invoicing, including invoicing, but not accounts.Match-IT can link to most popular accounts packages to run your ledgers, for example thepopular Sage systems.

The core of the system is the SMART scheduler.This automatically calculates your buying requirements and produces prioritised schedules ofthe work required to achieve your delivery promises.

This is coupled to an intelligent stock control system with full batch traceability, to aerospacestandards if necessary.Its intelligent because it knows about time, it tracks expected stock as well as actual.It also knows about dimensions, it can handle bars, extrusions and sheets, calculating yieldsand tracking off-cuts as required.

This all works automatically in the background, you’re not usually aware of it.

The visible face of the scheduler is the event diary.This is what sets Match-IT apart from other systems you may have seen.The diary is a prioritised to-do list that tells you exactly what needs to be done and when.Its automatically adjusted as you do things, or as you don’t!It’ll highlight things that are late, or predicted to be late.

Match-IT’s diary will remember everything for you, so you don’t have to, and it’ll draw yourattention to the things that need it.

The final thing I’ll mention here is, the system is affordable and relevant to the smalleroperation.In the smaller operation, your staff have multi-roles, are multi-skilled and have to juggle manythings all at once. Match-IT will help you do this more effectively.



Who is Match-IT for?

Small manufacturing and engineering companies. Particularly if:

You have an unpredictable order book.You offer a wide range of products or services.You operate in a quality controlled environment.You are looking for ways to gain more control and visibility.You are looking for ways to reduce operating costs.

So who is Match-IT aimed at? Its aimed at small manufacturing and engineering companies.Particularly if:

You have an unpredictable order book, so you don’t know today what you’re doing tomorrow.You offer a wide range of products and services, typically you’ll do whatever your customersask.You operate in a quality controlled environment, such as ISO 9000. Match-IT can enforce andautomate many of your quality procedures.You are looking for ways to get more control and visibility of what’s going on, for example,when customers chase you for progress.You are looking for ways to reduce your operating costs by becoming more efficient.



What does Match-IT do?

Manages your entire order life-cycle:

EnquiriesTenders to suppliersQuotationsSales OrdersPurchase OrdersGoods-InWorks OrdersInspectionDispatchingInvoicing

Throughout the life-cycle, Match-ITprovides:

An integrated diary to remind you what todo next and when.Automatic stock allocation.Automatic document and label production.Configurable ISO 9000 procedureenforcement.Automatic purchase planning (MRP).Automatic finite-capacity planning (MRP2).Automatic highlighting of late jobs (via thediary).Progress logging (via bar code scanning orkeyboard).Performance monitoring and reporting.

Match-IT knows this life-cycle sequence and automatically moves work from one stage to thenext as actions are completed.

What does Match-IT do?

Match-IT is an active system.We say that because it understands the information you give it, and reacts to it.Its not just a passive database.It understands the chain of cause and effect during the life-cycle of an order.It’ll manage all the stages of a job from the initial enquiry to final invoicing.Work moves automatically down the line as you do things.All the time, the diary is tracking what’s going on and prompts you with what to do next andwhen.Many things you currently sweat over, become automatic and effortless in Match-IT.For example,

Automatic stock allocation to jobsAutomatic document production, including labels (with bar-codes if you want)Automatic purchase planning (that’s MRP)Automatic capacity planning (that’s MRP2)Automatic highlighting of jobs predicted to be late

Match-IT is a real-time system, it updates things as you go, so progress information andperformance information is always up to date.



What are its benefits?

Never Forget Timely reminders from the diary means you cannot forget an actionthat’s due.

Never Late Instant schedules mean you know as soon as you take an order if thedate can be met.

Minimise Stock Parallel materials and resource planning mean stock is not boughtbefore its needed.

Tailored To You Context sensitive defaults mean you can tailor the system to work theway you do.

Save Time Instant on-line access to job status means you don’t have to ‘chase’for progress.

Minimise Errors ‘Point-&-click’ is all it takes to move a job forward. No re-typing isneeded.

So what are the benefits?

The diary means you’ll never forget to do things, assuming you look!

The planning system means you’ll never be late. That’s a bit of a tall one. What we really meanis that you’ll know earlier than perhaps you do now, that you’ve got a delivery problem. Match-IT will tell you as soon as you take an order if the delivery date you’re promising can be met,and if not, why not.

You can even do a “what if” schedule when creating quotations.

Many small operations, running manual systems, tend to buy material too early, this isunderstandable as its easier to manage. Match-IT’s planning system will help you avoid this,and minimise your stock, and thus purchasing commitment, by only buying material when, andif, its needed, and not before. The diary reminds you at the appropriate time to do it, so youdon’t need to worry.

We’ve found that no two companies operate in the same way, even those in the sameindustry. Match-IT recognises this and was designed from day 1 to be highly configurable. Thisconfiguration can be done on 3 levels.

First, there are hundreds of defaults, or preferences, you can set, to make the system workthey way you want. These preferences are sensitive to who you are and also to the customeror supplier you’re dealing with. This allows the system to remember their idiosyncrasies, so youdon’t have to.

The second level of tailoring is through scripting. Match-IT uses the Lua scripting languagewhich has full read-and-write access to the internals of Match-IT. This means you can writescripts, using any text editor, to automate processes, add new processes or modify existingones. The Lua language is very easy to learn and use, it is described at lua.org

The final level of tailoring is to modify the system itself to be specific to you. The internalstructure of Match-IT allows this type of modification, without compromising your ability totake on new versions, or our ability to support it.

Ultimately, what’s on offer is to save you time, by doing all the grunt work for you, leaving youfree to do the things computers can’t.

It’ll also help minimise errors. Match-IT is a “say-it-once” system, you enter information once,up front, then just point at it to move it down the line. You’re never re-keying anything. So ifits right up front, it’ll be right everywhere else too.



Who uses Match-IT?

AAV Plastics DesignABL CircuitsAdvanced Modular Computers LimitedAdnet PrecisionAirlink TransformersAnglo Precision EngineeringColbree PrecisionCSM ElectronicsCulimeta-Saveguard LtdDigitimer LimitedElder EngineeringElite Engineered ProductsEng-Tech (PGP) LtdEuropean Exhausts and Catalysts LtdFE Robinson LtdFusion Components LtdGKM Aerospace LtdHerve EngineeringHightech EngineeringIndustrial Plastic FabricationsJ & A Kay LtdJarb TechnicalJim Day CNCK2 Associates

Key Lighting LtdLMS EngineeringManroy EngineeringMarlor EngineeringNew Metals and ChemicalsP4 LimitedPrecision Aerospace ComponentEngineeringPerry of Oakley LtdPrecision Products (Brighton) LtdProtech Fabrications LtdR.M.W. WitneySARLL Metal ProductsScorpion Oceanics LtdSIGA ElectronicsSirius Analytical Instruments LtdSpecialist Aviation LtdStone Fasteners LtdSub-rack System ProductsThe Active Spring Company LtdTotal Flood SoluionsWalton EngineeringWest Midlands Loose LeafWS Kenyan

Who uses Match-IT?

What you see here is a partial list of current users.

The smallest system is a single user, the largest is currently 30.The oldest system has been in live use since 1997.They are all manufacturers of one sort or another.The type of companies range from process orientated to product orientated.The environments include: design to order, make to order, make for stock, or mixtures.Some have single level products with few parts but lots of operations, some multi-levels withlots of parts and few operations.The upshot is, Match-IT can handle all these situations without limit.So it can go wherever you want to, it’ll never be a constraint on where you want to go, or thetype of work you want to do.



Who are Match-IT Limited?

Originally formed in 1983 by Dave Nichols as quickSOFTFocused on small manufacturers in 1988Match-IT product development started in 1993Became a partnership in 1995 with 3 partnersWon a SMART grant in 1997 from the DTIquickSOFT partnership became Match-IT Limited in 1998Match-IT product launched in November 1998

So, who are Match-IT Limited?

The organisation was originally formed in ‘83 by Dave Nichols, as a software consultancy calledquickSOFT.In the early days we did a lot of military work.In ’88 we started to get involved with small manufacturers, the first was a toroidal transformerwinder.So we have experience of dealing with small manufacturing requirements for many years.The Match-IT product development was started in ’93, by accident!We had 3 small manufacturers asking for similar requirements.They had gone out into the market place and gone “ouch!”.No system was then available that was affordable or relevant.We confirmed this, so decided to pool our resources and develop a system that would begenerally useful.In the end we had 6 “guinea pig” companies that where contributing to the development.This culminated in the ‘launch’ of the product at the Computers in Manufacturing show at theNEC in ’98.Along the way, we changed our name from quickSOFT to Match-IT Limited, to reflect the factthat the development and support of Match-IT is now all we do.We also won a grant under the DTI’s SMART initiative to investigate novel schedulingtechniques.Those ideas are now incorporated into the product as our “SMART Scheduler”.An important thing to point out here is, it was a long time from concept, in ’93, to launch, in’98.This reflects our philosophy on the product and its use.It evolved then, and continues to evolve now, rapidly from real experience and feedback.The ’98 launch was just the point at which we thought it was good enough to make itgenerally available.Its important to note here we’re talking evolution and not revolution, so what you have nowwill never become obsolete; you get a solution for life.



How does Match-IT work?

There are three perspectives of the Match-IT system:

The Business Model covers day to day activitiesMethods describe how you make thingsHistory gives you progress and performance information

These key ideas are covered in the Quick Tour guide. This is available on-line as a ‘hands-on’document and also as a video presentation.

Now finally, how does Match-IT work?

There are 3 main aspects to the system: the business model, methods and history.

The most important, by far, is the business model.The business model is the term we use to refer to the day to day activities of your staff.Taking orders, buying things, making things, dispatching things, chasing progress, and so on.Match-IT automates many of these processes, dramatically reducing the admin burden on yourstaff.This business model is driven by your ‘methods’.

Methods are the description of how you make things: the materials required and where you getthem from, the operations required, the machines and people required, the time required.The planning system uses this information to determine what must be done when, by who andhow much it’ll cost.

Match-IT keeps everything forever. So its building up a complete history of your operation,warts and all!It uses sophisticated indexing techniques to ensure history does not clutter what you need todo now, but is instantly available when you need it.

History starts now. So history also covers progress and performance monitoring and reporting.For example, the system includes a “single page report”, we call it that because if you print it,it fits on a single A4 sheet.This summarises your key business indicators over any time period you like.Showing, your order book value, stock value, your work efficiency, comparing actuals toestimates, your delivery performance, your reject performance, and many others.

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