Agreement Links Business, Manufacturing Systems
Okuma America Corporation and Partners and Thinc say a recent agreement with Sap America, Inc. will allow manufacturers to link the front office with the shop floor. The agreement merges the technology of Thinc with Sap’s Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII) application to create a seamless solution for end users.
Okuma America Corporation and Partners and Thinc say a recent agreement with Sap America, Inc. will allow manufacturers to link the front office with the shop floor. The agreement merges the technology of Thinc with Sap’s Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII) application to create a seamless solution for end users. According to Okuma, merging business and manufacturing systems will allow manufacturers to achieve the “perfect plant” in real time. The company says this can help reduce operating costs, increase returns on asset usage, achieve compliance and quality standards and meet internal and external customer needs.
Sap’s MII product connects its ERP application to the plant floor in real time to deliver actionable intelligence to production personnel. The solution provides both manufacturing intelligence and integration, extending the functionality of the developer’s NetWeaver technology platform onto the plant floor to lower the total cost of ownership on manufacturing systems infrastructure. Thanks to the agreement with Okuma, real-time, usable information can be provided to Sap MII through the Thinc control’s open-architecture API, the company says.
“The handcuffs are off,” says Okuma President and COO Larry Schwartz. “There are no limitations to the thinking of how to use the power of SAP business solutions or the power of third- and fourth-party hardware and software through the Okuma Thinc control. This agreement allows the customer to generate real-time, timely data to improve their efficiencies and gain a competitive advantage from the shop floor to the boardroom.
The Thinc control is the central force behind Partners in Thinc, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The facility features partnerships from more than 30 industry leaders who work together to provide real-world, integrated manufacturing solutions for the Okuma end user. Members integrate their equipment and software solutions through the plug-and-play capable, Ethernet-ready Thinc control to streamline operations. As a new partner of Okuma, Sap will be able to integrate directly with the Thinc control instead of relying on a stand-alone computer to provide the necessary link.
