Manufacturers Want To Customize Software, Survey Reports

When it comes to software, one size clearly does not fit all manufacturers, according to a newly released survey conducted for APICS by Stratton Research. APICS members who responded said the most important factor in the buying decision -- even more than price -- is the ability to customize software to their company's special needs. APICS, the educational society for resource management based in Alexandria, Va., has 72,000 members. The survey, How APICS members Buy, Select, and Use Manufacturing Software, found members' plans for software purchases tailing off some in the coming months. Last year, typical APICS members spent about $847,000 on software; in the coming 12 to 18 months, they expect to spend about $603,000. Most plan to invest in advanced planning and scheduling (APS), auto ID/bar coding, electronic data collection, and simulation modeling packages. Among application software packages currently in use, about 61% of APICS members currently use material requirements planning (MRP), 48% use manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), and 17% use supply-chain management software.