PeopleSoft Gives Peek at SCM 8.8

At its Distributors and Manufacturers Users Group Conference in Austin, Texas, this week, PeopleSoft Inc. announced the next iteration of its Supply Chain Management suite.

SCM 8.8 includes enhancements PeopleSoft developed with input from DMUG, such as functionality to help manufacturers increase their agility in manufacturing goods and better track customers orders.

For real-time analytics a new Manufacturing Scorecard looks at throughput, inventory, quality and actual material costs, then delivers that information to a managers desktop.

A Serial Genealogy component tracks specific parts within finished goods, helping manufacturers quickly identify products that may include a flawed set of parts.

To improve production planning, Version 8.8 has a Yield-by-Operation feature that accounts for materials lost during each stage of the manufacturing process.

To better facilitate customer order management, 8.8 comes with upgraded promotion flexibility features that help managers to efficiently manage trade promotions and, in the end, measure success across specific channels.

A self-service pricing tool helps users to instantly adjust pricing for products to reflect both changes in demand and shifts in marketing strategies. At the same time, a cross-docking functionality matches received goods with outgoing orders so that orders can be filled upon request—getting rid of stocking costs, officials said.

All tolled, Version 8.8 will incorporate about 50 enhancements that improve usability. The goal, according to PeopleSoft, in Pleasanton, Calif., is to deliver on the companys "Total Owner Experience" initiative that is geared toward improving the way companies use software.

SCM 8.8 will be available in December.