Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Formations Optiva Update Widens Process Automation

    Written by

    Renee Boucher Ferguson
    Published July 29, 2002
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Formation Systems Inc. is readying an update to its process automation software that allows customers to automate far more manufacturing processes than are currently possible.

      Optiva 4.5, due this fall, includes a new application for project management. It also features upgrades to strategic sourcing and compliance applications that could reduce manufacturing errors and costs for makers of recipe-based goods, such as paints or processed food.

      One new feature in Version 4.5, a project management component called Idea Lab, captures ideas from a variety of sources inside organizations and among their partners. Users can rank, prioritize and score the ideas to determine the best likelihood of their success, then incorporate and manage those ideas as they launch new projects and manage ongoing ones.

      Another upgraded component, the Optiva Strategic Sourcing application, takes a new approach to sourcing for Formation by enabling users to search for formula substitutions by both functional and chemical makeup.

      By doing a parametric search of substances based on product formulas, a purchasing manager or a manufacturing process manager can determine a functional substitution—for example, an equivalent protein source to eggs. This allows for broader choices in sourcing, said officials at Formation, of Southboro, Mass.

      On a chemical level, enhancements in Version 4.5 will break down ingredients to determine which ones are alike.

      “There can be hundreds of parameters that define a materials property,” said Paul Hoogenboom, vice president of operations and CIO at RPM Inc., a coating, sealant and paint manufacturer. The Medina, Ohio, company is also an Optiva customer. “When you look at that from a purchasing perspective, its a mother of a problem.

      “The net of consolidating materials often is agreeing to a much smaller list of standard ingredients of raw materials, so this whole issue of knowing if two materials are the same is absolutely essential,” said Hoogenboom.

      With more regulations facing recipe-based manufacturers—for example, a growing list of allergens that must be listed as even potential ingredients, such as nuts—Optiva 4.5s updated Compliance module provides standard interfaces to a companys existing regulatory databases as well as links to existing regulatory bodies Web sites. The upgrade also flags regulatory restrictions and restraints that specific vertical markets need to be aware of.

      Renee Boucher Ferguson
      Renee Boucher Ferguson

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.