MANMAN^®: Alive and Kicking!

The theme for this year's CAMUS 2001 International conference in San Diego, California was Manufacturing in the 21^st Century, the implication being the continuing use of MANMAN^® for many years to come. I was fortunate to attend the CAMUS 1999 conference in Las Vegas, and what was clearly evident at this year's event was a far greater belief and enthusiasm amongst our US colleagues that MANMAN^® is able to provide the necessary functionality on which to build future business development.

All through the conference, from the Product Direction and Development Update sessions presented by interBiz, through to the Vendor show (some 26 booths!), the SIG (Special Interest Group) sessions and the Vendor presentations, evidence was rife that MANMAN^® still has very much more to offer.

As we are aware in Europe, the MANMAN^® user base is in decline. This is also true in the US. However, across both continents a growing number of companies are now abandoning the implementation of replacement ERP systems, in many cases writing-off millions of dollars of investment, due to escalated costs and lack of additional functionality. I believe there will be a core group of users who will remain with MANMAN^® regardless of pressures to migrate to more 'up-to-date' systems.

Probably the most exciting new product demonstrated to the attending MANMAN^® users was XactMan^® from Quantum Software. Unlike the Opal/Insight product promised for many years by CA and whose development was ceased a year ago, XactMan does offer users with the ability to run MANMAN^® in a Windows-like environment, although the product is much more than a 'front-end' to MANMAN^®. It is a web-based application that uses an Internet browser to represent MANMAN^® data. XactMan uses the latest in Microsoft Web Technologies to format complex MANMAN^® data into simple web pages, thus eliminating the need for any additional software to be installed on a client. All software updates are also performed on a centralized web server.

XactMan^® is an n-tier application consisting of a client running Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater, and an NT web server running Option Pack 4.0 or greater with Microsoft Internet Information Server, and is currently available for use on the HP 3000 platform for use with MANMAN^® MFG and OMAR. Future development plans include the DEC platform and the MANMAN^® AP and GL modules. For further information or a demo CD contact Stephen Broadey at Baillies (sjb@baillies.com).

In addition to XactMan^® from Quantum Software there were also many other products and services on display including: B2B e-Commerce solutions enabling efficient on-line trade, integration and collaboration between B2B marketplaces, buyers, suppliers and commerce service providers; Supply Chain Event Management solutions; Shop Floor Data Collection and real-time reporting including shop activity/labour, Time & Attendance and Order Management; Data Warehouse suites providing on-line relational copies of MANMAN^®/Codasyl DBMS databases to Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle RDBMS databases; Advanced forecasting and dynamic SO&P solutions for MANMAN^® and MK; Fax/e-mail automation for MANMAN^® and MK documents.

Three members of the CAMUS Europe Committee were present at the CAMUS 2001 International conference in San Diego. As well as myself, Pat Earnshaw (Chairman) and Lynn Barnes (Apollo Fire Detectors) visited all the exhibition booths and invited many of the exhibitors to attend the CAMUS 2001 European conference in June, to widen the products and services currently available to users in Europe.

I strongly encourage any/all European MANMAN^® users to attend future CAMUS International conferences. Since the user base is far bigger in the US, there are more opportunities to discuss issues and pick-up 'nuggets' of information which could save thousands of Pounds through alternative solutions. In 2002 the conference is being scheduled for March/April and is likely to be on the Eastern seaboard making the conference more accessible for European users.

On a lighter note, during this year's conference I witnessed numerous amusing sights. Here's my pick of the bunch:

• Pat Earnshaw (Acco Eastlight) - Dismounting a bar stool following three glasses of Rosé wine award
• Dave Burrall (Manufacturing Services Group) - Wine tasting SIG award
• Wayne Morgan (TAG Business Computing) - 'I'll put it on expenses' award
• Burkett Foster (MB Foster) - Most TLA's (three letter acronyms) award
• Jennifer Parker (Parker Management Consultants) - Ladies splits award
• Jeff Head (Productive Systems) - Men's splits award!
• Terri Glendon Lanza (ASK TERRI)- Sunbathing on the dance floor award
• Dave Pampreen (GKN Automotive) - Hot tub SIG award

(M²D³ - MANMAN^® Does Do Dat)