Ensuring the production and delivery of high quality products is an ongoing issue in the industrial setting. With the rising complexities of products and the corresponding process and technologies across the value chain, traditional methods for managing quality are becoming obsolete. As a response, a new software category is emerging, Enterprise Quality Management Software (EQMS).
In mid-October, we released the industry’s first Solution Selection Guide for EQMS. Because the software space for quality management is ill-defined, we felt that this was not only necessary, but could also serve as a critical resource for industrial and manufacturing decision makers.
Choosing an EQMS solution is a process that can consume considerable resources and be a source of much confusion for industry executives. To help smooth this process, LNS believes our EQMS Solution Selection Guide should be the first stop on the journey. With 18 of the market’s top vendors covered in depth, it provides executives with everything needed to make a shortlist of potential EQMS solutions.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be blogging about vendors listed within the publication, touching briefly on strengths, weaknesses, functionalities, industries served, technology architectures and more. The information provided is based on a number of briefings with vendors as well as our own analyses of the market.
This week, we’re covering German Software company IBS, one of the oldest and largest vendors in the space.
A Brief Overview of IBS
Showing strength in serving industrial manufacturing, automotive suppliers, heavy equipment, medical devices, plastic and rubber, and pharmaceuticals, IBS has done well in adapting its quality management software solution to remain current on quality, compliance, and regulatory changes in the market. IBS’s EQMS solution has strength in the functional areas of APQP, CAPA, Compliance Management, FMEA, Supplier Management, and Warranty Management.
The vendor’s focused on the integration of data from the shop floor throughout the rest of the value chain. In its history, IBS has proven its ability to integrate its software to other Enterprise Resource Planning and Product Lifecycle Management systems common in the market today. The company has strategic partnerships with IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and Siemens, among others.
Recently, with aims to refine its strategy, IBS's investments and focus have been around developing a deeper, more comprehensive quality management solution. The vendor is working to address the broader concerns of managing quality data in organizations, specifically pertaining to people, products, and processes. IBS will be leveraging its capabilities in four core areas: quality management, production management, traceability, and compliance management.
- Quality Management: Addressing the concerns of critical personnel with improvements in its quality management processes, IBS is working to strengthen its closed loop quality management capabilities as well as to blur the gap between business processes and the IT infrastructure.
- Product Management: The vendor is building upon its solution to provide the degree of enterprise-level data needed to effectively manage operations. With its interoperable production software capabilities, enhancements to areas such as SPC and machine data acquisition are increasing shop floor visibility.
- Traceability: With the ability to effectively respond to adverse events and product recalls being a significant variable in business performance, IBS is working to provide a solution that will reduce the probability of and risks associated with recalls.
- Compliance Management: To help organizations overcome the burdens of regulation and compliance, IBS is investing in its compliance and reporting capabilities available in the EQMS solution.
Publicly traded, 81% of IBS was recently purchased by Siemens. This acquisition was made to attain IBS’s Manufacturing Execution Systems in automotive as well as its web-based quality and compliance management capabilities. While this acquisition is still fresh, we will be keeping an eye on the evolution of IBS’s EQMS solution in the coming years to see the influence Siemens’ will play in the company's ability to deliver on its refined strategy. It will also be interesting to see how IBS will impact Siemens.
A Deeper Look at IBS
For a more extensive overview of IBS, read LNS Research’s EQMS Solution Selection Guide. It covers industries served, specific functionalities included with its EQMS, company sizes served, geographies covered, technology delivery platforms, and technology delivery models. The guide also breaks down the vendor’s central attributes by total coverage areas, areas of strength, and areas of emerging strength.
Reviewing the analysis of IBS alongside the other 17 vendors covered, executives can take a comparative approach to selecting an EQMS solution. They will have everything needed to produce a shortlist of potential EQMS vendors for their organization’s implementation. More quality management software vendor write-ups can be found on our site as well.
If you are currently using or considering IBS's software, we would like to hear about your experiences. Please feel free to reach us by email at info@lnsresearch.com.
For this selection and implementation, more information can be found in the links below:
Research Spotlights:
Enterprise Quality Management Software Best Practices Guide
Top Integration Points for Enterprise Quality Management Software
Blogs:
Top 3 Strategies for Selecting an EQMS Solution
EQMS: Understanding the Drivers behind Global Adoption
Realizing Operational Excellence through EQMS
