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Designed to help companies cut costs, Apriso Corporation's FlexNet for Mill Products manages multiple mission-critical areas on a single software platform built on a unified data model. It is both an adaptive operations execution platform and a suite of software modules that tie together production (MES), warehouse (WMS), quality (QMS) maintenance, time and labor and supplier visibility into a single solution. According to the company, the software can help reduce costs in a variety of ways. First, it provides 100 percent visibility into equipment usage, which potentially could enable front-line personnel to make informed decisions for more efficient allocation of energy resources. Second, with complete supplier visibility, the software could help manufacturers identify possible shortages in time to seek other sources of materials. Finally, FlexNet allows operators to change production processes in a matter of hours without enlisting IT support. In addition to the above features, the software integrates with SAP, Oracle and other systems with little to no overlap, the company says. It also incorporates Greycon's X-Trim, a trim optimization system, as well as OSIsoft's PI System, which provides added visibility into operations. In addition, the company says the product is easy to use—with its drag-and-drop interface, operators can author Web-enabled electronic "flows" without having to write any code.