FOUNDATION PIMS Product Inventory Management System Overview Foundation PIMS is an online computer system which manages an enterprise's physical assets. Its sophisticated asset tracking and inventory management capabilities benefit organizations that track asset movement, condition and utilization. PIMS manages the complexities of inventory control for enterprises that distribute, rent or loan equipment to remote locations and/or 3rd party organizations. The organizational complexities of large enterprises are addressed by PIMS' multi-company, multi-division, multi-location database. Asset movement across company, division, and location boundaries is scrupulously tracked. International requirements are addressed through currency conversion features and attention to import/export controls. PIMS' assets are classified, categorized and tracked at several levels. This provides for a variety of views of the inventory using summary information and statistical analysis. Cost, utilization, product stability, availability and other key indicators are readily available -- online, on demand. PIMS also provides an online environment for managing these commodities through their life-cycle. PIMS is designed to interface to relevant financial applications: billing, general ledger, et al. Inventory Management Module PIMS maintains a database of important asset information, profiling: Ownership Location Condition Policies (use, cost, service, and disposition) Acquisition information Warranty provision information Computer related and other hi-tech assets are often imbedded within other assets and can easily be forgotten or lost. PIMS addresses this problem through its multi-level ability to track assets imbedded within other assets. Asset Tracking and Change Management Detailed asset history is automatically generated and audited. PIMS tracks an asset through its entire life-cycle: where its been, for how long, its condition and status over time. Collectively, this information is useful for discerning important trends and factors such as revenues, rates of failure, and cost of repair. Status/location changes are submitted online and are governed by rules established by the enterprise. PIMS provides online processes for receiving and asset-tagging new inventory, as well as procedures for shipping inventory to a new location. Inventory that is loaned, rented or sold to an outside organization is tracked as it moves in, out of, and around the primary enterprise. Bar coding and scanning options are provided. Because technical information relating to repairs, scheduled inspection, calibration or rev-level upgrades is maintained, managing these activities is greatly simplified. A physical inventory subsystem reconciles the database's view of the inventory with that which is determined in an actual inventory of assets. Reports identifying discrepancies serve as worksheets for resolving problems. Corrective updates are entered online. Product Management Module For meaningful analysis and product management support, assets are classified in several ways: by model by manufacturer by an enterprise defined categorization scheme PIMS product management module provides detailed product profiling and product management processes, capturing: product attributes technical characteristics equivalent products replacement models required and optional components related parts, supplies and accessories Policies relating to product utilization, financial accounting, maintenance, service and exporting are also defined. Pricing Subsystem For those enterprises that sell, rent or maintain charge-back statistics for assets, parts, supplies and other items, PIMS provides a sophisticated pricing subsystem. A variety of different price schedules can be maintained. Pricing calculation rules can be defined so that schedules can be generated automatically. Special pricing overrides are supported. Schedules can be produced automatically for different currencies. Pricing history is maintained to facilitate an analysis of trends as well as to support point-in-time pricing. The effects of future pricing changes can be analyzed easily using both online tools and reporting features. Purchasing Subsystem PIMS helps reduce costs and control the process related to new asset purchases. It helps automate the production of purchase orders and manages the process from the request to purchase, through approvals, execution and fulfillment. Important information about suppliers is maintained including special contractual terms and buying incentives. Product Analysis A variety of on-line screens, as well as pre-defined and ad-hoc reports, help managers and staff make informed decisions about products. How and where are various products utilized within the organization? What are the statistics on rates of breakdown? Why do certain models of equipment need repair? What are the all-in costs associated with various equipment? These and other issues are answered quickly and easily. Parts/Supplies Inventory Management Module Enterprises that utilize a large inventory of capital equipment often also contend with large and expensive inventories of parts and consumables. PIMS provides for the management of these items as well, helping to contain costs and reduce waste. PIMS provides for parts/supplies inventories in multiple locations, and provides a locator facility that identifies where parts can be found and in what quantity. Each location has control over its own inventory and can specify policies such as minimum and maximum stocking thresholds, primary and alternate suppliers, etc. Adjustments to inventory and parts utilization trends are tracked. Open order information is maintained, providing visibility into anticipated future delivery of items. A wide range of important information is available online. For example, PIMS identifies any special restrictions and regulations relating to: Storage Shipment Disposal Customer Information Management Module For those organizations that allocate, loan, rent or sell assets to outside organizations or internal groups, PIMS provides an order preparation and processing function. Orders are automatically staged through a natural progression of steps: request, approval, execution, fulfillment. A built-in messaging component allows communication among the participants in the process. PIMS also provides a customer information database which can detail special contractual relationships as well as demographic data to help your organization analyze its market. Sales performance by customer, industry or sales office can be summarized and substantiated by underlying details. Key customers can easily be identified. User Administration and Support Module As an online application, PIMS includes an advanced application security facility which allows you to tailor each user's access to the application and its database. A basic employee profile is maintained along with the list of business transactions that the user is sanctioned to perform. Data access restrictions can also be defined further limiting the user's ability to see and/or modify information in the database. For example, some users might be limited to processing assets in a specified location. Other users might be able to make certain changes across several locations. Electronic Mail PIMS includes a sophisticated electronic mail system which facilitates inter-office communications. Electronic mail can easily be integrated into standard operating procedures and other application transactions. A wide range of store and forward options including broadcast capabilities provide an enterprise-wide communications tool. User Support Online help is provided for all application transactions, screens, and data fields. Help text and other application data such as code lists of valid products, organization codes and much more are all maintained externally using online screens provided for this purpose. Customizing the application to address the unique characteristics of your organization, as well as extending it over time as changes occur, is simple and efficient. PIMS provides a flexible, easy to use, online interface. Navigation from screen to screen is supported by menus, and for more experienced users, by simple function keys and commands. Value Added Solutions and Technology Technology based product extensions allow PIMS to be customized to take advantage of the Graphical User Interface offered by intelligent workstations such as the PC, PowerPC and Macintosh. PIMS was developed using state-of-the-art software engineering tools. These tools make it easy for enterprises to build on the PIMS application to include related business applications. Foundation's Computer Based Training (CBT) application provides for integrated on-line training relating to both the application and to your organization's Standard Operating Procedures. PIMS runs on the Tandem's Guardian operating system which is ideally suited for the demands of both OLTP and distributed processing. A wide range of model options makes this platform attractive to both small and large organizations.     © Menlo Business Systems, 2000.