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TDCI Says Sell More with BuyDesign® 
BuyDesign is a comprehensive guided selling and configuration software solution to streamline the entire interest-to-order cycle for doors, windows and other customized products, offered from TDCI. 

BuyDesign helps manufacturers and their dealers: 

• Increase sales by becoming “easy to do business with;” 
• Reduce administrative and sales engineering costs; and
• Reduce order errors and delivery lead times.

BuyDesign includes software applications for quoting and ordering, interest generation and requirements capture. 

BuyDesign also incorporates capabilities for product configuration and visualization. BuyDesign can be deployed in a variety of ways–all with centralized control and Internet updates. This can be done online via the web; and can be distributed on desktop/laptop PCs.

Built on the Microsoft technology platform, BuyDesign’s advanced software architecture is reliable, scalable, easy to manage and easy to integrate with existing business systems, according to the company. www.tdci.com

CAN Do with Albat and Wirsam’s CANTOR ERP Software
Albat and Wirsam says its CANTOR ERP Software encompasses the complete spectrum of door and window manufacturing and commercial management. Highly integrated, Cantor ERP connects to all business cells, from order entry, capacity planning and scheduling right up to CNC control of machinery. The system also offers an integrated service module for on-field services and installation. 

CANTOR is user-friendly, operates on a Microsoft SQL Server platform and features a fully graphical Windows interface. The Cantor Dealer System is a sales tool for manufacturers’ resellers and dealers. By using the same order entry platform, this eliminates any type of errors through the incorporated restriction checks. 

Professional quotations are prepared with accurate delivery times, available options and pricing. Purchase orders for glass or other parts are issued automatically; at the same time, the stock control module reserves the required stock, or, in case of shortage, makes purchasing recommendations. Based on the material input and the customer’s requested delivery date, rough scheduling determines the machinery times and production dates.

The software can be customized for any mid- to large-size operation. www.albat-wirsam.com

Consona Focuses on Continuous Improvement 
Consona Corp. (formerly known as M2M Holdings Inc.) provides customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services. 

The Consona ERP business unit includes two products that enable more than 2,500 customers to improve their business processes continuously. Intuitive ERP is a comprehensive software application built using 100-percent Microsoft NET technology that helps manufacturers with mixed-mode production processes integrate every aspect of their business around a single, enterprise-wide system. Made2Manage ERP is a software application that helps manufacturers with mixed-mode production processes do the same.  www.made2manage.com 

EQUANTIS: Just What the Dealer Ordered 
ELCIA, a Montreal-based software development company, provides solutions for North American retailers and manufacturers in the door and window industry through its EQUANTIS software. The company describes the product as efficient and user-friendly, and built to meet the window dealer’s sale force needs.

EQUANTIS includes a simple cost breakdown tool, designed to calculate all door and window products automatically. This includes doors, windows, shutters, garage doors, hardware, etc.

It enables users to perform a cost breakdown rapidly for all products. Quotations are clear, product descriptions comprehensive and linked to illustrations. The new graphic generator creates scale illustrations automatically, thus offering greater precision and visual aspect to the quotes, according to the company. www.equantis.com 

Look Ahead with GED’s Lean
NET SoftwareWant to increase glass yields? GED says this is possible with its glass optimization software, LeanNET Look-Ahead, which uses algorithms to optimize glass right at the cutting table. 

The software increases glass yield by incorporating lites from subsequent batches automatically, remakes, manual input, rush orders, service orders and specialty processes into its current production schedule. Nearly 100 cutting tables are operating currently with the program providing up to $60,000 per year in glass savings, reduction in manpower and faster throughput as compared to existing optimization methods, according to GED. 

The software typically pays for itself in just a few months. The software may be purchased with new cutting tables or retrofitted to existing cutting tables. www.gedusa.com

Reduce Remakes with PMC’s Remake Software 
PMC Software Inc. says it maximizes the reporting and re-cutting of glass rejects throughout the plant. A company representative says customers using its remake software report the following benefits: turnaround time for remakes decreased to only minutes; customer orders shipped complete and on time; increased cutting yields; maximized utilization of offal glass; elimination of double-produced rejected lites; machine and manufacturing problems identified and corrected faster than any competitive reporting method. 

Full Plant Reject Tracking and Remakes uses strategically positioned work centers to track rejects within monolithic lites, insulating glass units or laminated billets in real time. Data collection is simple with bar-code scanners and touch screen monitors, providing immediate notification to office and cutting personnel. Reject glass information, already in the database, eliminates manual data entry. 

Rejects throughout the plant can be optimized together. Real-Time Remakes, an option within the company’s cutting line control software, offers automatic reject processing that ensures rejected lites are re-cut before the run leaves the cutting area. Automated processing groups rejects from cutting, full plant reject tracking and remakes and the lowest yielding layout of the run further increasing yields. www.pmcsoftware.com

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