Sydney-based IDS Enterprise Systems has expanded operations into Jakarta and Bangkok and is looking to further cement its UK presence with a forthcoming acquisition.
While the next 12 months will see ‘heavy’ investments in Asia through its two new offices, the company is also seeking a suitable acquisition to build on its burgeoning UK business, according to IDS Enterprise Systems ceo Gordon Towell.
“We are proactively looking into an acquisition to accelerate growth and give us the infrastructure we need to grow the UK business,” Towell explained.
“There are a lot of fantastic software development companies in Australia but most don’t venture into the global market, resulting in a lot of wasted opportunities.”
“Much of this reluctance can be put down to the size of the local market and also the need for the government and business communities to focus on improving overseas business development by Australian companies,” Towell said.
While IDS’ current generation of supply chain software is written in the AS400 language RPG, Towell foreshadowed a move towards Java and Websphere as an enabler of real-time connection between customers and the supplier.
IDS’ first Java-based offering is a dealer management software suite, which is due for commercial release in 2003.
Supply chain management focuses on reducing costs on the supply side of the business while improving customer service levels by improving customer access to the business.
Cutting costs is often taken to mean a decrease in customer service levels, but it is possible for these levels to increase while achieving real cost savings, according to Towell.
“This mentality sees the manufacturer spend money on the manufacturing process while expecting customers to make do with what is available,” Towell explained.
In the automotive industry, this can mean that a car manufacturer will make a number of cars of a certain colour and specification and force the product down the supply chain.
This means that the end consumer is given the choice of either accepting the model on offer at the dealer or waiting up to six months for a vehicle to be made to their specifications (which could be as simple as painting the car red instead of black).
“The future of supply chain solutions will allow the end consumer to build a car to their specifications on the screen at the dealer, and then have the computer check whether it is available in any car dealership or wholesale yard Australia-wide or even if it is currently on the production line,” Towell said.
“If the model can’t be located then the software will automatically place an order with the factory in real time for the car to be built.”