We like to keep our eye on technology trends that will affect our clients in manufacturing and distribution.

Today we’ll take a brief look at the role blockchain technology will play as manufacturers settle into a new norm.

Recently, in an article entitled Reinventing the Supply Chain for a Post-COVID World, Paul Fretty of Material Handling & Logistics interviewed CIO Kevin Beasley of VAI, a tech industry solution provider on how blockchain innovation may affect our supply chains in the near future.  While the emphasis was on pharmaceutical supply chains, the lessons for all supply chains are worth noting.  (Fretty’s original post at MH&L can be found here.)

First, with regulation and rising consumer requirements, ERP software will need to be integrated into blockchains to access supply chain data and create an electronic system of records for any company.  In pharma, blockchain can create an electronic record of expiration dates and more, which is vital in helping to protect consumers from exposure to stolen, contaminated, or counterfeit drugs.  But one can extrapolate similar benefits to any manufacturing supply chain.  Today’s cloud-based ERP systems are becoming capable of track and trace, supply and demand planning and route management that can integrate blockchain technology.

Beasley notes that “companies must have a system in place that can store the various data points… [so that] the data being captured [for] products, shortage, and demand can be tracked.”

He notes that “As blockchain technology pushes more to the forefront, COVID-19 has shown some vulnerabilities in our supply chains. Blockchain can provide the opportunity to boost efficiencies and traceability, while also strengthening trust across a range of stakeholders. With supply chains currently struggling to adapt, we need to take steps to ensure our global supply chains are more resilient in the face of unexpected events such as a pandemic, and buyers and sellers need to rethink their approach in anticipation of future events. Blockchain networks could be the answer.”

Beasley goes on to explain how blockchain acts to solidify and ensure the entire supply chain:
“When they record information about a product, combined with any supplier information available, this gives manufacturers a full history of that product, enabling them to have full insight into where a product came from, and they can see what components were added where, and when. This then gets passed upstream to distributors and retailers who should also record touches and any other information regarding that product. Consumers subsequently get a full view of the components in that particular product. In this manner, full transparency is passed along across the entire supply chain, from manufacturers to distributors and retailers, and ultimately to consumers.”

Do you need help with your processes or managing your supply chains?  We’re here, we’re local, we know the territory… and we’re here to help!  We invite you to contact PSSI directly at 877.273.2444.

PSSI has been implementing ALERE accounting and manufacturing software for over 25 years, and we still think it’s one of the best-priced, best-functioning manufacturing software products you can buy anywhere.  Users appreciate ALERE’s flexibility over many other systems. 

This month TIW Technology President Rod Hatcher discusses new e-commerce integration coming to ALERE… managing log-ins… and converting Units of Measure.

E-commerce will become integrated with ALERE! The platform that has been chosen is Shopify, a Canadian multinational e-commerce company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario.  The Mobility module will be used to upload items and their images to Shopify and maintain the quantities available online. Orders that are placed with Shopify will appear in ALERE.  Development is currently underway with the goal of having the integration complete for the next version of ALERE.

The length of time that a password is valid can be set for each user in ALERE. This can be used for four purposes:

• A company does not wish to force users to periodically change passwords.
• The company has a policy that requires passwords to be changed periodically.
• To set a limit on the time a guest user has access to ALERE.
• A user needs to reset a forgotten password.

Controlling the life of a password is done by going to File, selecting Maintenance, and then choosing Login Options. The following screen will be displayed.

All four password duration functions are controlled by the Life (Days) field circled in red.  Leaving the field blank allows a user to keep the same password indefinitely.  Entering the number of days will require a user to periodically reset their password. The Expires field will automatically calculate the expiration date when entered.

The life of a password also permits control over how long a guest may access to the software.
Check the Reset to Blank box to clear the Life (Days) field and allow a user to reset their forgotten password the next time they start ALERE.  The Manager module has a general report called Logins which can be utilized to list users whose password is set to expire so they can be warned beforehand.

A unit of measure, or UOM as it is commonly known, is the unit in which the quantity of an item is measured. The UOM may be different for the same item when purchasing it, stocking it, and selling it. Therefore, there needs to be a way of automatically converting that unit of measure when going from one UOM to another.  The individual units of measure are first defined as global codes under the UOM code name. The U/M Conversion screen is then used to define the relationships between different units of measure.

The screen is found in the Manager module by choosing Definition and selecting U/M Conversion. Only one side of the conversion requires entry as the other side is done for you. You may have as many U/M conversions as you may need.  Note for manufacturers: Ensure your stocking unit of measure in inventory is the UOM you use to define manufacturing quantities on a work order.

Want to Learn More About ALERE?  

TIW has a 7 minute “Manufacturing Overview Video“ on YouTube that gives a concise summary of what manufacturing software can do for you.  Click the link below to see why ALERE may be a great fit for your manufacturing operations.

• Interested in a trial version for your organization?

PSSI can work with you to understand better what a manufacturing software system can do for you.  For information on obtaining a trial version, contact Larry Lukasik at the number below.

To learn more, call us any time at 877.273.2444, or visit us on the web.