Zuken Launches CADSTAR Interface to Materials Requirement Planning Systems

Munich, Germany and Westford, MA – June 7, 2005 - Zuken, the engineering consulting company, and CAD Systeme Kluwetasch (CSK), introduce a new MRP (Materials Requirement Planning) Link that reduces design time, saves money, ensures product quality and facilitates management of the product development and manufacturing processes.

By integrating CADSTAR tools with MRP SQL databases and establishing a bi-directional connection, users have access to a vast amount of additional component information for harmonization of part data in electronic designs and for the creation of highly customizable bills of materials (BOMs). The MRP Link includes four main features: synchronization, parts management, history management, and BOM management.

The synchronization tool provides accurate information exchange, eliminating duplicate information, reducing the risk of data entry error, and enabling historical tracking.

The parts manager function allows users to quickly search from selected components that meet specified pre-defined criteria within the parts database, providing more efficient selection of components – particularly useful for the user with little knowledge of parts. The flagging up of preferred supplier parts within the CADSTAR library assists in supply chain management. Accurate cost calculations enable correct pricing of products to achieve required profit margins, and selection of components from the preferred suppliers list assists in the negotiation of bulk purchasing discounts.

History management functionality manages and assesses change notes throughout the product development process, allowing the identification of batches that use different components from different suppliers – helping track supplier product quality. This also helps the growing number of organizations that comply to the ISO9000 standard, by assisting in checking and documenting of the product development process, and providing a basis for historical data management.

The BOM management function automatically identifies requirements for component changes when parts become obsolete, facilitating forward planning for carrying out redesigns. Additionally, this aids project managers in easily calculating costs of replacing the obsolete part with an alternative. The ability to create customizable BOMs for different business users further enhances processes, by helping designers work more closely with other teams within organizations, speeding up progression within the design stage.

Synchronization, parts management and library searcher functions are available from €5,000 and $6,693. BOM Management can also be purchased as an add-on solution from €4,950 and $6,627.

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About Zuken:
Established in 1976, Zuken has evolved into a provider of solutions that maximize the efficiency of the design and manufacturing processes of electronics companies around the world. Zuken holds a leading global share of the PCB/MCM/HIC software market in the field of electronic design automation (EDA). In addition to its longstanding experience as a provider of innovative solutions for PCB design, Zuken’s expanded portfolio encompasses proven solutions for the development of information technology (IT) infrastructures. Listed on Level 1 of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the company is headquartered in Japan and has development, sales and support centers in 10 countries including the US, Germany, UK and France. Zuken's customers include the world's top 30 electronics manufacturers from automotive to aerospace, communications to consumer electronics, and medical to military.
www.zuken.com