Small manufacturers can gain a competitive edge with VISUAL Jobshop

Hampton, NH — N/A announces the release of VISUAL Jobshop®, it's integrated manufacturing solution specifically designed for small, growing manufacturers.

Lilly Software offers a complete line of end-to-end supply chain solutions for manufacturers and distributors. Wanting to provide small manufacturers with the same access to real-time information found in its flagship product, VISUAL Manufacturing®, Lilly Software created VISUAL Jobshop as a scalable, competitive alternative. With do-it-yourself implementation, easy-to-learn Windows® features, and customizable reports to help manage operations from engineering through shipping, VISUAL Jobshop helps companies eliminate redundant, time-consuming paperwork and streamline their processes.

"We've put three years of development and extensive beta site testing behind VISUAL Jobshop," explains Samuel Pollard, manager of Lilly Software's new Small Manufacturing Division. "It offers a high functionality-to-price ratio, which allows smaller companies to purchase tools to improve workflow without having to spend money for technology they do not need. Small manufacturers want a solution that fits their specific requirements and allows them to integrate quoting, order entry, inventory control, production, shipping, and invoicing. VISUAL Jobshop is a powerful, affordable tool for companies with fewer than twenty employees that want to position themselves for growth.

Lilly Software is ready to release VISUAL Jobshop after thorough testing and positive responses from its beta sites about the application's ease of use and flexibility. Lilly designed its new application with continuous improvement in mind; when a company's success causes it to outgrow the tools in Jobshop, they can migrate their database information over to VISUAL Manufacturing and easily transition into a larger solution for their business.

"What attracted us to VISUAL Jobshop was its scalability," explains Jon Young, Vice President of Vforge, Inc. Located in Denver, Colorado, Vforge is a high precision aluminum parts manufacturer with 16 employees and is one of Lilly Software's beta sites. It uses semi solid material processing technology to create a range of products for the electronics, recreational goods, defense, and industrial markets and its business is expanding. "We wanted a system to manage our materials that would grow with us. We couldn't spend a lot of money, but we wanted to be affiliated with a software vendor that had expertise in the manufacturing field. Lilly Software offered us that solution. I find the user interface very intuitive and, quite honestly, I'm having fun with VISUAL Jobshop so far."

VISUAL Jobshop allows companies to continue using their existing accounting package, such as Quickbooks® Pro and Peachtree®, while offering complete sales, work order, job costing, purchasing, and inventory management capabilities. It helps companies save money by consolidating purchases across an entire shop to take advantage of price breaks. Customizable reports and drill down capabilities empower small manufacturers to make profitable managerial decisions.

Jerry Peterson, Vice President of GP2 Technologies, Inc. in Bow, New Hampshire, is currently implementing VISUAL Jobshop at his facility. "Our experience with VISUAL Jobshop so far has been very positive. Jobshop offers many features that rival larger MRP systems, which works perfectly for us." Even though it employs fewer than ten people, GP2 Technologies is a leading provider of cost-effective bindery automation for On-Demand and Ultra-Short Run hard cover book and ring binder production machinery. Combining traditional bindery experience with state-of-the-art computer generated motion control, the company performs both manufacturing and assembly operations and needed a solution that was adaptable to its unique processes. "We see VISUAL Jobshop as the right product for building and growing our company. Lilly Software has been incredibly responsive towards our progress and success. The support has been first rate."

Designed for one to five concurrent users, VISUAL Jobshop will be sold through a network of global resellers. If you are a reseller or independent consultant who serves smaller manufacturers and are interested in representing VISUAL Jobshop, please contact us today.

About Lilly Software Associates
Lilly Software Associates, Inc. (LSA) provides a complete line of enterprise and supply chain management solutions for manufacturers and distributors.

With its easy-to-use graphical nature, the VISUAL suite of products helps companies capture accurate, real-time data about their business processes using ERP, E-Business, APS, MES, Quality Management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Warehouse Management System (WMS) capabilities.

The scalability and interoperability of Lilly Software products allow organizations to choose stand alone VISUAL applications or implement a seamlessly integrated end-to-end solution to meet their business needs. Most VISUAL applications run on Windows NT®, UNIX®, LINUX, VMS, Novell® or OS400 using SQLBase®, Microsoft SQLServer®, ORACLE® or DB2®/400 relational databases, and are certified for both AS/400e and Netfinity servers.

In 1998 and 1999, Inc. Magazine ranked LSA as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the US. In 2000, Lilly Software has been recognized by start magazine as one of the Hottest Companies for its third consecutive year, and made the lists for both Software Magazine's Top 500 and Manufacturing Systems' Top 100 Software Companies. More information about Lilly Software and its products is available on the Web at www.lillysoftware.com.

N/A, 500 Lafayette Road, Hampton, NH USA. Tel: 603-926-9696. Fax: 603-926-9696.

Source: Lilly Software Associates