Scandinavian Tobacco Selects Apriso as Operations Execution System

Implementation will initiate at Myślenice, Poland plant; solution to improve production genealogy, enable real-time quality control and enhance agility on the plant floor

(LONG BEACH, CA – May 12, 2008) – Apriso, a leading provider of adaptive software solutions for global manufacturing operations management, today announced another Tobacco industry client has selected the Apriso FlexNet® solution – Scandinavian Tobacco S.A.  Implementation will leverage extensive knowledge of industry best practices gained from prior Tobacco industry implementations by Apriso’s Professional Services team. 

“The concept of a company needing to plan production several months in advance has quickly become a thing of the past.  Increasingly, manufacturers must respond quickly to demand fluctuations, while still maintaining the highest levels of quality,” explained Dariusz Kudzia, senior director of field operations for Central and Eastern Europe, Apriso.  “Furthermore, manufacturing requirements have only become more complex, with increasingly diverse and complex product requirements to best serve local markets, as well as regulations mandating better traceability and reporting standards.”

Scandinavian Tobacco S.A. in Myślenice, Poland faced such a challenge, with expanding production volumes and distribution complexity within its markets.  With a 17% market share in Poland and increasing sales across the rest of Europe and Asia, production schedules and product mix complexity was becoming an operational challenge.  Production lines now required increased adaptability to meet local taste requirements within each of their markets.  An adaptable Operations Execution System (OES) was needed to help manage the recent increases in production complexity and volume, while at the same time maintaining the highest level of quality. 

“The Apriso system enables us to quickly change manufacturing and logistics processes.  Most changes will be performed within just a few minutes following the event,” says Tadeusz Dyduch, project manager responsible for the Apriso implementation.  “Relying entirely on ERP to manage shop floor operations resulted in response times taking up to several dozen hours, an unacceptable time for changes implemented on a production line in continuous operation on a very large scale.”

Scandinavian Tobacco will leverage the Apriso system for real-time access to their shop floor, recording the processes performed by each shop floor machine and worker.  This data will flow between the shop floor and the executive suite, delivering the necessary visibility to manage operations, synchronize production and optimize performance.  Delivering much more than just a Manufacturing Execution System, FlexNet will capture and archive information with regards to the actual wear and tear of production components and supplier materials, providing a comprehensive product genealogy knowledge repository. 

About Apriso
Apriso Corporation is a software company dedicated to providing competitive advantage for its customers.  It does so by enabling organizations to adapt quickly and easily to market changes and unexpected events.  Apriso’s FlexNet platform provides visibility, adaptability and real-time control of manufacturing operations across the enterprise and supply chain network.  This is accomplished by integrating planning, execution and control, increasing operational efficiency and eliminating errors in the production process.  Apriso serves more than 170 customers in 41 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia, powering more than 650 installations worldwide.  Its customers include General Motors, Lear, Honeywell, L'Oreal, Trixell, Lockheed Martin, Becton Dickinson, Saint-Gobain, Novelis and Essilor.  For more information, please go to www.apriso.com.

Apriso and FlexNet are registered trademarks of Apriso Corporation.  All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.