Thetford Corporation Selects CMS Manufacturing to Implement New Corporate ERP System

CMS developing new e-kanban capability to enhance Thetford/Norcold competitiveness

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 27 -- CMS Manufacturing Systems, Inc. today announced that it has been chosen to implement a new corporate-wide enterprise resource planning (ERP) system at Thetford/Norcold, a leading manufacturer of refrigeration and sanitation products for the recreational vehicle and marine markets.

Thetford/Norcold chose the CMS/400 ERP suite because it best addresses the company's requirements for tightly integrated EDI (electronic data interchange) functionality, plug and play wireless RF (radio frequency) shop-floor data collection, built in e-commerce capability and integrated support for Thetford's repetitive, lean manufacturing environment. With 2,000 customer sites worldwide, CMS offers customers comprehensive and fully integrated, Internet-enabled manufacturing functionality.

Thetford/Norcold has one of the most effective implementations of the Toyota Production System in North America and its agreement with CMS will further strengthen this leadership. As part of its agreement, CMS will collaborate with Thetford/Norcold to create a new electronic version of the paper kanban cards currently in use at the company, creating a more efficient manufacturing process. CMS will make the e-kanban capability a standard capability with its core CMS/400 ERP offering.

CMS also will develop a new customer service processing capability, enabling Thetford to efficiently find information on all aspects of a product whenever there is an inquiry. The new capability also will be used to process warranty claims.

"We took a deliberate, pains-taking approach to selecting our enterprise software vendor because so much of our company's long-term success depends on having a common, corporate-wide information system that is affordable and easy to use," said Jack Tierney, senior vice president of North American Operations at Thetford/Norcold. "CMS was obviously the best choice because the CMS/400 product offered us all the core functionality we required and the company was willing to work with us to develop additional features we viewed as essential to our long-term competitiveness.

"Our long-term growth strategy requires having a common ERP system. This system provided by CMS puts us in position to cost-effectively manage our current business and easily manage our growth," Tierney said.

"Our ability to win the Thetford business demonstrates the strength of the CMS/400 product and our commitment to continuously develop the capabilities that make our customers more competitive," said Brian Angle, vice president of sales and marketing, CMS Manufacturing. "We look forward to working closely with Thetford to facilitate a fast and smooth implementation of CMS/400."

"Thetford/Norcold is a shining example of how to implement the Toyota Production System," said William Neeve, president and co-founder of Cycle Time Management, Inc., a leading provider of lean manufacturing consulting services in North America. "Few companies have embraced the Toyota Production System as comprehensively and effectively as Thetford/Norcold. By working with CMS to introduce e-kanban capability, they will create a very powerful competitive advantage.

The contract awarded to CMS is part of a comprehensive information technology upgrade that includes the purchase of an IBM eServer iSeries(TM) server.

About Thetford/Norcold Corporation

Thetford Corporation, based in Ann Arbor, MI, is the world's leading manufacturer of toilets and related sanitation products for recreational vehicle markets. Norcold Incorporated, based in Sidney, OH, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thetford, and is the leading American manufacturer of gas absorption refrigerators and freezers for the RV, marine and truck industries. Norcold was acquired in 1997.

Thetford/Norcold has sales and distribution facilities in Elkhart, IN, and Mississauga, Ontario, and uses public warehouses to distribute their products in the Western United States. Norcold also has a facility in Gettysburg, OH, that manufactures the cooling units for the refrigerators. Thetford/Norcold has approximately 600 employees in North America and also has operations in The Netherlands to serve European and other international markets.

Thetford/Norcold manufactures products in a repetitive, lean manufacturing environment. Additional product and corporate information is available at www.thetford.com and www.norcold.com.

About CMS Manufacturing Systems

CMS' flagship ERP solution, CMS/400, gives lean manufacturers in tight supply chain relationships unprecedented enterprise-wide control of all financial, purchasing, customer service, inventory, production, maintenance and shipping processes. With features such as integrated EDI/Release Accounting, Advanced Bar Coding, Tooling integration and e-business, CMS/400 helps suppliers meet the JIT needs of demanding customers. CMS is a single-source, turnkey provider. CMS/400's comprehensive functionality means no third-party solutions, and CMS staff provides all implementation and maintenance. CMS has been rated by MSI Magazine as among the top 25 enterprise software suite providers for manufacturers. VarBusiness Magazine, another influential industry publication, also has selected CMS to its VarBusiness 500 list, which ranks the most successful solution providers across a wide spectrum of IT products and services.