Visteon Launches Bold New Customer-Focused IT Strategy
8 October 1998
Visteon Launches Bold New Customer-Focused IT Strategy for 21st Century
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 8 -- Visteon Automotive Systems is
moving firmly forward into the 21st century with implementation of several
cutting-edge global information programs that will streamline and integrate
business operations while maximizing customer value.
In order to eliminate waste, Visteon has launched an enterprise plan that
calls for the replacement of its existing business systems with new, highly
integrated software applications.
These applications will support the information requirements of new and
existing customers, and integrate Visteon's business functions to deliver high
quality products and services. Systems slated for restructuring include
product information, procurement, manufacturing and material planning,
accounting, financial analysis, order management, and electronic data
interchange.
The new applications will help customers, suppliers and employees optimize
the speed and efficiency of business transactions and will establish a
standard technical architecture that will allow Visteon to communicate
effectively with all of its customers.
"We are creating standard, enterprise processes that integrate the efforts
of our people from across Visteon," said Stephen W. Delaney, Visteon vice
president of Supply and Process Leadership. "Because of our broad technical
and global capabilities, we are creating new products such as Visteon's new
super-integrated cockpit, that combine the technology of several businesses
within Visteon. It is important that the business processes and information
are standardized and integrated so that wasteful translations don't occur.
This integrated set of enterprise processes and business systems, along with
lean product development and lean manufacturing, are the key elements of our
lean enterprise strategy.
"As we continue to grow, we also require flexible information systems that
accommodate the needs of our customers and suppliers with an affordable
architecture," Delaney continued. "This plan not only integrates processes,
but enables maximum flexibility to communicate with customers and suppliers
using low cost Internet Protocol."
Visteon will partner with a number of vendors to build the application
architecture. Among them are SAP, SDRC, Netscape, Aspect Development and i2
Technologies.
Visteon will utilize SAP for its R/3 central business process modules to
act as the backbone for business transactions. R/3 processes and workflow
will replace most of Visteon's existing transactions in the purchasing,
accounting, financial analysis, sales order management and distribution areas.
Enhanced supplier commodity strategy capability will be supported by Aspect
Development, and enhanced material planning and execution capability will be
supported by i2 Technologies.
SDRC's Metaphase will be utilized for product data management, master bill
of material management, and engineering release workflow. It will be
integrated with SAP.
Electronic Data Interchange and other forms of electronic commerce will be
supported through a partnership with Netscape, where the unique EDI
requirements of all customers can be met quickly and affordably.
"Our customers in the automotive industry are quite sophisticated in their
use of electronic data today, and we see this trend continuing," Delaney said.
"We're leveraging the Internet to make Visteon easy to work with for our
customers, and we will further utilize this technology to communicate with our
supply base.
"The use of electronic commerce coupled with the integrated transaction
systems takes time and effort out of our enterprise process. This is the
essence of supporting the lean enterprise," he concluded.
Visteon, an enterprise of Ford Motor Company , has 82,000
employees located in 21 countries. Visteon has 81 plants, including 32 joint
ventures, and 36 sales offices, engineering and technical centers. Visteon's
corporate headquarters is located in Dearborn, Michigan.