Software with the power to maximize customer service while slashing inventory

Designed for companies with both a substantial inventory investment and a need for high customer service. Ever wonder how your toughest competitors manage their inventory, customer service, demand forecasting, and expediting so successfully?  It's simple, they use FGS.  FGS—The Finished Goods Series—is the world's most capable demand forecasting and inventory planning system.  Designed from the ground up to interface quickly and easily with other systems (ERP, MRP, OSB, WMS, etc.), standard or custom, FGS can sharpen your competitive edge.

How do you know if you need FGS?

Since 1983 E/Step Software has been working with companies just like yours.  Every one of these companies has come to us with one or more of the following concerns:

• Don't expect your ERP system to solve these problems.
  
  Unlike large ERP systems with their  wide-but-not-deep approach, FGS is narrow in scope but incorporates far greater depth than any other system today. Customer service is too low
• Inventory is too high for most products
• Inventory is too low for some products
• Our demand forecasts are inaccurate
• We spend too much time expediting
• We can't afford to match our competitors' high service levels
• Cash flow is a problem with so much tied up in inventory
• Our low turns are hurting profitability
• Our warehouse is too small
• We don't have enough manufacturing capacity

If any of these sound familiar, FGS can help.

Who uses FGS?

Industries Served

FGS is used in a wide variety of industries including manufacturing (both process and discrete), distribution, service parts, and service shops, among others.  For manufacturers it applies to both the make-to-stock and assemble-to-order environments; for distributors, both the central warehouse and the direct ship environments.  FGS is used by companies both large and small, from Fortune 50 conglomerates to small privately held businesses.  Essentially FGS can help any company carrying more than about $1 million in inventory. 

Why do our clients love us?

What our clients say about FGS

E/Step Software gives top priority to satisfying its customers.  One aspect of this is that all our technical support representatives, consultants, instructors, and programmers are engineers with several decades of experience in this field.  Another aspect is the emphasis we place on achieving the greatest possible flexibility and depth in our software.  The rave reviews we receive in all of these areas are proof of the success of this approach.  An additional proof is that our first client—from 1984—is still an active and enthusiastic user of FGS.  Clients may change out their ERP system, but they keep using FGS.

Clients also love us because of the results FGS achieves:  greatly reduced inventory and expediting while delivering higher levels of customer service and forecast accuracy.  Inventory savings are typically 30% and sometimes as high as 75%.

Implementing FGS

 

Still undecided?

 Here are some ideas to help you reach your decision. 

 Implementation alternatives .

Contact E/Step Software Inc. to discuss your environment, needs, and objectives.  We'll design the education and implementation plan that's right for you.

FGS Quick Facts

• Totally focused on forecasting and inventory planning
• Windows-based, graphics-rich
• Easy to use, comprehensive and extremely flexible
• Easily integrated with existing systems such as Oracle, SAP, JD Edwards, etc.
• User-level interfacing tool to talk to any system, standard or homegrown
• Both interactive and batch operation (via scripts, with script recorder)

Key features

The primary modules in FGS are used by all FGS users.

•  Demand Forecasting—Build initial forecast models from demand history data, to generate a time-phased estimate of future demand on any user-defined calendar out to any horizon.  Use SPC techniques to flag questionable forecasts.  Graphically review/override selected forecast models.  Measure the impact of the new forecast models on inventory investment.
•  Inventory Planning—Calculate safety stocks (and lot quantities) required to achieve service targets.  Simulate alternative inventory/service strategies to get the right service for the right price.  Optionally drive safety stock down to intermediate or raw material levels.
•  Database—Import/export data from your other systems.  Add your own database fields to make FGS fit your processes.  Query your database to learn about your products' forecasts and inventory plans.  Automate your processes with scripts.  Publish results to company-wide databases.

If you don't already have a Master Scheduling, MRP, or DRP system, you can use the optional FGS modules:

• Replenishment Planning—Establish order policies to model your replenishment processes.  Based on your current quantities on order and on hand, generate time-phased replenishment plans.  Drive master warehouse demand based on net requirements from satellite warehouses.  Drive component plans down through the bill of materials based on net demand from their parents.  Action messages warn of inventory imbalances.  Summarize inventory projections for management.
• Distribution Planning—Establish transfer orders to balance the satellite inventory with the master inventory.  Action message recommend changes to the shipping plans. Fair-Shares Allocation recommends shipments.