CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
18 October 2005
Implementation Investments
Thomas Built Buses Selects AIMS for Production-Driven Quality Operations Collaborative
AIMS, a provider of manufacturing lifecycle management solutions, announced that Thomas Built Buses Inc. has selected AIMS MLM solution set for its production-driven quality operations at its C2 Bus Manufacturing Facility, the most technologically advanced commercial vehicle production plant in the DaimlerChrysler group.
Thomas Built Buses, located in High Point, North Carolina, is a manufacturer of commercial transit, school bus and specialty vehicles. Since their first bus rolled off the assembly line in 1936, business has grown and so has the complexity of their production and quality operations. With make-to-order content on every vehicle, as well as significant safety and compliance requirements, it is critical to Thomas Built Buses that quality is built in each operation of production from body assembly to paint and trim. For many manufacturers, quality is the sole task of a separate department. With the complexity and mix of products manufactured here, production must be a partner in the achievement of world class quality.
Thomas Built Buses has chosen modules within AIMS lifecycle operations management solution, AIMS Tracker, to support their practice of building in quality through production involvement. With its highly intuitive operation, AIMS Tracker ensures that production is able to enter quality data rapidly at critical points as the vehicle progresses through the manufacturing process. Equipment interfaces to speed the process further are planned for specific operations.
Another significant aspect of the choice was AIMS MLMs ability to integrate tightly with UGS Team CenterT, the product lifecycle management tool used by Thomas Built Buses to manage order configuration. Thomas Built Buses production process involves complex custom builds and to be effective and efficient, quality operations will be driven from individual orders so that custom options are dynamically made part of the control plan, in addition to standard check items.
"AIMS provides an extremely flexible tool empowering production to actively manage quality in a make-to-order environment," said Chris Moore, Quality Manager, Thomas Built Buses. "With this collaborative tool, we can provide customized quality management operations, enabling both shop floor and quality personnel to contribute to the overall result. As a result of implementing this new solution, we will leverage the benefits of our Team Center implementation while significantly reducing costs to maintain the exceptional level of quality on which our customers have come to depend."
"We are delighted that Thomas Built Buses has chosen AIMS to help them grow their leadership position in this demanding business," said Perry Smith, President and CEO, AIMS. "Our products provide critical capabilities that are easily integrated with existing systems and facilities to provide exceptional value and competitive advantage. Just as important, they are part of a comprehensive yet modular framework that can be deployed incrementally, as benefits realized in one area lead to opportunities in another."
Thomas Built Buses, Inc ., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Freightliner and a part of DaimlerChrysler AG. Headquartered in High Point, N.C., USA, the company supports manufacturing operations in the U.S., with several sites in High Point.
Freightliner LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of Class 3-8 vehicles. Freightliner produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Freightliner is a company of DaimlerChrysler, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.
AIMS is a manufacturing solutions provider whose customers include top manufacturers such as BMW, Brunswick, Lear, Hospira, and Nomacorc, LLC. Based on standard Internet technologies, MLM deployments scale from hosted ASP to single plant, division, and enterprise-wide and provide integration interfaces with enterprise software and production equipment. Databases supported include Oracle, DB2, and MS SQL. Client interfaces range from industrial PCs to tablets, PDAs, and mobile phones. AIMS MLM provides functions including custom order entry, production process progress tracking, material and resource usage, supplier quality, corrective actions, defective material, in-process quality, event notification, status display, standard and custom reports. For more information, please visit http://www.aimsco.com .
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