by Thomas Cutler

Visibility Corporation (www.visibility.com) is a leading developer and supplier of
business software solutions designed for the unique needs of project-based,
engineer-to-order and to-order manufacturers. Visibility’s Enterprise Application
solutions help midsize manufacturers of complex products operate their businesses
effectively. Visibility has an extensive customer base throughout North America and
Europe and has the strongest representation of ERP among complex manufacturers.

Project Accounting is a cost collection and planning tool that provides the ability to:

- Define and organize projects or master projects and project Work Breakdown Structures
(WBS)

- Capture and report actual costs charged to a project through any linked transaction or
activity

- Get real-time reporting for analysis of budget vs. actual cost amounts

- Predict final project costs and estimated completion amounts

- Extrapolate revenue to recognize from actual and estimate reconciliation

According to Thomas R. Cutler, leading manufacturing journalist, in the current issue of
Manufacturing & Logistics IT, “Rollalong was awarded the £40 million, seven-year
contract to design and manufacture accommodations for Junior and Senior Ranks and
Officers in Aldershot and Salisbury Plain under Project Allenby/Connaught, to upgrade
British Army accommodation. Rollalong will be working in close partnership with Aspire,
a joint venture between KBR and Carillion. Rollalong was selected by Aspire after
searching the marketplace for a volumetric modular supplier who could deliver reduced
risk, short build programs, quality, minimal site disruption and high performance
accommodation.”

To accomplish the Aspire Project, a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution for
the Project-based manufacturer was required. The incumbent ERP vendor specifically
lacked deep and broad Project Accounting and Project Inventory functionality which was
of primary importance to Rollalong. Technologically, the incumbent system lacked the
collaborative, automatic electronically-controlled process, and real-time capabilities
derived from the .net architecture in the new VISIBILITY.net product selected. The
project-based functionality was the central issue in the technology selection. Project
Accounting and Project Inventory functionality is considered a significant value-add by
Rollalong because it enables the company to control the costs of the Aspire contract, as
well as other contracts they perform in their business; additionally the new ERP
solution allowed the company the ability to bill customers in accordance with commercial
terms that are the norm for project-driven businesses, such as stage invoicing and
retentions. Rollalong viewed these primary requirements as the keys to profitable
contracting with appropriate cash flows over the life of the contracts. The .net
technology architecture and the capabilities derived from the new technology provided
Rollalong with the conductivity and stability required as they invest in their next
generation core IT systems.

Dean Williams Rollalong’s IT manager and Tim Cowhigg, Managing Director, were central in
the decision-making process and noted that the Project Accounting module provided the
tools needed to manage all projects on time and within budgets, including multiple
budget revisions. The Project Accounting module extended into every module within the
enterprise system; providing the means to manage on a project basis. Additionally it
also enabled each department to operate optimally with a mix of project and non-project
work.

VISIBILITY.net is an integrated ERP solution and more. Offering unparalleled
functionality and integrated workflow, this browser-based solution cost effectively
delivers the power of .NET-based Web services for use with either a Microsoft SQL
Server™ or Oracle® database. Conducting business any place, any time, any where is a
reality, deployable with unprecedented flexibility.

Visibility www.visibility.com Mark Thornton

::About the Author::

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