DELMIAworks reviews

There are many Pros to EIQ. First, it is a TRUE ERP package. EIQ has INTEGRATED has all the elements necessary to run a plastics business. These are IQMS written modules, not a skeleton package that 'bolts on' other vendor applications. Second, the EIQ implementation was on schedule for each plant where we deployed it. Third, IQMS excels at listening to 'the voice of the customer'. IQMS listens very closely to the requests and suggestions of the user community. The IQMS user group is very active and the user group meetings that IQMS hosts are very productive. Fourth, IQMS keeps the software fresh. As new innovations and practices are developed in the general ERP world, IQMS is right there updating the software to reflect the current state of ERP thinking. Fifth, IQMS is niche market. We use EIQ for plastics processing and it speaks the language of plastics. Try to find a generic ERP package that talks about Regrind, Runners, Sprue, Blends at the press, cavitation, etc.

Customer Service is not 24/7

This system goes from quote to customer right through sales, purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, quality control, material review board, non-conformance, returns. HR modules and document control are available. Warehouse and distribution allowing for scanners and barcoding. Many many add on's within the same software company - as well as the ability to go outside the core and get third party spreadsheet add on's that make reporting a breeze. Unbelievable continuity in this system. This is the first system where the schedule was actually useful - we do not have to do our scheduling outside the system!!!! With crystal report writer, every report can be modified to your specific needs. With various areas for custom fields in all sorts of places, you can set your own fields that you require that are not already in an extensive list of fields already available. We have implemented the core packages plus MRO, Quality, Document Control and are planning to put some HR and warehouse management packages on shortly.

Because of its overwhelming ability to do almost anything, sometimes you are disappointed by some small things it cannot do. Sometimes you have to go through a couple of people to find the best solution to your problems in support, but generally they get you the answers in a timely manner.

Customer service oriented.
Robust, feature rich, fault tolerant, scalable, flexible.
Quick right click jump features everywhere.
Lots of customization possibilities.
Many automation options from order entry (EDI) to real time scheduling on the floor, to labeling and shipping out the door.
Crystal Reports and regularly scheduled Alerts Server allows granular management by exception as needed (this combo comes close to being your silver bullet).
Integrated EDI solution, serialization, bar code scanning, real time workstation monitoring (no 3rd party complications).
Getting to appropriate support level for your problems is better than most software companies. IQMS will engage you at multiple levels in a variety of ways to try to meet your needs: online docs, webinars, emails/calls to support or the users group, plus online training and/or consulting options at additional cost.

No real cons that wouldn't apply generally to all other ERP software (for example, the cost of annual maintenance and license pricing model, better tools for monitoring license usage, cumbersome security, and the upgrade process).
You do need at least one full time in-house "champion."
Most of our issues with IQ tend to be self-inflicted and usually come from our internal lack of proper understanding of the appropriate use of the program, and/or real world constraints (for example, "do you want it under budget or on time?"). As with any software support, sometimes you must patiently ask complicated questions a couple of different ways before you both reach a mutual understanding of each other's positions.

The features that IQMS has are all fairly well developed and mature. Support staff can be incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. There are a wide array of software modules with highly configurable settings to cover most production situations for a diverse array of firms.

IQMS implementation specialists can leave a lot to be desired. Many essential features of our install were never configured or were configured incorrectly. To that extent IQMS is highly reliant on companies having individuals with high aptitudes for trouble shooting and problem solving. If your company has this sort of talent, it can be an incredibly helpful software suite. Without that baseline expertise or talent, IQMS can hurt more than it helps. Additionally, the licensing for IQMS is quite expensive, which can make implementing the full range of software impossible. For some companies, modules like RealTime Production monitoring will never be cost effective, and other software features of IQMS are hamstrung by an absence of crucial pieces like RealTime. Because of the way that IQMS' business logic is designed, businesses will necessarily need to make some changes to the way they operate to bring them more into line with the best practices set up by IQMS. Unfortunately, the exact nature of these best practices and the gaps in an individual business' adoption of these best practices is not well specified by IQMS.

IQ is a feature rich/constantly evolving ERP system-handling mission critical/multi-plant business processes, eliminating multiple points of data entry and the associated errors
IQAlert e-mailed exception reports-employees can focus on meeting customer needs
EDI is fully integrated, not a third party solution-allowing us to work as part of a team with IQ and our customers to improve performance results
WMS insures data integrity-provides instant visibility to inventory, enabling employees to virtually eliminate product/quantity shipping errors
MRP engine is like greased lightning-IQAlert scheduled 6 times/day-runs in < 3.5 minutes
Capable to Promise-enables us to provide information to customers during initial contact vs call back later
IQ User Group-refreshing collection of super users sharing knowledge/experience
IQ employees from top to bottom-knowledgeable, very receptive to requests for software enhancements if ultimately the best solution

Employees that are not fully engaged sometimes have difficulty understanding and/or utilizing the efficiencies inherent in IQ. However, several cost and time effective training options are available that range from learning basic navigation/software capability skills thru expanding knowledge of application specific IQ functionality.
Security Administration can be fairly complex and cumbersome to maintain, especially after software updates although there has been recent improvement in this area.

EnterpriseIQ is a very comprehensive and robust ERP system. We were able to consolidate our old ERP and several independent, and often redundant databases, spreadsheets and other systems into one central application. In general, the system is reliable and easy to maintain. Support is good, readily available, and domestic. No pressing (1) for English. IQMS as a company seems to value its customers, and is responsive to their needs and wants as a whole. The software is continually being enhanced, both in depth and breadth. The MRP engine is powerful and very quick, taking just a few minutes to generate. Overall, the system is very intuitive and user friendly. New users are able to learn and become functional quickly. Additionally, great training is available in person or via the web. IQMS is very integrated, so it is easy to jump from one module to another without having to navigate endless menus. IQMS comes with many pre-written reports and customization is relatively easy with CR.

In the grand scheme of things, relative to other ERP systems, there are few drawbacks to IQMS, and no showstoppers for NBP. Occasionally the MRP engine creates a work order that doesn't seem to have any demand, so sometimes I have to evaluate the need for an order manually to be sure. Security/permissions for the system is a bit cumbersome at times, but IQMS has improved that recently and continues to work on it. Alerts seems to be a bit unstable. I don't know if that is a widespread issue or unique to us, but I frequently have to restart the app. We have not been able to get IQ to fit our needs for quoting, but in all fairness our system is fairly elaborate. We also found the Workforce module to be weak.

Enterprise IQ is the only system that truly integrates manufacturing and financial systems together. Their strength is that it has been developed with the focus on manufacturing rather than financial. Most ERP systems start with the financial side including order entry, purchasing and the like most do not support manufacturing and manufacturing processes or recommend third party applications to enhance their system in an attempt to provide a full ERP solution. IQMS's focus has always been manufacturing first. The beauty of Enterprise IQ is that you have one install to support. The infrastructure is built so they all work together seamlessly. IQMS is one of the most customer focused organizations I know. The development cycle, User Group meetings and Change Request systems all work together to enhance or make the system more user friendly. They are very easy to work with, the staff is extremely knowledgeable about the entire system and are a pleasure to work with.

There are not many cons to speak of. I believe this is due to the fact that they have a very robust system that is extensively tested prior to release and that they are such a customer focused organization. They do not always accommodate all change requests however they do make an effort to review it and respond as to why or why not the change will be accepted or rejected.

We were able to purchase and start using the system in about 9 weeks. While I don't recommend this timeframe, it demonstrates that IQ has worked out the bugs, and the system works, all you have to do is load your data.

The system is very robust because pretty much everything you need is already there, you don't end up paying for alot of extra customization.

Because the system is integrated, the upgrades are pretty smooth. Previous systems were so splintered and customized that you couldn't afford to upgrade because the you might break something else.

Overall the system is pretty intuitive and consistent from a users standpoint. The right click jumps are very useful.

There are some quirks that rise up due to IQ's history of coming from the plastics industry. We had a few misteps in the initial setup but the IQ support was very helpful.

The help documentation is lacking in a few places and doesn't always tell you what the ramifications of your choices are. i.e. if you make something a packaging type inventory item, the BOM functions are handled differently.

The standard cost rollup tool doesn't roll up all the way through multiple layers in the BOM so the roll has to be repeated multiple times to capture all standard cost updates.

The security administration is complex and cumbersome.

Very manufacturing friendly and has all the functionality you need to run an entire manufacturing company. In addition, the IQMS MES system is seamless and provides valuable data in Real-Time. There are drag/drop charts that mesh quality data with process data, tolerance setting to monitor processes as well as workflows to remove paper and allow processes, forms, reports to be paperless. Communication to departments is built-in along with document control and storage. I can also see everything that is going on while on the road with the mobility built-in.

The financial package does not have great 'drill down' capability for variances if you use the standard costing vs actual costing. However, the newest version does have this capability but I have not used it yet.

IQMS manages our injection molding operations extremely well. The scheduling and purchasing modules are slick, and the program can handle all the quirky aspects of our industry such as family tools, running down cavitation, concentrate let-down ratios, sales orders with multiple releases, etc. The Real Time monitoring system collects data as jobs are run, and managers can see the current status of all presses on a single screen. The captured info is used in the program to calculate 'runs best' data that is continually refined as jobs are run multiple times, and used in the scheduling module.

The program can do so much, and we are only using a fraction of its capabilities, but plan on using more and more as time goes on.

Technical Support is good, as are the on-site consultants.

Reports are written in Crystal reports, which allows infinite customization.

IQMS is not the most intuitive program, and thus there is a steep learning curve at implementation. For example, some very useful screens are really hidden and a user would never 'stumble' upon them or even know about their existance if not shown by a trainer. Also, the screens/menus are not consistant across all modules. For example, there are different ways to sort lists depending on what screen you are in. However, once users have been trained and have a month's experience in the areas they work in, it is very easy to manuever around.

The 'canned' reports are not always that great, but if you know Crystal you can tweak them to your heart's content. You can also request a custom report from IQMS for a fee.

The accounting module does the job, but is really awkward to use. (if your bookkeepers are accustomed to Quickbooks or Peachtree, they are going to 'hate' IQMS).

IQ continues to: A) improve existing functionality, and B) Add functionality in response to customer input and new markets. This has allowed us to use the program for an injection plastics, rubber molding and a metal turning operation.

Customer service is excellent, and I have heard they are working on 24/7 access.

Documentation is excellent overall - if you use the help files they will normally answer most questions.

Web based training was very useful and an inexpensive way to get many folks familiar with the system.

Intermodule jumps are wonderful (jump from a PO to inventory, receipts, invoices, etc) and constantly amaze.

The ability to create a user-defined table at most important places reduces the need to "steal" a field for another use - very innovative and less prone to "folklore" type mistakes.

Tracing of transactions, such as PO changes, or customer changes to delivery requests are invaluable when attempting to see what happened and when.

We don't use the EDI, WMS (RF scanners), label printing or Time and Attendance modules because of the complexity of our needs - others do, so this is not necessarily a minus for all potential users.

The IQMS ERP software is a well rounded and full-featured software package. Manufacturing modules are specifically designed for plastic injection manufacturing. Software has a comprehensive set of modules and covers everything from manufacturing, inventory, accounting, supply chain and human resources activities. We have found IQMS customer service and technical support to be excellent.

Some modules are a bit clunky and difficult to use. There is also a lack of an API structure to allow for customization by the customer. Use of product in a WAN environment requires use of Terminal Services and/or Citrix for client connectivity. Upgrading the software is also a cumbersome process.

- EnterpriseIQ is a very flexible, feature-rich application with a nicely integrated set of modules
- Industry specific with many built-in enhancements specific to the plastic molding and manufacturing industry
- User-friendly interface with good security framework and functionality across all modules
- Use of standard Crystal Reports for custom reporting
- Robust Oracle back end database
- Has the ability to run as a Citrix Server published application
- Handles multi-plant configuration scenarios
- Web and RF based modules for some computing functionality on mobile and scanner devices
- Helpful and responsive customer service and tech support
- Decent built-in and online help documentation
- Online, instructor-led training classes available for most modules

- Installation and configuration of database server, client machines and various other components is a bit complicated and can be very tricky if upgrading hardware or software versions
- Have encountered occasional flaws/bugs or shortcomings in functionality within some modules (may be addressed in more recent versions)
- Barcode label printing is cumbersome and difficult to configure and maintain across multiple remote locations
- No public API or developer license to make customizations to database schema or application modules
- Customer service / tech support not available 24/7
- Client applications not Windows 64 bit compatible

Relatively intuitive layout and features that enable customization and connectivity throughout the program. Excellent documentation and customer support when questions come up. Our company has used the software for six years and it's been serving us well. EIQ is designed to be worked out of almost completely and when taken advantage of, it can be very powerful in that regard.

Custom made reports via Crystal Reports take a long while to process in comparison to the on-board reports that come with EIQ, this can certainly cut into productivity time. Data maintenance can be a bit of a chore, sometimes, since mass loading cannot be handled by the end-user or the DBA(s). Unfortunately, there are no drill-downs available for inventory cost analysis.

For approximately the last 6 years we have been refining our ISO systems as well as integrating IQMS quality module into our plant. The Quality module has allowed us to design our systems and then mold the functionality of the quality module to fit our needs. As with many of the modules - there are so many choices, options and things to set up - if you don't have a good manual system then developing a brand new system within IQMS can be overwhelming. However - this is also it's greatest asset letting us define how we need to use the system to help us. We utilize all aspects of the quality module to do our daily work and often times our customers tell us our systems are better than theirs - and these comments are audits done by medical device customers. Our ISO auditors and IQMS consultants also indicate that we are unique in our passion to use as much of each module as we can implement...and we are still implementing as we learn to use each module well

Can't think of any immediate "con's". Obviiously we struggle at times to get a system to do what we want, but that often is a function of us not having the right approach or unwilling to change/adapt. In time and usually with brainstorming we are able to acheive desired results.

This software has a lot of great features. This is very user friendly and easy to navigate.

IQMS created some additional custom software for us. Unfortunately, whenever we discover issues that need to be corrected we have to wait months for IQMS to release updates to fix the issues. Then if the updates don't correct the issues we have to wait some more. Honestly, the phone support is pretty good. I think it would help if you had better face to face customer/service support.

The software is easy to use with the ability to jump to other modules within each screen. Upgrades are straight-forward and can be accomplished with in-house staff.

Releases tend to have a lot of bugs that may prevent upgrading. Be careful to test upgrades before applying to your live environment.

IQMS provides information at every step of our business, from raw materials to shipped product and from prospect to repeat customer.

Customizable user fields and user forms allow us to adjust the system to fit our processes, rather than the other way around.

Because IQMS data resides in the well-known and well-documented Oracle database, custom reports, data-mining, and intelligent read-only extensions are a breeze.

IQMS also continues to add value to our business by being very receptive to user requests for software changes, and has provided multiple upgrades to allow us to utilize more features of the software and make our processes as efficient as possible.

Updates are monolithic and, while providing great value in terms of new features, can cause unintended consequences. Due to their scope, they are difficult to fully test before implementation.

The software is more focused on the plastics industry than others in the manufacturing sections and it took a lot more effort during implementation to understand and setup the software correctly.
The security administration is not the most intuitive, and needs to be reviewed after each upgrade.

User licenses are expensive and add to yearly costs.