SMR Automotive Integrates Business With QAD

April 8, 2011 - PRLog -- QAD Inc. (NASDAQ- QADA, QADB), a leading provider of enterprise business software and services for global manufacturers, announced today that SMR Automotive Services, a member of Samvardhana Motherson Group — one of the world’s largest manufacturer of external rearview mirrors for passenger cars — is deploying QAD Enterprise Applications throughout all of its sites allowing centralization of operations and improving efficiency.

SMR manufactures exterior and interior mirrors and blind spot detection systems for all passenger vehicle segments to nearly every automaker in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.  As a vertically integrated operation with 16 manufacturing plants, SMR needed to streamline its processes and workflows to reduce work duplications globally and maximize its return on investment and utilization of key resources.

SMR selected QAD Enterprise Applications for its focus on automotive parts manufacturing. With its built-in automotive process maps, based on Mateials Management Operations Guidelines/Logistics Evaluation (MMOG/LE) compliance requirements, QAD Enterprise Applications provide exactly what SMR requires to develop audit-ready, workflow and process best practices at all of its plants.

QAD automotive process maps enable SMR users to navigate through graphical views the company’s business model before drilling down into specific workflows and  processes, including operational metrics, compliance checkpoints, training, work instructions, and direct access to QAD Enterprise Applications software. And, with QAD Enteprise Applications’ .NET User Interface, SMR employees are able improve personal productivity, as well as learn how to use the applications more easily than ever before.

“With QAD Enterprise Applications and its embedded process maps, we are able to establish global standards, which we can use for change management to roll out our best practices at each single plant in our organization,” explained Christophe Sib, director global IT business systems at SMR Automotive.

Sib added, “We now have a competitive advantage. Our customers and OEMs are pleased that we’re using QAD Enterprise Applications, because we don’t have to invest additional time and resources on audits. We’re able to re-allocate these saving to develop value-added activities that improve customer satisfaction.”

As an automotive manufacturer and supplier, SMR also is at the forefront of lean manufacturing, and looking to improve its just-in-time manufacturing techniques to cut waste from its operations. QAD Enterprise Applications will enable SMR to apply lean practices including communicating with its supply chain, and automating data collection and consolidation for a variety of business operations, including quality, delivery and safety.

About SMR
SMR (Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec), a member of Samvardhana Motherson Group, is one of the largest manufacturers of rear vision systems for the global automotive industry. SMR manufactures exterior mirrors, interior mirrors and blind spot detection systems for all passenger vehicle segments to nearly every carmaker in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. SMR currently employs about 4,400 people at 16 manufacturing sites in Europe, America, Asia and Australia. SMR is dedicated to meet demands in quality, safety, aesthetics and economic efficiency. SMR was founded in 1935 in Esslingen, Germany – known as Reitter & Schefenacker. Since 2009, the company is part of the Samvardhana Motherson Group.

About QAD
QAD is a leading provider of enterprise applications for global manufacturing companies specializing in automotive, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, industrial and life science products. QAD applications, including QAD On Demand, provide critical functionality for managing manufacturing resources and operations within and beyond the enterprise, enabling global manufacturers to collaborate with their customers, suppliers and partners to make and deliver the right product, at the right cost and at the right time. For more information about QAD, telephone +1 805-566-6000, or visit the QAD web site at www.qad.com.

"QAD" is a registered trademark of QAD Inc. All other products or company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to Investors:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, evolving demand for the company's software products and products that operate with the company's products; the company's ability to sustain license and service demand; the company's ability to leverage changes in technology; the company's ability to sustain customer renewal rates at current levels; the publication of opinions by industry and financial analysts about the company, its products and technology; the reliability of estimates of transaction and integration costs and benefits; the entry of new competitors or new offerings by existing competitors and the associated announcement of new products and technological advances by them; delays in localizing the company's products for new or existing markets; the ability to recruit and retain key personnel; delays in sales as a result of lengthy sales cycles; changes in operating expenses, pricing, timing of new product releases, the method of product distribution or product mix; timely and effective integration of newly acquired businesses; general economic conditions; exchange rate fluctuations; and, the global political environment. In addition, revenue and earnings in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software industry are subject to fluctuations. Software license revenue, in particular, is subject to variability with a significant proportion of revenue earned in the last month of each quarter. Given the high margins associated with license revenue, modest fluctuations can have a substantial impact on net income. Investors should not use any one quarter's results as a benchmark for future performance. For a more detailed description of the risk factors associated with the company and the industries in which it operates, please refer to the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2010 ended January 31, 2010.

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Founded in 1979, QAD has been recognized as a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software applications for global manufacturing companies. Today, QAD enterprise applications leverage advances in Internet and enabling technologies to provide critical functionality for managing manufacturing resources and operations within and beyond the enterprise, enabling global manufacturers to collaborate with their customers, suppliers and partners to make and deliver the right product, at the right cost and at the right time.

QAD enterprise applications are focused and optimized for select manufacturing industry segments: automotive, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, industrial and life sciences.