San Ramon, CA – March 28, 2005 – Relevant Business Systems, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider to leading Aerospace & Defense, Engineer-to-Order, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul and Contract Manufacturing firms, announced today the release of a Product Data Management (PDM) module that complements and extends Relevant’s ERP software. This new module provides a secure central repository for product lifecycle data and ensures that parts, routing processes, and BOMs always reflect the latest revision.

For Engineer-to-Order, Build-to-Order, and even many discrete manufacturers, incorrect or untimely revision tracking can be a major headache. Following outdated routings or producing to outdated specs is costly, both in terms of labor and materials, and in maintaining competitive turn-around times. Although many software applications contain revisions, many simply display the current revision and the date of the revision.

In manufacturing environments it is critical to maintain strict controls of all changes to a part, process, or BOM and the documents that support those revisions. Because of that, Relevant’s PDM module presents the user with significant advantages, including:

• A secure central repository of all documents: Master data for all parts, processes and/or BOMs are stored in a secure "vault". Strict document controls ensure all changes are tracked, controlled and recorded.
• Correct and current information is instantly available: Documents are physically associated to parts, processes and/or BOMs and are available on the shop floor in complete detail ensuring it is always the latest version.
• Strict requirement to attach documents at the time of creation: PDM “forces” strict document control compliance by requiring the association of change documents at the time the revision is created. This capability virtually eliminates the possibility of outdated documentation in use in the manufacturing environment.
• PDM is embedded in the ERP system itself: Since PDM is not a 3rd-party application, it can identify existing orders during the revision process itself. Affected orders can be placed on hold until the revision is completed.

Pat Garrehy, President & CEO of Relevant Business Systems states, “Document control is a business requirement for just about every customer and prospect we talk to. In the industries we support, especially Aerospace & Defense, our customers have expressed a need for strict document control. The new PDM module not only responds to that need, by ratchetes up the bar for other software providers”.