CDC Software today announced an update of its Ross Enterprise ERP software aimed at improving usability and interoperability, lowering IT maintenance costs, and increasing visibility throughout the manufacturing enterprise.

The new release, Ross Enterprise 6.3, leverages CDC’s Smart Client technology, which includes a browser-like interface combined with extensive functionality and processing logic in the background, and provides deeper integration with Microsoft desktop applications, letting users extract data from Ross ERP through the familiar front ends of Office, Outlook, SharePoint, and other Microsoft products.

The integration to familiar desktop tools such as Outlook and Office drives up user comfort and adoption, said David Cahn, vice president of product strategy at CDC Software, in an interview with Managing Automation. CDC Software plans to “extend those integrations with Microsoft Office even further in the future,” he added.

The new Smart Client-based user interface gives users throughout the enterprise — from sourcing through order to cash — the flexibility to configure their desktops with information appropriate to their particular functions.

Other new features in the new Ross application, which is designed for process manufacturers, are said to provide greater visibility into production and supply chain operations. For example, the company has added a process and production flow inquiry that workers can use to check material availability, based on scheduled dates and manufacturing requirements. The expanded visibility into existing and projected inventory availability enables manufacturers, for instance, to accurately quote shipping targets on new orders.

Previous versions of the Ross software allowed access to the same data, but with 6.3, users can now view all the information on a single screen, Cahn said.

That “ability to serve up the right information at the right time is sharp,” said Simon Jacobson, AMR Research senior research analyst, who noted that knowledge workers would be the ones who will benefit most from the Smart Client interface. “If you’re doing a 20-second process, you don’t want to spend two minutes getting the data,” he said.

In addition, CDC Software added a project accounting module in version 6.3 to enable users to manage projects and meet financial reporting requirements over the life of the project. Users can streamline their management of direct costs and expenses associated with a project, such as new product development, capital projects, quality testing, or compliance with government regulations.

A landed cost feature in Ross 6.3 factors in costs related to material, such as freight, insurance, handling, and duty, when users value inventories at the time of receipt. And a product costing enhancement provides flexibility in valuing different types of inventory using various costing methodologies within the same warehouse.

The new Ross application is expected to carry a lower total cost of ownership through centralized system administration, lower deployment costs, and reduced maintenance requirements when installing system upgrades, according to the company.