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FunStep Case Study: Factory Control Systems

Brighton based Factory Control Systems (FCS) has been supplying Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions to the furniture industry since 1995.

FIRA became involved in the funStep project in 2000, and contacted FCS Managing Director Peter Jones about getting involved with the scheme to promote easier data exchange within the industry. He was encouraged to contact FIRA’s equivalent organisation in Spain, AIDIMA, which co-ordinates the project, and this led to Peter becoming an integral part of the funStep Interest Group, which now has 700 members.

“The concept of funStep as an all embracing data sharing solution sounded an exciting and interesting idea, and with so many incompatible systems around it made perfect sense to have a standard,” said Peter.

“I went to a series of meetings in Spain and Brussels where responsibilities of the project were refined, and soon became instrumental in developing the software, especially in respect of XML. Initially there was talk of having complete databases available to all users, but this was neither practical nor desirable, as such transparency would mean important data such as customer records would be compromised.

“Instead the standard evolved to a stage where we could develop shared catalogues and purchasing/ordering for everyday business use. In the past we had developed customised proprietary versions of XML for ordering which met the needs of our clients, but because they were specific to each customer they were not compatible with each other. ISO 10303-236 presented an opportunity for people to communicate in a standard way”.

Peter concedes that some companies are reluctant to get involved for various reasons.

“I gave a presentation in the UK where someone said: ‘We have systems in our own company which are incompatible with each other, why would we want to share information with the world?’ There is a definite fear factor attached to funStep, but that shouldn’t be the case. You only publish what you want to publish; it’s not about making your intellectual property public knowledge or releasing other private details about your business.

“The way companies do things is another factor. Big retailers have their own systems and don’t want to feel ‘restricted’ by standards, while many small retailers still take orders using a pen and paper without having any PCs. People have said to me they could have written down the order by the time they had turned on a computer, but that’s missing the point. What if the paper gets lost? What if the details are incorrect? With funStep such ambiguities are taken out of the equation, as information is consistent. It also takes a straightjacket approach in that all conceivable questions must be answered at the time of purchase, eliminating potential problems. And because it is designed to be compatible with other funStep users, there is no need to re-enter data, saving time, cost and the possibility of human error.

“I am confident we will reach a tipping point where funStep is no longer seen as a luxury but as a necessity as ecommerce really takes off, and once that happens everyone will jump on the bandwagon. From our perspective we wanted to be at the forefront of what was happening because it gives us kudos and allows us to give reassurance to our customers that we have been intimately involved in the project, and I can see immense value in funStep in the future”.

FIRA is hosting a free seminar on the funStep project on 16 October. To book a place, please call Catherine Boyd on 01438 777700 or email .

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