Thomas R. Cutler authored a feature profile of Follett Ice and their selection of Datacraft Solutions e-kanban technology in the July issue of Food Quality Magazine. The feature article includes advice from Follett's senior purchasing agent, Jeff Craig, about the key variables when selecting an e-kanban system. These include:

• Commitment from management to support lean manufacturing;
• A supply base that is open to change. The method of ordering change, order quantities and lead-times will reduce;
• People available for implementation; and
• Generate enough savings to cover start-up and monthly fees.
  

Follett Ice went with Datacraft Solutions (www.datacraftsolutions.com) after just a two and a half month evaluation process.

There is a real synergy among Datacraft Solutions' customers with everybody gaining from everyone else's experience. Datacraft Solutions delivers a revolutionary process of automation solutions to lean manufacturers through a secure Internet gateway, eliminating the need to install and maintain a complex IT infrastructure. No complicated, expensive, time-intensive software implementations necessary, no extensive training regiments and no internal support headaches. Customers concentrate on growing their business, not their IT overhead. Getting started with Datacraft Solutions involves signing up, importing data and getting to work. The Datacraft Solutions' e-kanban lean system allows customers to access and fully utilize powerful features immediately for a low, predictable monthly fee.

According to Matthew Marotta, founder of Datacraft Solutions, "We do not charge for upgrades to the system as we learn about new best practices that clients ask us to incorporate. Before Datacraft incorporates the request, it is reviewed buy a lean advisory board to validate the value of the best practices and the value added impact upon our partner community. Once it is passed, they develop, test, and implement."

The hosted solution provides the customer with their own set of servers which are maintained offsite by and outsourced set of administrators. All of the administration fees, equipment, support teams and software updates are all included in the monthly service fee which is less then the cost of hiring an internal system administrator.