Looking ahead, Freudenberg-NOK is planning to use Aras Innovator's online change management functionality to automate and streamline the engineering change process to reduce cycle times and improve control. In the future, Freudenberg-NOK is considering functionality to track and manage costs during product development including materials, prototype and production tooling costs, and engineering labor expenses.

For more stories of successful supply chain implementation, read the "2005 Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100" article in the June/July 2005 issue of the magazine. Also watch the Today's Headlines section of SDCExec.com every Tuesday and Thursday for more in depth best practices drawn from this year's Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100.