As part of TDCI’s plan to integrate MAC-PAC XE Customer Centric Configuration (C3), FlexAutomation, Customer Center , and Advanced Bid and Quote (ABQ) into a next-generation solution called BuyDesign™, TDCI has enlisted the services of the respected research firm, AMR Research (AMR). AMR is a strategic advisory firm that provides analysis and advice to business and technology executives to help them manage resources, assess and mitigate risk, and increase business value. The company's research initiatives are based on The Performance-Driven Enterprise, a practical approach to understanding how business strategy drives technology adoption. AMR Research, founded in 1986, is headquartered in Boston, MA.

Recently, TDCI’s Director of Product Management, Mike Wilson, and Vice President of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer, Dinesh Dhamija met with AMR in Boston. In that session, TDCI reviewed the capabilities of BuyDesign, as well as its integration into the MAC-PAC XE solution and TDCI’s plans to make it available to users of other ERP/manufacturing systems.

While AMR’s analysts provided good advice on how to further improve the solution over time, they were quite excited about the approach TDCI is taking – particularly in providing support for the ‘holistic management of design, sales, and production of customized products’ (a concept we are calling Product Customization Management). They were also complimentary of the idea of leveraging the capabilities of MAC-PAC XE Expert Configurator in a phased approach to building a new generation web-based configuration solution. Most importantly, AMR felt that TDCI is addressing the ‘real life problems’ of customized/configured product manufacturers and felt that the experience of working with MAC-PAC XE users to develop and refine these solutions has given TDCI a very good perspective on such company’s needs.

Over the coming year, TDCI will be packaging the four MAC-PAC XE components mentioned above into BuyDesign, and will begin communicating that solution to a broader market. The good news for MAC-PAC XE users is that all of the capabilities of BuyDesign – powerful web-based configuration, automated design generation, and web based sales solutions for end customers and multi-level channels – is available NOW. And for MAC-PAC XE users, those capabilities are already being proven in use by hundreds of customers and channel partners of leading companies like Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork, Gorman-Rupp, and others.

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