1992:
User Solutions became a Lotus Business Partner and
Lotus Selects began carrying User Solutions templates
for resale.
1994:
User Solutions announced Spreadsheet MRP, the first
general purpose Material Requirements Planning product
that ran with Lotus 1-2-3. APICS - (American Production
and Inventory Control Society) reviewed Spreadsheet
MRP and called it a "Unique and a Valuable Tool".
Responding
to customer demand for an affordable and easy-to-use
capacity planning and scheduling tool, User Solutions
added routings and rough-cut capacity planning to
the Spreadsheet MRP product and renamed it Spreadsheet
Resource Manager.
1995:
User Solutions became a Microsoft Solutions Provider
and began converting the Lotus 1-2-3 macro based Spreadsheet
Resource Manager to Visual Basic - Applications Edition
for Microsoft Excel.
Also
in 1995, Novell and User Solutions executed an agreement
for including select templates with Quattro Pro and
Perfect Office Suite.
1996:
User Solutions announced Resource Manager (version
1) for Excel. A complete rewrite (Visual Basic) of
Spreadsheet Resource Manager that was compatible with
Excel version 5 and 7.
1997:
User Solutions announced Resource Manager (version
2) for Excel97. This version recognized significant
enhancements in Excel including a database that could
hold 64,000 rows of information, and the first true,
multi-user spreadsheet capability.
Also
in 1997, User Solutions and General Electric Capital
- Railcar Services inked an agreement for User Solutions
to provide a customized version of Resource Manager,
called "Noah" for planning and scheduling
Railcar Service throughout their North American operations.
1998:
User Solutions announced Resource Manager (version
3) for Excel97 adding the ability to feedback actual
production information and regenerate scheduling,
resulting in the first affordable and easy-to-use
MRP2 system for small to medium sized manufacturers.
Also
in 1998, Resource Manager for Excel was selected by
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
MEPs (Manufacturing Extension Partnerships) as an ideal
planning and scheduling solution for manufacturers just
getting started with computerizing their operations.
Through
the nationwide network of MEPs, the customers can
receive local demonstrations, training, consulting
and integration services around the popular Resource
Manager for Excel product. This arrangement yields
a valuable combination of products and services that
directly benefits the customer.
For
the first time, a customer can implement robust planning
and scheduling, completely turn key, for less than
$5,000 - $10,000 completely guaranteed. This is the
same functionality, consulting, and integration that
the market has traditionally paid $50,000 - $500,000
or more for.
1999:
the readers of New Equipment Digest voted Resource
Manager the Winner for Software in the Excellence
In Innovation. Also, User Solutions continued improving
Resource Manager with an upgrade to run with Excel
and Office 2000, plus links with the popular QuickBooks
and Peachtree Accounting Links.
2000:
User Solutions added complementary services and utilities
to its flagship Resource Manager for Excel product in
order to faciliate integration with other systems. Resource
Manager 2001 offers a new Data Integration Wizard to
assist clients with reading in Bills-Of-Materials, Routings,
Orders, Inventory Levels, and more from a variety of
ERP Systems, including: MAPICS, JD Edwards, SAP, Macola,
and many more.
Also,
Resource Manager 2001 new APS Module features detailed
workcenter calendars that can be adjusted at any time.
Now, inevitable labor fluctuations, workcenter downtime,
and unexpected material shortages can be immediately
accounted for, allowing the user to regenerate a schedule
with new priorities - on demand. A secondary constraint
has also been added, which permits Finite Capacity
Scheduling, in either forward or reverse mode, subject
to both machine and labor constraints. In addition,
a Flow Manufacturing option has been added, allowing
for variable transfer sizes for workcenter processing.
New reports, which can be generated, sent, and received
via e-mail, Palm-Pilots, and over networks, are ideal
for communicating key portions of the master schedule,
as well as receiving feedback directly to the main
program.
Resource
Manager 2001 is the only low-cost planning and scheduling
solution that can be immediately implemented by all
operations. Combining ease-of-use for small to medium
sized firms with powerful reporting and open integration
for larger operations, Resource Manager 2001 allows
critical resources such as manpower, materials and
work centers to be effectively managed in near real-time.
For the first time, end users can use their familiar
desktop tools to assist them in delivering products
and services on-time, reducing cycle times and inventory
shortages, planning labor and workcenter requirements,
and tracking schedules.
2001:
Responding to customer requests for a more upscale
solution, User Solutions releases Resource Manager-DB.
Written in Visual Basic and utilizing the Jet Engine
run time database (same as Microsoft Access) and including
Resource Manager for Excel as a flexible report writer,
Resource Manager DB provides the user unsurpassed
flexibility for leveraging Excel on local PCs, and
sharing data across a network. To facilitate easy
and automatic integration with other systems, Resource
Manager-DB offers flexible Data Integration Wizard.
2002:
In January , User Solutions, Inc., announced immediate
availability of Resource Manager DB. By combining
the best features from the award winning Resource
Manager for Excel with the best ideas from customers,
Resource Manager DB enables most any operation to
immediately improve their planning, scheduling, and
tracking capabilities. Written in Visual Basic and
utilizing the Jet Engine run time database (same as
Microsoft Access) with Microsoft Excel as a flexible
report writer, Resource Manager DB provides the user
unsurpassed flexibility for leveraging Excel on local
PCs, and sharing data across a network.
User Solutions becomes an Exact North America Complementary
Software Provider with their Macola Link. Through
a partnership with Instruments for Industry (IFI),
User Solutions adds Lean Manufacturing to Resource
Manager-DB. Orca Technical Services (a subsidiary
of IFI) enters into a Business Partner Agreement and
opens an East Coast Lean Training Center for Resource
Manager-DB.
Finally,
the user can achieve their goal of an affordable planning
and scheduling solution that quickly adapts to their
needs. Combining ease-of-use for small to medium sized
firms, with powerful reporting and open integration
for larger operations, Resource Manager DB enables
customers to efficiently manage critical resources
such as labor, materials and work centers. For the
first time, users can leverage their intuition and
knowledge combined with the familiar Microsoft OfficeTM
platform to assist them in managing one or more of:
capacity planning, customer orders, purchasing, delivering
products and services on-time, reducing cycle times
and inventory shortages, MRP and WIP, planning labor
and workcenter requirements, tracking and all schedules.
The product features on-the-fly configuration and
rescheduling, allowing the user to see the benefits
almost immediately, without any complicated analysis
or set-ups.
2003:
User Solutions continues to add additional functionality
and integration to Resource Manager-DB. Also, User
Solutions announces agreement with Beacham Consulting
to manage Business Partner Network. Now, a network
of highly qualified manufacturing system professionals
are available worldwide to help clients as needed.
Also, User Solutions has become a Microsoft Partner
and is developing Resource Manager for SQL Server,
as well as a Web Based version on .Net.
2004:
User Solutions, Inc. appointed as exclusive North
American Reseller of Catalyst Manufacturing Software.
Ideal for smaller manufacturers that are looking for
implementing a traditional APICS MRP2 System, Catalyst
contains the high-end features at an affordable price.
Compatible with MS Access, Catalyst complements User
Solutions product line of MS Office compatible and
affordable solutions.
2005:
User Solutions, Inc. releases new versions of all
core products, Resource Manager for Excel, Noah Workcenter
Scheduling, and Resource Manager-DB (RMDB). RMDB now
is offered with a choice of back end databases, MS
JET (same as Microsoft Access uses - a MDB format)
or SQL Server. Also, significant improvements in the
Advanced Planning and Scheduling component of RMDB
have been made due to an increase in customers and
their respective input. Finally, complementary MS
Office products have been added to on-line store,
providing all manufacturing customers a one-stop-shop
for easy to use, MS Office (Excel) compatible solutions.
2006:
User Solutions, Inc. celebrates 15 years in business,
serving thousands of customers worldwide with affordable
and flexible Excel compatible manufacturing and business
solutions.
2007:
Exact Software, a leading ERP Provider, invites User
Solutions to Exacts' Engage User Conference to demonstrate
how Resource Manager-DB can add great value to existing
Macola Clients. In addition, User Solutions is invited
to Exact's Service Summit to showcase the enhancement
to Exacts support personnel. Besides successful integrations
with Macola Software, User Solutions' has new customers
with integration with Made To Manage, Peachtree, DMSi,
custom Access Systems, Epicor, Microsoft Great Plains
Dynamics, and many more.
2008:
New Versions of Resource Manager-DB continue to be
driven by excellent user feedback. More and more customers
see the value in a system that fits the way they work
instead of the other way around. Develpment plans
include VB.net conversion for Resource Manager DB.