Reducing manufacturing costs and the time to market

A leading CPO provider is presenting its revolutionary costing software at the Hannover Messe that for the first time makes it possible for manufacturers to reliably plan their production costs for complex goods / Reductions in manufacturing costs of up to eight percent

FACTON GmbH of Dresden will be presenting its costing solution FACTON at the world's most important technology trade fair in Hannover from 16 to 20 April. FACTON is the only database-based software which allows for the product costs to be calculated at an early date for all phases of the product-creation process. With FACTON, companies can reduce their manufacturing costs by as much as eight percent while at the same time reducing their time to market by as much as 30 percent. FACTON's customers include companies such as Airbus, Bentley, ZF Friedrichshafen and numerous other automotive and technology companies.

"The ability to recognise future manufacturing costs at an early date makes it possible for companies to realise enormous savings," according to Thoralf Nehls, CEO of FACTON GmbH, the world's leading provider of Cost Process Optimization (CPO) solutions. "Cost drivers are thus identified at an early point in time, making it possible to find more cost-effective replacements – saving both time and money. For companies who are trying to stay abreast of today's globalised competition, a modern CPO system is absolutely essential."

For the first time, it is now possible to use FACTON to collate the relevant information from various departments quickly and easily via interfaces to CAD, PDM and ERP systems. This means that it is possible to document the manufacturing costs throughout the entire development process. FACTON can thus provide valuable support with "make or buy" decisions, as well as with the selection of suppliers and locations.

FACTON is aiming to expand its market presence internationally through its appearance at the trade fair in Hannover. "We experienced rapid growth in 2006," explains Nehls, "and we want to expand even further in 2007 – by entering the US market, among other things." In 2006, the number of employees grew from 15 to 45 within only one year. The primary target industries for FACTON are the automotive industry (tiers 1 and 2), the machine-building industry and the aerospace industry.

About FACTON GmbH
FACTON GmbH is the leading software provider for Cost Process Optimisation (CPO) solutions. The FACTON solution is the only database-based software which allows product costs to be calculated at an early date for all phases of the product creation process. This allows the manufacturing costs of complex goods to be reduced by as much as eight percent, and makes it possible to shorten the time to market by 20 to 30 percent. The target industries are the automotive industry (tiers 1 and 2), the machine-building industry and the aerospace industry. Customers include Bentley, Mahle, Airbus, HAUNI and ZF Friedrichshafen, among others.

FACTON GmbH was founded in Dresden in 1998. Today, the company also has locations in Potsdam, Hamburg, Barcelona and, as of 1 July 2007, Detroit (USA). The company currently employs 45 people – and the number continues to grow. This company, which is now active worldwide, was founded by the brothers Martin and Thoralf Nehls (born in 1970 and 1967 respectively), both of whom come from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Hasso Plattner Ventures and EXTORAL have been financial investors in FACTON GmbH since 2006. FACTON GmbH is a member of Microsoft's "Unternimm was!" initiative to promote entrepreneurship. The company is aiming to further increase its international market presence in 2007.