CA LAUNCHES KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOFTWARE FOR MAKE-TO-ORDER MANUFACTURING; Yankee Group: "CA-KBM Offers True Innovation That No One Else Is Doing"; Clients Are Enthusiastic.

ISLANDIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 4, 1995--Computer Associates today began shipping CA-KBM, the first knowledge-based manufacturing solution for make-to-order manufacturing.

"CA-KBM replaces the rigid limitations of traditional manufacturing planning systems with the software equivalent of critical knowledge and judgment," said David Cahn, CA director of business applications. "This is a major step forward for customized manufacturing because CA-KBM works with principles, not restrictions --products can be tailor-made to an infinite number of individual specs."

Under CA-KBM, parts and products are identified as generic items --logical groups of products, components or materials differing only in such variables as size, color or shape. Each generic item serves as a template for all the possibilities of any single item. Although dozens of unique configurations of this product can be ordered and manufactured, only one set of definitions is necessary.

Rather than attempting to find the perfect combination of component measurements, colors, strengths and shapes, CA-KBM defines the type of component and asks only that the user fill in the specification for each. The system then configures variations for purchasing, costing, manufacturing and pricing. CA-KBM then puts the product together.

"CA-KBM incorporates and automates people-based product knowledge and dimensionally engineered-to-order configuration where it's needed most: throughout the entire supply chain," said Cahn.

Enthusiastic early notices from clients and analysts:

Joe Pereira, head of programmer services for Von Duprin Inc., Indianapolis manufacturers of door hardware: "I like it --customers will be able to order products using generic numbers instead of long lists of individual part-numbers. This means better customer service on one end and more efficient manufacturing on the other."

Harry Tse, director of manufacturing industry research for The Yankee Group, Boston: "CA-KBM offers true innovation that no one else is doing. This kind of software adds value well beyond traditional manufacturing technology."

Bill Valenta, MIS director for Caradon Peachtree Inc., Norcross, Georgia manufacturers of high-end residential windows and doors: "We converted to CA-KBM from a highly customized system that was not a long-term solution for the growth of our business. What we have now is great. Because CA-KBM is rules-based, it handles architectural standards beautifully, and the configurator puts together any combination of custom dimensions from the moment the order is written to the time the item is produced."

Ted Rybeck, president of Benchmarking Partners, whose Cambridge, Mass.-based market analysis firm specializes in the supply-chain system: "Customer-oriented manufacturers will soon depend on knowledge-based tools throughout the supply chain for tremendous gains in productivity and customer service."

Keith Belton, senior industry analyst for Benchmarking Partners, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.: "Knowledge-based manufacturing is an exciting new class of product where manufacturing intelligence is built into an object, goes beyond the traditionally-designed system to a larger process that optimizes the rules for encapsulating batch and order-level information efficiently."

Robert George, chief analyst of Advanced Manufacturing Research, Boston: "Knowledge-based systems will be an important competitive tool to the increasing variety of manufacturers facing product proliferation problems. CA-KBM reflects a real-world response to the arriving era of mass customization."

William McSpadden, president of Plant-Wide Research Group, North Billerica, Mass.: "Automation of the business process, based on knowledge processing, adds a new dimension to manufacturing management. Knowledge-based manufacturing begins to address the problem of conventional systems design. Adaptation to this concept requires new thinking and a new approach by management, but will be worthwhile."

Pricing for CA-KBM begins at $15,000 on the AS/400 platform.

From desktop to mainframe, Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA) leads the world in client/server software. Guided by CA90s open architecture, 8,000 dedicated employees in 30 countries develop, license and support more than 300 integrated products that include systems and database management, application development, financial and manufacturing applications and consumer solutions. The world's major industrial, government and research organizations depend on CA, whose fiscal 1994 revenues exceeded $2.1 billion.

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CONTACT: Computer Associates, Islandia

Bob Gordon, 516/342-2391