aPriori True Cost Convergence Business Articles | September 7 Tre'Davious White Bills Jersey , 2006 According to Frank Azzolino, president of aPriori Technologies, ?As important cost impacting decisions are made throughout the product development and delivery process, cost assessments must converge ...
According to Frank Azzolino, president of aPriori Technologies, ?As important cost impacting decisions are made throughout the product development and delivery process, cost assessments must converge on the ?true cost? of the product. This means constantly available cost information with continuously improving cost accuracy and smooth convergence to true cost. Traditional processes offer periodic cost updates resulting in the late, and often unexpected, realization of missed cost targets.? aPriori?s ?True Cost Convergence?? allows cost targets to be achieved at product launch resulting in faster time to profit.
Single Cost Management Software Platform
Cost relevant data and the application to create, manage and share that data must be available in a single platform. aPriori offers a single environment based on industry standard technology and architecture.
The aPriori v4.0 Cost Management Software Platform provides real-time, predictive cost assessments throughout the entire product development and delivery process. aPriori v4.0 enables designers and engineers, manufacturing engineers and planners, purchasing and sourcing professionals, cost managers, and programproject management to make better decisions to reduce, avoid, and recover product costs. aPriori's solutions enable manufacturing companies to measurably reduce their Costs-of-Goods Sold (COGS) by whole percentages by identifying quantifiable savings in material, tooling, labor and overhead while evaluating alternative designs, manufacturing processes, and vendor sources.
Based in Concord, MA, aPriori is the technology leader providing innovative cost management solutions to the discrete manufacturing industry. aPriori?s Cost Management Software Platform enables manufacturers to better understand product cost decisions early and throughout the product lifecycle. aPriori?s Cost Management Platform empowers manufacturers to lower cost-of-goods sold (COGS), provides real-time visibility to ?cost-critical? decision information, and builds critical cost knowledge to go on the business ?offensive.? aPriori?s patented cost management platform allows companies to assess, control, and reduce cost of goods sold by whole percentages. The aPriori Platform truly enables ?Cost Knowledge Before it Matters.?
At its debut, the Buick Rainier extra a bit of variety towards the brand’s rather uniform lineup. Joining a family group of largely major, softly sprung sedans, this truck-based, midsize SUV turned into the first Buick in quite a while with traditional conventional body-on-frame construction and rear-wheel drive (with optional all-wheel drive), enabling it to carry a substantial sum of cargo (80 cubic feet) and tow heavy loads (as much as six,700 pounds).
Buick sourced virtually all of Rainier’s design and style from General Motors’ midsize SUV platform. This meant that there wasn’t substantially variation involving it and its GM sport-ute brethren such as the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada — the third of which the Rainier effectively replaced when the Olds division was discontinued.
Of this core SUV grouping, the Buick Rainier was meant to be the comfortable and upscale. Buick’s exclusive rear air spring suspension created the Rainier the most prosperous at concealing ruts inside the road, as well as the results of Buick’s "QuietTuning" maybe heard in its near-silent interior. The Rainier also earned somewhat of initial distinction as it was the only regular-length SUV of the bunch to offer an alternative V8 engine. (The Rainier was never provided in extended-length seven-passenger form.) Finally, Buick’s SUV came with quite possibly the most standard equipment.
Sadly, all the additional effort didn’t cure the Buick Rainier of its deepest family members flaws. The combination of a high stance, high weight, a softly tuned suspension and a live rear axle penalized handling on several fronts. Handling was sloppy even by truck-based SUV standards. The Rainier’s numb steering needed continual corrections to hold a straight line and its rear end felt loose and unstable in extreme handling situations. It also guzzled more gas than any modern Buick, and its interior was marred by cheap and mismatched materials, illogical controls, a lack of storage space, subpar build quality and fatiguing seats.
The Rainier partly redeemed itself with smooth and strong powertrains, competitive acceleration and a plush, quiet ride. But in comparison to other competing upscale SUVs, Buick’s entry failed to completely deliver inside the important categories of refinement, feature content and handling. For consumers shopping used midsize SUVs, we suggest taking a look at more qualified and desirable vehicles like the Mercury Mountaineer, Toyota 4Runner or Volkswagen Touareg. One other good option is Buick’s new large crossover SUV, the Enclave.