COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — The opening of a lab at Texas A&M usually goes largely unnoticed. But distributors and other MRO supply chain members may want to take advantage of a new facility called the Supply Chain Systems Laboratory.

Part of the university's Industrial Distribution program, the SCSL helps distributors and manufacturers troubleshoot their information technology systems and does broader research into supply chain management. With support from several software vendors, the lab simulates transactions and processes throughout the MRO supply chain and pinpoints weaknesses in everything from a supplier's demand forecasting to a distributor's inventory management.

Distributors already are using the lab, which opened in February and has 20 research assistants. The lab helps firms map their processes, evaluate use of IT systems, analyze their data and systems capabilities. Optimally, companies will simulate their entire supply chain to analyze systems weaknesses and strengths, says Barry Lawrence, SCL program director and director of the Industrial Distribution master's program.

"The lab is all about establishing linkages among the systems, and then asks the question, 'What is the value of this?,'" he says.

Lawrence says some firms have approached him saying, " 'Our company can't forecast to save its life, can you help us?' We look at their data first and after the forecasts run mathematically, we look at the interface with people …we can help companies get what they paid for in IT.''

Technology partners provide support and software that covers enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, B2B business intelligence, factory automation and inventory control, and other applications.

For most projects, firms can expect up to four months of technical assessment and four months for recommendations to be made, then a half year to implement changes, he says.

"E-business is very hard. It's also required, and therefore manufacturers and distributors are going to have to start collaborating," Lawrence says.