QAD ERP Integration

QAD's vertical industry concentration

QAD's customers concentrate in automotive supply, life sciences and pharma, food and beverage, and industrial manufacturing. For Horizon, several of these verticals overlap with existing focus areas — particularly automotive supply (where Horizon has existing reference accounts like Paragon SCM) and life sciences (where IQVIA and Pharma Status integrations are already in place).

QAD versions and editions

• QAD Adaptive ERP — the modern cloud version, REST API and QXtend-based integration.
• QAD Cloud ERP (legacy cloud) — earlier QAD cloud deployment, similar integration patterns.
• QAD Enterprise Applications on-premise — still widely deployed. Integration through QXtend, OpenEdge JDBC, or scheduled file exchange.
• QAD MFG/PRO — the older product line, integrated through OpenEdge database access.

QAD's Progress OpenEdge foundation

QAD is built on Progress OpenEdge, which has its own characteristics for integration:

• OpenEdge JDBC driver provides direct database access for customers who prefer this approach
• The data dictionary is well-documented; QAD's planning tables follow consistent naming conventions
• QXtend (QAD's integration framework) translates between QAD's data model and modern REST/SOAP interfaces

QAD-specific data objects Horizon reads

• Item master (pt_mstr) with planning attributes — ABC class, planning policy, lead time, lot size
• Item-site records (pt_site_mstr) for site-specific item attributes
• Inventory balances (in_mstr) by site, location, lot, and reference
• Sales order history (so_mstr, sod_det) with customer and shipping dimensions
• Purchase orders (po_mstr, pod_det) and receipts
• Bills of material (ps_mstr) with QAD's quantity per assembly and component scrap factors
• Routings (ro_mstr, ro_det) with work centers and standard hours
• Work centers (wc_mstr) with capacity calendars

Automotive supply specific considerations

For QAD's automotive supply base — Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to OEMs — the planning challenges have specific shape:

• EDI-driven demand from OEMs (810, 830, 862, 866 messages) with frequent revisions
• Long-term forecasts coexisting with firm short-term release schedules
• JIT and sequenced delivery requirements with narrow delivery windows
• PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) constraints on supplier changes

Horizon's integration captures the EDI-derived demand alongside QAD's order data, treating firm releases and forecast horizons appropriately. The planning math respects these patterns rather than treating all demand as homogeneous.

Life sciences considerations

For QAD's life sciences customers — pharma, medical devices, life science consumables — the planning emphasis differs:

• Lot and batch traceability flowing through inventory and production
• Expiry-driven inventory management with FEFO (First-Expire-First-Out) rules
• Regulatory compliance constraints on supplier substitution and routing changes
• Integration with IQVIA and Pharma Status where customers use these data sources

Authentication and connection

• QAD Adaptive ERP cloud: OAuth 2.0 through QAD's API gateway, service account with appropriate role assignments.
• QAD on-premise: Service account via QXtend with API token, or OpenEdge JDBC connection for direct database access.
• QAD MFG/PRO: OpenEdge JDBC, typically through customer-managed VPN.

Write-back patterns

• Planned purchase orders through QXtend's PO creation services
• Planned production orders or recommendations for QAD's MRP
• Item planning parameter updates on pt_mstr and pt_site_mstr
• Forecast records consumed by QAD's planning processes

QAD-specific patterns to plan for

• Domain structures — Multi-entity QAD customers use QAD's domain concept (similar to SAP's company code). Integration captures the domain structure explicitly.
• Currency and unit of measure conversions — QAD supports rich UOM and currency conversion at the transaction level. The integration captures these for accurate planning math.
• QAD QXtend vs custom interfaces — Some customers have heavy custom QXtend integrations; others use minimal customization. The integration approach adapts to the customer's specific QXtend posture.
• EDI integration scope — For automotive customers, the EDI environment (QAD EDI eCommerce, QAD MES, or third-party EDI platforms) determines where demand data is most reliable. Integration scope is set based on what's authoritative.