| MarketWatch |
— September 2, 2003 |
UPS Enhances Customers' Logistics Links With Suppliers
Supplier Management, a new service from UPS Supply Chain Solutions, manages the global logistics activities of vendors and suppliers on behalf of customers. The company promises to handle offshore logistics, acting on the customer's operating instructions as well as vendor purchase orders. Order information is provided from sourcing to destination, UPS said. Elements of Supplier Management include Vendor Compliance and Order Management, Global Information Management, Global Distribution Management, Regulatory Compliance Management, and Transportation Management. According to UPS, the service gives customers access to integrated supply-chain services such as international trade finance, vendor-managed inventory, customs brokerage, network planning tools and UPS's small-package network.
http://www.ups-scs.com/
Microsoft Updates Business Portal to Extend ERP Apps
The new release of the Microsoft Business Solutions Business Portal extends the vendor's enterprise-resource planning (ERP) applications to embrace additional functions. The Web-based portal now supports two of Microsoft Business Solutions' ERP systems, Great Plains and Solomon. Release 1.2 includes a new Human Resource Management (HRM) Self Service Suite, a Key Performance Indicators (KPI) module, and the ability to deliver reports created with Microsoft Business Solutions for Analytics-FRx. The Microsoft Business Portal supplies business intelligence and processes to all employees, helping to reduce the cost of information support while providing greater access to data, the company claimed. New functionality within version 1.2 streamlines human-resource processes and suppliers' at-a-glance views of key business metrics to individuals throughout the organization.
http://www.microsoft.com/
RedPrairie, Kurt Salmon Blend Labor, Performance Management
RedPrairie Corp. and Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA) have joined to offer a service intended to enhance labor productivity. RedPrairie sells a variety of logistics software, including warehouse management systems. KSA is a consultancy serving the retail and consumer-products industries. The deal calls for KSA to incorporate RedPrairie's labor productivity software into its Base Plus performance improvement program. KSA will develop proprietary scripts around RedPrairie's DLx Labor software, to create its next-generation performance management software. The resulting service will become a core element of KSA's performance management services. Clients will have access to labor productivity software and performance improvement methodologies through an integrated package of services.
http://www.redprairie.com/
GT Nexus Teams With Open Harbor for Global Trade Compliance
A new marketing initiative between GT Nexus, Inc. and Open Harbor, Inc. creates an integrated platform for global trade management. Open Harbor's trade security, compliance and documentation services have been combined with GT Nexus's logistics management, global visibility and event management systems. Based on a Web-hosted model, the platform provides real-time content for trade security, end-to-end global trade workflow and logistics execution, the partners said. It also allows for supply-chain visibility and control, and collaboration between global trading partners. Open Harbor is providing the software, infrastructure and content to execute various functions, including product classification, catalog management, restricted-party screening, import and export compliance, and trade documentation. GT Nexus contributes logistics activities such as order management, supply-chain modeling, event management, analytics, transportation procurement, and global visibility.
http://www.gtnexus.com/
Qualcomm Forms Group to Promote Trailer Management System
Qualcomm Wireless Business Solutions has created a consortium to promote development of the vendor's untethered trailer asset management system for the transportation and logistics industry. Schneider National, Inc., a provider of truckload and intermodal services, has joined up as its founding member. Schneider had previously announced the selection of Qualcomm as its supplier of untethered trailer tracking technology. According to Qualcomm, the consortium will solicit insight and guidance from carriers on the direction of product development. It will consist of executives from a select number of companies in transportation and related industries. In addition, Qualcomm has chartered a Product Direction Council to help solicit feedback on new features for its untethered trailer tracking product. The company said it is currently in discussions with a number of other leading transportation and logistics providers about joining the consortium.
http://www.qualcomm.com
Air Freight Industry Gets New Productivity Management Tool
Acuitive Solutions, LLC has introduced CubeCentral, transportation-management software which helps shippers to analyze the cost-effectiveness of various product-packaging options, negotiate effectively with service providers, and make informed routing decisions. Companies can better manage their underlying processes and work flows that support air-freight transportation programs. According to the vendor, CubeCentral saves time and money by helping users to make decisions faster and more effectively. It supports the answering of rate inquiries, management of the approval process, and comparison of scenarios without the need for guesswork. CubeCentral's hosted suite of integrated modules includes RateManager, CubeManager, RFQManager, ApprovalManager, ConsolManager and TenderManager. All modules are available through annual subscription-fee packages.
http://www.AcuitiveSolutions.com
New Beta Version of UDDI Business Registry Available
The Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) Business Registry Operators Council (UBR) has announced a beta release of UDDI Version 3. The protocal is one of the major building blocks in support of Web services. UDDI creates a standard, interoperable platform which allows for the quick, easy use of Web services. The beta release of UBR V.3 adds several new capabilities to the standard. They include user-defined keys, allowing users to create human readable values based on domain names; the use of UBR as the recognized root registry for globally unique keys; the ability to copy keys between registries without being altered, and the addition of digital signature support for entities in UDDI, allowing clients to establish the veracity of data registered in the UBR. The UDDI Operators Council consists of IBM, Microsoft, NTT Communications and SAP. UDDI itself is a cross-industry effort support by major platform and software providers.
http://www.uddi.org/
Cleo Offers Money-Back Guarantee for LexiCom Product
Cleo Communications, a provider of data communications products and services, has introduced a money-back guarantee on Cleo LexiCom, its internet EDI communications tool. The one-year warranty includes a 30-day, money-back guarantee on the software's performance. LexiCom, supported by Cleo's VersaLex technology, is eBusinessReady certified. It supports the AS2 as well as major internet communications protocols, including FTP, FTP/S, HTTP and HTTP/S. Pre-loaded configurations are available for major servers and value-added networks (VANs). LexiCom is also integrated with the major EDI software packages, the vendor said. The software runs on Windows, Unix, Linux and AS400.
http://www.cleo.com
ThinStation Terminal From Cernotec Provides Web Interface
Cernotec, an integrator of business software and technology, has developed the ThinStation terminal. The unit is specifically designed to meet the needs of Web-enabled manufacturers and their suppliers, distributors and customers. It combines the functionality of a Windows XP environment with the portability and cost-effectiveness of a thin-client terminal, the company said. The terminal serves local, Web, wireless and legacy-based applications. It has no hard drive, floppy drive or CD-ROM. It can be moved quickly throughout an organization, allowing for positioning virtually anywhere on the factory floor. The ThinStation can be configured with a wide range of processors, memory, multimedia and peripheral support capabilities, including operator touch screen, 802.11b wireless, and barcode scanning.
http://www.cernotec.com
Mercury Commerce Improves Web-Based Order Management
Mercury Commerce, a vendor of electronic data interchange services, shipping automation and e-commerce software, has enhanced VendorBridge, its system for supporting Web-based order management. The software allows large product marketing firms and vendors to integrate their distribution processes, from initial order through delivery to consumer. It automates a wide variety of processes, including print orders, ship orders, returns, reconciliation payments, and reports for billing, shipping and return activities. According to Mercury, the Web-based tool requires no investment in technology or physical resources, and can be implemented in a matter of hours. The latest enhancements include integrated Web-order and call-center feeds, and a direct interface with FedEx Cafe, one of FedEx's shipping offerings. The integration eliminates virtually all manual data entry, the vendor said.
http://www.vendorbridge.com
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