FREE Educational Materials - Keep Learning

• FREE WHITEPAPER - Critical Path Supply Chain - .See their site at www.wwk.com
  
  
• FREE WHITEPAPER - Reverse Logistics from LIS - See their site at www.lis-online.com

• IFS (ERP, CRM, e-commerce) and PipeChain (1976, US, Hdqtrs: Sweden, SCE) Partner to Offer Advanced, Internet-Based, Supply Chain Execution Solution. Pipechain has these products: PipeChain Supply (Supply Chain Execution), PipeChain FlowProduction (Finite Capacity Scheduling), PipeChain Analyzer and more.
  
  The partnership targets repetitive manufacturing industries -- such as electronics and automotive -- that require automated, highly repetitive supply chain solutions. IFS customers now have the full range of vendor-managed inventory (VMI) products from which to choose, integrating both to their high and low volume customers and suppliers. PipeChain's advanced VMI solutions are used for the high volume partners, and IFS' portal-based VMI solutions are used for the low volume partners. IFS will package and sell PipeChain's leading SCE and VMI solutions as fully integrated components along with IFS Applications(TM) business software, which offer customers a step-by-step evolution to the extended enterprise.
  
  
  
• Mailing and Shipping Technologies Inc. (MASTECH, SMS) upgraded the interface for Sage Software's Sage Enterprise Suite accounting, manufacturing and distribution solution to include version 5.0e.
  
  This interface for Sage Enterprise Suite utilizes the MASTECH compliance engine to integrate with carriers such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, Airborne, the U.S. Postal Service, Emery, and BAX Global, as well as independent trucking companies (LTLs).
  
  Sage Enterprise Suite customers can simply click on an icon within Sage Enterprise to gain instant access to shipping functionality without having to exit the native application. In addition, the new version upgrade permits the calculation of weight values from within the Sage Enterprise Suite Sales Order module. This allows the user to bypass a conventional scale when determining the total weight of a parcel to be shipped, and enables the user to shop rates between carriers before the parcel reaches the shipping dock.
  
  
  

• Pfastship Worldwide Logistics(TMS, SMS) now integrates with Intentia's Movex (ERP, CRM, SCP, e-Commerce). Pfastship®-2000 provides interfaces to Intentia's Movex, using Pfastship’s PfastPack™ and standard Pfastship® modules. The PfastPack™ module is used to provide line item detail for an order. This information is also required for the PfastInternational™ and PfastCompliance™ modules, which automates the processing of “COD’s” and “declared values,” as well as providing detailed information to customer service.
  
  If the PfastPack™ functionality is utilized, a lookup is done on the MOVEX order header to verify the order. If the order is valid, detail lines from MOVEX is then populated into the PfastPack™ database. In addition, the PfastPack™ module identifies which items are in which carton, then processes the cartons through Pfastship®. Pfastship® will access order header files and customer address files for the necessary information to complete and process orders that need to be shipped, or carton’s packed using PfastPack.™ Weights associated with these packages will then be pulled from an electronic scale. When the shipment is completed, Pfastship® processes the “End of Shipment,” routine and updates Movex with the freight charges. The special service, or handling (mark up) charges completes the shipment confirmation process within Movex. Additional modules that interface with Movex:.
  
  The PfastShop O/E™ module provides freight cost information (at order entry) within Movex for the shipment. PfastAccess™ module provides tracking of boxes directly with the carriers from within the Movex software utilizing a hot key. PfastConsol™ module reduces shipping costs by providing an Advanced Consolidation Process for multiple orders going to the same address and captures that information for EDI 856 (ASN).
  
  
  SCEM is Hot --- See Our Prior Articles on SCEM - Excellent ROI !!
  
• Saltare, Inc. (SCEM) announced Saltare Leap 2.0 (Supply Chain Event Management), Leap 2.0 coordinates the execution of five types of tasks: measuring and monitoring events across the supply network; alerting relevant parties of unplanned events and exceptions; developing optimized strategies to resolve those exceptions; and coordinating execution of the selected resolution strategy. From basic, real-time inventory visibility to the intelligent resolution of a complex, unplanned event, these tasks are integrated in different combinations to meet the entire spectrum of supply chain event management requirements. Leap 2.0 groups together a number of these task-collections and integrates advanced, situation-specific algorithms, offering three solutions to address the needs of distinct supply network disciplines, including:
  
  -- Leap Intelligent Procurement Solutions (Leap IPS): For both direct and indirect procurement, It provides a complete set of procurement management and exception resolution tools to support a number of purchasing methods and inventory management approaches, including: flexible extended VMI; CPFR; traditional and dynamic inventory management; managing replenishment against long-term contracts; negotiating purchases with known or new suppliers or conducting negotiations in any number of formats.
  
  -- Leap Intelligent Manufacturing and Operations Solutions (Leap IMOS): Leap IMOS utilizes optimization algorithms that have the unique capability of relating a market environment, driven by price and quantity, to a production environment managed by marginal cost and utilization, enabling companies to address capacity planning issues in ways never before possible.
  
  -- Leap Intelligent Logistics Solutions (Leap ILS): Leap ILS utilizes the distributed optimization approach and contextual profiling capabilities to intelligently manage transportation capacity issues across the extended supply chain. Such issues include the optimization of partial and full loads, mode selection, re-routing, and in-transit load divergence.
  
  
• TanData(TMS, SMS) Releases ChainLink XML Processor to Enhance It's Shipping Software Solution. Integrators can use TanData's XML technology to access ChainLink's shipping management functions. ChainLink offers multi-carrier rating, routing, and shipping, as well as the ability to determine carrier delivery commitments, and print carrier labels and documentation.
  
  Also included with the ChainLink XML processor are multiple XML document examples and a sample client application that can be used to verify connectivity to and communication with the XML Processor on the server machine.
  
  
• Vertex Interactive, Inc. (ERP, WMS, TMS, NASDAQ:VETX) and American Management Systems (NASDAQ:AMSY, Consulting, 8,700 employees, 51 offices), announced partnership where AMS will resell Vertex's integrated suite of supply chain execution software. Vertex's JAVA-based order, inventory and warehouse management software will augment the functionality of AMS's solutions for AMS's government customers. AMS's JAVA-engineered financial and procurement solutions coupled with Vertex's JAVA-based supply chain suite will provide an integrated e-business product suite which Vertex and AMS will jointly market and service. The modules will form a comprehensive integrated solution for managing all aspects of finished goods inventory, including execution, fulfillment, procurement and financial reporting.
  
  Mr. Nicholas Toms, Joint Chairman and Joint CEO of Vertex stated, ``Including the recent announcement of our partnership with Pitney Bowes, from which Vertex is already recognizing revenue, this is the second strategic reseller partnership this quarter. Both partnerships should drive software license revenue growth by increasing our indirect channel strength in additional vertical markets Vertex does not target directly.
  

• "The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter."
  --Anon.
  

"Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies, and Cases"
David Simchi-Levi	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

"The Logic of Logistics: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications for Logistics Managements"
Julien Bramel (Columbia University) and David Simchi-Levi (MIT)	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

"What To Look For In Warehouse Management System Software"
Obal, Philip	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

"Warehouse & Logistics Software Directory"
Obal, Philip	See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

Valuable Future Events

MAY 9-11, 2001 - E-LOGISTICS EXPO - The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, GFB, Announce an Educational Conference and Team-focused Tradeshow in Atlanta, GA. Responding to the need to bring leading-edge education and world-class solutions providers together in a "team environment," the e-Logistics Expo announced today the creation of a new "knowledge tradeshow" to be held next May in Atlanta. The Expo will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center. The Expo features a full three-day educational conference led by The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech. Contact Carrolyn Prescott at GFB at 404-524-7777, or e-mail to cprescott@gfb-expo.com

May 22-24, 2001 - DISTRIBUTION COMPUTER EXPO 2001 - Logistics IT Show & Seminar at Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA. See www.logistar2.com. 61 seminars and hundreds & hundreds of software vendors. This is one of the best software shows in North America.

June 10-13, 2001 - Exciting ASRS - AGVS - CAROUSEL Users' Conference at Columbus, Ohio. Excellent speakers are making presentations, two plant tours, and special interest groups will convene during the conference to discuss ASRS, AGVS, and Carousel plans, ideas, and issues. Contact Sam Powell of the 2001 ASRS AGVS Users' Conference for details and brochure.



About This Newsletter - ISSN 1533-435X

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© 2001 Industrial Data & Information Inc. All Rights Reserved.. Trademarks belong to respective trademark holders. Information accuracy is not guaranteed due to variety of sources.