• Our hearts & prayers go out to those impacted by the NYC and Washington DC tragedies. SAP is now offering free help to those companies impacted. EXE has issued a press release expressing their views. Manhattan has initiated a stock repurchase (Nasdaq: MANH) program.
  
  
• This could be a good time to start thinking on buying stock on some technology companies in the future (near to long term). Stock prices of Catalyst, Manugistics, I2 Technologies, Ariba, and Commerce One are near their 52 week lows. Also, be aware that EXE and Manhattan have had INSIDER SELLING. View our stock selections at http://www.idii.com/stockprices.htm - Please do your own research, debt and company management are factors to consider - invest wisely - IDII is not recommending these stocks nor is an investment advisor.

• See main article about ASCET (Many white papers) -- see http://www.ascet.com
  
  
• See news below on the new version of Rosetta Net standard.
  
  

• Acorn Systems (1996, Optimization, Profit Management), providers of Enterprise Profit Optimization software, and TECSYS INC. (ERP, WMS) partner to provide cost-effective profit management data solutions to present and future Tecsys clients.
  
  Acorn's Enterprise Profit System(TM) (EPS) delivers a solid analysis and execution model for profit management and provides distributors with the ability to analyze, detect and resolve operating issues to make any part of their business more profitable.
  
  ``Profitability is a major focus in today's competitive and turbulent economic times, particularly to high volume distributors,'' said Robert Colosino, vice president, Alliances and Technology Strategy of TECSYS. ``The addition of Acorn Systems' Profit Solutions to the TECSYS EliteSeries(TM) suite of distribution applications provides our customers with the strategic tools they need to diagnose their business process and implement proven methods to achieve profitability.''
  
  
• JDA Software Group (ERP, Nasdaq: JDAS) ACQUIRES E3 Corporation, Highly regarded Inventory Optimization Solutions.
  
  E3 was founded in 1980 and has helped over 550 retailers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers in 20 countries to maximize their inventory decisions with computer assisted ordering and replenishment systems. With this acquisition, JDA has once again executed upon its proven strategy to broaden its JDA Portfolio(TM) with complementary products such as industry frontrunner, E3TRIM(TM) replenishment system, and E3's new Collaborative, Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) solutions.
  
  JDA acquired E3 for $20 million dollars in cash and 1.6 million shares of JDA Common Stock for a purchase price of approximately $50 million dollars. E3's revenues for the 12 months ending June 30, 2001 were $44.3 million including $21.1 million of software and $13.1 million in maintenance. JDA will incur a one-time charge of $2.2 million for in-process research and development costs and the related tax benefit in third quarter 2001. Excluding this charge, JDA expects the E3 acquisition to be neutral to earnings in third quarter and solidly accretive in future quarters. The Company also expects to spend an additional $10 to $12 million for merger-related costs and to take advantage of operating synergies, which will bring the total cost of the acquisition to approximately $60 million. Banc of America Securities LLC acted as financial advisor to JDA. First Union Securities acted as financial advisor to E3 Corporation.
  
  
  
• Made2Manage Systems Inc. (ERP, MRP, Nasdaq: MTMS) releases of M2M Synchronizer(TM). Using a unique combination of Optimization and Theory of Constraints (TOC) scheduling methodologies, M2M Synchronizer helps manufacturers dramatically increase factory throughput. Its shared database with Made2Manage ERP also helps synchronize the entire manufacturing enterprise to make the right things at the right time.
  
  The new M2M Synchronizer offering is a TOC-based production scheduler that features powerful optimization technology. It also has an easy-to-use Gantt chart facility for viewing and a drag/drop feature for editing schedules. Using a Drum-Buffer-Rope scheduling approach, the M2M Synchronizer helps identify a shop's main bottleneck resource, exploit that resource, and buffer it to protect and keep it running. Optimization technology is also employed to efficiently subordinate the scheduling of other resources, maximize overall on-time delivery performance, and minimize unnecessary early manufacturing and inventory build.
  
  ``The new M2M Synchronizer is highly automated and therefore simple to implement. It also shares a database in real time with Made2Manage ERP,'' Sanford said, ``This means that when you promise sales orders in Made2Manage ERP, you now do it with Capable to Promise based on the real-time production schedule. Purchasing always sees purchased material requirements based on real-time production needs. The shipping department plans its work based on real-time production output. Managers see production or sales order exceptions based on the real-time schedule and progress made against it.
  
  Another key feature of the new M2M Synchronizer is its support for combined Make-to-Order and Make-to-Stock scheduling, making it an effective tool for a broad range of manufacturing styles and industries. In addition, the embedded automatic planning capabilities of M2M Synchronizer enable automatic job creation as well as finite scheduling, lessening the need for human intervention at any stage of the SCM process. Utilizing the M2M Synchronizer, Made2Manage can automatically generate new jobs at all levels of the bill of material directly from a sales order or forecast, and schedule those jobs against available materials and capacity, all in a single step.
  
  
  
• Retek Inc. (ERP, WMS, Nasdaq: RETK ) and SeeBeyond (Nasdaq: SBYN) announced partnership -- whereby Retek will embed SeeBeyond technology as a part of its Retek Enterprise 10.0 release. Retek and SeeBeyond will jointly market SeeBeyond's integration technology to Retailers worldwide.
  
  Retek Enterprise 10.0 will feature the Retek Integration Bus (RIB), an Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) architecture that will provide retailers with unparalleled integration capabilities between Retek's solution and in-house developments. By leveraging SeeBeyond's integration technology, the RIB will allow retailers to achieve new levels of efficiency by eliminating ``islands of data'' within their enterprises.
  
  The SeeBeyond eBI Suite provides the infrastructure to enable retail companies to achieve greater visibility and real-time data and process execution. The ability to connect systems, applications, and trading partners rapidly gives these enterprises faster time to market and increased flexibility, both of which are necessities in this fast-moving market.
  
  
  
  
• RosettaNet (Standards, XML) has officially completed validation of the second major release of its implementation framework core specification, which provides the foundational processes and message packaging requirements for supply chain partners to conduct e-business using RosettaNet standards. Validation of version 2.0 of the RosettaNet Implementation Framework (RNIF) provides greater impetus for companies to migrate from RNIF 1.1 to 2.0, and will help prepare them for the future release of RosettaNet products and services designed to measure their own readiness and compliance with RosettaNet standards.
  
  RosettaNet Partners who participated in the six-month RNIF 2.0 Validation Program include: IONA, Peregrine Systems, PTC, TIBCO Software, Viacore, Vitria and webMethods. The Validation Program is RosettaNet's formal process for driving Partner implementation of newly published standards to ensure the highest level of quality. The Partners run the standard in production-capable environments for a period of time, providing and reviewing feedback to enhance and ultimately validate the standard.
  
  RNIF 2.0 supports intermediaries such as e-marketplaces and exchanges, accommodates complex multi-document business messages, and contains additional provisions for authenticity, privacy and non-repudiation. The new implementation framework supports complex business messages. For example, companies can now send supporting files such as .pdf, .gif, or other binary documents with their XML-based RosettaNet business messages. This capability can greatly enhance the quality of the information transmitted between trading partners.
  
  As an added benefit, Partners using RNIF 2.0 will have the ability to leverage the forthcoming RosettaNet Ready™ Developer Tools, which will allow companies to gauge the compliance of software products or trading partner network implementations with RosettaNet specifications in a cost-effective manner. The Developer Tools software emulates the operation of a RosettaNet-based trading partner solution, executing PIPs running in an RNIF 2.0 environment. The program's other service, Software Compliance Badge subscription, will test solution compliance by PIP version under RNIF 2.0. The RosettaNet Ready Developer Tools subscription is slated for release the week of September 10, 2001.
  
  Additional security measures have been added as well. Companies can take advantage of enhanced privacy and integrity measures such as digital signatures and payload encryption by using S/MIME. The S/MIME standard replaces RosettaNet’s previous format and keeps the RNIF closely aligned with other cross-industry implementation frameworks.
  
  RNIF 2.0 can now be downloaded from the RosettaNet Web site at http:// www.rosettanet.org/rnif.
  
  
  
• SAP (ERP, Nasdaq: SAP) - SAP Ships Newest Version of mySAP™ Customer Relationship Management that gives companies the ability to seamlessly connect and align people, processes and knowledge throughout their entire value network around their customers for greater gains.
  
  Currently available in more than 20 languages ranging from Mandarin Chinese to Greek and Thai, mySAP CRM provides an unmatched global perspective, enabling leading companies around the world to better meet their unique customer requirements. The new version of mySAP CRM also includes more than 100 “out of the box” business processes with best-in-class operational, collaborative and analytical CRM capabilities to facilitate effective implementations.
  
  
• SAP (ERP, Nasdaq: SAP) - SAPMarkets Inc now offers customers the ability to procure and manage transportation services through NTE. This new capability will provide integrated transportation services to private and public exchanges running on MarketSet(TM), the joint solution from SAPMarkets and Commerce One, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMRC). NTE has created a XML-based interface to automate communication and process flows between a shipper and an exchange. XML integration allows for seamless transportation of goods procured through private and public exchanges and eliminates the need for manually contacting transportation service providers. The preconfigured interface provides customers with the ability, in real time, to tender freight, receive and confirm quotes, track and trace freight, and generate statistical reports.
  
  NTE is the first transportation e-marketplace that has completed XML integration with MarketSet and the first logistics provider in the United States to join the SAPMarkets Partner Program.
  
  
  
• Vertex Interactive, Inc.(3 WMS, TMS, NASDAQ:VETX) released Stradivari Web, its browser-based warehouse management system (WMS). Stradivari Web allows users to access up-to-the-minute critical warehouse and inventory information via a browser, whether they are within the four walls of the distribution center or not. Designed as a “Plug and Play” system, Stradivari Web incorporates sophisticated functionality and can be easily deployed across additional facilities. Users need only a browser workstation and RF terminals in an RF-directed environment for real-time data exchange to experience the true benefits of Stradivari Web.
  
  Stradivari Web offers functionality including: highly configurable warehouses, automated putaway based upon user-defined parameters, pallet tracking and building, QA management, cross-docking capabilities, radio frequency, automated cycle counting, lot/batch and serial number traceability, full transaction audit trails, kitting, forward pick and replenishment, and inquiries and reports.
  
  
  

• "Elbow grease is the best polish." -- English Proverb
  

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Valuable Future Events

SCOR 5.0 WebCast (Supply-Chain Council) - September 25 at 11 AM EDT. Free - Must register at web site www.supply-chain.org or call the Council at 412-781-4101.

Supply-Chain World Europe Conference - October 1-3, 2001 Hilton Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Register for the conference at www.supplychainworld.org. Disuss SCOR Version 5.0., B2B, and much more.

SCOR Users Seminar in Washington, DC, Wednesday November 14th at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza. For details see web site www.supply-chain.org or call the Council at 412-781-4101.

Frontline Solutions Expo 2001 -- November 12-November 15, 2001 Chicago, IL, USA


About This Newsletter - ISSN 1533-435X

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