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Senior Level Executive Seeking New Challenges - Contact This Professional Now

Robert D. Westbrook - Bob has extensive SCM/WMS industry knowledge developed over twenty years in retail distribution, supply chain software, and professional service organizations. Following a successful distribution management career in systems and operations for a major Chicago retailer, Bob joined IBM's Worldwide Chain Store Systems where he was key to business development and led global Consulting Services, Operations, Product, Sales and Customer Support teams. Recently, Bob successfully led the ERP/CRM Practice for American Express Tax & Business Services providing Microsoft's Great Plains solutions and services. His professional and positive attitude as well as a strong commitment to revenue generation, cost containment and team building enhances these skills. Contact This Professional

IDII News - New Website Features

• NEW Version 6 of the Advanced WMS RFI is released! IDII has invested an additional 100 hours into improving this product.
  
  New Version 6 has 900 questions! New features include 100 new questions in manufacturing, RF task management, and many other areas. New features also include Full Question Text and Scorecard.
  New Full Question Text permits easy printing of the full text of all questions, including the pop-up text. This greatly assists the selection team in reviewing questions and weighting them.
  New SCORECARD assists in saving days of time by assisting you in building a ScoreCard FAST! Scorecard permits side-by-side comparisons and weighted scoring by question. Two summaries are also provided to show weighted summary totals. For more information. Order Now! Upgrades are available only to current WMS RFI customers at $300 US plus shipping.
  
  
  
• Book Catalog on Shipping, Warehousing, Distribution, Operations, WMS, ERP, CRM, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Metrics, System Integration, Logistics We have done the research and built the web pages - in order to help you! Check it out - you will be glad you did ! Books are shipped from Amazon.com or publisher.
  
  

• FREE Book - Strengthening Manufacturing Weak Links
• New White Paper - From Planning to Control: Improving The High-Tech Supply Chain
• New White Paper - Why the Controversy over ROI from ERP?
• New White Paper - Successful ERP Implementation the First Time
• New White Paper - Performance Measurement: Connecting Strategy, Operations, and Actions
• New White Paper - Business Intelligence & Logistics for 3PL
• New White Paper - Getting More Out of ERP
• New White Paper - Designing Software for Ongoing Changes & Maximum Flexibility
  
  

Software Company News

• Clicklogistics, Inc. (TMS-Online) announced agreement with ACCUSHIP (TMS-Parcel) that will give shippers a seamless solution for a broad range of shipping needs.

  Clicklogistics offers its web-native TMS, Clicklogistics Online, to help customers manage transportation and customer service for shipments moving via LTL, TL, intermodal, and rail. Clicklogistics also offers logistics management services to shippers that want to outsource all or part of their logistics management function. ACCUSHIP provides shipping, tracking, accounting and reporting capabilities for all other modes and carriers, and is the leading technology solution provider for parcel and express shipping. Under the new agreement, the companies will collaborate to offer the most complete web-native transportation technology currently available to reduce supply chain excesses and increase operational efficiencies.

• Ecometry (ERP, E-Commerce, Nasdaq: ECOM) Acquired by Syngistix (1976, SCM) Syngistix has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ecometry for $2.90 per share in cash. Syngistix, a supplier of supply chain management software, specializes in developing low-risk migration paths to NT/SQL and UNIX/Oracle platforms for users of enterprise applications that run on legacy hardware and software.

• EXE Technologies (Nasdaq: EXEE, WMS, Visibility, Optimization) Announces EXceed Adaptive Inventory Manager. EXceed AIM performs the demand forecasting, replenishment planning, purchase order generation, order sizing, buyer review, and store product allocation functions required to support the inventory management process. AIM significantly expands the functionality of the rest of EXE's EXceed product family to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of the market. Using advanced simulation technology, EXceed AIM helps companies manage inventory more effectively by matching demand and supply in real time. Buyers, suppliers, and internal logistics professionals can be more effective because they can work from a single plan.

• HighJump Software (WMS, TMS) Secures $10 Million in Equity Investment From Gemini Investors and St. Paul Venture Capital of Bloomington, Minn. This represents the second investment in HighJump Software made by St. Paul Venture Capital. HighJump said it plans to use the funds to accelerate the growth of its robust SCE solutions that empower customers to effectively collaborate and better manage and optimize inventory across the enterprise and supply chain. HighJump said it plans to use the funds to accelerate the growth of its robust SCE solutions that empower customers to effectively collaborate and better manage and optimize inventory across the enterprise and supply chain.

   

• IBM Unveils First Linux-Only Mainframes. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) on Friday said it is launching its first mainframe computers that will only run Linux saying the alternative operating system is gaining ground as companies tighten purse-strings in the tough economy. IBM said the two new machines, the iSeries for small businesses and the more powerful and costly zSeries, can replace racks of smaller server computers made by rivals.

• Lawson Software (ERP, SCM, Nasdaq: LWSN) announced a new Internet-based e-Procurement product for healthcare organizations designed to lower the cost of acquiring products and services by automating and streamlining the procurement process. Available in May 2002, Lawson's e-Procurement for healthcare is a product that allows healthcare organizations to search multi-supplier, multi-media rich catalogs, create requisitions and purchase orders, and process transactions in real time within a fully integrated business solution environment. Lawson e-Procurement for Healthcare offers new and improved functions:

  * Requisitions Self-Service - Enables advanced search capabilities, user-friendly requester interface, and category-based (UNSPSC) multi-level search capability.
  * Punch Out - Allows shopping on vendor-managed websites via secure connectivity between Lawson Requisitions Self-Service and the systems of trading partners and other digital marketplaces.
  * Pre-Built Requisition Process Flow - Offers flexible requisition approval processing and easily modified process flow routines.
  * Catalog and Content Import and Management - Helps users electronically import external content, and automates the process of creating and maintaining vendor items and pricing agreements.
  * Procurement Tracking (Dashboard) - Helps users track transactions from creation to fulfillment through a single view.
  * Enhanced business intelligence/reporting - New standard procurement reports touch areas of Inventory Control, Materials Management, Accounts Payable, Requisitions and Purchase Order; includes tools to parse XML packages and extract data from transactions.
  Lawson has partnered with webMethods, a recognized leader in connecting internal applications, partners, suppliers and customers, to incorporate world-class end-to-end integration into its new e-Procurement solution. These applications enable real-time access to vendor-managed content and the ability to outsource the tedious task of constant item maintenance to trusted trading partners.

• Logility (Nasdaq: LGTY) and Precision Software (1984, ITL, www.precisionsoftware.com) announced a strategic alliance to offer new solution to control & manage importing, exporting and transporting regardless of location, language, currency or regulations worldwide. Coupled together, Precision Software's TRA/X solution and Logility Voyager
  Solutions(TM) will now give companies the global solution needed to optimize and streamline both domestic transportation and global trade logistics operations. The combined solution will address the vital need of companies to have strategic business processes such as trade compliance and content, planning, forecasting, promotion planning, sourcing, warehousing, transportation and international shipping that can be executed on a global scale.
  
  TRA/X not only minimizes the risk in global shipping by automating trade compliance of government and local regulations, but also automates the entire process by providing functionality such as international documentation, freight costing and the tracking and tracing of shipments for global transport. TRA/X will also provide Logility customers increased visibility of total landed costs for all global shipments and movements throughout the supply chain through a world-class, end-to-end global supply chain planning and execution solution.
  

• Logistics.com Inc., (TMS) announced the launch of OptiManage 7 (Web Based TMS). OptiManage 7 fully integrates transportation planning and execution. Beyond simply following a fixed routing guide, OptiManage 7 dynamically monitors critical metrics and events, making real-time adjustments to the routing guide that protect service and savings. Logistics.com's Logistics Event Management Architecture (LEMA), an open, standards-based and user-driven architecture. OptiManage 7 also offers visibility features such as intelligent freight monitoring, SKU-level Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Web-based track and trace. OptiManage 7's reconciliation features close the loop on the transportation process by offering reporting capabilities and advanced freight audit and payment methods like automated payment.

  OptiManage 7 manages "exceptions" with automated actions that ensure continuous workflow that is uninterrupted by human intervention. "Calling these events 'exceptions' is a misnomer," explained Johar. "Every day shipments will be rejected by carriers, order destinations will change and orders will be cancelled. Rather than treat these as out-of-the-ordinary crises that require manual intervention, OptiManage automatically handles them as normal events through business logic rules." This means that if an order's destination changes, for example, the system can automatically reconsolidate the shipment that includes the order, recall the shipment from
  the carrier if it had already been tendered and re-select the best carrier, or simply notify the carrier of the new destination. This capability facilitates significant hard dollar savings by saving the shipper from paying premium rates to a contingency carrier when exceptions occur.

  The system delivers:
  * Order Management
  * Shipment Management
  * Load Consolidation Optimization (Inbound and Outbound)
  * Mode Selection Optimization
  * Continuous Move Optimization
  * Carrier Selection Optimization (with contract and dynamic pricing)
  * Carrier Tendering (including Autofax, EDI, Web, and tXML)
  * Tracking and Tracing
  * Intelligent Alerting and Proactive Recommendations
  * Reporting
  * Freight Payment and Auditing
  * Customizable, Dynamic Routing Guides
  * Configurable Rating Engine
  * Carrier Management (Web- or EDI-based tendering, track and trace, and messaging)

  
  

• Logistics Software Corp.(ITL) announce commercial release of eImport Studio™ for Windows® NT/2000/XP. World class software for the management of customs clearance information. Features include:
  
  - Automatic and manual generation of incoming, outgoing, and adjusting B3 entries
  - Barcode label generation for supporting B3 documentation
  - Automatic B3 reconciliation of Invoices, Credit Notes, and Purchase Orders
  - WYSIWYG customs document viewer
  - Generation and management of CADEX, ACROSS, and RNS entries
  - Integrated inventory management system for bonded warehouse environments
  - Database support for unlimited account security numbers and multiple importers
  - Seamless integration to front office accounting systems
  - Seamless integration to CIGE (Customs Internet Gateway Exchange)
  - Seamless integration to Warehouse Explorer
  - Fully Integrated ODBC compliant SQL database
  - User defined reporting and query capabilities

• Made2Manage Systems Inc. (ERP, MRP, Nasdaq: MTMS) Introduces new 5.0 version of its ERP suite running on the Microsoft SQL Server. The release of M2M ERP 5.0 SQL extends the capabilities of the company's flagship Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) product. Key features of the release include support for multi-site manufacturing and enhanced capabilities:

  Multi-Site Capabilities – Companies with multiple warehouses, distribution centers, storage facilities, and/or manufacturing plants require visibility of inventory, supply and demand by facility, order costing and inventory valuation by facility, and supply planning or sourcing by facility.
  Progress Billing – By providing the ability to identify items that will be billed in a progressive pattern without recognizing the revenue until the final billing, users will be able to divide the billing process while retaining the ability to track, report and invoice specified amounts based on date, time spent, materials used or percentage completed.
  Multi-Dimensional Inventory – The Made2Manage Multi-Dimensional Inventory (MDI) feature provides broad support for 1) measuring inventory in multiple dimensions; 2) specifying Bill of Material (BOM) component requirements in multiple dimensions and 3) transacting inventory in alternate units of measure.

• Manhattan Associates Discloses Anticipated Effect of Kmart Bankruptcy And its Impact to Fourth Quarter 2001 Results. Kmart Corporation announced that it had filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and that it had secured a $2 billion financing package. As part of the announcement, Kmart confirmed its intention to continue investing in critical technology and supply chain enhancements, as well as optimizing its supply chain to maximize efficiencies and service capabilities. As a result, Manhattan Associates (Nasdaq: MANH) believes it is likely Kmart will move forward with its portion of Kmart's highly publicized supply chain reengineering projects, and Kmart has requested Manhattan Associates continue to provide its resources for these highly publicized projects. Manhattan Associates initiated its relationship with Kmart in June 2001 to provide extended supply chain execution solutions to help the second-largest U.S. discount retailer improve, among other things, the movement of inventory from its distribution centers to its stores.

• Manugistics (SCP, SCM, Optimization, Nasdaq: MANU) announced that it is adding new price application and execution capabilities from Vendavo, Inc. to its market leading suite of Pricing and Revenue Optimization (PRO) solutions. As part of a global sales alliance with Vendavo, Inc., Manugistics will resell Vendavo ADVANTAGE, a price and deal management solution designed to give pricing and sales teams better control over pricing policies and deal negotiation. Manugistics offers complete price management solutions that extend across the entire price lifecycle - from price setting, price optimization and price policy management, to deal execution and administration, analytics and reporting - and continues to enhance this functionality in response to customer demands.

• McHugh Software International, Inc. (WMS, LMS, TMS) announced release 5.4 of McHugh's powerful DLx* Warehouse solution. New feature includes Merge-in-transit. Merge-in-transit functionality enables companies to coordinate receiving from multiple sources with immediate consolidation into single shipments to match customer order requirements. This reduces cycle times and costs by eliminating the putaway, storage and picking steps in the process, and improves service to customers through faster delivery of complete orders. Merge-in-transit also allows companies to centralize special processes at specific locations, capitalizing on specialized skills and equipment to improve quality and reduce costs. DLx* Warehouse 5.4 enables coordination of receiving from multiple sources and special processing sites into consolidated shipments at any supported company DC or third party facility, thus creating virtual mixing centers for maximum flexibility to meet customer needs and corporate objectives. These capabilities also enable flow-through and cross dock process models in retail and wholesale distribution.

  In addition, DLx Warehouse 5.4 includes pre-packaged integration components for visibility, collaboration and logistics command and control, as well as new functionality for order modeling.

   

• PeopleSoft (ERP, HR) Buys Calico Commerce. Calico Commerce, Inc., announced that on January 25, 2002, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the sale of its intellectual property and certain assets to PeopleSoft, Inc. for approximately $5 million cash. Calico expects the sale to close on or about February 5, 2002. At the closing, Calico expects that approximately 40 of its employees will become employees of PeopleSoft, Calico Commerce, Inc. is a provider of interactive selling software for organizations selling complex products or services. With its advanced configuration and recommendation technology, Calico's products enable corporations to better understand and serve their customers.

   

• Prophet 21 (ERP, WMS, Nasdaq: PXXI) announce Newt Version of Prophet 21 Acclaim 13. Acclaim 13 includes more than 45 new features:

  -- Sales tax enhancements - Provides a sales tax audit report showing detailed transaction information for each sales tax schedule, including company-wide schedules that the distributor defines; includes sales tax write-offs when updating sales tax schedules; provides a sales tax master list.
  -- Workflow capabilities - Enables distributors to immediately inform specified recipients of critical business events by sending an e-mail when a quote is entered for a customer on hold, a moving average changes by a specific percentage for an item, or material is received at no cost.
  -- Period-to-date usage on purchase requirements reports - Provides the latest usage information to help distributors make better purchasing decisions.
  -- Process vendor payments with credit cards - Offers the ability to pay vendors with credit cards and track credit card balances
  promptly and proficiently.
  -- Purchase pricing override tables - Allows distributors to specify purchase pricing override tables to automate this process and have more accurate costing of purchase orders.
  -- Order ledger functionality - Provides a mechanism to track, display, and view changes to the order file in real time. No more guessing what happened; distributors can now see every change to every order, including who made it. This will help save time and make the business more effective.
  
  With Acclaim 13, Customers benefit from the new data entry import and export options. The import option allows files in XML, flat file, or dbase format to be imported into Acclaim while passing through a validation process, thereby preserving the integrity of the data. The export feature allows the user to quickly and easily send item, catalog, customer, and vendor information to a familiar spreadsheet format, manipulate it as required, and return the revisions to their Prophet 21 solution, saving a considerable amount of time and reducing the risk of errors.

• Provia Software (SCE, WMS, TMS, 3PL, SCP) announced partnership with ShipINFO™, an enterprise information service that proactively manages a company’s freight and parcel carrier service, performance, and costs. The partnership will provide real-time shipment visibility and proactive service exception notification to Provia clients and their customers.
  
  In addition to proactively monitoring shipments, ShipINFO identifies and calculates the cost of the exceptions. “By identifying billing errors and service failures, ShipINFO can reduce a client’s shipping costs by five percent or more,” said Yosie Lebovich, CTO at ShipINFO. “Lowering transportation costs results in immediate bottom-line cost savings for ShipINFO users.”
  

• Tilion, Inc. (SCEM, TMS) announced Tilion Solutions for Logistics and Supply Chain, a series of new highly-focused solutions. Tilion Solutions include 20 different analytic views; 64 pre-defined alerts for better logistics and supply chain execution; and APIs to other enterprise and supply chain applications. Tilion's solutions are:

  · Logistics Execution: Inbound Freight - provides logistics managers with visibility into incoming shipments, including estimated delivery times, as well as the anticipated quantities and types of merchandise expected.

  · Supply Chain Execution: Inventory Management - enables logistics managers to optimize inventory levels, taking into consideration fulfillment, projected needs and trading partners.

  · Logistics Execution: Shipment Performance- using a scorecard system, it provides logistics managers with insight into the overall performance of their trading partners.

   

• Vertex Interactive, Inc. (WMS, TMS, NASDAQ:VETX) announced the new release of eWMS v3.5.1, JAVA WMS solution.

  eWMS v3.5.1 functionality benefits several industries including Third Party Logistics (3PL). Needs of 3PL companies with multi-owner, multi-warehouse capability, a robust billing module, and flexible invoice generation. eWMS v3.5.1 has enhanced billing capabilities with the addition of multiple, split-month billing options. Additional functionality provided in v3.5.1 includes increased lot traceability and distribution by lot number/pallet ID. Other features are: added "canned" reporting and label application capabilities, and the availability on Microsoft SQL Server.

  "The Vertex eSuite is available on Oracle, DB2, and now Microsoft SQL Server. Future releases will address the LINUX operating system and clearly establish the Vertex eSuite as one of the industry's most portable systems." eWMS v3.5.1 release comes on the heels of Vertex's eWMS v3.5 release with enhanced frozen and refrigerated food functionality and Vertex's release of its web-based, enterprise wide Transportation Management System, eTMS.
  
  

Quotes to Ponder - List of Quotes to Ponder from prior issues.

• "We cannot solve life's problems except by solving them."
  --M. Scott Peck
  
  

• "I know not what course others may take,
  but as for me,
  give me liberty or
  give me death."
  --Patrick Henry, St. John's Church, 1775

• "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" 1 Cor 15:33

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

"ADVANCED WMS RFI Search Bundle" Available from IDII only
Obal, Philip	Advanced Version is available only from IDII

Valuable Future Events - List Your Event or Convention

IWLA Annual Convention & Expo - March 10 to March 13, 2002 - San Francisco, CA, USA - 847-292-1891 or visit http://www.iwla.org

2002 Material Handling Show & Conference - NA2002 - April 8 to April 11, 2002 - Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI, USA - 800-232-1537 or visit http://www.na2002.com

Supply Chain Expo - April 16 to 18, 2002 - Rosemont, IL, USA - 800-964-9665 or visit http://www.supplychainexpo.com

National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment - NCOF - April 29 to May 1, 2002 - Nashville, TN, USA, 212-790-1500 or visit http://www.ncof.com

Logistics & e-Supply Chain Forum, May 9 to 12, 2002 - New York, NY, USA - 212-651-8700 or visit http://www.logisticsforum.com

Distribution/Computer Expo - DC Expo 2002- May 21 to May 23, 2002 - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA - 800-338-4112 or visit http://www.logistar2.com

ASRS/AGVS Users' Association 2002 Annual Conference - "Integrating ASRS/AGV's/Carousels Into Facility Operations" - June 9-12, 2002 - Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA

The ASRS/AGVS Users' Association will host its annual conference in Newport Beach, California in June. Twelve presentations, plant tours, numerous breakout sessions and special interest sessions will offer many opportunities to meet with fellow ASRS – AGVS – Carousel users and system suppliers to hear the latest information regarding technology advances and warehouse management systems, and to see solutions to operational and management problems for your organization. Special features of the 2002 conference are the keynote breakfast, plant tours and lunch that follows, and the annual conference vendors' night. Past attendees have said that the ASRS/AGVS Users' Conference is like no other in that it gives all attendees, both users and vendors, many opportunities to discuss common problems, company system needs, etc., and to hear what other users have done to implement their systems of ASRS – AGV's – Carousels into their operations. More information at www.ASRS.org
www.ASRS.org

19th Annual Catalog Conference, - June 10 to 13, 2002 - McCormick Center - Chicago, IL, USA - 212-790-1500 or visit http://www.catalogconference.com


About This Newsletter - ISSN 1533-435X

We educate and share news on software for warehousing, transportation, shipping, packing, slotting, loading, optimization, and enterprise wide software solutions. This free newsletter is published twice a month. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others that you know. One may quickly subscribe, view past issues, view FAQ, & our rate card by accessing www.idii.com/esn/index.htm.

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