IDII News - New Website Features

• Happy Holidays & Season Greetings from the IDII Staff ! If possible - Spend time with your family & friends!
  
  
• New WMS Research Report Study. IDII is now researching WMS solutions that are capable of 25 RF Users & Above. To be included in this study, please contact Phil Obal of IDII at philobal@idii.com. This study will be completed in February 2003. IDII will announce an exiting new research report with our detailed findings at that time!
  
• NEW Edition 7 of the IDII Warehouse & Logistics Software Directory. Click here to order.
  
• New Book Section on Material Handling Equipment - Check It Out
  
• WMS Discussion on Logistics.About.com - Ask a question! - Share your knowledge!
  
  

• New White Papers
• New - Best Practices in Cycle Counting by Inventory Sampling - Excellent
• New - Wireless LAN - Wireless WAN - Very Good
• New - Wireless - Reshaping the Railroad Terrain - Excellent
• New - Judicious Partnering - Collaboration Legal Issues - Excellent
• New - Loading Dock Safety - Excellent
• New - 3PL Results and Findings - 2002 Seventh Annual Study - Excellent - Georgia Tech
  
• Announced In Last Newsletter
• New - Wireless - Cargo Security - Excellent
• New - Exploring Mobile Applications Technology Landscape - Very Good

New Customers Buying Software - New Section - (Partial listing as a few customers require confidentiality)

• Chess Logistics Technology, 12/18/2002, ABP Connect - div of Associated British Ports, 3PL
• ClearOrbit, 12/10/2002, Indian Motorcycle Company, Manufacturer - Vehicles
• G-LOG, 11/1/2002, USCO Logistics, 3PL
• JDAS, 12/6/2002, Matalan Retail Limited, Retailer - Clothing & Homewares
• LIS, 12/5/2002, Sharp Electronics, Manufacturer - Appliances - Electronics - Copiers
• Logility, 12/3/2002, LifeWay Christian Resources, Distributor - Books, Publishing, Media
• Logistics Management Solutions, 12/18/2002, Novus International Inc,
• Manhattan, 12/6/2002, Matalan Retail Limited, Retailer - Clothing & Homewares
• Manhattan, 12/16/2002, Casual Male Retail Group Inc., Retailer - Clothing
• Motek, 12/11/2002, Design Within Reach, Retailer - Furniture
• OMI International, 12/16/2002, Associated Grocers, Wholesale - Food
• Peak Technologies, 12/4/2002, MFI Homeworks,
• Red Prairie, 12/3/2002, Hatfield Quality Meats, Manufacturer - Food
• Retek, 12/5/2002, Home Hardware Stores Limited, Retailer - Hardware
• Yantra Corporation, 11/20/2002, ScanSource Inc., Distributor - POS, Barcoding, RFID, Telephony
  

Technology & Software Product News

• Agilisys International Acquires Application Software Provider Brain AG (specialized ERP and Supply Chain Execution software to automotive suppliers and other selected industries). Post-transaction, Brain Automotive and Brain Industries will operate as separate business units of Agilisys International, a global provider of software solutions to the manufacturing industries.
  
  For over 20 years, Brain has been enhancing automotive suppliers by providing them industry-specific software. Brain has over 1,600 referenceable customers in nearly 19 countries.
  
  
• Automation Associates Canada, Inc. (WMS, 3PL) announced RF Pathways Link 5.0 has obtained its Certified Integration to SAP R/3 Ver. 4.0, 4.5 and 4.6. RF Pathways WMS is a user-configurable, standard software package that now seamlessly integrates with the SAP R/3 Business Framework Architecture.
  
  
• enVista, LLC (NEW COMPANY, TMS) was formally launched and enVista offers a broad array of tailored logistics and transportation cost management solutions. ShipINFO manages company's freight and carrier providers' service and performance. By having access to all shipping information in one central location, customers can monitor their shipments minute by minute. They will know before their customer, if a shipment will be late, and have time to respond proactively. In addition, they will know how much of a refund they should receive from a carrier for service failures. enVista's website is www.envistacorp.com

  enVista also offers RateINFO, a transportation cost management service that helps companies significantly reduce their parcel and LTL shipping costs. By analyzing a company's shipment profile, carrier incentives and tariffs, enVista identifies specific ways to pare down shipping expenses.
  

  
  
  
  
• EXE Technologies (WMS, TMS) announces ISO 9001 Certification EXE's Product Development and Professional Services are Now Certified.
  
  
• HK Systems, Inc (WMS, MHE, MES) announces the latest release of their Equipment Management System (EMS™) V8.1 material handling automation software for production logistics. The original version was released in 2000 after 25 man-years of development and testing, and has been successfully deployed in over 30 varied applications including AS/RS, carousel, conveyor, sortation, AGV, RFID, picking systems, and more.

  The foundation technologies include an Oracle database, Visual Basic front end and countless reporting, alert and graphical utilities to make managing equipment, people, inventory, and data uncommonly simple. Functionality includes optimizing a variety of automated material handling equipment, inventory control, and a graphical interface coined "Visual Warehouse™."

  
  
• Kewill Systems (SMS, LSE: KWL) announced it has partnered with ReturnCentral to offer web-enabled returns processing technology to its customers. As part of the agreement, ReturnCentral will team with Kewill to provide the leading shipping management solution to its customers.

  ReturnCentral will work closely with Kewill to offer Clippership(r) and Kewill.Ship(tm) multi-carrier shipping management functionality with its comprehensive web-based reverse logistics solution. By integrating ReturnCentral's software suite, ReturnMatrix(tm), Kewill shipping software customers will gain the ability to fully optimize returns management processes by improving workflow and by capturing and disseminating important returns data at every critical interface.
  

• LIS (WMS) launches Dispatcher-ActivityBilling. The new system tracks storage of inventory and activities within the warehouse, allowing labour and space utilisation costs to be identified and, when necessary, invoiced. The system can allow 3PLs to accurately charge for value-added services such as kitting, repacking and returns handling, including the associated quality control assessments. Dispatcher-ActivityBilling also allows overheads, such as insurance costs, to be added manually and reflected across a volume of work.

  The module can collect information from any WMS and can also interface with other supply chain systems, such as yard management systems. This would allow companies to charge back the amount of time that had been spent in moving trailers around the yard on a particular customer's behalf. All screens are web-based, allowing the customer to monitor billable activity over the Internet. The system can collate information from multiple sites and in multiple languages and currencies, allowing users such as 3PLs to bill in sterling, dollars or euros, depending on each customer's requirements.

  
  
• PeopleSoft (HR, ERP, CRM, SCM) releases Enterprise Warehouse 8.8, The new offering is provides prepackaged analytic content, a portal interface, and web services capabilities, to reduce the cost and time of deploying, managing and delivering enterprise analytics.
  
  
• Qiva (TMS, ITL) announced alliance with MicroStrategy Incorporated (NasdaqNM:MSTR), a provider of business intelligence software, to deliver expanded information management capabilities for The Qiva Global Logistics Control System. Qiva's customer will receive enhanced supply chain visibility and event management, multi-mode logistics execution, trade management and security.
  
  By integrating MicroStrategy's Business Intelligence Platform(TM), Qiva is providing its customers with greater end-user configurability of reports; integrated reporting and alert engines; and heightened security by providing enhanced risk detection analysis capabilities such as the ability to expose oddities such as cargo that remains in unsecured locations for an untimely period.
  
  
• SAMSys Technologies Inc. (RFID, SMY:TSX-VEN), a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware solutions, announced it has signed a distribution agreement with A.C.C. Systems Inc. Under this agreement, A.C.C. Systems will sell SAMSys’ RFID readers to its value-added reseller (VAR) and systems integrator network that spans across several industries including commercial, medical, transportation, warehouse, military, and automotive.
  
  SAMSys Technologies Signs VAR Agreement with VerdaSee Solutions. VerdaSee will incorporate SAMSys’ readers into their logistics application solutions for the supply chain as well as within their SmartShelf product lines.
  
  SAMSys has a VAR agreement with data collection solution provider Ahearn & Soper. Ahearn & Soper is an established integrator with a vast reach across Canada and the US. Customers are in the automotive, pharmaceutical, food and manufacturing industries.
  
  
• SupplySolution, Inc.(EAI) the release of i-Supply(TM) version 4.6. The i-Supply Service is a Web-based application services for direct material fulfillment. The upgraded version features a new home page, better navigation, performance enhancements, improved alert management, and new filters.
  
  
• WhereNet and Elogex Team to Deliver Integrated Yard and Transportation Management System to Provide Door-to-Door Shipment Visibility. By integrating the WhereNet WhereSoft Yard(TM) yard management system with the Elogex OneNetwork(TM) transportation management system, customers throughout the consumer products supply chain will be able to locate, track and manage hundreds of assets in their distribution centers and across a network of manufacturers, carriers and retailers in real time -- all through one web-based point of access.
  

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

• "Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.

  Thomas Jefferson
  

• "How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man that gains understanding."
  - Proverbs 3:13
  

• RFID Journal - Newsletter - http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=08889a
• Supply Chain Career Board - http://www.hksystems.com/careers
• Freight Forwarding Law Website - http://www.forwarderlaw.com/
• Mostly Business - Comics -- http://www.webcomics.com/cgi-bin/webcom/see.cgi?mostb
• Adventure TV (Animals & Wildlife) - video clips - http://www.adventuretv.com/
  

Online Book Catalog - Intuitive Categories

Books on Shipping, Warehousing, Distribution, Operations, WMS, ERP, MRP, CRM, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Logistics, Facility Layout & Design, Metrics & Measurements. Software Providers SAP, Peoplesoft.

IT & Project Management Books: Software Project Management - IT Management - Software Testing - RFP Development - Proposal Writing.

"The Ultimate CRM Handbook : Strategies and Concepts for Building Enduring Customer Loyalty and Profitability" Order From Amazon

"Warehouse & Logistics Software Directory" Order From Amazon or IDII

"Value Stream Management" Order From Amazon

"Lean Performance ERP Project Management" - Implementing the Virtual Supply Chain" Order From Amazon

"Supply Chain Management Based on SAP Systems" Order From Amazon

"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

ProMat 2003 - February 10 - 13, 2003. ProMat 2003 will provide business, IT and operations professionals with a comprehensive solutions showcase of 700 exhibitors and nearly 80 educational sessions. Focus is Material Handling and Software. See http://www.promat2003.com

National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment (NCOF) - April 13 - 16, 2003 - Orlando, FL. The Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Exhibits: April 14 and 15 The Conference Exclusively for Direct-to-Customer Operations and Fulfillment Management.

Distribution/Computer EXPO 2003 - May 20 - 22, 2003 - Navy Pier - Chicago, IL. The largest Exposition for logistics and supply chain technology including; distribution, transportation, and warehousing. Held in conjunction is the D/C EXPO seminars focusing on the latest trends and advances in logistics and supply chain technologies. Visit our website at www.logistar.com or call our toll free number - 800-338-4112.