SeeCommerce Provides Retailers Early Warning of Supply Chain Performance Problems
SeeChain 5.0 Analytics Engine Pinpoints Demand, Inventory and Forecasting
Exceptions in Mountains of Point of Sale and RFID Data
FMI SHOW 2004, CHICAGO, May 4, 2004 - SeeCommerce, the supply chain
performance management company, today announced SeeChain 5.0, which enables
retailers and consumer packaged goods suppliers to avoid costly
out-of-stocks, overstocks, and forecasting errors. SeeChain 5.0 allows
businesses to be alerted to supply chain performance exceptions that would
otherwise remain buried in the huge volumes of data generated by Point of
Sale (POS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems. In addition,
SeeChain 5.0 speeds up supply chain problem root cause analysis and
resolution with new visualization and collaboration capabilities.
SeeCommerce will demonstrate SeeChain 5.0 at the 2004 FMI Show (booth 3381).
SeeChain 5.0 helps prevent out of stocks by allowing retailers to
constantly monitor key performance indicators (KPI) including shelf level
in-stock percentage, forecast accuracy, and supplier performance. For
example, when a promotional item`s `sell-through` measure materially lags or
exceeds forecast, SeeChain automatically notifies all decision makers in the
supply chain (retailer and suppliers). In addition, the SeeChain
notification provides links to root cause data from operational systems so
appropriate corrective actions can be taken as soon as changes in
performance occur.
Avoiding Demand and Inventory Surprises
To anticipate and take action on unexpected fluctuations in store
and item inventory and demand levels, SeeChain 5.0 features an enhanced data
analysis and correlation engine that can process twice as much data per
second compared to SeeChain 4.5. This capability enables retailers to
quickly identify key store-level patterns from vast POS and RFID data
warehouses, prioritize appropriate action plans, and more effectively react
to problems and opportunities. SeeChain automatically alerts managers when
pre-defined performance thresholds are violated, and provides links to root
cause data that enables managers to address impending shortages or overstock
conditions before they can negatively impact business performance.
Visualizing Supply Chain Problems
To accelerate root cause analysis and problem resolution, SeeChain
5.0 combines performance alerts with a visual representation of the
company`s internal and external supply chain hierarchy. This capability
enables managers to rapidly assess and resolve performance issues by viewing
alert details and accessing underlying operational data from the same web
browser window.
In addition, SeeChain allows performance alert details - along with
dynamic links to the supply chain hierarchy view - to be forwarded directly
to authorized users inside and outside the company via HTML email. This
allows co-workers and suppliers to instantly view and access, directly from
their email client, performance exception information within the global
context of the company`s supply chain.
"Identifying and responding early to inventory and forecast
performance exceptions can be the difference between avoiding big write
downs and capitalizing on major revenue opportunities," said Parviz Hooman,
senior vice president of research and development for SeeCommerce.
"SeeChain 5.0 provides automated facilities that can pinpoint needles in the
haystack of POS and RFID data stores to allow retailers to avert
out-of-stocks, write-downs, and correctable forecast problems."
Collaboration Enables Front-Line Data Gathering
For faster front-line input on the source of supply chain problems,
SeeChain 5.0 allows managers to document and take corrective action on
performance threshold violations in four new ways:
- Enter unstructured text
- Specify a reason code
- Apply a rating scale (e.g. from 1 to 10)
- Or directly modify transactional data
User input data entered in SeeChain enables companies to identify
emerging trends in supplier performance by aggregating key performance
metrics such as reason codes and ratings.
Availability
SeeChain 5.0 is available immediately from SeeCommerce and its business
partners worldwide.
About SeeChain
SeeCommerce enables business managers and trading partners to manage
and continuously improve business performance across complex supply chains.
The suite of SeeChain applications drives performance management,
organizational collaboration, supply chain synchronization and workflow
coordination throughout the entire supply network. The applications include
SeeChain Supplier, SeeChain Demand, SeeChain Materials, SeeChain Production,
SeeChain Inventory, SeeChain Fulfillment, SeeChain Logistics and SeeChain
Financials.
About SeeCommerce
SeeCommerce is a leading provider of supply chain performance
management applications. The company`s products enable business managers
and trading partners to continuously manage and improve business performance
across complex supply chains. SeeCommerce customers are leaders in the
automotive, electronics, and retail/consumer goods industries including
Circuit City Stores, DaimlerChrysler, Flextronics, and Herbalife.
Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, SeeCommerce distributes its products
through an international network of direct and indirect sales channels. For
more information, visit the company`s Web site at www.seecommerce.com.
SeeChain, and the SeeCommerce design of an eye are registered trademarks and
service marks of SeeCommerce. Unless otherwise noted, all other trademarks,
service marks, and logos are the trademarks, service marks or logos of their
respective owners.
Marc Gendron
Marc Gendron Public Relations
Tel: 781.237.0341
Fax: 781.237.0371
e-mail: marc@mgpr.net
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