RITE AID SELECTS LOGISTICS.COM TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO IMPROVE SUPPLY CHAIN EFFECTIVENESS
OptiManage to Reduce Inventory, Improve Service, Reduce Transportation Cost,
and Gain Real-Time Visibility from Purchase Order to Dock Delivery
BURLINGTON, Mass. (November 12, 2002) - Logistics.com Inc., the leader in
logistics planning and execution solutions for shippers and carriers, and
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD), one of the nation`s top three retail
drugstore chains with annual revenues of more than $15 billion, announced
that Rite Aid has selected Logistics.com`s OptiManage transportation
management system (TMS) to help manage the flow of inbound freight to its 8
distribution centers, which service its 3,400 stores.
The OptiManage implementation follows a successful engagement of
Logistics.com`s OptiBid transportation e-sourcing system at Rite Aid, which
generated savings in excess of $1 million annually.
"With its advanced automated event-management capabilities, we expect
OptiManage to help protect our service levels and extend the savings
generated by the OptiBid process," explained Wilson Lester, senior vice
president of supply chain for Rite Aid.
"OptiManage is a strategic differentiator that will help to improve our
inventory turns, keep shelves stocked by reacting to critical transportation
events, and anticipate and eliminate supply chain bottlenecks before they
occur."
Web-native OptiManage delivers full-featured transportation management,
including order management, shipment consolidation, carrier selection,
tender, track and trace, event management, continuous-move optimization, and
freight bill audit and pay.
"OptiManage stands apart not only by automating the freight tender process,
but also by streamlining the management of exceptions that would otherwise
need to be handled by time-consuming, manual overrides," said Bill
Hutchinson, vice president of transportation for Rite Aid. "We will improve
the utilization of our dedicated and private fleets by setting them up as
preferred carriers in the system, and will streamline the spot procurement
process that we currently have in irregular traffic lanes. For example, we
expect to use OptiManage`s automated `capacity finder` to sequentially or
simultaneously offer shipments to multiple contract carriers in the event of
a rejection by the primary carrier, reducing the risk of expensive
`maverick` spot transportation purchases."
OptiManage is designed to help reduce distribution center inventory, improve
service, and provide SKU-level real-time visibility from purchase order to
dock delivery, said Todd Kolber, vice president, retail sales at
Logistics.com. "We`re looking forward to helping an industry leader like
Rite Aid, as well as other major retailers, continue to extend their market
leadership."
About Logistics.com
Based in Burlington, Mass., Logistics.com delivers logistics planning and
execution solutions that guarantee cost savings to shippers and carriers,
while maximizing service and improving capital utilization. The company
links all players in logistics and adjacent industries on a standard
communication and application integration platform, Logistics Event
Management Architecture (LEMA). Logistics.com`s three offerings include
OptiManage, a comprehensive transportation management solution for shippers;
OptiBid, a strategic procurement solution for shippers; and OptiYield, a
decision support and optimization solution for carriers. Logistics.com has
received numerous accolades and was recently named to the Forbes Best of the
Web: B2B for the second consecutive year. The company has received funding,
strategic guidance and operational support from Internet Capital Group
(NASDAQ: ICGE). Logistics.com recently signed a letter of intent for its
assets to be acquired by Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH), subject to
various closing conditions. The acquisition is expected to close in the
fourth quarter. For further information, visit the company website at
www.logistics.com.
About Rite Aid
Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation`s leading drugstore chains with
annual revenues of more than $15 billion and approximately 3,400 stores in
28 states and the District of Columbia. Information about Rite Aid,
including corporate background and press releases, is available through the
company`s website at www.riteaid.com.
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