Sterling Inventory Replenishment Combines Automation and Collaboration to Enable Lean Manufacturing and Vendor-Managed Inventory
DENVER, Sterling Commerce Customer Connection – Aug. 22, 2007 — At its annual user conference, Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) subsidiary, today announced the availability of Sterling Inventory Replenishment, a new product in the Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite. The new product enables companies to create a truly collaborative replenishment process with their customers and suppliers, which is a critical component of lean-inventory strategies.
Key inventory strategies, such as lean manufacturing, vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR), are difficult to execute because there’s a lack of visibility of trading partner information and the development of joint plans and forecasts is labor-intensive. Sterling Inventory Replenishment plays a key role in reducing the complexity and effectively executing these strategies by creating a collaborative environment for inventory planning that:
• Analyzes daily inventory and sales information.
• Automates the purchase order generation process.
• Delivers an optimal inventory plan with the capability to execute upon the plan.
“We were looking for a solution that offered comprehensive inventory planning, coupled with flexible replenishment ordering capabilities that would work with our manufacturer distributor representatives and wholesalers. With our past solution, we often were faced with a situation where we did not have enough inventory to meet an order or we were overstocked on an item and had to carry the cost,” said Roman Wlodarczyk, Distribution/Logistics manager of Ward Manufacturing, a leader in the American pipe fitting industry. “We chose Sterling Inventory Replenishment because it was the best solution to meet our long-term inventory-replenishment needs. Since implementing the solution, we have increased collaboration with key trading partners and reduced our field inventory by 20 percent, and that has led to significant reductions in carrying costs.”
“Slow communication and a lack of visibility into supply and demand drive up costs and contribute to poor customer service. It affects retailers and manufacturers alike and results in product stock-outs, high inventory levels and reduced capacity utilization and order-fill rates,” said Ken Ramoutar, director of applications product marketing, Sterling Commerce. “Sterling Inventory Replenishment leverages our expertise in supply-and-demand visibility and automated collaboration to solve a complex problem, and that makes it a valuable addition to the Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite.”
About Sterling Commerce
Sterling Commerce, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), helps customers thrive in a global economy by connecting their business communities, processes, people and technology. More than 30,000 customers worldwide – including 80 percent of the Fortune 500 – use Sterling Commerce solutions for business process integration, multi-channel selling, and supply chain execution to improve profitability inside and outside their company walls. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Sterling Commerce has offices in 19 countries and most major cities around the world. For more information, please go to www.sterlingcommerce.com.
