Smart & Final Aims to Improve Business Agility Using Integration Software

Wholesaler deploys TIBCO solution to gain flexibility and evolve business processes with eye on bottom line; also, TIBCO, Alien ally on RFID

Wholesaler deploys TIBCO solution to gain flexibility and evolve business processes with eye on bottom line; also, TIBCO, Alien ally on RFID

Palo Alto, CA — January 14, 2004 — Grocery wholesaler Smart & Final has selected business integration software from TIBCO to integrate a supply-chain system and pricing system to help maximize business agility.

TIBCO said its solution enables a loosely coupled architecture that makes adding or replacing applications a simple, straightforward process, giving Smart & Final the flexibility to implement applications that can improve the company's bottom line.

The wholesaler's end-to-end supply-chain integration project provides employees with the tools they need to negotiate successfully with vendors and understand promotional opportunities, while Smart & Final's new electronic price tag system allows the company to rapidly adjust to changing market conditions, according to TIBCO.

"It's hard to overestimate the importance of the TIBCO project to Smart & Final," said Bob Byles, vice president of information services at Smart & Final. "Using our old architecture, the cost of integrating new applications cancelled out the gains, but TIBCO makes it possible for us to quickly and cost-effectively implement applications that allow us to evolve our business processes and grow the company."

"TIBCO's software allows Smart & Final to more easily and less expensively integrate systems that help the company increase its profit margin by competing more effectively," said Ram Menon, chief strategist at TIBCO.

TIBCO-Alien Alliance on RFID Integration

In separate news from TIBCO, the provider has allied with Alien Technology to deliver an integration solution for radio frequency identification (RFID) purposes. Alien provides RFID technology and solutions.

TIBCO and Alien Technology are working together to develop RFID solutions that integrate real-time events generated by Alien's hardware with the entire enterprise via TIBCO business integration software. TIBCO business integration and business optimization products will provide visibility and analysis of RFID events, enabling organizations to react more quickly to changing business conditions, the two providers said.

Through the solution providers' joint offering, raw RFID data, abstracted to the appropriate level and linked to business processes by TIBCO business integration and business optimization software, will help companies track and trace inventory and shorten order fulfillment processes across systems and organizations, according to TIBCO and Alien. Correlating business processes with RFID generated events can improve inventory and asset visibility and improve the speed and agility with which organizations can identify and react to problems or opportunities, the two providers said.

"As customers are installing RFID products in their operations, they are achieving business benefits with all members of their supply chain," said Keith Scott, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Alien. "TIBCO integration and event management software will help companies realize the business value and potential of RFID throughout their supply chain."

TIBCO and Alien recently demonstrated the RFID solution at the EPCglobal conference for Wal-Mart top suppliers. The providers expect to release the joint RFID solution in the first half of 2004.

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