Ace Hardware to enable thousands more direct ship suppliers to transact electronically with extended agreement
Newark, CA — January 13, 2003 — Supply chain integration solutions provider ADX today announced it is expanding its relationship with the retailer-owned cooperative Ace Hardware Corp. For the past five years Ace has used ADX to automate data exchange and facilitate supply chain efficiencies with many of its suppliers and partners. With the new agreement, ADX said it would enable Ace Hardware to connect to several thousand more direct ship suppliers.
ADX said that, typically, direct ship suppliers are difficult to bring into electronic supply chain initiatives, since such initiatives have traditionally relied on costly electronic data interchange (EDI) software and value-added networks (VANs) to connect the trading partners. ADX said it offers an outsourced service that lets companies exchange data and supply chain documents without an investment in software or hardware.
"ADX is an important strategic partner for our supply chain and has provided a high level of value for Ace and its suppliers for many years," said Ralph Wohlberg, operational accounting manager of Ace Hardware. "We're always striving to cut costs and streamline business processes with our supply chain partners, and we're expanding our relationship with ADX to continue those efforts. We expect hard dollar savings and long-term supply chain improvements as we implement this project."
The agreement between the companies calls for ADX to link Ace to all of its direct ship vendors to send invoices and credit memos electronically. By electronically connecting direct ship vendors, who typically process transactions manually due to unique technical complexities and time-sensitive needs, Ace is able to power its EagleVision system, which manages point-of-sale (POS) and inventory information throughout its network.
Founded in 1924, Ace Hardware Corp. is headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., and has annual retail sales from its 4,900 hardware, home center and lumber and building materials retailers topping $13 billion. Ace currently operates 15 distribution centers in the United States and has stores located in all 50 states and 72 countries.
