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MCA Solutions
Philadelphia, PA/USA
www.mcasolutions.com
Small
1999
Fulfillment/Logistics, PLM, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

Feedback from manufacturing customers, evolutions in the service supply chain and transitions in the manufacturing industry have long been the drivers behind MCA Solutions' service parts planning and optimization technology. Today the company said it's much more about the end user and the value that they derive from their products throughout the service lifecycle, because enhancing technology to effectively meet companies' changing service needs will help MCA's manufacturing customers excel at providing service to their customers.

Up until now, manufacturers have had no choice but to rely on historic data, which was dependant on previous fill rates, parts consumption and scheduled and unscheduled maintenance cycles to make critical service supply chain decisions. However, MCA Solutions is helping manufacturers leverage new customer data streams to improve their service strategies and offer better, more efficient and effective service to customers.

With the "next wave" of the service supply chain calling for a customer-centric approach, mid-sized manufacturers need a strong service strategy, too. To help mid-sized manufacturers compete with the big guys, MCA Solutions launched a new version of its OnDemand solution earlier this year. MCA OnDemand offers mid-sized manufacturers a comprehensive, lower-cost solution with around-the-clock support and managed services.

Customer-focused service is absolutely the "next wave" in the service supply chain, according to MCA Solutions, and its innovative service parts planning and optimization technology is making it possible for manufacturers across the globe to achieve this new level of service excellence.

Menlo Worldwide Logistics
San Mateo, CA/USA
www.menloworldwide.com
Large
1990
Fulfillment/Logistics

Menlo Worldwide Logistics said customer need projections indicated that the majority of new warehouse management business would be in the multi-client arena due to the increased need for real-time visibility, flexibility and reduced labor and asset costs. In order to meet this rising trend, the company developed a formal multi-client warehouse facility network modeled on the success of its flagship multi-client operation in Fremont, Calif., which began serving customers nearly two years ago. Through this formal offering, Menlo offers customers the opportunity to mitigate asset risk, providing a cost-effective bridge between single-warehouse solutions such as committing to a dedicated facility, utilizing public warehouse space or having to internalize the function.

With multi-client warehouse management solutions, customers of any size can outsource any level of warehousing, distribution and transportation management operations, leveraging shared resources from an IT platform and global network of strategically located facilities. Menlo's multi-client network warehouse management solution also offers customization, full warehouse management functionality and a Lean philosophy of waste elimination, continuous measurement and improvement.

Metastorm
Baltimore, MD/USA
www.metastorm.com
Medium
1996
Decision Support

Most organizations today realize the value of developing an enterprise strategy and goals, analyzing processes to identify areas of improvement, and creating process efficiency; however these efforts are usually siloed into different groups and may only exist in pockets of the organization. Metastorm says its software products are designed to help close the gaps and create a transparent, collaborative environment across even the largest supply-chain organizations so they can ensure understanding, optimize execution, enable agility, and empower resources to deliver on goals at many levels of the organization.

Microsoft Corporation
Bellvue, WA/USA
www.Microsoft.com/RFID
Large
1980
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, CRM, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

RFID adoption has been slowed by cost, lack of value propositions, lack of trained resources and few applications that can take advantage of its unique value. Microsoft suggests that by introducing its BizTalk Server 2006 R2 into the RFID market, it is enabling companies with a consistent technology approach to RFID that can't be replicated by independent middleware vendors. Rather than a select group of skilled technicians trained on specific RFID middleware technologies, there now is a large community with skills ubiquitous to any IT organization ready to support the RFID infrastructure and blend it creatively with their mainstream technologies, the Redmond giant says.

Motorola, Inc.
Schaumburg, IL/ USA
www.symbol.com
Large
1930
Fulfillment/Logistics, CRM

Driving efficiencies throughout one's supply chain is more than a business mandate today; it's a matter of business survival. Motorola Inc. has targeted radio frequency identification (RFID) as a true next-generation technology, ready, available and being implemented today that is transforming how companies manage and extract more business value from their supply chain operations.

Motorola recently introduced the next phase in the evolution of RFID with the RD5000 Mobile RFID Reader. By adding mobility to Motorola's reader technology, companies can extend the reach of their RFID network throughout the enterprise environment. The device is cable-free, provides real-time wireless local area network (LAN) connectivity and has motion-smart features that work together to help conserve battery power. The completely self-contained device offers an integrated battery and antenna as well as a very small footprint for easy installation and deployment. From the warehouse and loading dock to the retail floor and more, the RD5000 increases the level of visibility of inventory and other assets.

Nexiant
Irvine, California/USA
www.nexiant.com
Small
1999
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

Typically, indirect materials are managed at the plant level with manual processes, and consumption data is not integrated with other supply chain management systems. Many companies lose control of materials once they arrive at their destination, and the challenge, Nexiant said, is that they don't have a disbursement strategy to control these materials down to the end user. According to Nexiant, the "next wave" of supply chain innovation will need to include specific technology and services to control the issue side of the item transaction on the production floor, to automate the last 100 feet of the MRO supply chain and to free up labor to value added activities.

In light of these challenges, Nexiant's MRO inventory management technology and services are designed to automate and streamline the last 100 feet of the supply chain to improve efficiencies, increase productivity around resources and assets, enforce business rules and drive standardization across an enterprise. This includes the company's point-of-use inventory control equipment.

Next Level Purchasing, Inc.
Moon Township, PA/USA
www.NextLevelPurchasing.com
Small
2000
Sourcing, Procurement, Decision Support

Go global with your supply management skills. For example, with rising costs in fuel and other commodities forcing suppliers to be less flexible in order to preserve their own profit margin, many companies are turning to the global market as a means to achieve lower costs. But without the skills and knowledge to interact with suppliers from other cultures, many organizations are failing to achieve the best value. Without the skills to manage suppliers both domestically and abroad, procurement departments will struggle to meet or exceed management's objectives and goals. Procurement training and certification firm Next Level Purchasing says it helps procurement professionals acquire the skills, knowledge, strategies and techniques necessary to meet today's high expectations and to deliver measurable results in the workplace even during economically challenging times. The firm released its "Basics of Smart International Procurement" curriculum in February 2008 with an eye toward building confidence in purchasing professionals as they begin to see global procurement initiatives become more prominent in their organizations.

OnDemand Resources
Great Falls, VA/USA
www.ondemandresources.com
Small
2003
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Decision Support

Leverage independent project personnel with deep domain expertise to undertake short-term projects to achieve quick results. OnDemand Resources, for example, has the mission of enabling companies across industry to deliver critical supply chain projects by providing them with high-caliber subject-matter experts on a flexible and interim basis where and when clients need them. OnDemand Resources' business model permits companies to secure the right candidates typically within 48 hours of a request. "Companies are also able to leverage significant cost savings compared to traditional consulting alternatives while taking advantage of best practice supply chain management initiatives and opportunities," the company says.

Optricity
Research Triangle Park, NC/USA
www.Optricity.com
Small
2006
Fulfillment/Logistics, Decision Support

Taking a white board approach roughly two years ago, Optricity founders set out to formulate a ground up architecture to optimally slot product in today's warehouse. From this idea emerged a new wave of supply chain innovation that Optricity has coined as Juncture Optimization, based on the idea that the next wave of increased efficiency will occur at junctures in the supply chain – where one function meets another. To prove out this vision, Optricity developed a brand new, state-of-the-art slotting optimization tool built on the principles of Juncture Optimization.

"It's no longer enough to accept old standby methods to simply calculate good storage locations," says Dan Basmajian, president and CEO of Optricity. Today's warehousing and distribution operations are responding to demands at an unprecedented rate. As predictive tools become more prevalent and competition tightens, the warehouse often sits on the supplier hot seat for getting the right product in and out of doors efficiently, while minimizing costs in the process. Optimized activity within the warehouse enables the operation to receive, store, pick and distribute accurate orders within specified time windows driving competitive advantage for an organization. Pressure on the warehouse to achieve supplier requirements and financial pressure to minimize costs mean that today's managers must make sacrifices that do not always lead to optimal solutions. And yet many companies are trying to succeed with yesterday's tools that have not caught up to the demand-driven requirements of today.

Older systems utilized then state-of-the art genetic algorithms to calculate near optimal locations for each SKU as it was received into the facility. Optricity's new slotting technology utilizes architecture that capitalizes on increased awareness of market drivers such as promotions, consumer demand, and predictive analytics. The new algorithms architected by Optricity take into account data that were not previously available and simultaneously analyze all location options using its "best neighbor" process. Concurrently, Optricity has increased the speed with which calculations and decisions can be made, so that what used to take hours can now be calculated in seconds with increased confidence that all factors have been considered. Output from the system includes tying optimal designation into real time application. Multiple scenarios can be compared and payback can be calculated for each alternative before customers make a single move. Optimized, directed work means that solutions take into account individualized available labor, productivity rates, specific equipment and types of storage available. As a result, optimized work assignment can be allocated and costs savings can be more accurately depicted.

Osiris Innovations Group
Auburn Hills, MI/USA
www.osirisig.com
Small
2005
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Payment, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

As Osiris Innovations Group sees it, current supply chain automation tools do little to automate the real-time electronic passage of data between buyer and supplier. They simply provide a method for pitching out purchase orders, with no catcher's mitt provided for the supplier. This buy-side focus does not create a true collaborative environment, since suppliers cannot possibly offer deep cost-saves when they are wasting valuable resources trying to simply maintain their businesses.

For this reason, Osiris believes that the "next wave" of supply chain innovation will combine closed-loop automated solutions with expert procurement strategies, creating a dynamic interaction between buyer and supplier. These interactions will benefit both the buyer and the supplier as relationships are strengthened through cooperative actions, strategic decision-making, and cost-savings derived from automation-based efficiencies. Fully integrated solutions addressing both buyer and supplier needs provide the essential edge for survival in today's highly-competitive economy, Osiris asserts.

Osiris has tackled this challenge by offering both buyer- and supplier-focused automation that addresses the end-to-end procure-to-pay process. Through its suite of applications, called OS Interchange, Osiris integrates both sides of the supply chain with the goal of providing equal impact on efficiency, cost-effectiveness and strengthened e-business practices, while fostering collaboration between the buy and sell sides of the supply chain.

PathGuide Technologies
Mukilteo, WA/USA
www.pathguide.com
Private
1989
Fulfillment/Logistics

The next wave of supply chain innovation, according to PathGuide Technologies, is an automated warehouse with wholesalers and industrial distributors able to fulfill products within the supply chain with greater accuracy, efficiency and speed.

PathGuide is addressing this need with its Latitude Warehouse Management System, which provides visibility into inventory by location, including multiple zoned warehouses, job sites, and on-site consigned and non-consigned material. With a dashboard overview and decentralized information sharing, all players within the supply chain that "touch" the customer can know the status of inventory on-hand, shipments in process and shipments en route/delivery status. Latitude's tracking and reporting capabilities also enable distributors to measure order status versus the timeliness and accuracy of order fulfillment, an analysis the company said is key to customer retention.

For example, E.B. Horsman & Son, privately owned since 1900, is the largest independent electrical distributor in Western Canada. With 17 locations, the company's mission is to be the electrical distributor of choice offering the best people, product and service in the industry. A key strategy for accomplishing this mission is the pursuit of operational excellence.

Since making the move to Latitude, the company said it has achieved the following productivity and efficiency gains:

• Receiving accuracy and receiving productivity each increased by nearly 200 percent
• Pick accuracy levels currently run better than 1 error in every 1,300 line items
• Pick productivity increased 192 percent
• Yearly inventory losses have been reduced to approximately 0.002 percent

PINC Solutions
Berkeley, CA/USA
www.pincsolutions.com
Small
2004
Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, CRM, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

In a recent study published by the Aberdeen Group ("A View from Above: Global Supply Chain Visibility in a World Gone Flat," September 2007), only 29 percent of best-in-class organizations reported having accurate data over 90 percent of the time, and 73 percent of all the companies surveyed put improving data quality and timeliness of status messages at the top of the agenda to improve their supply chain visibility. PINC Solutions said that to gain real-time visibility into a company's yard it is necessary to automate key processes, and a real-time location system (RTLS) is increasingly accepted as the enabler for achieving high data quality through timely recording and reporting of all significant events in the yards.

As a result, PINC Solutions has created Yard Hound – the first yard visibility and management solution that offers real-time location information of mobile assets in the yards using passive RFID technology, with accuracies sufficient to address the yard management needs.

Plexus Systems
Auburn Hills, MI/USA
www.Plex.com
Private
1995
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Payment, CRM, PLM, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

Increasingly complex products are driving greater dependency on supplier quality management, especially for automotive, aerospace & defense, and medical device manufacturers. In addition, large OEMs are driving warranty cost downward through the supply chain, which only increases the necessity for documenting quality and processes along every step of the chain.

In response to these and other challenges, Plexus Systems, Inc. created Plexus Online – a Web-based enterprise software solution that connects and manages the total manufacturing organization, including the critical supply chain. With the ability to manage a single facility or an entire enterprise, Plexus Online offers more than 350 functional modules for instant access to and management of critical information across the extended supply chain for highly engineered products in the automotive, aerospace & defense, medical device, and packaged food markets. Plexus Online includes supplier management, RFI/quoting, inventory, shipping/receiving, traceability, quality management, EDI, accounting and many other capabilities.

The system also provides an on-demand suite of integrated tools for supply chain management, connecting the manufacturer with its customer and suppliers through an online database of information, and paperless, real-time communication between trading partners. Integrated supply chain management capabilities include electronic Kanban, online releases, EDI, electronic invoices and shipment notifications, online supplier quality management, cross-company inventory traceability, cross-company quality and production data.

PowerTrack
Minneapolis, MN/USA
www.powertrackglobal.com
Medium
1997
Payment

PowerTrack said the next wave of supply chain innovation will come through the pioneering use of Web technology, driving automation through supply chain collaboration for freight payment customers who must negotiate in companies that are the result of mergers and acquisitions, have different contracts in different global locations, unconnected enterprise systems, and policies and procedures that are unique to their various locations.

When it comes to managing payment processes, PowerTrack offers electronic handling, accurate audits, secure payments and completely integrated payment financing. Consistent gathering of global shipment and payment data enables companies to answer questions that lead to intelligent supply chain decisions. In addition, customers have seen such benefits as 99.9 percent of paper invoices eliminated from the payment process, six-day payments across the PowerTrack network and the need for post-payment audits virtually eliminated, among others.

PrimeRevenue, Inc.
Atlanta, GA/USA
www.primerevenue.com
Small
2003
Payment, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP

Companies must put as much focus on the financial supply chain as they do into the physical supply chain. PrimeRevenue's platform, for example, connects trading partners and financial institutions around a common view of future-dated financial settlement, linking supply chain events, the flow of funds and the flow of goods and services. This common view allows trading partners to reduce the excess working capital and expense caused by financial settlement uncertainty. It also provides financial institutions with a far more granular and forward view of credit, default and dilution risk, allowing them to leverage the capital markets to provide on-demand, efficiently-priced working capital finance to suppliers.

ProcureStaff, Ltd.
New York, NY/USA
www.procurestaff.com
Small
1996
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Payment, Decision Support

Most everyone agrees the most complex commodity in the supply chain is human capital. It is also the newest commodity to be regarded by supply chain managers because prior to advances in information sciences enabled by powerful computer software, there was no method sufficient to manage the process. The undeniable growth of contingent workforces in nearly every industry is a direct result of the innovation of the automated vendor management system (VMS) for human capital. This innovation was not a simple repurposing of the same supply chain management technologies companies have used for decades to source and procure static commodities such as office supplies and raw materials. Those systems were not flexible or sophisticated enough to address the staggering complexities and nuances required to effectively procure the very best network architect, clinical researcher or other highly skilled worker for any given job.

Today, most of the world's largest concerns maintain a significant percentage of non-employee workers among their overall workforce, and most employ an automated VMS to manage their supply of contingent labor, according to ProcureStaff, a VMS provider. ProcureStaff differentiates itself from other players in this space by emphasizing that its business intelligence service offers aggregated multi-dimensional data that, it says, can more accurately reflect the nuanced environment within which all business operate. "ProcureStaff's data is comprehensive and truly reflects the state of such elements crucial to services procurement as availability of high demand workers like IT and engineering talent; up to the minute market rates for different skill sets; and supplier performance," the solution provider says.

Prorizon Corporation
Kennesaw, GA/USA
www.prorizon.com
Small
1992
Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP

Norman D. Conway, president and CEO, Prorizon Corporation, says, "If all you're doing is automating your old procedures, you miss the opportunity to truly revolutionize the process." He adds that the new horizon for procurement seeks to minimize or eliminate post-purchase costs. In addition, Conway believes that companies should avoid the complexity of large, over-engineered ERP systems as well as under-engineered "Band-Aid" systems that consume time, resources and increase overhead costs. Rather, he says, organizations looking to leverage technology should seek a simplified approach to achieve the business functionality required by the strategic and tactical stakeholders within an organization.

PurchasingNet, Inc.
Red Bank, NJ/USA
www.PurchasingNet.com
Private
1983
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Payment

Being a provider of procure-to-pay solutions for over 25 years has given PurchasingNet Inc. (PNi) the chance to have frequent conversations with senior supply chain executives across many different industries. Currently, PNi said it has observed that the primary supply chain challenges for these executives include the need for improved policy controls, enhanced spend visibility (for both sourcing and cash management), complete audit trails, increased reporting and forecasting abilities, and business process tools to make better use of working capital.

PNet ePayables and Financial Management suites were originally introduced in 1999, and PurchasingNet continues to enhance the functionality of each PNet suite to stay ahead of the demands of the procure-to-pay market. During the past 10 years, PNi has committed to adding modules to PNet Software that are responsive to customer and marketplace feedback and are designed to help with the convergence of the physical supply chain with the fiscal supply chain.

Some of these modules include the PNet Opt-In Early Payment Discount Management (EPDM) module in the ePayables suite and the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dashboard & Best Practice KPI Library in the Financial Management suite.

PNi currently has five patents pending for innovation within its PNet ePayables suite.

Puridiom
Mechanicsburg, PA/USA
www.puridiom.com
Private
1983
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Payment, PLM, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

According to Puridiom, supplier enablement remains one of the top challenges facing its clients today. The disconnect between the company and its suppliers is causing supply chain disruptions, compliance and accuracy issues, longer order and invoice cycle times, missed saving opportunities, and is even hindering the ability to establish new and stronger supplier relationships.

Puridiom continues to introduce new technologies, strategies and services to overcome these challenges, one of which is its Puridiom Catalog Content Manager (CCM). This technology addresses the challenge of managing and enabling supplier catalogs with multiple data formats and standards by essentially creating a private marketplace that is easily accessible by the buyer and supplier through a single integration point.

Puridiom said the second new wave of supplier enablement is the automation and outsourcing of the Accounts Payable functions. To that end, Puridiom is helping clients by providing Accounts Payable Automation and Outsourcing, which allows them to outsource all or part of their accounts payable business functions or keep their AP functions in-house.

Quadrem International
Dallas, TX/USA and Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.quadrem.com
Medium
2000
Order/Demand Capture, Sourcing, Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Payment, CRM, PLM, Integration & Infrastructure/ERP, Decision Support

As Quadrem sees it, the major challenge facing global companies today is the need for reliability in their worldwide supply chains during uncertain economic conditions. This constant need for dependability will grow as these large companies expand in both developed and developing countries. In emerging markets, sourcing and transaction challenges are greater, as are procurement of quality products and services delivered on time and according to specifications.

Quadrem International tackles this challenge with a network that connects some 1,100 buyer locations with 60,000 suppliers throughout the world, enabling global buyers to source, transact and procure products and services in emerging markets as well as in developed countries where the buyers are growing. Quadrem simplifies electronic access via modems so that small vendors in emerging markets who are new to computers and must function in narrow bandwidth environments can access the front end of major ERP systems, then communicate with the buyer's operations. The solution provider also helps buyers by using a Web environment to qualify suppliers based on standards set by the buyers, then onboarding selected suppliers into the network.