Integrates the renamed, upgraded 7i Buy/Supply into Datastream 7i; offers buy-, supply-side functionality
Greenville, SC — June 19, 2003 — Datastream Systems has integrated its iProcure industrial procurement network into its flagship Datastream 7i asset management solution and has rebranded the network as the Datastream 7i Buy/Supply module.
Datastream is delivering the 7i Buy/Supply solution as two related offerings. The first, 7i Buy, provides Datastream 7i customers with automated industrial procurement from within their 7i application. In addition, 7i Supply provides suppliers with technology and integration services intended to help them streamline their processes for accepting and fulfilling customer orders.
Together, 7i Buy/Supply links Datastream's customers to such industrial suppliers as Fastenal Company, Motion Industries, Office Depot and Wesco, and the module accounts for more than $75 million worth of transactions each year, according to the solution provider.
The integrated electronic procurement solution promises the traditional advantages of e-procurement over paper-, phone- or fax-based procurement, namely reduced procurement costs and optimized inventory levels enterprise-wide.
Datastream said that 7i Buy/Supply includes a number of enhancements designed to streamline the procurement process from both the buyer and supplier sides, including integrated Web reports. Datastream 7i Buy users can specify parameters for the automatic generation of predefined reports to gain access to information about enterprise-wide procurement activity.
The 7i Buy solution also features a new user interface that is consistent with the existing Datastream 7i interface, a move designed to improve usability and reduce training time for end-users. Elsewhere, express checkout and an enhanced shopping cart are intended to make it easier for customers to complete purchases.
Enhanced XML integration capabilities and associated services enable Datastream to preserve existing supplier-customer relationships by making it possible for even small suppliers with limited IT infrastructure to join the 7i Buy/Supply network.
And finally, 7i Supply provides a Web-based interface for suppliers to access information on customer orders, giving them the potential to respond quickly and preemptively to any service issues that may arise. The solution also offers shipment tracking and notification, as well as automated e-mail alerts.
Bernd Vogt, controller for Harman/Becker Automotive Systems, said that since adopting 7i Buy, his company has reduced the number of suppliers it uses while achieving price reductions and increasing visibility into its spend. "Datastream 7i Buy has enabled us to implement a paperless environment that has dramatically increased the efficiency of our procurement and accounts payable processes," Vogt said.
"Datastream 7i Buy/Supply provides an effective way for our customers to automate the procurement process from within their existing Datastream 7i application, while simultaneously enabling suppliers to streamline their fulfillment processes," said Larry Blackwell, president and CEO of Datastream. "This generates improved efficiency and cost savings across the entire industrial procurement chain."
