Cary, NC January 22, 2003 Supply chain solutions provider BridgePoint this week rolled out the latest version of its flagship visibility solution, adding new features for simplifying connectivity, managing data quality and distributing information across the enterprise.
The provider said that its eponymous BridgePoint Version 6.0 release improves connectivity to domestic and international carriers, suppliers and customers by adding additional message sets to the current list of available options.
The recent additions include several new standards developed specifically by ocean, rail and road carriers. By adding these message sets, BridgePoint said it is making it possible for carriers to join the BridgePoint network without requiring expensive and time-consuming message modifications.
Version 6.0 also includes an expanded data management toolkit intended to let clients take greater control of their own data-quality processes. The improved toolkit builds upon BridgePoint's analysis and diagnostic tools that were part of a data management solution released in October of 2002 and packages them into a customizable user interface available to clients.
"One of the goals of the Version 6.0 release is to make clients self-reliant when it comes to monitoring, measuring and controlling data quality," said Peter Sola, vice president of commercial services for the provider. "Past releases automated many of these processes, and others continue to be managed by us. But Version 6.0 allows clients to prioritize objectives and choose which, if any, processes they would like to manage themselves."
Also included in BridgePoint's Version 6.0 release are "application hooks" that allow information to be easily shared with other applications, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and transportation management systems (TMS), among others. These application hooks allow the supply chain data collected by BridgePoint to be distributed to various other applications that can use it for planning, forecasting and customer service.
BridgePoint said its solution, either independently or when integrated with other supply chain tools, enables clients to reduce inventories, improve customer service and decrease logistics operating costs through the proactive management of product deliveries across the supply chain.
