Tempe, AZ April 4, 2002 RiverOne, a provider of real-time supply chain software solutions and services to the electronics industry, and Syncata, a business consulting and systems integration firm, have formed a strategic alliance to offer supply chain solutions and services to high-tech customers, the two companies announced this week.
The companies will co-market and implement supply chain solutions to support automated replenishment programs, such as vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and consigned inventory initiatives.
RiverOne, which was formed in November from the merger of Need2Buy and Efinity, will contribute software and electronics industry expertise, while Syncata will provide needs assessment, business-process optimization and partner connectivity services.
Together, the companies say they will help customer organizations identify process-improvement opportunities, evaluate their current practices and technology infrastructure, establish connectivity with their key supply chain partners and create a privately shared environment in which business information can be exchanged in real-time across extended, multi-tier trading relationships.
These joint solutions are intended to identify and bridge the communication gaps that impede collaborative processes, as well as to enable organizations to instantly share, visualize and act upon supply chain information, the companies said.
"Electronics manufacturers have increasingly been turning to outsourced inventory-management programs to reduce carrying costs and improve service," said Steve Rourke, who leads RiverOne's strategic development initiatives. "As the performance of each supplier, third-party logistics provider (3PL), inventory hub and transportation company in a manufacturer's extended supply chain is now directly tied to the company's results, all participants must now have real-time inventory visibility across partner relationships."
Rourke added that the Syncata-RiverOne solutions will allow all parties to view inventory levels across the supply chain, thereby enabling supply partners to anticipate and respond to customer requirements, introduce performance metrics and identify best practices.
"We see a tremendous opportunity for companies to reap measurable cost reductions, efficiency improvements and service-level benefits," said Rakesh Batra, Syncata's supply chain practice director. "However, the lack of unified communications standards and the numerous disparate systems and applications spread across the extended enterprise have been difficult to overcome until now. The Syncata-RiverOne solutions will provide companies with the best-practice capabilities needed to monitor and manage their extended supply chains and deliver the results they require today."
