· Starbucks Coffee Co. is set to use supply chain execution software from HighJump Software to automate its product distribution network. The coffee company will deploy HighJump's Warehouse Advantage Suite at its three primary U.S.-based distribution centers. The Starbucks deal comes on the heels of HighJump customer wins at Circuit City, Honeywell and Estee Lauder division Aveda. HighJump is based in Eden Prairie, Minn.
· Hardee's Food Systems, a subsidiary of $3.16 billion CKE Restaurants, has signed up to use a data analysis solution from Instill Corp. in a bid to optimize the supply chain for its 2,437 restaurants. Hardee's will use Instill's Data & Analysis solution to gather system-wide direct goods purchase data and then "scrub" and standardize the data using Instill's foodservice product database to create actionable supply chain information. A customized set of Instill's business intelligence and data mining applications will identify specific supply chain-optimization opportunities in such areas as purchasing compliance, stock keeping unit (SKU) rationalization, forecasting and price variance. Hardee's becomes the seventh top-20 foodservice operator to enlist Instill, which, with this new win, will provide supply chain support for more than 53,000 restaurants across North America.
· The health food division of Suntory, Ltd., is using an integration server from Vitria to automate business processes through continuous order input in real time rather than batch-mode processing. Suntory is using Vitria's BusinessWare to integrate various applications within the health foods business, and the company expects to use the tool to communicate with its customers and suppliers by automating its supply chain. The return on investment will come through better control of order, shipment and billing status through the integration of each disparate system to minimize costs, according to Vitria. Suntory plans to extend its use of the Vitria integration backbone across the enterprise, integrating various internal groups and with its external business-to-business partners.
