Tempe, AZ June 29, 2001 Collaborative design met supply chain today with the announcement of a strategic alliance between Centric Software and Manugistics Group.
Supply chain software provider Manugistics will integrate and resell Centric Software's collaborative design application, Centric Innovation, with Manugistics NetWORKS multi-enterprise optimization and execution applications.
The two companies are trying to tie together different pieces of the product lifecycle process, from product design and working with direct materials supplier to purchasing execution. The potential benefits for manufacturers could be reduced manufacturing design cycle times, lowered operating costs and reduced obsolete inventories, the companies claim.
Centric Innovation allows manufacturers to involve outside engineering and development teams in their product development projects. Manugistics NetWORKS offerings include strategic sourcing capabilities to help a manufacturer identify the suppliers while streamlining the purchasing process.
"The Centric Software-Manugistics alliance creates a unique synergy between a company's product concept and design (where 80 percent of a product's life cycle costs are determined) and its supplier base, helping to speed product innovation and delivery," said Lori Mitchell-Keller, senior vice president of technology strategy at Manugistics.
Neil Mitchell, vice president of marketing and strategic alliances for Centric, added that many manufacturers are beginning to see this type of collaborative commerce as a competitive necessity.