Chicago, Ill. March 19, 2001 Consolidated Commerce today unveiled an expanded line of software it says will extend its users' supply chain capabilities to include order fulfillment and order routing, allowing them to better execute and fulfill orders.
New features include enhanced security and contract management for expanded business rules, which Chicago, Ill.-based Consolidate Commerce says will enable users to increase their margins by 1 to 5 percent on every order processed.
Consolidated Commerce says its "Intelligent Fulfillment Engine" automates the process of determining the best way to fulfill an order. The Consolidated Fulfillment and Purchasing software then links order fulfillment processes with the purchasing process.
For example, when direct material acquisition is a required fulfillment option, the software automatically creates a purchase order and routes it to the appropriate supplier based on pre-arranged business rules, which may include factors such as availability, capacity and cost. Consolidated Commerce asserts that this model helps companies lower inventory costs and shorten lead times.
"The best supply chain solutions will optimize business processes across multiple enterprises, through collaboration among all the trading partners spanning the value chain," said Nisreen Bagasrawala, senior analyst of supply chain strategies at Hurwitz Group. "Consolidated Commerce's supply chain operations software enables this cross-enterprise collaboration."
"More companies than ever are turning to the Web to streamline their supply chain operations," said Michael Soenen, president and CEO of Consolidated Commerce. "We've addressed our customers' needs and employed our expertise in supply chain management to create software that acts as a digital nervous system for companies engaging in collaborative commerce, allowing them to extend their supply chains and achieve maximum order efficiency."
Consolidated Commerce says its software will have the greatest impact where efficiency in supply chain management is most needed, especially to distributors and manufacturing companies in the consumer goods, high technology, electronics and third-party logistics industries.
"Consolidated's success is derived from a combination of its flexible application platform and the management team's experience and emphasis on customer satisfaction," said George Hrivnak, vice president of product management at MetalMaker, a company that provides mills and their suppliers with supply chain services. "MetalMaker has been delighted with both the product and its effective implementation."
Consolidated Commerce offers a perpetual licensing or term-use model. The supply chain operations solutions are available now.
