Atlas Commerce, a provider of Internet business applications for private e-hubs, today announced that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. selected Atlas Metaprise Software to help the company accelerate and enhance its private supplier exchange, Retail Link, by further advancing its current global sourcing and collaborative business processes with its many suppliers.
Global sourcing is an increasingly complex process requiring much more than point-to-point connections with suppliers. Atlas Metaprise Software increases the efficiencies of demand aggregation by combining demand forecasts from multiple sources into a single RFQ. The RFQ can then be sourced from one or more suppliers on a global basis, including industry exchanges and other members of the supply chain. This approach to demand aggregation creates opportunities to level out the supply chain and negotiate better terms, such as volume discounts and reduced shipping costs, than could be achieved by individual entities.
Wal-Mart is a highly innovative company known for its commitment to customer value, said Gerry OConnell, CEO of Atlas Commerce. They have long recognized the important role their suppliers play in helping them to deliver on this commitment. We are extremely proud to have been selected by Wal-Mart to assist in enhancing Retail Links capabilities. Wal-Marts decision to utilize a private supplier exchange for their sourcing activities highlights a significant trend among global 2000 companies to create private e-hubs.
Kevin Turner, Wal-Marts senior vice-president and chief information officer, said, Our goal is to better serve our customers by offering the best assortment of merchandise at everyday low prices. Retail Link is the business leader for supplier collaboration via the Internet and has been a source of competitive advantage for Wal-Mart and SAMS Club since 1991. Retail Link is an Internet application that is a free offering to our suppliers so that our suppliers may collaborate with our buyers to make better decisions that result in a lower cost of goods for our customers. Retail Link allows Wal-Mart suppliers and Wal-Mart merchants to view, manipulate and access 104 weeks of online, real-time, item level data that is kept at the lowest level of detail. Bruce Richardson, senior vice president, research, AMR Research, said, Our research shows that private exchanges could represent more than 75 percent of the revenue opportunity in the next two years. Atlas Commerce has private e-hub expertise and a patent-pending design that positions the company to be a leading provider of enabling software for private e-hubs. I think Atlas Commerce is going to help change the world from a primary focus on e-procurement to supplier enablement.
Atlas Metaprise Software is an Internet business application that enables global organizations to work more efficiently with their network of suppliers and distributors by implementing shared, externalized business processes. By addressing the three key areas of strategic sourcing, supply and demand management and global commerce management, the Atlas solution facilitates consistent communication among business partners, improves the coordination of resources across supply and demand chains and allows companies to significantly reduce the cost of goods while ensuring consistent supply availability.
