DALLAS, Sept. 12, 2000 -- EXE Technologies and i2 Technologies will extend their strategic relationship to provide a combined fulfillment solution for e-tailers and click and mortar Internet marketplaces. As a part of the relationship, EXE Technologies is interfacing its EXceed eFulfillment System (eFS) into i2's TradeMatrix Fulfill solution. The combined solution integrates optimal inventory positioning, intelligent order promising, fulfillment execution and delivery capabilities to B2B marketplaces.
"EXE's EXceed makes it possible for companies to see beyond available inventory to fulfill orders with inventory they do not yet have in stock, but plan to produce or receive from suppliers," said Ray Hood, president and CEO, EXE Technologies.
With this advanced fulfillment execution capability added to TradeMatrix Fulfill, companies can instantaneously notify customers when their order is in stock, and if it's not, notify them when it will be and when the order can be delivered. When a customer requests a delivery quote before purchasing an item through TradeMatrix, the combined solution determines availability, pricing and delivery capabilities. When the order is booked, Fulfill broadcasts the plan to the EXceed WMS (warehouse management system), a component of EXE's EXceed eFS solution. EXceed WMS then provides the capability to pick, pack and ship the order according to plan. EXceed WMS also feeds real-time as well as forward-looking snapshots of inventory to the TradeMatrix Demand Fulfillment engine, giving users the ability to promise orders based on inventory not yet in stock.
"A solid supply chain management and execution system is critical to the strength of a marketplace," said Michael Ellis, senior vice president of Business Development, i2. "With this advanced fulfillment capability added to TradeMatrix, companies can position their supply chain to meet forecasted demand, promise and capture orders intelligently and execute and monitor all deliveries."
EXE and i2 first partnered in 1998 to jointly resell and develop each company's supply chain products.
"We're going to see many exchanges fade away this year. The exchanges that remain in competition will be the ones who understand and have in place the necessary supply chain and order fulfillment infrastructure to support the potentially massive amounts of transactions in the digital economy," said Steve Banker, director of Supply Chain Solutions, ARC Advisory Group.
