Supply-chain software vendors Manugistics Group and i2 Technologies
have both upgraded their product lines.
Dallas-based i2 has added inventory visibility and exception
management capabilities to its Five.Two collaboration software to
support real-time visibility with orders, shipments, and inventory.
Meanwhile, Manugistics has introduced a new Service and Parts
Management solution designed to address critical processes such as
the planning, sourcing, repairing, maintenance, scheduling, and
delivery of service and parts.
The new i2 Collaboration and Inventory Visibility Solution is
designed to offer multi-enterprise, multi-tier collaboration and
inventory visibility to allow companies to reduce inventory
carrying costs while improving customer satisfaction. It enables
users to set alerts that are critical to their business roles. Any
critical exceptions pertaining to the status of inventory, orders,
or shipments will automatically send alerts to appropriate
personnel and ensure that they are resolved before they become
customer issues. For example, if the inventory for a critical item
falls below the minimum level, an alert will automatically be sent
to the company buyer and trigger the replenishment process from the
supplier.
The new i2 solution spans demand-supply planning to execution and
integrates multiple tiers of suppliers into a synchronised and
efficient collaborative network, said Steve Banker, an analyst at
ARC Advisory Group.
With its new service solution, Manugistics is targeting companies
in aerospace and defence, automotive, construction and farm
machinery, chemicals and energy, communications, and high
technology and transportation. These are asset-intensive
enterprises that are increasingly seeking to maximise the uptime of
operational assets - the equipment needed for the company to
deliver its goods and services to the marketplace - while
maintaining the highest levels of customer service.