(eIntelligence)
Originally RELEASED 8:30 August 26, 2002
e.Intelligence
and Fusion Labs Offer Retailers and Consumer Packaged Goods Companies Collaborative
Demand Planning
New
Collaborative Planning Hubs offer managed service for collaborative planning to
improve demand generation and forecast accuracy
Minneapolis,
MN, August 26 - Today, e.Intelligence, Inc. and Fusion Laboratories, Inc. announced
a strategic partnership to bring to market Collaborative Planning Hubs that enable
retailers and manufacturers to improve revenue and margins by better planning
and coordinating demand generating activities. Collaborative Planning Hubs allow
department stores, mass merchandisers, drug, grocery, electronics, home improvement
chains and their vendors to more effectively plan, manage and track demand by
sharing key information and collaborating on ongoing planning and execution. e.Intelligence
and Fusion Labs will jointly develop and market Collaborative Planning Hubs, and
Fusion Labs will manage the solution and provide process integration capabilities.
Collaborative
Planning Hubs improve inventory level management and reduce out-of-stocks, markdowns,
returns and spoilage. The shared results are improved margin, increased revenue,
higher levels of profitability and improved customer service for both the retailer
and the manufacturer. In addition, because it is a managed service, the retailer
and manufacturer do not have to apply internal resources to manage and maintain
the solution.
"The
benefits of industry collaboration are not subject to debate," said Jack
Haedicke, President of Arena Consulting, industry veteran and co-chair of VICS
CPFR n-Tier Committee. "The results are proven in terms of increased sales,
reduced out of stocks and lowered inventories. What has been missing is a simple
to use collaborative system solution. Combined, the resources of e.Intelligence
and Fusion Labs make that solution a reality."
"The agreement between
our two companies is more than the traditional marketing agreement. Together,
we are providing retailers and their vendors an effective and efficient collaborative
demand planning solution that improves operational efficiencies and increases
demand for products moving through the demand chain," said Brian Blackmarr,
Fusion Labs President/CEO. "e.Intelligence provides proven planning capabilities
and has a veteran team that has successfully built industry solutions for nearly
20 years."
Collaborative
Planning Hubs will leverage e.Intelligence's proven software for demand planning
and analysis, that is optimized for secure information sharing and user collaboration,
and further complement Fusion Labs' suite of retail specific managed applications.
Fusion Labs currently provides business application management services for companies
including Mary Kay Cosmetics, Neiman Marcus, Toys "R" Us, Saks Fifth
Avenue, Bank of America, NCR and Kintetsu World Express.
The
Need for Collaborative Planning Hubs
Retailers and manufacturers share responsibility
for demand creation; however, each has different operational and financial goals
driving their decision-making. To achieve these different goals, both parties
need to share certain pieces of information while keeping other key pieces of
information private. Collaborative Planning Hubs support secure information sharing
while addressing the unique analytic requirements of each participant.
"Collaboration
is not a simple exchange of forecasts or sales data," said Rick Tanler, founder
and CEO of e.Intelligence. "True collaboration requires that both the retailer
and the manufacturer have the ability to share key elements of their analysis,
reach consensus and most importantly, work together to execute plans to achieve
their goals."
About
e.Intelligence, Inc.
e.Intelligence provides collaborative demand planning
and performance tracking solutions to retailers and consumer good manufacturers,
enabling each to more efficiently and effectively collaborate and execute demand
generating activities. e.Intelligence enables companies to see and understand
the impact of demand drivers like merchandising, pricing and promotion. Through
e.Intelligence, companies collaborate and reach consensus on projected demand
with their suppliers and partners in order to improve forecast accuracy and establish
time-critical performance targets. Based in Minneapolis, MN, e.Intelligence can
be reached at 952.920.0478 and www.ei-inc.com.
About
Fusion Laboratories, Inc.
Fusion Laboratories, Inc. was formed in 2001 to
provide Technology Infrastructure, Application Management and Consulting Services.
The Fusion Labs management team previously founded and built BRBA, a Dallas based-regional
technology firm. Fusion Labs has provided business solutions, application support
and business process outsourcing for a range of vertical market leaders. Current
clients and partners served by Fusion Labs include: Neiman Marcus, Toys "R"
Us, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bank of America, NCR, and Kintetsu World Express.
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Contacts:
Steve Byrnes Cheryl Bella
e.Intelligence Price Public Relations, Inc.
952.920.0478 x112 415.447.1660
sbyrnes@ei-inc.com cbella@pricepr.com
