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Over the past few months, we’ve been very busy here at Datalliance implementing new customers, helping existing customers grow their VMI and other collaborative commerce programs, and as always, continuing to enhance and upgrade our VMI and collaborative commerce services.
In this newsletter, our feature article highlights the success that Ward Manufacturing has realized through the expansion of their VMI program. Datalliance continues to expand our industry base, and Ward is an excellent example of our success in the plumbing industry. Ward’s initial VMI system limited their ability to expand the scope of their VMI program at the pace required to meet their business objectives. They needed the ability to implement VMI quickly and to a much broader range of customers. In close collaboration with Datalliance, Ward successfully addressed these challenges and is accelerating the role out of their VMI program to gain the associated business benefits more quickly. Please see the article summary below and a link to the full article.
We’ve also included several news updates regarding suppliers/distributors in various stages of implementing VMI: Leviton recently selected Datalliance, Siemon successfully launched their VMI program, and Kirby Risk (electrical products distributor) is realizing significant business benefits through VMI with their key suppliers. In early May we hosted the Datalliance Forum, our annual cross-industry event for suppliers and distributors to share their mutual experiences.
As many of you know, Special Pricing Agreements (SPA’s) are a common business practice across many of the industries we serve with our VMI service and other collaborative applications. We recently sponsored, in collaboration with Allen Ray and Associates, a study on the current usage of SPA’s among manufacturers and distributors in the electrical industry. The summary results of the survey are noted below and in the associated press release, and the full report is available at http://www.datalliance.com/wpandarticles.html .
Please feel free to contact me at carl@datalliance.com. Visit www.datalliance.com for more information on Vendor Managed Inventory and other collaborative commerce applications from Datalliance.
- Carl Hall
President, Datalliance |
Ward Manufacturing Moves to Datalliance to Expand VMI Program
Ward Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of pipe fittings, including flanges, pipe unions, plugs and bushings recently replaced their first generation VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) system with the Datalliance VMI service. In order to maintain current business and gain market share, they needed to expand their VMI program and roll it out to a broader range of distributors.
Matt Weigle, Information Technology Manager, continued, “As more of our customers became interested in VMI, we recognized that our existing VMI system was a limitation. This first-generation system required significant time and resources to bring new customers onboard. The ability to implement VMI quickly and effectively with a broader range of customers was critical to our success, but we needed to find a better approach.”
In collaboration with Datalliance, Ward Manufacturing is successfully expanding their VMI program to meet their business objectives. “With Datalliance’s software-as-a-service architecture and extensive VMI expertise, we are now accomplishing our VMI program expansion goals,” said Tibor Egervary, VP Marketing & Sales. “The true test is in the results – in the past, we were only able to involve a few of our customers in our VMI program. Today, with Datalliance, we have a much higher success rate. I would say that now at least 60 or 70 percent of customers that we identify as viable VMI partners commit and implement VMI.”
Weigle estimated that they have converted all existing VMI locations to Datalliance in just three months. “With the support of Datalliance, we can now handle multiple implementations at once; it’s not unusual for us to bring on four or five customers.
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| Operations/Data Center Update |
| Datalliance continues to update our operation systems to ensure that we are providing the best possible level of service. Learn more about the recent upgrades to our network traffic and AS2 server... |
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| Customer Care Tip |
| Reacting to an Improving Economy |
Various sources in the media have been reporting the sightings of “green shoots” of a recovery, indicating the beginning of a turnaround in the economy.
You might be wondering just how one might tell that things are truly improving? The truth is that it can vary from industry to industry and, actually, that is not what is really important. What is important is for you, as VMI Planners, to be prepared for the eventual economic upturn, and to respond accordingly.... |
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