For all the angst about bisync with WalMart... a snippet from
InformationWeek Daily...
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GOOD MORNING! Today is Oct. 16,
and this is...InformationWeek Daily!
** Wal-Mart To Test Private Trading Hub
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. long ago achieved the goal rival Kmart Corp.
still dreams of: It's become one of the largest, most successful
companies in the world by building a superbly efficient and
technically sophisticated supply chain. But the giant retailer
isn't complacent with its achievements. The company and key
suppliers are preparing to test an online private trading hub that
will let it consolidate its purchasing globally and take bids for
contracts with suppliers online--much like a public electronic
marketplace. Meanwhile, struggling Kmart Corp. is hoping to narrow
the gap with its rival by embarking on a large IT project aimed at
bolstering its ability to work efficiently with suppliers, keep
shelves full, and lower costs.
Wal-Mart's system will integrate with and extend the Bentonville,
Ark., retailer's existing supply-chain infrastructure, called
SupplierLink, which is made up of its electronic data interchange
networks and an extranet used by 10,000 suppliers and Wal-Mart
buyers to cull information about sales and inventory levels in
every store. In addition to helping Wal-Mart get better deals
through global contracts, the hub will also let Wal-Mart see if
partners can bid to provide new or different merchandise more
efficiently than it can with phone and fax negotiations. "It's a
major issue for us to find suppliers to handle our volume
worldwide," says Wal-Mart CIO Kevin Turner. "This will allow us to
go broader and deeper and include more suppliers."
Wal-Mart is basing the Internet hub on a packaged application from
a little-known startup, Atlas Commerce Inc. Wal-Mart finalized its
contract with Atlas Commerce earlier this month. Neither company
would specify the value of the deal, but it's a multimillion-
dollar contract.
Most retailers don't have the kind of infrastructure and
purchasing power to build an exclusive network like Wal-Mart's.
But Kmart is determined to get its operational and technology
infrastructure in order. The company, whose operating profit was
down 47% for the first half of the year, said last week it's
planning a $2 billion overhaul of its operations infrastructure,
and it has contracted with i2 Technologies Inc. to help rebuild
its inventory-management and supply-chain planning systems. The
deployment will be one of the broadest i2 has attempted, covering
financial, demand and merchandise planning, sourcing, logistics,
transportation, and reporting functions. - Alorie Gilbert
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