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Oracle to TXT e-solutions
June 10, 2009
By Bruce Richardson, Chief Research Officer, AMR Research
Here is the final installment of notes from our recent Supply Chain Executive Conference.
We spent a couple of hours with Oracle’s John Burke at the conference. Here’s the condensed version: Oracle has invested millions to re-architect its supply chain capabilities as modular applications, and to enable open ERP integrations using its Applications Integration Architecture (AIA). Customers can implement transportation, PLM, warehousing and advanced planning software without having to upgrade their core ERP system, regardless of which one they are using. Oracle has also delivered numerous execution applications which provide real-time visibility to both the multi-tier supply chain and manufacturing operations by leveraging their OBI technology. John claims that Oracle is attracting SAP customers that need new supply chain software, but don’t want to have to go through a suite upgrade.
Speaking of Oracle, look for a major campaign touting some of the recent innovations and future plans. We expect to see additional industry-specific additions to the Oracle portfolio.
I posted "Seven Questions for Captains of the Content Economy" in a recent First Thing Monday. One of the questions focused on how to price content. It seems that the attendees from PROS were on the same track. PROS is one of the most intriguing companies in the pricing software space. Here’s one executive’s take on the relationship between content and pricing: "The monetization of IP throughout the supply chain begins with setting the right price at each point the value gets transferred – optimize that price!"
During my fireside chat with Zappos.com’s Amanda Nevins, we talked about how her company uses Kiva’s robots for near real-time order fulfillment. In addition to attracting new customers, Kiva is also drawing interest from vendors that want to provide third-party fulfillment for customers. One of the first to sign on is start up Quiet Logistics. At the conference, CEO Bruce Welty told me that his firm had just signed an agreement with Gilt Groupe. Gilt Groupe provides access, by invitation only, to fashion and luxury brands for men, women, and children at prices up to 70% off retail. Each sale lasts 36 hours and features hand selected styles from a single designer.
Selectica and EMC recently announced a new contract management solution and a global go-to-market alliance to jointly market and sell the solution. Contract Lifecycle Management is the first solution built on the EMC Documentum xCelerated Composition Platform (xCP), which was unveiled at EMC World a few weeks ago. In the last 30 days, more than 100 EMC salespeople have been trained on the new product. EMC and Selectica are reporting traction in enterprise-wide deals led by IT, legal, sales, operations, and procurement.
The folks from SYSPRO were eager to talk about two new modules. The first was a new set of embedded financial ratios that are built into its financial applications. SYSPRO is making this available at no additional cost. The second is the planned 4Q release of a new inventory optimizer model that is designed to help customers increase order turnaround times and customer service.
Last month ClearOrbit changed its name to TAKE Supply Chain to reflect the company’s continued expansion and transition into a single, global division under parent company, TAKE Solutions, Inc., which acquired ClearOrbit in 2007. At the same time, TAKE Supply Chain has significantly expanded its product portfolio to include supplier collaboration and supply network gateway applications, demand-driven distribution and fulfillment, mobile data collection, and global trade management.
We caught up with TraceGains to talk about its new Supplier Compliance and e-Affidavit monitoring software. Think of it as a SaaS-based “brand firewall” to help companies avoid recall disasters. The Supplier Compliance offering ensures that suppliers, co-packers, and contract manufacturers are complying with critical business rules. The e-Affidavit dashboard provides automatic notification, risk assessment, and supplier performance management data.
A few months ago I joined some of the executives from TXT e-solutions for lunch in Boston. There has been a lot of activity since we last dined. After launching the redesigned version of TXTPERFORM2008 last year, the company is introducing a new demand-driven PLM package that is designed to be integrated into business planning.
