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Apexon Unveils Strategic Supply Management Solution
Hosted Software Suite Expands Supply Visibility, Accelerates Collaboration with Suppliers, and Reduces Risk of Supply Disruptions
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 17, 2006 – Apexon, a leading provider of strategic supply management solutions that elevate supplier performance and reduce total costs, today unveiled Apexon SPM 2.0, the first strategic Supply Performance Management (SPM) suite that links performance metrics with the ability to initiate and track activities between supply managers and their high impact suppliers.
In order to stay competitive in a dynamic, global market, manufacturers need a strategic way to increase visibility into supplier performance and help drive continuous improvements in areas that include operational performance, profitability and reduced supply risk. Apexon SPM 2.0 facilitates all these needs by taking business intelligence to a new level.
Thinking Beyond First Costs
With ongoing pressures to reduce costs, many companies have focused their operational efforts in areas such as the negotiated price of materials and subsequent purchasing contracts. However, these strategies may only address a percentage of total costs. Apexon is the first company to enable manufacturers to strategically address total costs by dramatically increasing their supply visibility to include areas such as quality and delivery, and by providing a means for them to work closely with their suppliers to achieve performance and quality goals.
“Many manufacturers recognize the importance of working strategically with their suppliers to improve performance, but have lacked the tools necessary to put any sort of consistent program in place,” said Emily Liggett, president and CEO of Apexon. “Apexon SPM 2.0 was created to maximize visibility, and provide the type of actionable information necessary to strengthen supplier relationships and performance, as well as anticipate potential problems before they occur.”
SPM 2.0 - A Comprehensive Suite
Apexon SPM 2.0 now includes SPM Develop, a powerful module for automating and standardizing supplier development programs. Other modules include SPM Monitor, an interactive scorecard that provides an immediate, comprehensive view of all suppliers, and SPM Analyze, a supply-focused business intelligence platform to identify trends, risks, and opportunities. These modules may be used as stand-alone components, or together as an integrated suite.
• SPM Monitor provides a consolidated view of suppliers’ performance that can be aggregated or drilled-down to any level of detail needed.
• SPM Analyze provides actionable intelligence that enables sourcing and supply management professionals to rapidly identify the best supplier substitution, consolidation and development opportunities to continuously reduce costs and improve performance.
• SPM Develop automates the business processes for supplier development. It enables companies to work closely with their suppliers on areas such as improving on-time delivery, reducing costs or inventory, enhancing operational capabilities, or addressing specific performance areas. Actions with automatic notification and due dates can be assigned to any user, whether internal to the manufacturer or externally at the supplier. SPM Develop makes it possible for companies to use fewer resources to collaborate with more of their key suppliers.
Accelerated Time-to-Value
Forward-thinking companies have long recognized the importance of their key suppliers in helping them stay competitive. Woodward Governor Company, an $800 million industrial manufacturer, considered several options from enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business intelligence (BI) providers, including developing their own internal system, before deciding that Apexon’s hosted SPM solution was the best approach.
“In a very short period of time, Apexon’s SPM suite provided us with the flexible metrics we needed across multiple systems and data sources,” said Colin Walker, manager of Global Sourcing and Supply Management Systems for Woodward Governor. “Their low-risk pilot program showed quick results and rapid returns. Plus, the SPM suite didn’t require IT staff or procurement analytics specialists to use.”
Key Features & Capabilities
Apexon SPM 2.0 was designed by and for supply management professionals. At its core is an enhanced data model that allows users to analyze complex data in order to quickly achieve supplier-specific insights. Along with functional and performance improvements, Apexon SPM 2.0 includes key features that expand its capabilities.
• SPM Survey makes it easy to systematically survey internal users or suppliers and integrate results for ongoing performance, quality, and cost monitoring.
• Supplier Profile is a central repository that contains information about suppliers collected from a wide range of sources (internally and across the globe).
• Supplier Portal provides suppliers with access to their own performance data and development project status.
Like its predecessor, Apexon SPM 2.0 is a hosted solution that can be implemented quickly, freeing up valuable IT resources for other projects. For more information, go to www.apexon.com.
About Apexon:
Apexon provides strategic supply management solutions that expand visibility, accelerate collaboration with suppliers, reduce the risk of supply disruptions, and enable manufacturers to continuously lower the total cost of supply. Apexon’s solutions help mid-to-large size companies elevate the performance of their key suppliers. Apexon is headquartered in San Jose, California. More information is available at www.apexon.com.
Press Contact:
Annie Gladue
Jedemi Communications for Apexon, Inc.
415-302-8990
annie@jedemi.com
Kevin Brooks
Apexon, Inc.
408-324-2526
KBrooks@apexon.com
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