| WWRE
Announces first VICS CPFR® Interoperability Project
Collaboration will focus on improved
coordination of promotional event planning
Alexandria, VA (December 10,
2003) – WorldWide Retail Exchange announced today its plans
to launch a Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment
(CPFR) implementation with Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB)
that is built on interoperability with the Kimberly-Clark collaboration
hub. Data will be shared seamlessly between WWRE’s Collaborative
Planner solution, powered by Syncra Xt, WWRE members and Kimberly-Clark’s
behind-the-firewall Syncra solution. Kimberly-Clark will be the
first trading partner to interoperate with WWRE members via WWRE’s
Collaborative Planner solution in this manner.
“
Kimberly-Clark believes that in every collaborative situation,
each trading partner should have the option to use their own systems.
Standardized interoperability of these systems lowers collaboration
costs, supports scalability and allows all parties maximum flexibility
in integrating forecasting revisions into their planning and executional
systems,” said Larry Roth, Senior Consultant at Kimberly-Clark. “We
view this endeavor with the WWRE as an opportunity to demonstrate
how quickly and easily interoperability can be accomplished. The
focus of our collaboration with WWRE members will remain on better
serving the consumer through improved planning of promotional activities.”
“This first of a kind project paves the way to providing
our retailers and manufacturers with a choice in how they collaborate
with their trading partners,” said Chuck Boone, CPFR Product
Director, at the WWRE. “By integrating their behind the firewall
Syncra solution, with our Collaborative Planner solution, both
KC and WWRE members can leverage their existing investment in IT
and can rapidly realize the benefits of collaboration with a growing
number of retailers.”
“The benefits of collaborating on promotional event planning
- extend to all parts of the value chain,” said Wes Arens,
senior vice president of worldwide sales and operations for Syncra
Systems. “Retailers will experience fewer out-of-stocks during
promotional events, while manufacturers will get the advantage
of shared visibility into the details of upcoming events. In the
end, this results in lower landed costs for both parties, increased
sales, and most importantly – more satisfied consumers.
By enabling collaboration from behind-the-firewall and via the
exchange, WWRE and Syncra are helping WWRE members to extend collaboration
to their non-member trading partners who are Syncra customers.
This will pave the way for greater trading partner collaboration
throughout the industry, leveraging new standards and sharing best
practices across a broader industry user base.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known brands are an indispensable part
of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, one
in four people around the world trust K-C's brands to enhance
their health, hygiene and well-being -- brands such as Kleenex,
Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend. For the second consecutive
year, Kimberly-Clark has been named to Fortune magazine's list
of "100 Best Companies to Work For In America." With
nearly 64,000 employees worldwide, the company has received similar
recognition in the U.K., Argentina, Australia, Czech Republic,
Korea and Thailand. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to
learn more about the company's 131-year history of innovation,
visit www.kimberly-clark.com.
About the WWRE
The WWRE is the premier Internet-based business-to-business exchange
for retailers and suppliers. Designed to facilitate and simplify
trading between retailers, suppliers, partners and distributors,
the WWRE currently consists of 75 members and participants from
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America with combined
sales of approximately U.S. $900 billion. To date, the WWRE has
saved its members over $1 billion through the use its solutions.
For more information, visit the website at www.wwre.org or www.worldwideretailexchange.org.
About Syncra
Syncra Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of software and implementation
services enabling supply chain collaboration. Leading retailers,
manufacturers, and their suppliers rely on our collaborative
planning applications to strengthen their trading relationships
by improving service levels, reducing inventory and logistics
costs, and enhancing trust. We provide the tools to help them
coordinate event plans, forecast demand more accurately, and
replenish more efficiently through an advanced suite of collaborative
applications for planning and managing the alignment of supply
and demand. Syncra Systems can be found on the web at www.syncra.com.
Jane Wilson
703.234.5208
jwilson@wwre.org
or
Summer Stitz
Stanton Communications
202.223.4933
sstitz@stantoncomm.com
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