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Global eXchange Services Launches Next Generation Suite of Extended Enterprise Forecast-to-Pay Applications for Trading Grid Platform

Order Lifecycle Visibility Delivers Robust Supplier Enablement, Supply Chain Visibility, Event Management and Collaboration via GXS Trading Grid
 
ORLANDO – Gartner ITxpo – Oct. 20, 2004 – Continuing to usher in a new era of next-generation business process networking, Global eXchange Services (GXS) today unveiled Order Lifecycle Visibility 2.1, one of several value chain solutions that leverage the company’s new Trading GridSM platform. With significant enhancements to its Order Lifecycle Visibility (OLV) suite, GXS offers an end-to-end solution for supply chain visibility, leveraging the unique strengths of its global trading environment which allows for real-time exchange of information. An integrated part of the GXS Trading GridSM, OLV 2.1 provides companies and their extended supply chain communities the ability to view, transact and collaborate on order, shipment and settlement processes. It also provides a centralized source of high quality supply chain data that organizations need to share both internally and with the extended supplier community.

“OLV 2.1 builds on the success of GXS’ first-generation service by providing significant enhancements for online order management and business process workflows,” Michael Del Sarto, director of collaboration services for GXS. “OLV 2.1 goes beyond Web forms, leveraging the value and power of the newly launched GXS Trading Grid platform to connect companies, both large and small, enabling them to solve business problems in a collaborative, shared environment.”

A recent Gartner report defined the benefits of extended enterprise supply chain visibility: “The supply chain is as much intra-enterprise as extra-enterprise. From supporting increasingly sophisticated collaborative extensions for traditional supply chain planning and execution to providing mature electronic data interchange, SCM has to meet fresh challenges created by market pressures and new enabling technologies.”1

The OLV 2.1 suite increases the depth of order management capabilities GXS can offer its customers, including enhancements of the following business process modules:
Forecast and Order Presentment – Allows organizations to share strategic order forecasts, legally binding purchase orders, order schedules, order revisions and materials releases electronically to 100 percent of their trading partner community, with shared, on-line visibility for internal users and suppliers.
Forecast and Order Collaboration – Allows buyers and their suppliers to collaboratively agree on periodic schedule commitments, provide order promises and detailed order acknowledgements.
Shipping and Receiving – Supports the shipping and receiving process for inbound shipments via ship notice visibility and bar code label generation capabilities. Supports closed loop supplier order fulfillment process by matching the original order quantity with the actual shipped quantity and the received quantity.
Invoicing and Settlement – Supports e-invoicing, supplier self-service invoice inquiry, and payment visibility.
The OLV suite allows customers the opportunity to configure business rules to match their business processes, to set-up e-mail-based alerts and to enforce data quality through the application of data validation rules. Packaged with GXS’ world-class community ramping services, a flexibly funded pricing model and integrated with Trading Grid business process networks, OLV delivers a robust, end-to-end solution for extended enterprise collaboration.

According to Gartner’s Andrew White, “Enterprises that use technology to streamline operations and business processes with their suppliers have been highly successful.” GXS customers using OLV have experienced these successes. Companies rolling out the OLV service reap benefits such as improved internal productivity through elimination of paper-based processes and increased data quality. OLV can also lower inventory and transportation costs by offering better visibility on inbound shipments. Many companies are using OLV to extend their internal, back-end systems to their trading partners and are leveraging OLV functionality through their supplier portals.

“This release of OLV is an important step in solidifying GXS’ position as a leading provider of collaboration and visibility solutions,” said Bobby Patrick, senior vice president of marketing for GXS. “The GXS Order Lifecycle Visibility service and its rapid adoption by leading companies is a clear testament to GXS’ unique position to successfully enable global business process networks.” With several recent customer wins in the retail, high-tech, automotive and manufacturing industries, GXS continues to find success with solutions it provides up the value stack.

OLV 2.1 is available today and launched in conjunction with the company’s Trading GridSM, a real-time platform developed exclusively to enable and streamline cross-enterprise business processes. As one of the world’s largest electronic business communities – serving over 30,000 businesses worldwide – Trading Grid offers unique capabilities that ensure synchronized product and price information, optimize inventory levels and demand forecasts, speed the overall execution of supply chains and ultimately provide true end-to-end business process visibility.

1“Hype Cycle for Supply Chain Management, 2004,” Alexander Drobik, Andy Kyte, Benoit J. Lheureux, Jeff Woods and Andrew White, July 8, 2004.
 
About Global eXchange Services
Global eXchange Services (GXS) is a leading worldwide provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration and collaboration. Organizations worldwide, including over half of the Fortune 500, leverage the Global eXchange Services Trading GridSM to achieve the perfect balance of supply and demand. Active in the global standards arena, GXS solutions enable customers both large and small, to connect with global partners, synchronize product information, optimize inventory levels and demand forecasts, and accelerate the execution of supply chains.

Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., GXS provides sales and support to businesses and their partners worldwide. For more information visit our Web site at www.gxs.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors. These factors include technological developments, customer demand, trading partner participation and network availability. 

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