Friday, December 12, 2008

Sigma Micro Adds Blogs to Its Website

Sigma Micro, vendor of SigmaCommerce multi-channel enterprise management software, has introduced interactive blogs to its Website to share retail and eCommerce tips, advice, insight and expertise.

With 10 bloggers across the company writing on topics of interest to the eCommerce and direct retail industry, they will be creating at least four new blog posts every week.

PRAIM Systematises Project Management

Glyn Carvill, commercial director at PRIAM, a leading UK-based software vendor of multi-channel order management and fulfilment solutions, and Chris Lowe, PRIAM's web design manager, have qualified as PRINCE2 practitioners.

PRINCE2 is a project management method developed as a UK Government standard for IT project management. (It is now in general the de facto standard for project management in the UK.)

A structured approach, PRINCE2 provides a method for project management within a clearly defined framework. It describes procedures to coordinate people and activities, making sure they finish on budget and on time.

Glyn Carvill notes "It's real progress for PRIAM when I can say I am now one of four PRINCE2 practitioners here. This will definitely help us better control the timings and costs of our projects."

Said Lowe, "A year ago I wouldn't have dreamed I'd be so involved in formal project management. I now see it's the best way to deliver quality to our customers."

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Manhattan Updates System for 3PLs

Manhattan Associates, Inc. has announced the updated release of Extended Enterprise Management (EEM), featuring instant visibility for Third-Party Logistics providers (3PLs) to manage orders, shipments and inventory. and to consolidate transport of inventory by managing partner-to-partner shipping and provide their hubs with the ability to complete direct fulfillment.

"EEM specifically supports our 3PL customers by providing cross-docking and flow-through support that allows 3PLs to play a key role in the 'pop-up' supply chain—-a philosophy that allows retailers and manufacturers to dynamically adjust their transportation and inventory networks to meet changing seasons or trends," said Eddie Capel, executive vice president for product management and customer support, Manhattan Associates. "This capability is seamless due to the visibility EEM provides, along with the capability to make quick decisions should an unexpected event occur anytime during the movement of goods."

Features and enhancements of Manhattan EEM include:

* A centralized, browser-based solution allowing 3PLs to manage order fulfillment and automate communications with customers;
* End-to-end visibility of orders, shipments and inventory from sourcing to cargo delivery;
* A single, consistent, real-time view of the entire global supply chain for greater inventory control and optimal fulfillment channels;
* Ability to track and monitor supply chain events in real time and respond immediately based on alerts to critical exception events, which may threaten the ability to meet customer commitments;
* Ability to reduce transportation costs by leveraging optimal equipment utilization.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Chase Paymentech Cybershopping Index

Chase Paymentech, a leading payment processor of direct commerce transactions, has launched a 2008 Cyber Holiday Pulse Index. The Index, a measurement of online shopping activity during the holiday season, tracks eCommerce spending activity across a sample of leading e-tailers by showing the number of transactions and dollar value crossing Chase Paymentech's global processing platforms.

"This will be a very interesting year to watch the Pulse Index," said Mike Duffy, President of Chase Paymentech. "The conventional wisdom holds that holiday spending will be depressed for many reasons. The economy is weak, discretionary spending is down and the shopping season is a week shorter this year as Thanksgiving is late. However, recent analyst reports indicate that eCommerce may actually be trending ahead of last year. The Pulse Index will give some insight into whether the conventional wisdom is accurate or not."

A report by Forrester Research, "Outlook for US Online Holiday Sales, 2008," (October 21, 2008), forecasts "online holiday shopping spend will increase by a humble 12% over 2007 [as] consumers seek value and savings online more than ever." That prediction will be tested by this year's Pulse Index.

Chase Paymentech provides payment processing services to more than half of Internet Retailer's list of the 500 largest e-commerce companies. The Pulse Index tracks 25 of the top 150 e-commerce merchants, representing a large and diverse field of e-tailers for this holiday shopping season.

To view the Pulse Index, visit: http://pulse.chasepaymentech.com.
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