OPTUM Software chosen as Microsoft's value chain initiative partner

Business Wire, Dec 5, 1996

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 5, 1996

OPTUM's MOVE Warehouse Management System To Become Available

On Windows NT Platform As Part Of Initiative

OPTUM Software, the leading Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) software company, announced today that it has been chosen to participate in the Value Chain Initiative (VCI), an alliance of Microsoft(r) Solution Providers and other companies committed to developing integrated Windows NT(r) operating system-based solutions designed to redefine transportation logistics the length and breadth of the supply chain.

The goal of the VCI is to create standard tool sets for collaborative communication and management decision support between members' various warehouse, logistics, manufacturing and distribution systems to minimize time to customer.

"This alliance brings together industry leaders to provide a comprehensive solution for supply chain logistics," said Boris Reznik, chief executive officer, OPTUM Software. "As the most configurable WMS in the industry, MOVE fits perfectly into the overall VCI structure. The Windows NT version of MOVE will be released in Q1, 1997."

"The warehouse is a key component of the supply chain and we are pleased to have OPTUM, one of the leading WMS providers, as part of the Value Chain Initiative," said Mark Walker, industry marketing manager for transportation, EDI and distribution at Microsoft.

"The VCI will change the way we have done business and create a pathway to improve customer service while minimizing the costs of logistics."

The initiative, led by Microsoft, includes Costa Mesa-based OPTUM Software and other leading logistics and transportation solution providers, hardware manufacturers, The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, and several logistics and transportation experts.

The initiative comes as the logistics scenario -- conveying raw materials to manufacturers, goods to distributors, products to retailers and purchases to customers -- increasingly requires the exchange of real-time information to ensure a product's timely arrival.

"Today's competitive pressures require companies to extend the enterprise and strategically align with partners in the value chain," said Jim Morehouse, vice president of supply chain practice at AT Kearney.

"Strategic sourcing and extended enterprise cooperation are becoming a competitive necessity. Companies must strive for breakthrough results, which fundamentally require new levels of collaboration such as the Microsoft Value Chain Initiative."

OPTUM provides MOVE, a user configurable dynamic warehouse management system that allows real-time control of material and information flows throughout multisite and multilingual enterprises.

OPTUM's MOVE provides the capability to dynamically reconfigure and optimize supply chain logistics to improve customer service, while simultaneously reducing inventory and operating costs. The system uses RF equipment and bar coding to manage activities, personnel and flow of materials from receiving through shipping.

OPTUM Software develops products to optimize the logistics execution functions throughout the supply chain. OPTUM's advanced software products provide real-time control of material and information flows throughout warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution.

OPTUM partners with clients to implement solutions that continuously adapt to the ever-changing needs of a dynamic business environment. Key benefits reported by customers who have applied this continuous optimization approach include improved service levels, increased inventory accuracy coupled with a reduction in inventory throughout the supply chain, and lower overall operating costs.

OPTUM Software is located at 3330 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626. For more information, please call 714/557-9050; fax 714/557-9056. Visit OPTUM's home page at http://optum.com .

Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Point your browser to the edi home page at http://www.microsoft.com/industry/retail_dist/ .

CONTACT: OPTUM Software, Costa Mesa

John Davies or Angela Burrell, 714/557-9050

or

Microsoft

Mark Walker, 206/703-3181