Rhoditech Deploys Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore eMARIAN Materials and Procurement Management System; Web-Enabled System Enables Global Procurement

Business Wire, May 22, 2002

Business Editors & Technology Writers

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2002

Rhoditech is deploying the Web-enabled eMARIAN(TM) materials and procurement management system provided by the Process, Power & Offshore division of Intergraph Corporation (Nasdaq:INGR). The division's recent contract with Rhoditech, the wholly-owned engineering subsidiary of Rhodia (France), includes eMARIAN Web-enabled modules for Bulk Material Life Cycle Library, Engineering & Procurement Integration, Material Supply Chain Management and Site Management. Rhoditech is implementing eMARIAN for project work managed from its Lyon, France, offices and includes integration with engineering design software such as PDS(TM) (Intergraph Plant Design System) and materials and equipment suppliers. Modules deployed at Rhoditech are globally Web-enabled by eMARIAN which provides concurrent access, linking client, project headquarters, local offices, subcontractors, suppliers and construction sites.

Intergraph officials announced the Rhoditech contract at International Process & Power 2002, where some 400 division customers from more than 50 countries are participating in a variety of events. The conference continues here through Thursday.

Modules Standardize Materials and Requisitions

As deployed by Rhoditech, the Bulk Material Life Cycle Library provides both corporate and project level materials libraries, enables materials revision and change management and rapid estimates for new project bids. The Library helps reduce costs through material data standardization and re-use, especially for bulk material such as piping.

The Engineering & Procurement Integration Module translates engineering requirements to procurement deliverables including automatically generated bills of materials and requisitions. The module shows status of any item and reduces surplus materials and delays due to shortage.

The Material Supply Chain Management Module integrates with commodity suppliers, manufacturers, fabricators and freight forwarders. It synchronizes decentralized processes including supplier management, procurement, progress control, tracing and event management.

The Site Management Module assigns material to site inventories and enables job scheduling according to material availability. Automated material receiving, forecasting, reservation and allocation efficiently control and manage materials for onsite warehouses.

eMARIAN Supports Rhoditech Project Management

Philippe Marceau, vice president of sales and support Northern & Western Europe, Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore, said, "eMARIAN is centrally positioned to help Rhoditech achieve its goal of total material and procurement control. Providing Rhoditech a consistent material database, eMARIAN brings the advantage of further reducing engineering hours, materials surplus and total installed costs for projects."

MARIAN: Enabling Global Procurement

MARIAN (www.intergraph.com/ppo/marian) is an integrated life cycle materials and procurement management solution for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms and owner/operators in the process manufacturing, power generation and allied industries. The Web-enabled MARIAN allows companies to globally converge systems and work processes and enables true worldwide e-Procurement on an enterprise or project level.

Integrating the entire materials management process horizontally across all corporate functions, MARIAN helps increase business competitiveness and enables industry specific business process re-engineering. Cost savings achievable with MARIAN comprise up to three percent of total installed costs for typical international lump sum turnkey projects. MARIAN helps increase competitiveness by reducing project bid time and man-hours as well as controlling total project costs. Cost savings realized through MARIAN include those achieved by compressing schedules, executing materials processes globally, eliminating materials surplus or shortage and improving risk management. Risk management benefits include better overall project performance, cash flow management and reduction of supply chain loss exposure.

MARIAN handles materials standardization, bills of material and requisitions, procurement and supply chain functions, fabrication tracking and site tasks including simulation, warehousing and disposition. The solution allows customers to share materials data with design and business systems, clients, contractors and suppliers. The standard MARIAN integrates with and complements business systems, including those from SAP, J. D. Edwards and Oracle.

About Rhoditech

Rhoditech, also known as Rhodia Engineering & Technology Europe, is the design engineering and project management arm of Rhodia, one of the world's largest specialty chemicals companies. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Rhodia, Rhoditech supports projects for all Rhodia divisions and is headquartered in Decines, France. An ISO 9001 certified company, Rhoditech employs 300 people in engineering centers in Decines, France; Shanghai, China; Paulinia, Brazil; and Cranbury, N.J., United States. Rhodia provides products and services to the automotive, health care, fragrance, apparel, electronics, personal care and environmental markets. Rhodia generated net sales of 7.2 billion Euros in 2001 and employs 27,000 people worldwide. Rhodia is listed on the Paris and New York stock exchanges.