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Mary H. King, Communications Division
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Collaborative Commerce Is Solution to
Today's Economic Challenges
Executive Edge Sessions Highlight
APICS Conference

Alexandria, VA (July 12, 2002) Collaborative commerce in successful supply chain partnerships is the subject of the Executive Edge sessions at the APICS International Conference and Exposition, October 27-30, in Nashville, Tennessee. APICS-The Educational Society for Resource Management brings four top industry executives together to examine practical integration strategies and how to manage the risks associated with shared information.

"Collaborative commerce is a reality and important for success in today's economy," said William P. Luttman, chairman of the APICS International Conference and Exposition Committee. "Few businesses can claim to have meaningful and complete integration within their organization or with their partners, customers, and suppliers. The message from the Executive Edge sessions is collaborate or risk failure."

Jeff McKinney, Manugistics senior vice president of supply chain management, asks the question, "What if, instead of trying to adjust supply to meet demand, you could influence demand, shaping it to conform to supply?" In his presentation, "Enterprise Profit Optimization: Using Price to Better Manage Your Supply Chain," McKinney will discuss new technology that enables companies to influence demand by leveraging price.

ACCUSHIP founder and CEO, Mason Kauffman, will provide an online logistics case study that documents the ten "must have" supply chain execution technologies needed to realize significant and immediate savings in time and money.

Dan Wecker, executive vice president of Cross Commerce, will identify electronic collaboration and digitization tools that are time phased over the product life cycle in his presentation, "The Virtual Enterprise and Its Impact on the Collaborative Corporate Environment."

Senior business consultant for Frontstep, Inc., Kenneth J. Mussleman, Ph.D., believes that supply chain collaboration enables a company to synchronize supply with demand, act-and react-in real time, and solve problems quickly. According to Mussleman, manufacturers and distributors must redefine business processes and develop collaborative enterprises by aligning real-time demand with on-time delivery.

The APICS International Conference and Exposition, held annually, is the premier provider of education and networking opportunities for resource management professionals. The 2002 conference will feature more than 100 educational sessions in addition to the Executive Edge presentations. Topics include collaboration, demand pipeline management, supplier relationship management, global business issues, and professional development management.

The exposition showcases the leaders in software, systems, services, and information technology for e-commerce and c-commerce solutions, supply chain management, MRP/ERP, electronic data collection, planning and scheduling, training, CRM, systems integration, human resources, and business consulting.

For complete details on the 2002 APICS International Conference and Exposition, visit the APICS Web site at www.apics.org. Go to the Conference & Expo page and click on the "My Planner" tab.

APICS—The Educational Society for Resource Management provides lifelong learning for lifetime success through its certification programs, training tools, and networking opportunities. The society supports nearly 60,000 members in 20,000 manufacturing and service industries worldwide. To learn more about the APICS community, visit www.apics.org.

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Members of the press receive complimentary registration to the 2002 APICS International Conference and Exposition, October 27-30, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Please call the APICS Marketing and Brand Management Division (800) 444-2742 or (703) 354-8851, ext. 2351, for information regarding press registration.