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Mary H. King, APICS Communications Division
(800) 444-APICS (2742) or (703) 354-8851, extension 2251

For Immediate Release

APICS and Protiviti Announce Alliance,
Release White Paper on
Sarbanes-Oxley Act Compliance

Alexandria, VA (June 5, 2003) APICS—The Educational Society for Resource Management and Protiviti Inc., a leading risk consulting and internal audit firm, announce an alliance to bring supply chain risk management thought leadership to the business community. To mark the launch of this alliance, APICS and Protiviti have released a thought-provoking white paper for supply chain and other executives, "Capitalizing on Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance to Build Supply Chain Advantage: A Back-to Basics Approach to Internal Control and Supply Chain Integrity."

"Supply chain technology, principles, and best practices continue to evolve at a rapid pace," said Bob Collins, CFPIM, CIRM, 2003 APICS president. "APICS is pleased to join with Protiviti in providing education and information on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to the inventory and supply chain management communities. APICS will continue to build strong alliances that bring the most useful and up-to-date information to our members."

Philip O'Keeffe, CPIM, who leads supply chain risk consulting services for Protiviti and is coauthor of the white paper, adds, "Sluggish economies, technological advancement, an inherent universe of significant risks, and the need to drive the bottom-line performance have forced all organizations to focus on their supply chain initiatives. We are excited to form this alliance with APICS because of its unique expertise and practices in inventory management. This alliance provides supply chain risk management thought leadership and consulting solutions that will continually reinforce infrastructure and provide a launching pad from which advanced initiatives can grow."

"Capitalizing on Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance to Build Supply Chain Advantage" details how the Act has a complementary impact on supply chain risks and processes including infrastructure design, transaction integrity, and reporting measures, while focusing on corporate governance requirements such as executive certification and internal controls over financial reporting. As a result, executives should adopt a back-to-basics approach to understanding and prioritizing supply risks, processes, measures, and controls, beginning with but expanding beyond their material impact on the company's financial statements. Such an approach enhances a company's ability to implement and maintain basic processes as well as transactional disciplines and the related internal controls while creating the foundation for greater supply chain performance.

Jon Rydberg, CPIM, coauthor of the white paper and a member of Protiviti's Supply Chain Leadership Team, said, "The co-distribution of this paper demonstrates Protiviti and APICS' support of supply chain risk management excellence and our belief in the foundation of comprehensive operational measures and controls. Sarbanes-Oxley has provided many organizations the opportunity to redefine and control their basic infrastructure. We demonstrate how this back-to-basics focus can foster supply chain competitive advantage and greater risk management. Protiviti and APICS view this white paper as only the start of a positive alliance that will provide members and supply chain organizations with beneficial and insightful thought leadership in supply chain risk management and control."

Electronic copies of "Capitalizing on Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance to Build Supply Chain Advantage" are available at www.apics.org and www.protiviti.com. Protiviti will present the paper at the upcoming 2003 APICS International Conference and Exposition, October 6-9, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

APICS—The Educational Society for Resource Management provides lifelong learning for lifetime success through its certification programs, training tools, and networking opportunities. For more than 45 years, APICS has been setting the standard as the global leader and premier provider of inventory and supply chain management education and information for individuals and organizations. The APICS community is comprised of nearly 60,000 individuals from 20,000 companies worldwide. Members hold a variety of positions and come from different environments, encompassing more than 70 countries throughout the world. To learn more about the APICS community, visit www.apics.org.

Protiviti is a leading provider of independent outsourced and co-sourced internal audit and business and technology risk consulting services. As part of its vast risk consulting solutions, Protiviti assists companies in reducing and improving the management of supply chain risk. The firm develops and implements supply chain solutions that help companies identify, measure and monitor risks, and improve supply chain performance. Protiviti's scope of services encompasses the entire supply chain, including the planning, sourcing, production, storage, and transporting of goods. Protiviti, which has more than 30 locations in the United States, Europe, and Asia, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE symbol: RHI). For more information, call (888) 556-7420 or visit www.protiviti.com.

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Members of the press receive complimentary registration to the 2003 APICS International Conference and Exposition, October 6-9, in Las Vegas Nevada. Please contact Michael Nuckols, APICS publications manager, at (800) 444-2742 or (703) 354-8851, extension 2279, for information regarding press registration.