Business-to-business collaborative e-commerce software vendor Agile Software Inc. is upping the ante for direct procurement with three new direct materials sourcing modules.
The three solutions, announced last week, fall under Agiles Product Sourcing rubric and are used for direct materials sourcing that provides visibility into a products basic components so that manufacturers can manage the ongoing cost of products.
The Sourcing Intelligence application provides feedback into the sourcing process through supplier analysis. The New Product Sourcing application helps companies identify and negotiate with suppliers. Product Cost Management provides visibility into prices, lead times and other market information so that a company can create cost benchmarks.
The modules are expected to be available in December.
The software highlights Agiles newly devised PCM (Product Chain Management) strategy and propels the company into the product life cycle management sector.
The San Jose, Calif., companys PCM strategy—which looks to link manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, suppliers and service organizations under one umbrella—is an ambitious undertaking, as it nearly doubles Agiles current portfolio from six to 11 offerings.
Agile has organized its PCM solutions into three categories: Product Sourcing, Product Collaboration and Product Service & Improvement. Each area contains a number of solutions that collectively are geared toward allowing companies to manage products through each phase of their life cycle, from conception to servicing.
The Product Collaboration module has six applications that allow for communication and collaboration within a company as well as with supplier networks. This software, which is in Version 7.5, is available.
The Product Service & Improvement suite, due in the first quarter of next year, unifies product development with customer management and service. For the service end, product performance data is transmitted in real time to the various product functions using Agiles integration tools.
ADC Telecommunications Inc.s Digital Subscriber Line division uses Agile software to communicate with its supply chain partners. Gary Lenik, director of materials for the division, will look closely at Product Service & Improvement, where he said he believes Agile is pushing the envelope.
“In the service area, we can use the apps to collect information out of the field on field performance and have our partners in the repair side of the business access Agile and be responsive,” said Lenik, in Tustin, Calif.