DC Velocity - July 2015

newsworthy

The supply chain consulting and IT services firm enVista said it has created a software business to support small to midsized retailers in their efforts to engage in omnichannel commerce.

Dubbed “Enspire Commerce,” the independent company will offer smaller e-tailers one platform for omnichannel selling, optimization, order fulfillment, and integration, Indianapolis-based enVista said. CEO Jim Barnes, who will head the unit, said this is the only end-to-end solution available to smaller companies seeking such a broad range of services.

“What we see in the market space of direct-to-consum-
er, B-to-C, and brick-and-mortar business is that there
are significant gaps in technology when it comes to help-
ing companies handle omnichannel business challenges,”
Barnes said in an interview. Enspire Commerce intends to
bridge these gaps for small to midmarket retailers, distrib-
utors, and third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) by
offering software tools through a cloud-based software-as-
a-service (SaaS) solution that can scale up as the companies
grow, the company said.

Subscribers can adopt any applications they need from a menu that includes retail engagement/point of sale (POS), advanced order management, product information management, trading partner management, and e-commerce solutions.

According to Barnes, this model is far more efficient than the typical strategy, which requires small e-commerce companies to cobble together solutions from disparate software providers that sometimes have trouble integrating data from different sources.

Enspire customer Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Performance Bicycle had used an electronic data interchange (EDI) platform from one software provider and an order management system from another. Since adopting Enspire Commerce, Performance Bicycle has combined several order and shipping services under a single enterprise commerce management (ECM) umbrella and trimmed its budget for software spending, Barnes said.

—B.A.

enVista forms cloud commerce company for small business

alliances

Oslo-based Marine Harvest ASA is using Amber Road’s Restricted Party Screening solution to monitor its trade partners. … High-end retailer Von Maur and Peach State Integrated Technologies have completed the installation of a new shipping and receiving material handling system in Von Maur’s DC in Davenport, Iowa. ... Kaman Industrial Technologies has implemented Infor’s Distribution SX.e at 15 locations, and Strauss Paper Co. has selected Infor to provide its customer relationship management (CRM) system. In addition, MacArthur Co., a provider of construction materials, has selected Infor M3 for Distribution to manage everything from invoicing to inventory across its 30-plus branches. … Interroll and S.F. Express, China, recently signed a frame contract for Interroll Portec belt curves. … Worley & McCullough, a grower-shipper of potatoes in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, has completed its conversion from standard wooden pallets to iGPS Logistics’ plastic pallets. … Maersk Line North America has selected WAM Technologies LLC to provide machine-to-machine technology for remote tracking, monitoring,

and inspection of its refrigerated container generator sets. … Resnick Distributors, a regional distributor to convenience retailers in New Jersey, has installed Lucas Systems’ Mobile Work Execution system and Jennifer Mobile applications for voice picking and quality con-trol/audit. Since installing the system last year, Resnick has seen a 30-percent reduction in labor costs and a 60-percent reduction in errors. … Global logistics service provider and customshouse broker D.J. Powers BV has deployed the Descartes OneView Forwarder Enterprise solution to help streamline its European operations. In addition, Avianca Cargo, a business unit of Avianca Holdings S.A., has selected Descartes Cargo 2000, a cloud-based service that provides reporting and analytics, to help meet the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Cargo 2000 standards. … GT Nexus and trade finance solutions provider SeaburyTFX announced a new funding program that leverages big data on the GT Nexus platform to provide suppliers with access to low-cost capital. Also, PC manufacturer Lenovo has renewed its commitment to use GT Nexus’ cloud-based supply chain software platform. … Parts Town, a provider of restaurant and food-service parts, has selected the HighJump Warehouse Advantage warehouse management system.