It's not about regulatory compliance, say KPMG and SeeCommerce—but it could be
Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 12/1/2003 7:00:00 AM
In introducing a new solution—one called SeeRisk, which combines a consultative operations assessment with technology to monitor key supply chain performance and risk parameters—John Rittenhouse, national practice leader for operations risk management, KPMG, says his company and its technology partner, SeeCommerce, aren't trying to capitalize on the "regulatory factor."
In other words, in recent months, hoping to gain from "fear, uncertainty, and doubt," acknowledges Rittenhouse, there's been a rash of new solutions and product repositionings that address requirements arising from Sarbanes-Oxley, The Tread Act, or other new regulations for better corporate governance.
Still, admits Rittenhouse, an enterprise performance management "package" like SeeRisk should be of interest to anyone who wishes to establish they're actively involved in company operations, learn of any "material events" likely to impact the company's operations, or keep a handle on warranty exposure—all much-discussed considerations under the new laws, although subject to much interpretation.
"In the unlikely event a company is audited for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, here is a clear indication that company officers are involved," says Rittenhouse. "If companies have to notify of a significant material change within 48 hours, this gives them the earliest heads up on that. But we're not going to market with this as a Sarbanes-Oxley tool. Compliance is one thing; operations excellence another."
Jim Presley, VP of Professional Services for SeeCommerce, says the two companies just signed the first major SeeRisk customer, although its name can't be disclosed. SeeCommerce, a vendor of supply chain performance management solutions, uses Internet technology to tap into disparate data sources in a supply chain, and brings that data together in a real-time snapshot that can be analyzed and used as a basis for timely decision-making.
