Order-management solution supports multifarious customer interactions

Sterling Commerce's applications portfolio now builds on a strong base of multichannel order management (MCOM) capabilities that address supply chain execution where it is most challenging: at the point where companies must work seamlessly with customers, partners, and suppliers.

"Our clients are challenged by the complexity of what their customers are looking for," says Ken Ramatour, director of product marketing for Sterling Commerce. "End customers want to order from anywhere, and have their orders fulfilled from anywhere. We have a broad application suite that allows our customers to create a better experience for their customers."

Recent enhancements include process-modeling capabilities that support new fulfillment channels and delivery options; pre-configured workflow for order exception processing and alert management; a task- and role-based user interface; and pre-configured integration between Sterling MCOM and IBM WebSphere Commerce.

"This release focuses on logistics, orders, and shipment, delivering significant supply chain visibility and event management," says Greg Aimi, a director of supply chain for Boston-based AMR Research. "Sterling Commerce is establishing a common funnel for the multiple ways customers want to interact with the supply chain, bringing it all together in one central system."

A subsidiary of AT&T, Sterling Commerce established a strong footprint in supply chain order fulfillment with the acquisition of Yantra Corp. in 2005, Aimi adds. "Yantra's development work in service-oriented architecture was ahead of the game in terms of other supply chain execution and warehouse management solutions," he says. "Sterling Commerce has continued to enhance and build on that."