Consolidated Commerce is a business-to-business electronic commerce and logistics consolidation company that serves a variety of commercial industries. With a national network of suppliers, distributors and other customers with varying degrees of technological capability, Consolidated Commerce's supply chain was marred with inefficiencies that led to long lead times, expensive manual processes, and frequent errors in the order to cash cycle. The company turned to Waterstone Consulting for help.
Executive Summary

Business Strategy

Waterstone Consulting recognized the opportunity to not only consolidate Consolidated Commerce's supply chain, but also potentially redefine the channel. Utilizing its extensive experience in developing and implementing supply chain solutions, Waterstone Consulting identified advanced operational enhancements that would propel Consolidated Commerce years beyond its competitors:

• An advanced platform which consolidates order and payment information at each point in the supply chain
• Automated, streamlined order and customer management
• Seamless interfaces which enable customers and suppliers to communicate via the Internet, VAN, FAX, or telephone
• Real-time visibility to order, procurement and logistics information

Technology Strategy

As the nucleus of Consolidated Commerce's operations, Waterstone Consulting developed an intricate, high-powered systems infrastructure within a user-friendly Windows NT environment. Behind this system is a centralized data warehouse that provides Consolidated Commerce with a repository of mission-critical order, procurement and logistics information.

Crucial to the success of the new system is its ability to facilitate communications between numerous customer and supplier locations. To support this, Waterstone Consulting developed an Internet-based order entry and management system, backed by consolidation, accounting and EDI Translator software that provides customers and suppliers with round-the-clock access to the company and enables them to communicate with Consolidated Commerce via phone, fax, mail, Internet or EDI. "Our customers can now cost-effectively transmit PO's, review parts catalogs and pricing and check on order status- at their convenience. Suppliers can also more easily and less expensively view and fill orders," said John Stoeckinger, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Consolidated Commerce.

Project Approach

The Waterstone team consisted of a unique blend of supply chain strategists and technology experts that were able to bring the system on-line in less than nine months. The team worked closely with Consolidated Commerce employees and the company's trading partners to fully understand the challenges of their industry's supply chain, and develop the solution that would redefine the way they did business.

Project Success

With advanced strategy development and innovative technologies from Waterstone Consulting in place, Consolidated Commerce benefits from dramatically increased efficiencies throughout the entire supply chain.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Industry: Benefit: Distributing Consolidated order, invoice, payment and logistics information. Shortened order lead times. Reduced purchase transaction, transportation and inventory costs Fewer errors in the order cycle Improved customer satisfaction Solution: Technology: Supply chain management strategy, business-to-business electronic commerce and logistics consolidation system Internet Commerce Server EDI Translator, Data Warehouse Visual C++ Active Server Pages