Home Depot Selects i2 for Intelligent eBusiness Solutions
Strategic Partnership With i2 to Enhance Collaboration Within Home Depot's 7000 Supplier-Partner Network
DALLAS, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- i2 (Nasdaq: ITWO) announced today that The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) has licensed i2's intelligent eBusiness solutions to enhance its supply chain management. The two companies have formed a strategic partnership to jointly develop collaboration solutions that will further facilitate the transfer of information and optimize the decision making between Home Depot and its partner network of over 7000 suppliers worldwide.
Home Depot, one of the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) shippers in the world, with over four million LTL shipments expected in 1999, will first implement i2's solutions to optimize its transportation processes. This will lead to improved customer satisfaction by ensuring products are consistently available to customers at its more than 860 retail sites in North and South America.
"i2 is proud to aid Home Depot in providing its customers with the ultimate in service and satisfaction," said Sanjiv Sidhu, CEO of i2 Technologies. "Our expertise in business process optimization combined with Home Depot's experience in global logistics management will bring about a powerful new foundation for supplier/partner collaboration -- ultimately ensuring that the right products are always available to the customers who want them. We look forward to building tremendous value for Home Depot and its customers now and in the future."
Home Depot's electronic data interchange (EDI) system transfers over 900,000 documents per week in order to effectively share information with its suppliers and manage transportation logistics with its carriers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs). The company required a set of solutions that would integrate seamlessly with this system, while optimizing the processes throughout Home Depot's and its supplier's shipping networks. i2 was chosen for its industry leadership and broad range of best-in-class solutions, combined with unmatched post-sales development support.
"i2 clearly understands what we need to sustain a competitive advantage," said Gary Cochran, Vice President of Information Systems, Logistics for Home Depot. "As we continue to implement i2's broad range of solutions, and move forward with our plans to co-develop collaboration solutions, we see i2's products becoming an important contributor to our future growth and success."
i2 and Home Depot will partner to develop solutions that will allow Home Depot and its suppliers to communicate more quickly and accurately, while increasing the depth of data exchanged and the quality of decision making. These solutions will use i2's current collaboration solutions as their foundation, then be enhanced to meet the unique needs of Home Depot and the requirements of its partners.
"We are reaching out to our partners and asking them what we can do to make it easier to work with The Home Depot," stated Cochran. "We'll then work with i2's development team to enhance current i2 solutions to make them ideal for our suppliers, and for the retail goods sector overall. We believe we can produce a collaboration solution that will set the standard for the industry."
Home Depot at PLANET99:
An executive from Home Depot will be hosting an information session at PLANET99, the high velocity eBusiness summit. On Tuesday, October 12, Home Depot will present its vision for increasing customer service levels and streamlining its distribution and supply chain network. For more information about PLANET99, visit planet.i2.com.
About Home Depot:
Founded in 1978, The Home Depot currently operates over 860 stores. Home Depot stock is publicly traded and is included in the Standard & Poor's 500 index. For the last six years, Fortune magazine has named Home Depot as America's most admired specialty retailer.
Cautionary Language:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the expected delivery and benefits of use of the Company's products. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are competition, market demand, technological change, strategic relationships, recent acquisitions, international operations and general economic conditions. For additional discussion of factors which could impact the Company's financial results, please refer to the Company's Form 10-K filed February 1999; Form 10-Q filed August 1999; and Form S-4 filed May 1999.
About i2 Technologies:
i2 is the leading global provider of intelligent eBusiness solutions. Founded in 1988, i2's vision is to add $50 billion of value for its customers by the year 2005. i2 is headquartered in Dallas, TX, has approximately 2,500 employees and maintains offices worldwide. For additional information, visit i2 on the web at i2.com or attend PLANET 99 in Las Vegas, October 10-13, planet.i2.com. |
