webMethods to Supply Northwest Airlines With Integration Platform For
Streamlining Purchasing Processes
Northwest Will Use the webMethods Integration Platform to Connect With
Online Industry Marketplaces and Directly With Vendors,
Creating a Collaborative Supply Chain
FAIRFAX, Va., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- webMethods, Inc. (Nasdaq: WEBM), the
leading provider of integration software, announced today that Northwest
Airlines (Nasdaq: NWAC) has selected the webMethods' integration platform to
allow Northwest to exchange product and purchasing information in real-time
with trading partners over the Internet. Using webMethods solutions,
Northwest will be able to incorporate integration initiatives intended to cut
cost and reduce error by eliminating inefficiencies in various procurement
processes.
To date, Northwest places orders of all goods, from aircraft and engine
parts to office supplies, through a combination of processes, including phone,
fax, EDI and supplier web sites. With the webMethods integration platform,
inefficiencies and errors created by these processes are eliminated and
information such as product purchases, order status, advance shipping notices
and customer requests are sent directly from buyer to supplier in a fully
automated environment.
"webMethods is a leader in the integration space and has proven it can
dramatically improve the purchasing processes of its customers," said Doug
Keskey, IT Middleware/E-Commerce Director of Northwest Airlines. "Because we
cannot dictate the platforms of our trading partners, we required an
integration platform, like webMethods' solution, that is flexible and open to
all standards. As a result, we now can automate our supply chain, thereby
eliminating errors and increasing purchasing efficiency."
Northwest chose webMethods to build a flexible, standardized platform that
can be leveraged for all current and future trading partner integration
projects. As one example, Northwest will integrate its internal systems with
the Aeroxchange online marketplace, a global electronic exchange that provides
a wide variety of products and services in the aviation industry. As another
example, Northwest will integrate with Corporate Express to streamline the
office product purchase process. By providing broad support for all Internet
standards and protocols, webMethods' integration solutions will enable
Northwest to quickly connect with existing and new trading partners with
minimal stress to corporate resources and existing technology systems.
"We chose webMethods because of its leadership and maturity in this
space," said Keskey. "Many of our strategic business partners are already
using webMethods technology, and we feel that this will enable us to come into
production more rapidly and with greater success."
"Like any company, an airline depends on its supply chain to quickly
procure spare parts in an efficient and cost effective manner, and webMethods
solutions will serve admirably in helping improve these processes for
Northwest far into the future," said Scott Opitz, vice president of strategic
planning for webMethods. "Implementing webMethods solutions enables Northwest
to significantly increase operational efficiencies while also creating real-
time, collaborative purchasing networks with its suppliers."
About webMethods, Inc.
webMethods, Inc. (Nasdaq: WEBM) is the leading provider of integration
software. The webMethods integration platform allows customers to achieve
quantifiable R.O.I. by linking business processes, enterprise and legacy
applications, databases and workflows both within and across enterprises. By
deploying the webMethods integration platform, customers reduce costs, create
new revenue opportunities, strengthen relationships with customers,
substantially increase supply chain efficiencies and streamline internal
business processes.
Founded in 1996, webMethods is headquartered in Fairfax, Va., with offices
throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. webMethods has more than 625
customers worldwide including Global 2000 leaders such as Citibank, Dell,
Eastman Chemical, The Ford Motor Company, Grainger, Motorola and Starbucks.
webMethods' strategic partners include Accenture, Ariba, BroadVision, Commerce
One, Deloitte Consulting, EDS, Hewlett-Packard, i2 Technologies, J.D. Edwards,
KPMG Consulting, Microsoft, Oracle Corp., SAP AG and Siebel Systems. More
information about the company can be found at webmethods.com . |
