Schneider Electric Completes Move to Datalliance VMI

Energy Management Leader Deploys Third Generation VMI Platform


CINCINNATI, OH--(Marketwire - Jul 7, 2011) - Datalliance today announced that Schneider Electric has completed the transition of its North American Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program to the Datalliance VMI platform and service. The program supports 33 of Schneider Electric's top wholesale distributors, and replaces the company's in-house VMI system which was developed in 2005. Schneider Electric has been an electrical industry leader in VMI since developing its first VMI system in the 1990s.

"With Datalliance as our new VMI platform, we are helping our distributors achieve more consistent inventory turns and a lower stock-out rate across thousands of SKUs," said Vicki Repsholdt, Schneider Electric Director of Channel Operations. "Our distributors are very happy with the new system. Among other improvements, it does a much better job of helping identify opportunities for inventory transfers -- something that's important to our larger distributors. Datalliance's position as the leading VMI solution for the electrical industry made the transition easier for many of our distributors because they were already familiar with Datalliance through their participation in other suppliers' VMI programs."

In a presentation at the recent Datalliance Forum, Ms. Repsholdt outlined a number of important benefits directly associated with the company's VMI program, including the fact that it streamlines the launch of new products, conversion and obsolescence process; improves the product mix held by distributors; builds strong relationships with distributor operations teams; and allows Schneider Electric's local teams to spend more time on value-added sales-related activities.

"Schneider Electric is one of the leaders when it comes to VMI and we are very happy to have them as part of the Datalliance electrical industry supplier community," said Tom Hoar, Datalliance Director of Sales for the Electrical and Plumbing industries.

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centers/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, and efficient, the company's 110,000 plus employees achieved sales of more than $26 billion in 2010, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations "Make the most of their energy."

About Datalliance
Datalliance is a leading provider of collaborative commerce services, and the world's largest independent VMI service provider. Delivered via the Internet using the 'Software as a Service' (SaaS) model, Datalliance solutions make it easy for suppliers and their customers to establish sales and inventory management relationships that fully align business objectives, improve collaboration, and streamline supply chain operations. Datalliance manages billions of dollars in orders, millions of SKUs, and thousands of locations for leading Fortune 1000 companies in a number of industries. For more information about Datalliance, visit www.datalliance.com.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Brian Lindner
Datalliance
513-791-7272