SOLNA, Sweden, March 21, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Expert stores, one of Sweden's largest home electronics chains, has signed a contract for IBS' new Virtual Enterprise software. Virtual Enterprise will enable the Expert chain stores to integrate operations and make them more efficient, while allowing for the co-ordination of the sales, procurement and logistics processes. Expert is already using IBS' ASW software centrally, for their distribution, financials and customer loyalty operations. An ASW upgrade, combined with the new Virtual Enterprise software, will provide Expert with full control of their supply chain, from suppliers to customers.
"With IBS' solution, we will be able to meet the demands for rapid change that our industry is constantly subject to," said Perc Broden, CEO of Expert Invest. "Virtual Enterprise will speed up all our processes, reduce costs and further improve our customer service. It is a new and very interesting concept for coordinating and improving efficiency in retail stores, enabling us to centrally handle a lot of the stores' routines for inventory management, procurement follow-up, and item structure, using Virutal Enterprise," said Perc Broden.
"With these new systems, central inventory functions can become more efficient, as can financial flows and profitability follow-up. Furthermore, we will be able to reduce stock, both in stores and in the central warehouse. To assist our stores in answering customer questions, we are also opening a call centre where different databases will be linked together using Virtual Enterprise," said Perc Broden.
Expert, with its 236 stores in Sweden, all focused on home electronics, photography and multimedia, has an annual revenue of approximately Euro 310 million. IBM's consultancy operations - IBM Global Services - will jointly, with IBS, install Virtual Enterprise for Expert. The systems will start to be rolled out during October.
"The Expert contract is the first within the framework of our extended co-operation around IBS' Virtual Enterprise software. We have great hopes for this co-operation, both in Sweden and globally. We see a large demand in many companies for this kind of solutions," said Urban Nordstrom, head of IBM Global Services in Sweden.
"For IBS, this is a highly interesting order," says sager Staffan Ahlberg, CEO of IBS. "It shows how Virtual Enterprise can help our customers reduce costs and improve customer service, fields within which there is great potential within many industries," said Staffan Ahlberg.
IBS, International Business Systems, is a leading global provider of integrated supply chain execution and customer relation solutions for distributors and demand-driven international manufacturing companies. IBS' primary focus is mid-sized and large wholesale distributors as well as sales and manufacturing companies in international groups, especially in pharmaceuticals, electronic parts and equipment, automotive parts and supplies, machinery, industrial supplies and consumer durables. IBS is recognised by AMR Research as a leading supplier of supply chain execution software and services. IBS has some 5,000 customers, among them many leading companies like Volvo, Miele, Nautor Swan, Galexis, Ciba Vision, Maxell, ABB, Expert, Cartier and Lear Corporation. The IBS Group has revenues of $260m, 2,250 employees and permanent operations in 22 countries. IBS is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange ("IBS B"). For more information, please visit www.ibs.se