Dal-Tile Enhances Customer Service and Profitability With Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - September 22, 2009) - At the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) conference, Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc company, today announced that Dal-Tile Corporation, a subsidiary of Mohawk Industries and the largest ceramic tile manufacturer in the U.S., is deploying Sterling Order Management at its 250+ stores. The Sterling Order Management solution, part of the Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite, improves the customer experience by enabling Dal-Tile to more effectively manage its end-to-end customer lifecycle process, implement innovative order visibility capabilities and improve inventory management at the store level. The company estimates that the more efficient pricing and margin management processes provided by Sterling Order Management will enable the company to increase profits by over $1 million a year.

"Our legacy system has been operating for over 20 years, and although it adequately met our needs, it lacked the flexibility to handle Dal-Tile's changing business needs as we expand what we offer and the customer to whom we sell," said Rick Odorico, general manager, Dal-Tile Business Operations. "Sterling Order Management will take our company to a world class level of customer service in the near term and for many years to come."

Sterling Order Management orchestrates the end-to-end enterprise order management process to improve cross-channel efficiencies and customer responsiveness. It replaces the company's legacy solution and provides Dal-Tile with more accurate tracking of order status, greater order visibility across the supply chain and simplified order fulfillment and tracking. Managing inventory is complex for Dal-Tile, which offers its customers multiple options for product delivery, including pick-up, ship-out, pack-and-hold, transfers and direct-ship orders. By functioning as a central order hub, Sterling Order Management aggregates inventory information across multiple systems to improve inventory utilization and reduce lost sales due to out-of-stock situations. Better inventory visibility also enables Dal-Tile to use partners and vendors in fulfilling customer orders more efficiently. In addition, the solution provides flexibility based on each local store needs, allowing Dal-Tile to view, maintain and cancel orders at a store level, as well as have one store become a replenishment point for another location.

As a result of more efficient processes provided by Sterling Order Management, Dal-Tile also has improved its pricing and margin management. Dal-Tile is able to optimize pricing for its customers, providing them with more flexible options and expediting the process of order entry. By employing margin management capabilities, the company is able to maximize profitability.

"Like many manufacturers, Dal-Tile has seen its customer base and supplier processes change dramatically," said Richard Douglass, global manufacturing industry executive at Sterling Commerce. "By leveraging a flexible solution like Sterling Order Management, Dal-Tile has transformed how it works with its customers and suppliers to implement innovative processes that enable the company to not only improve customer service, but do so while dramatically reducing costs."

Sterling Order Management is a part of Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite, a comprehensive solution for the entire inquiry-to-cash process. The Suite facilitates the seamless execution of order offer/capture/management processes across multiple channels. It also helps manage and control complex supply chains throughout the entire fulfillment lifecycle -- including transportation management, warehouse management, and holistic supply chain visibility.

About Sterling Commerce

Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) company, helps companies optimize and transform their Business Collaboration Network to accelerate revenues and reduce costs. Sterling Commerce provides more than 30,000 customers worldwide applications and integration solutions to connect, communicate and collaborate inside and outside their enterprise. More information can be found at www.sterlingcommerce.com.

Contact Information: For more information, contact: Julie Redard Sterling Commerce (978) 513-6386 Julie_Redard@stercomm.com Jamie Leicht Fleishman-Hillard (619) 237-7711 jamiemarie.leicht@fleishman.com