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Press Release Smart Software Previews SmartForecasts 7 at APICS 2005
Charles Smart leads session on improving forecasting of service parts inventories
Kansas City, Kansas, October 16, 2005 -- Smart
Software is showcasing the upcoming version 7 of its flagship product,
SmartForecasts® Enterprise, with powerful new conversion capabilities and
customization tools for automating the forecasting process at this week's APICS
International Conference & Exposition in Kansas City. Smart, a leading
supplier of enterprise demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization
solutions, will be exhibiting in Booth #618. In addition, Charles Smart,
president of Smart Software, will address the conference on "Meeting the Unique
Challenges of Forecasting Service Parts Inventories" at Session H-05, Monday,
October 17th, at 8:15 AM in Room #2104B.
A new set of powerful conversion capabilities in SmartForecasts 7 enables
users to dynamically switch between forecasts in units and dollars, or any other
defined set of measures. These features significantly enhance the S&OP
process by increasing planning flexibility and allowing more effective
collaboration to take place between departments: one department may forecast in
its preferred measure - say units, and compare their forecasts to those of
another department that forecasts in a different measure - say dollars.
In addition, companies using SmartForecasts 7 will be able to greatly speed
up the forecasting process through a new, automated set of "Forecast and
Selection Parameters" tools that reduce forecasting tasks previously taking
hours to complete, to just a few minutes. With these tools, users can specify
sets of SKU-specific parameters for thousands of individual product items to be
used each time forecasts are generated. This capability ensures that the same
set of SKU-specific parameters will be applied from one forecasting session to
the next.
The Forecast and Selection Parameters, as well as conversion capabilities,
are available for both database and file-based systems. These new features
expand SmartForecasts' overall utility making it easier for organizations to
manage the S&OP and inventory planning processes.
SmartForecasts is a robust, full-featured demand forecasting, planning, and
inventory optimization system. The system integrates easily with host databases
such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and IBM DB2, as well as SCM/ERP systems
like Epicor, Adonix, and SAP. SmartForecasts boasts APICS award-winning,
patented technology for forecasting hard-to-forecast items with intermittent, or
"slow-moving," demand. This unique technology, which yields nearly 100 percent
accurate estimates of inventory stocking requirements for any lead time and
desired service level, is being used in a variety of industries experiencing
intermittent demand, especially the automotive aftermarket and capital goods
sectors.
Smart Software's SmartWeb Collaborator will also be on display at the
conference. This new collaborative forecasting and planning solution enables
users of SmartForecasts Enterprise to publish forecast results and reports via
the World Wide Web, and manage real-time, interactive feedback among planners.
This process will help to foster better consensus forecasting and more efficient
demand planning across the corporation. The collaboration software runs under
standard Internet browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
About Smart Software
Founded in 1984, Smart Software, Inc. is a leader in providing businesses
with enterprise-wide demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization
solutions. Smart Software's flagship product, SmartForecasts, has thousands of
customers worldwide, including midmarket enterprises and Fortune 500 companies,
such as Monsanto, Mitsubishi, Siemens, Labatt Breweries, Pfizer, GE and
Coca-Cola. SmartForecasts gives demand planners the tools to handle sales
seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-dimensional hierarchies,
and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items. It also
provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the minimum inventory and
safety stock required to meet future orders, thereby ensuring the most
cost-effective inventory allocation to achieve desired service levels. Smart
Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the
World Wide Web at www.smartcorp.com.
SmartForecasts is a trademark of Smart Software, Inc. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact Smart Software, Inc., Four Hill Road,
Belmont, MA 02478.
Phone: 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899);
FAX: 1-617-489-2748; E-mail: info@smartcorp.com Back to Press Releases
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