вЂњThey are really pleased that they can use natural language searches and can actually find the information theyвЂ™re looking for,вЂќ comments Catlin. In addition, with the Business Transaction Intelligence feature, Formica Group business users can access a user-friendly, self-service portal that lets them view B2B transactions across the order to delivery lifecycle. He also plans to take advantage of IBMвЂ™s global scalability and support to integrate Formica GroupвЂ™s worldwide suppliers into the system.

He and his colleagues also have more time to better serve existing partners and foster relationships with new ones. With Supply Chain Business Network Premium services, the IBM project executive coordinates the efforts of communications, mapping, testing and other Supply Chain Business Network teams that are involved in bringing new B2B partners onboard, freeing Catlin from micromanaging global onboarding integrations. How many projects can you truthfully say come in on time, on budget and to the original scope? And we did it with no disruption to our business,вЂќ says Catlin. вЂњWe had a great implementation team from IBM I really canвЂ™t say enough nice things about those folks.

Catlin worked with IBM to accommodate more than 80 data formats and integrate ERP and other back-end systems running on Formica GroupвЂ™s private cloud infrastructure. Within six months of the contract signing, Formica Group went live with the service. By capitalizing on AI, their business can facilitate faster and better decision-making to help mitigate supply chain disruptions. The offering includes the Business Transaction Intelligence feature, which empowers business users with real-time insights, deeper visibility and discrepancy alerts. вЂњThat was hugely important to us.вЂќДЇormica Group selected IBM SterlingВ® Supply Chain Business Network Premium managed services, which provide security-rich, cloud-based connectivity across trading networks with personalized support. вЂњIBM also brought global reach to the table,вЂќ he adds. Even nontechnical businesspeople could use and benefit from them,вЂќ says Catlin. вЂњI was pleased and surprised that IBM came in very competitively with offerings that featured much cleaner, easier-to-navigate online tools than those of our previous vendorвЂ™s. With frustrations increasing across the organization, Catlin issued a request for proposal to learn about other vendorsвЂ™ supply chain network solutions. Given the providerвЂ™s poor service, he struggled to maintain agile, responsive and cost-efficient supply chain operations. Today, Formica Group designs, manufactures and distributes multiple surfacing materials for residential and commercial spaces, including high-pressure laminate, solid surfacing, and decorative wall panels.Д¬atlin oversees Formica GroupвЂ™s global e-commerce and EDI systems from the companyвЂ™s US headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over more than a century, the company has grown through surfacing innovation and acquisition. The network has expanded with the business, which started with the invention of high-pressure laminate in 1913. The companyвЂ™s downstream trade network comprises fabricators, distributors and major home improvement retailers on every continent. Instead, he spent excessive time following up on business usersвЂ™ requests for system assistance. The new providerвЂ™s service notably deteriorated, leaving Catlin without proactive, reliable support. The reason? Formica Group had originally and successfully outsourced its B2B transaction management to an information management solution provider that was subsequently acquired by another vendor. I didnвЂ™t have enough extensions on my phone when they all started calling,вЂќ he recalls. вЂњThereвЂ™s plenty of them, and only one of me.

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