Press Releases
Air International Selects TradeBeam to Optimize Global Supply Chain
Tier 1 Automotive Industry Supplier to Use Collaborative Inventory Management Application From GTM Platform To Gain Complete Visibility Up and Down Supply Chain
San Mateo, CA, May 17, 2005—TradeBeam, the leading provider of Global Trade Management (GTM) software and services, announced today that Air International (US), Inc. has signed an agreement to use i-Supply, the Collaborative Inventory Management application within TradeBeam’s integrated GTM platform. The application will provide the Tier 1 automotive supplier with complete supply chain visibility from customer requirements all the way to component supplier inventory levels.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Air International specializes in Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), and provides cutting-edge engineering and manufacturing services to OEMs in North America.
“We operate on ‘just-in-time’ and often ‘in sequence’ delivery timelines, and any potential impact on supply deadlines must be minimized,” said Jeremy Tom, Corporate Quality manager of Air International. “Effective communication up and down our supply chain is critical. TradeBeam has proven to us that they can not only meet the messaging requirements for this initiative, but also provide visibility throughout our supply chain, regardless of our supplier’s systems and capabilities. They also have demonstrated that the solution can be implemented in a very short amount of time.”
The implementation, which is due to begin this month, will integrate the Collaborative Inventory Management application with all of Air International’s manufacturing provider and direct ship supplier systems so that the company receives advanced shipping notification when materials are sent to the OEM customer. TradeBeam also will provide Air International with visibility into its partners’ finished goods inventory levels and customer forecast information. The supply chain visibility initiative will be extended ultimately to include component inventory and supplier forecast information from the company’s manufacturing providers and direct ship suppliers as well.
Through the improved supplier collaboration system, Air International should be able to realize major reductions in inventory levels, premium freight and other supply chain costs. Also, by helping to ensure that OEM delivery deadlines are met, Air International expects the TradeBeam application to play an important role in maintaining high customer satisfaction levels.
“Through the addition of i-Supply to our GTM suite, TradeBeam is recognized as the automotive industry’s premier application provider, and we are very pleased to add yet another Tier 1 supplier to our customer base,” said Graham R. F. Napier, president and chief executive officer of TradeBeam. “As more and more companies look to grow their supply base internationally, maintaining visibility throughout the supply chain becomes an increasingly difficult challenge. Internet-based solutions that can be delivered on-demand and integrated with applications addressing other aspects of global trade, like customs management and financial settlement, are proving to be vital to success.”
About Air International (US), Inc.
Air International is a significant technology provider which designs, manufactures and distributes air conditioning and heating systems for automotive.
About TradeBeam
TradeBeam is a Global Trade Management software and services company providing solutions that streamline global trading processes for enterprises and their partners. TradeBeam’s integrated solutions provide import and export compliance, inventory management, shipment tracking, supply chain event management and global trade finance solutions such as open account and letter of credit management. TradeBeam has over 3,000 customers with users in over 100 countries worldwide.