3 Aug 2001
Omnexus processes its first online transaction in Germany between Bayer and IBS Brocke
(Zurich July 31, 2001) – Omnexus™ (www.omnexus.com), the global online plastics e-marketplace conducted its first commercial transaction in Germany on July 31, within hours of the latest version of its global technology platform going live in Europe. Utilising Omnexus’ advanced capabilities, leading German injection moulder IBS Brocke GmbH & Co KG, purchased 38,5 ton of polymer comprising Durethan and Novodur from Bayer AG.
“We have been supplying customers through Omnexus in the USA since Omnexus began transactions there in November of last year. However, receiving our first order from a German processor on the first day that the transactional capability of Omnexus became active in Europe, is an important acknowledgement for our newly structured, flexible e-Commerce architecture, which permits standardised transactions using the Omnexus platform”, says Wilfried Heider, General Manager Region Europe.
IBS Brocke has been a long-term customer for Bayer materials, purchasing them directly through traditional channels. “Omnexus provides us with the possibility to consolidate our ordering procedures by eliminating the need to treat each supplier as a separate buying activity.” says Arno Bördgen, Purchasing Manager, IBS Brocke. “Around 80 percent of our business is focused on the automotive industry and therefore ‘just in time’ is key to our operations. Through Omnexus we have every confidence that we will not only save time and money but also increase productivity with improved management of inventory.”
According to René Mueller, Vice President of Omnexus: “The use of Omnexus’
e-transactional capability by processors, almost as soon as it came online in Europe, is a clear signal that European processors understand the cost-savings opportunity available to them. Their rapid adoption reflects the success Omnexus has had in the United States since it went ‘live’ there in November last year, and it gives us every confidence in believing that the high level of interest expressed by the market in Europe will translate into a high number of active Omnexus users.”
“Moreover, with the increasing focus on Enterprise Resource Planning within the industry, the inclusion of ERP functionality in the Omnexus system will make it particularly attractive for processors dealing with multiple suppliers and actively seeking productivity gains.”
The integration of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) functionality enables Omnexus members to benefit from significant additional time and cost savings as their in-house computer systems are enabled to communicate directly with the systems of their suppliers. This creates a single, automated supply chain that can function whenever the processor has a need for materials, not just during regular supplier business hours. Ordering errors are also minimized.
Other service enhancements include multi-language options and the ability to transact in any of the world’s recognised currencies, as mutually agreed between buyer and supplier. Furthermore, the use of cutting edge technology also allows the set up of automated negotiation and commerce collaboration, in real-time, between processors and suppliers.
This enables both parties to jointly establish the business rules governing how specific conditions and circumstances of their relationship should be managed, automatically. Moreover, the Omnexus transactional system offers order change capability with respect to product, price, quantity or delivery date, all e-capabilities that are the first of their kind to be deployed in the plastics industry.
About Bayer AG
Bayer is an international, research-based group with major businesses in life sciences, polymers and specialty chemicals. Employing some 122,100 people worldwide (end of fiscal 2000), the group has operations in nearly all countries of the globe. Bayer’s four business segments - Health Care, Agriculture, Polymers and Chemicals - are subdivided into 15 business groups, each with global responsibility for the success and growth of their operations. In 2
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About Omnexus
Omnexus is the global, neutral online marketplace focused on delivering products and related services to the plastics industry. Omnexus currently consists of more than 20 global suppliers, including: ATOFINA, BASF AG, Bayer AG, Biesterfeld, Clariant, Demag Ergotech, Distrupol, Dow Chemical, DSM, DuPont, Engel, Entec, Muehlstein, Performance Polymers, PolyOne, Resinex & Ravago, Solvay, and Ticona/Celanese, with new suppliers continuously added. The Omnexus site, which provides a single point of connectivity for plastics processors and suppliers, is now operational in the United States and Europe and will serve Asia and the rest of the world by 2002. Global headquarters for the company is Zurich, Switzerland. In the USA, Omnexus operates from Atlanta, Georgia.
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