Seagate launches B2B platform for its distributors

New Delhi: Seagate Technology (NYSE:STX) has announced today having implemented B2B connectivity with its distributors to gain more streamlined, timely and accurate point-of-sale and channel inventory information. This enables Seagate to improve its overall inventory management and better understand customer demand and consumption.

Leveraging a B2B integration solution from E2open, Seagate has integrated more than 30 small-and medium-sized distributors, many of them geographically remote and with limited IT capabilities, in just three months. The project allows Seagate to see the actual consumption of its products at the point-of-sale, a key requirement of its corporate strategy of building a supply chain based not on forecasts but on customer demand.

According to Teh Ban Seng, vice president and managing director of Asia sales and marketing, Seagate, "The establishment of B2B connectivity with our distributors is part of our ongoing efforts to increase the value of the franchise for our partners and customers. We are pleased to be working with our distributors on the B2B implementation for greater ease and quicker turnaround times on sales-out and inventory reporting, which in turn enables them to focus on their core business."

In the old reporting process, istributors manually prepared and uploaded the weekly data. The new B2B process integrates Seagate with distributors, eliminating human intervention in the creation or transmission of data. The new reporting solution is tightly integrated to the backend systems of its distributors and transmits data back to Seagate in a seamless fashion. The solution automatically translates information between different languages and currencies, making it a global solution for the company

Commenting on the ebusiness platform, Neeraj Chauhan, director, International operations, eSys Information Technologies Ltd, says, "We can leverage this B2B infrastructure for transaction exchange with other suppliers."

According to Easwer Hariharan, general manager, Ingram Micro India, "With the B2B implementation, Seagate has further strengthened its integrated supply chain from supplier to customer, providing us a better infrastructure in which to operate our business."

With the launch of the B2B platform, Seagate now receives a daily report from participating distributors that improves information flow and reduces the cost of managing the associated business processes. In addition, this initiative helps increase visibility throughout the supply chain. Some of the business benefits to Seagate and its distributors include: