27 October 2004 — Accelerating its automotive industry momentum, GXS today announced it has partnered with TradeBeam, Inc., the leading provider of global trade management software and services. As part of the agreement, GXS will offer automotive customers and suppliers TradeBeam’s collaboritive Inventory Management solution (i-Supply) as a “grid service” on GXS’ Trading Grid®. collaboritive Inventory Management will now be available to automotive OEM’s and suppliers around the world based on GXS’ extensive network of global automotive customers.

This partnership will provide the automotive industry with the ability to synchronise, aggregate and exchange real-time VMI information between supply chain partners. In addition, collaboritive Inventory Management will drive significant costs out of their operations by reducing inventory levels throughout the Demand Driven Supply Network (DDSN). TradeBeam’s i-Supply solution is the automotive industry's most widely used collaboritive inventory management application, operating at thousands of automotive suppliers world-wide.

“We are excited about our partnership with GXS, since it enables interoperability within the global automotive industry adding significant value to TradeBeam’s collaboritive Inventory Management solution,” said Duncan Jackson, TradeBeam’s vice president of business development and marketing. “Providing a real-time electronic window into inventory and logistics data, i-Supply requires very little investment, is quickly implemented and can produce financial results in fewer than eight weeks.”

The ability to react to immediate requirement changes can increase inventory ROI up to 30 percent, improve asset and capacity utilisation, and reduce the cost of premium freight and administration. TradeBeam’s collaboritive Inventory Management solution will provide OEM’s and suppliers with real-time visibility into consumption and replenishment patterns across the supply chain, lessening reliance on forecasts. Suppliers can monitor current inventory levels and decide when, and how much, to ship. OEM’s can then monitor supplier performance to service level requirements.

“As today’s global automotive marketplace expands, companies are looking for new ways to integrate with their trading partners and drive significant cost out of operations,” said Bobby Patrick, GXS’ senior vice president of marketing. “Our partnership with TradeBeam will enable our customers to collectively reduce inventory levels, smooth production and lower premium freight charges.”

GXS and TradeBeam’s alliance represents an important opportunity to significantly expand the reach of TradeBeam’s collaboritive Inventory Management service that already is operational at thousands of automotive suppliers world-wide.

The TradeBeam relationship is part of GXS’ Partner Grid Program, an industry-focused initiative that is designed to bring the world’s leading technology solutions to a global customer base, improving the solution experience and helping them accelerate the achievement of their business goals.

According to the 22 July 2004 AMR Research report titled ‘Applying DDSN Correctly Can Shift Companies From Laggard to Braggart’: “Vehicle Brand Owners (VBOs) must drive DDSN-based transformation into the supply chain in order to create better demand visibility to survive in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace. Otherwise, incentives and inventory costs will devour already slim profit margins.” AMR further expands, “Carmakers that drive the DDSN model into their supply chain, thereby improving their demand forecasting, will minimise finished auto inventories, improving profits and freeing capital for other uses, such as R&D.” The power of GXS’ Trading Grid and TradeBeam’s collaboritive Inventory Management capabilities combine to deliver on the promise of the Demand Driven Supply Network

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 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 3000 customers with users in over 100 countries world-wide.

About GXS
GXS is a leading global provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration and collaboration. Organisations worldwide, including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, leverage GXS Trading Grid® to achieve balance between supply and demand. Active in the global standards arena, GXS solutions enable customers both large and small, to connect with global partners, synchronise product information, optimise inventory levels and demand forecasts, and accelerate the execution of supply chains.

Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., GXS provides sales and support to businesses and their partners worldwide. For more information about GXS visit www.gxs.co.uk.