ADS Shares Their Expertise Thru Formation of Integrated Solutions Business Unit
HOMEWOOD, Ill.--March 5, 2001--Alternative Distributions Systems, Inc. (ADS) announces the formation of a new business unit, ADS Integrated Solutions, to create value-added supply chain solutions for metals producing, processing and consuming companies.
ADS Integrated Solutions will provide information systems and knowledge that enable customers to reduce supply chain operating and transaction costs and increase logistics service quality.
Solutions will be provided via the Company's logistics information management system, LoMaS(SM), and through business solutions analysis performed by the Company's professional staff.
As an outgrowth of ADS' other specialized businesses, ADS Integrated Solutions is uniquely qualified. ADS has significant expertise in all aspects of metals supply chain management. For the last two decades, the ADS companies have provided metals customers a full range of trucking, storage, rail and intermodal services. In recent years, significant investment has been made by the company in systems and underlying processes to deal with the challenges and constraints of managing metals for their customers.
"The ADS Integrated Solutions business unit evolved from recognition that the systems and processes developed by ADS for their internal use were generating immediate, quantifiable savings for us - savings which all manner of metals-related companies could benefit from," explained ADS' Gordon D. Gustafson, vice president - Integrated Solutions. "What we're doing with this new business unit is providing customers the opportunity to reduce their supply chain operating and transaction costs and increase logistics service quality by taking advantage of our systems, expertise and investments."
Gustafson continued by explaining that, "Typically, producers handle inventory management and supply-chain integration in one of two ways; either internally which may require they operate outside the boundaries of their core competency, or externally by purchasing the services of a consultant, who will typically sell them business solution recommendations without the services and follow-up necessary for effective implementation."
ADS offers customers a comprehensive approach, going far beyond the recommendation phase. ADS offers to establish the new system, participate in the implementation, and provide as-needed or ongoing support through their subsidiary services.
Recently, ADS Integrated Solutions introduced their logistic information management system, LoMaS(SM). LoMaS(SM) is an application suite that takes the various components of supply chain information, pulls them together, and provides total visibility of this information via a "glass pipeline" to the supply chain participants. Everyone benefits since all members of the supply chain have real-time access to the information necessary for streamlined and efficient productivity; information that heretofore had been represented by a series of disjointed manual processes and data collection. LoMaS(SM) is the cohesive medium pulling the components into a virtual operating environment.
"The ability for customers to access the services of our Integrated Solutions division is ideal," states ADS' Stephen Fraser, president and chief executive officer. "Since the other three ADS subsidiaries focus specifically on metals transportation and distribution services, customers can take advantage of our proven knowledge to minimize their logistics costs."
ADS is a national provider of integrated solutions, including distribution and logistics services to the metals producing, processing and consuming industries: www.adsinet.com. For more information about ADS and the Integrated Solutions business unit, contact Dawn Thrasher, Director - Communications and Public Relations, Alternative Distribution Systems, Inc. (708) 922-2024, dawnt@adsinet.com