Powerway to Drive Quality Performance for Covisint; Powerway.com Web-enables APQP Process, Moves Industry Closer to 12-Month Car

    INDIANAPOLIS--April 9, 2001--Powerway, Inc. was chosen today to drive quality performance for Covisint by web-enabling the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process, moving the automotive industry closer to the reality of delivering a high-quality, 12-month vehicle with fewer risks and at lower costs.
    Covisint will deploy Powerway.com, an innovative B2B Internet tool developed by Powerway that enables manufacturers and their suppliers to work together as an extended enterprise. Powerway.com participants across a multi-tier supply chain can communicate instantly, accurately and interactively, 24x7, in a secure and reliable environment at all points during the APQP phase leading to production.
    This real-time communication has the potential to transform the way the auto industry delivers products to market - faster with reduced risks and decreased costs. Currently in the rollout phase at DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group, Powerway.com is the first Internet-based solution to address process and performance inefficiencies throughout Chrysler's Extended Enterprise(R).
    "The breakthrough technology of Powerway.com - which harnesses the speed, power and connectivity of the Internet - holds enormous potential for the automotive industry," Mike Campbell, Powerway CEO, said today. "Visibility deep into multiple tiers of the supply chain coupled with real-time communication will fundamentally change the way the industry recognizes and corrects potential quality problems before products are brought to market. As a result, automakers will not only satisfy their market demands but also will save millions of dollars in unnecessary warranty costs each year."
    A pioneer in process performance improvement software for manufacturing, Powerway has led the way in providing Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) solutions for the automotive industry.
    By web-enabling the complex APQP and PPAP, Powerway.com reduces non-value added paperwork and provides real-time access and analysis to mission-critical information throughout the process development effort leading to production. The result is accelerated speed to market, increased productivity and reduced warranty and changeover costs.
    In addition to Covisint's agreement to integrate and promote Powerway.com to its customer base, Covisint and Powerway agreed to jointly develop an authoring tool to support the APQP and PPAP processes.

    About Powerway, Inc.

    Powerway, Inc., a privately held technology company founded in 1987, provides e-business solutions, leading-edge software and professional services for enhanced collaboration within and between organizations. Powerway currently has offices in Indianapolis, Detroit, London and Mexico City, and approximately 300 employees worldwide. Its list of 3,500 customers spans the automotive, general transportation, appliance and process industries.
    To learn more about Powerway and take a test drive of Powerway.com, visit the Web site at www.powerwayinc.com.

    About Covisint

    Covisint, LLC is a global, independent e-business exchange providing the automotive industry with leading collaborative product development, procurement and supply chain tools that give its customers the ability to reduce costs and bring efficiencies to their business operations. Developed by DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Renault, Commerce One and Oracle, Covisint is currently located in Southfield, Mich. The organization has also established temporary offices in Stuttgart and Tokyo. For more information about Covisint, visit www.covisint.com.