Con-Way Consulting Unit Supplies Electronic Customer Relationship Management--eCRM--Programs; Provides Mid-Market Firms Cost-Effective Customer Support Systems

    ANN ARBOR, Mich.--May 15, 2001--Con-Way Business Solutions (CBS), announced today an electronic Customer Relationship Management (eCRM) service offering for mid-market manufacturers and distributors. CBS is the supply chain management and Internet technology consulting unit of Con-Way Transportation Services, Inc. (CON-WAY).
    "Finding and landing a new customer can cost up to ten times as much as retaining an existing one," said Luis Solano, general manager of Con-Way Business Solutions. "It's not unusual for businesses to lose 10 to 15 per cent of their customers each year. For mid-market companies this is a significant issue, and our eCRM program can have a quick impact on efforts to retain and strengthen a company's relationship with its client base."
    CBS said it developed a review and implementation process for eCRM based on its experience with mid-market firms. "The key is organizing a software strategy that will match the client's legacy system data, field sales structure and customer size and market channel," said Lynn H. Berger, senior managing consultant of the Internet and technology practice at CBS. "If our clients' current legacy systems have good data on their customer transactions, then the strategy must focus on bringing that information forward to those who need to know in an easy-to-use display format. That may be on a screen in an internal network for a customer service representative or on an Internet web site where the customer can have direct access."
    Customer relationship management is a business strategy designed to optimize profitability, revenues and customer satisfaction. Con-Way Business Solutions' approach enables organizations to respond to and anticipate customer needs by making customer information useful at all levels of the organization. The goal is that everyone with customer contact - sales and distributors, customer service, engineering, management, and collections - has visibility to all customer-related information. Customers should also have "self service" access to their own information as part of the strategy behind an eCRM initiative.
    The company sighted some internal examples to show the variety of eCRM approaches that can be employed. The large, nationwide CON-WAY trucking units have spent a number of years and millions of dollars to develop proprietary software to bring forward customer support information. Each day this system records an average of 51,000 shipment transactions. Each of those transactions is identified according to customer and account executive. Reports that measure performance and business development are then made available on their Internet and Intranet systems for each customer and their sales support personnel. All this is managed on a massive network of mainframe, server and PC machines, with complex software that is inter-linked to present simple, clear results.
    Smaller CON-WAY operating units that have a more limited set of key clients and a small field sales force have set up eCRM strategies that are much easier and faster to implement and support. Off-the-shelf software has been quickly integrated into these operating units' production systems and simplified reports showing critical metrics are made available to their field sales personnel.
    CBS focuses on two practice areas: Supply Chain Management, and Internet and Technology. The Supply Chain Management practice is designed to improve efficiencies and profitability in two areas - operations and business systems and logistics. The Internet and Technology practice area is designed to help businesses develop, implement, and manage an Internet strategy that reduces costs and improves efficiencies, whether the focus is e-commerce or revamping a company's legacy technology.
    Con-Way Business Solutions is headquartered in the Chicago area. The company's telephone is (877) 722-2490. The company's website is www.con-waybsolutions.com.
    CBS is an operating unit of Con-Way Transportation Services, Inc., a $2.1 billion transportation and services company that provides time-definite and day-definite freight delivery services, logistics, and e-commerce consulting services for commercial and industrial businesses. Within the CON-WAY family are regional less-than-truckload carriers Con-Way Central Express, Con-Way Southern Express, Con-Way Western Express and Con-Way Canada Express; Con-Way NOW, an expedited carrier specializing in emergency shipment service; Con-Way Integrated Services, a contract supply chain execution service provider; Con-Way Business Solutions, a consulting service providing supply chain management and Internet solutions; and Con-Way AIR, an air freight forwarder with service throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

    CON-WAY is a subsidiary of Palo Alto, California-based CNF , a $5.6 billion management company of global supply chain services with businesses in regional trucking, air freight, ocean freight, customs brokerage, global logistics management and trailer manufacturing.
    Further information about CON-WAY and additional press releases are available via the Internet at www.con-way.com