Future Three and Cooper-Standard Collaborate on E-Commerce Initiative

NORTHVILLE, Mich., May 21 -- Cooper-Standard Automotive is implementing Future Three's suite of Supply Chain Management (SCM) software to enable enhanced trading partner visibility and to extend their ERP investment in the automotive vertical.

Included in the SCM implementation are demand planning, forecasting and scheduling, order management and shipping control. Features include JIT order and shipping support, kanban, support for line side sequencing and bar coding, all integrated with Cooper-Standard's ERP system using Future Three's Configurable Interface tool.

Todd Shinabarger, Director of Information Technology, stated, "Future Three was chosen because of the rich automotive content within their applications and the company's 20 years of automotive specific experience. We anticipate over $100 million of material flow through the system monthly, once all facilities are implemented. Scalability and a proven approach to automotive best practices were a critical factor in our decision. Future Three met our customers' automotive E-Commerce requirements so that Cooper- Standard can maintain its status as a world class supplier."

Cooper-Standard anticipates deployment of the Future Three solution in a total of 22 plants across North America. The system, which includes advanced order management and fulfillment, will provide enhanced visibility into automotive demand and shipping control. Future Three will provide complex automotive business rules management for Cooper-Standard and its trading partners. The system will integrate critical supply chain information into the core enterprise business systems for Cooper-Standard.

Benefits to Cooper-Standard include reduced cycle time and inventory, and improved fill rates. Overall, Cooper-Standard will have better information on customer forecasts, orders, production, shipping and delivery performance. Additionally, consolidation of order processing will afford the company savings in support and maintenance of multiple legacy systems.

Harry Lockhart, Vice President of Sales and Marketing commented: "Cooper- Standard Automotive is one of the premier automotive suppliers and we are proud to add their name to our list of marquis automotive customers. We have over 400 automotive supply chain implementations under our belt and continue to bring value to our customers through innovation and long-term support. They can depend on Future Three to help drive down cost and improve collaboration with their trading partners."

ABOUT Cooper-Standard Automotive:

Cooper-Standard Automotive is an operating group of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, which specializes in the manufacture and marketing of automotive products. Products for Cooper Tire include automotive, motorcycle and truck tires, inner tubes, tread rubber and equipment. Cooper-Standard Automotive is an original equipment supplier of sealing, trim, NVH control systems and fluid handling systems for the automotive industry in North America, Europe, Australia and South America. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper has more than 20,000 employees and 52 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries. For more information, visit the Company's web site at: www.coopertire.com .

ABOUT FUTURE THREE: Northville, Mich.-based Future Three, is driving the advancement of Supply Chain Execution and Event Management (SCEM) applications and services. Built on 20 years experience in the advancement of order management and fulfillment for OEM to Tier 1 and Tier 2 businesses, our products and services create truly interconnected supply chains for automotive, heavy truck, agricultural equipment and vehicle manufacturing. This drives costs from the supply chain and helps suppliers comply with the ever-changing mandates for communications and material management from OEM and larger tier customers. For more information, visit the Future Three Web site at www.future3.com .