Aras Spotlights APQP Plus Solution at Automotive Conference; Aras Corporation Demonstrates How the APQP Plus Solution Delivers Business Performance Value that Ensures Compliance

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.--Aug. 2, 2004--Aras Corporation, a provider of practical Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that the Aras APQP Plus solution will be demonstrated for the first time publicly at the Center for Automotive Research's Management Briefing Seminars 2004 August 2 - 6, 2004 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City, Michigan - Booth 19. The event is the leading automotive industry conference for manufacturing strategies and technologies for global competitiveness.

Aras APQP Plus for automotive suppliers is for performance driven companies of all sizes that require a practical, affordable solution for running their business and managing programs that ensures compliance with the ISO/TS 16949 requirements for Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). Aras APQP Plus delivers business value by providing:

-- Actionable Project Portfolio Dashboards

-- Program Cost Accounting & Resource Planning

-- Engineering Change Management

-- Launch Scorecards

-- Supplier Portal for Information Sharing

-- Supplier Evaluation and Scorecards

-- Quality Plans & Shop Floor Deployment

The APQP process and PPAP documents are based on integrated online workflows for part submission warrants and electronic status reporting that conforms to the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) eAPQP requirements.

With Aras APQP Plus automotive suppliers manage the APQP and PPAP processes across their company and with customers, suppliers, outsourced manufacturers and partners in order to develop, launch, and manufacture high quality products on time and on budget.

About Aras Corporation

Aras Corporation is a provider of practical and affordable enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. Aras PLM is an engineering and manufacturing business solution with comprehensive ready-to-use functionality that addresses the rigorous requirements of discrete manufacturing operations. The underlying Aras Innovator(TM) application framework is based on a next-generation model-based service architecture that enables customers to deploy solutions quickly and adapt easily without programming delivering a Total Cost of Ownership far lower than conventional enterprise systems. Customers include Rolls-Royce, Freudenberg-NOK, Ingersoll-Rand, and the U.S. Army. Aras is a privately held company headquartered in Lawrence, Mass. For additional information call (978) 794-7643 or visit www.aras.com