fourthchannel Delivers E-Business Solutions to Automotive Parts Manufacturers, Suppliers
29 March 2000
fourthchannel Delivers E-Business Solutions to Automotive Parts Manufacturers, Suppliers
Experienced ASP Offers Easy, Efficient Access to New and Larger Markets
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 29 E-business Applications Services
Provider (ASP) fourthchannel today launched a campaign geared to deliver
e-business selling solutions to automotive parts manufacturers and suppliers.
As an ASP, fourthchannel "rents" e-business solutions that allow its clients
to access Internet marketplaces easily and effectively.
"In today's high-pressure business environment, all companies are looking
to make use of high-tech tools to gain efficiency and improve their bottom
line," said Jonathan York, Chairman, and CEO of fourthchannel. "Due to its
global nature and sheer size, the automotive sector is poised to reap
tremendous rewards by adopting e-business solutions."
Aware of the potential benefits of this technology, in late February, the
"Big Three" automakers announced the formation of a private, online
marketplace for automotive parts. The American Iron and Steel Institute's
planned e-business system is another, similar high technology network.
Launched last week, it will provide steel makers and outside processors with
World Wide Web-based transaction management capabilities. fourthchannel's
e-business solution gives it's users access to these markets while retaining
control of their products, pricing, and branding.
"There are thousands of companies in this country that make and supply
automotive parts, and when you take into account the global nature of the
industry, that number rises exponentially," York said. "Unfortunately, this
has led to fragmentation and inefficiencies that are cutting into the
industry's participants' bottom lines." An ASP can help automotive parts
manufacturers and suppliers of all sizes counter these and other challenges by
offering them the ability to engage in Internet-based e-business transactions.
This can include everything from parts ordering and inventory management to
the coordination of customer service and sales.
MIJA Industries, a leading manufacturer and distributor of pressure
gauges, recently chose fourthchannel's profitlaunch(TM) solution to build and
manage its e-business selling site. "fourthchannel's flexible e-business
solution will extend our sales channel to the Internet," said Jack Leary, MIJA
Vice President of Sales. "fourthchannel offers us a range of different selling
models and will help us choose one that fits our business processes. As an
ASP, fourthchannel offers us this flexibility at a predictable cost."
Many large corporations have long known about, and benefited from, the
outsourcing of such technological solutions, but ASPs have started stepping up
to offer middle market companies access to the same tools, and to the same
markets. fourthchannel was one of the first ASPs to build and host e-business
applications for mid-market businesses; today it provides companies in a
variety of sectors with efficient, flexible access to enterprise business
solutions.
"Because technological innovation has led to such things as shorter
product life cycles and tighter margins, companies that want to succeed must
improve their inventory management and logistics," York said. "Automotive
parts manufacturers and suppliers already have a high comfort level in
adopting new tools for making their products; outsourcing is simply a regular
part of their efforts. Therefore, turning to an ASP for sales, merchandising,
distribution and other e-business solutions doesn't pose any real negative
issues for them rather, it can prove extremely beneficial."
The profitlaunch Solution
fourthchannel's profitlaunch is proving to be a superior e-business
solution for mid-market manufacturing and distribution companies. These
companies can rent the e-business service via ASP delivery at a predictable
cost, avoiding the high startup expenses for software licenses, staffing, and
IT infrastructure associated with a customer-hosted environment.
Built from the beginning for the Internet, profitlaunch presents an
attractive interface with intuitive navigation. The product also ensures that
non-technical marketing or sales people can easily manage the company's
catalog information using only a Web browser. Wizards automate tasks like
adding products or changing prices, and profitlaunch can be deployed in
30 days or less using fourthchannel's rapidchannel delivery process.
About fourthchannel
fourthchannel developed the Internet Business Environment (IBE) to deliver
a complete e-business selling solution to the mid-market. Application Services
Provider (ASP) deployment allows fourthchannel to provide easy-to-use and
easy-to-manage e-business sales solutions that expose mid-sized manufacturers
and distributors to new and larger markets. fourthchannel's IBE also includes
the essential elements of 30-day rapidchannel implementation and the
plug-and-play integration with back-end enterprise IT applications.
fourthchannel has a management team that includes seasoned business and
high technology professionals who have years of experience in delivering
technology solutions to industrial companies. fourthchannel, inc., founded in
1997, is a privately held, venture capital backed company. More information
can be found by visiting the Web site: http://www.fourthchannel.com .