03/30/2004

Inovis, a provider of business commerce automation solutions, has announced that Aspen Pet Products, Inc., which makes pet products and accessories, has significantly reduced network costs and met the business commerce requirements for its retail partners, like Wal-Mart, and drastically simplified trading partner relationships using Inovis' Internet EDI solution. As a result, Aspen has selected Inovis to synchronize product data with the UCCnet GLOBALregistry, Inovis said.

Serving a wide customer base from small pet stores to major retailers like Petco, Aspen Pet had long conducted business transactions using a variety of communications methods. Doing business using multiple protocols with numerous trading partners, and having to coordinate maintenance, pricing issues and licensing fees, proved to be costly and tedious. Aspen Pet sought to consolidate on one business commerce automation platform with a trusted partner that would provide a roadmap to meet future compliance requirements.

A number of large retailers, including Wal-Mart, require its suppliers to use AS2 as the data transfer protocol to exchange critical point-of-sale data.

According to Inovis, Aspen Pet selected Inovis' TrustedLink iSeries solution based on its flexible capabilities, superior technology platform and cost-effective licensing agreement in accommodating both FTP and AS2 users. In addition, Inovis' services organization implemented the software in only one week, speeding the time to benefit. Aspen Pet has cut its per-customer Value-Added Network charges in half for its largest customers and increased satisfaction levels through improved transaction processes and heightened security.

With the success of TrustedLink, Aspen Pet again turned to Inovis to synchronize product data with the UCCnet GLOBALregistry and is in the process of implementing Inovis' BizManager for UCCnet Services, a complete synchronization suite providing specific visibility, business process management and translation features for item synchronization.

"Inovis' EDI solution offers Aspen Pet tremendous flexibility to interact and meet requirements set forth by our wide range of business partners," said Chuck Sharpe, director of information technology for Aspen Pet. "We can now conduct business more effectively, meeting mandates and complying with UCCnet standards knowing that we have the necessary collaboration framework in place to meet any technology or trading partner requirements today and in the future."

By consolidating all transactions on one platform, Aspen Pet significantly improved its trading partner relations with increased flexibility and ease of use. The company uses AS2 for a variety of business transactions, including inbound purchase orders, outbound invoices, advance-ship notices and inbound forecasts.

"Inovis gives suppliers and retailers the necessary tools to create profitable and rewarding relationships with each other," said Michael Croxton, senior vice president of marketing for Inovis. "By streamlining trading communities to more easily manage the flow and secure transport of business-critical information, we allow our customers to simplify communication while strengthening relationships and meeting the needs of their key trading partners."