XS, Inc., a developer of e-commerce solutions for the agricultural inputs market and parent company of XSAg.com, has partnered with Clarkston-Potomac, Inc., to integrate XSAg.com with SAP, a leading ERP software package.
The initial phase of integration has been completed, making XSAg.com one of the few Independent Trading Exchanges on the Internet to offer this integration to its suppliers, according to a March 2000 report by AMR Research, Inc.
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XSAg.com is an online trading exchange that facilitates e-commerce for agricultural inputs in auction, reverse auction and fixed price environments. Clarkston-Potomac is a high technology and e-business consulting firm and an acknowledged middle-market leader in providing end-to-end, strategic solutions powered by e-business.
The completed integration links between XSAg.com and SAP allow suppliers to rapidly list product on the XSAg.com site, and to automatically log a sales order in the supplier’s SAP system upon completion of a sale. They will be demonstrated at a shared exposition between XSAg.com and Clarkston-Potomac at SAP’s Sapphire 2000 conference in Las Vegas June 14-16.
“The new infrastructure will provide XSAg.com with significant improvements over business practices established by early B2B Internet trading exchanges,” explained XS, Inc. Chief Technology Officer Randy Hompesch. “Those companies actually added manual steps to transaction processes because they relied on Web-based data entry or proprietary file interfaces to input listings, and on e-mail, phone, fax or file transfer for order placement and confirmation.”
XSAg.com’s new infrastructure, he explained, will enable the company to streamline the process and leverage the sellers’ existing investment in ERP systems and distribution networks. Continuing Partnership to Create Seamless Integration
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By GlobalDataIn an effort to seamlessly integrate XSAg.com’s information systems with those of sellers wanting to list on the site, XS, Inc. and Clarkston-Potomac will continue their partnership to expand the integration of XSAg.com with other ERP systems and with supplier’s legacy systems. The two firms will design and build XML-based real-time messaging links between XSAg.com’s proprietary trading exchange software and the software of other leading ERP system suppliers and selected suppliers’ legacy software packages.
Clarkston-Potomac also will continue to aid XS, Inc. in the design, construction and rollout of an e-business infrastructure to support this exchange environment. The new infrastructure will enable suppliers’ information systems to easily exchange data related to transactions conducted in the XSAg.com environment, including specifics on listings, fulfillment, billing and transportation.
“This exciting venture with Clarkston-Potomac represents a tremendous opportunity for us to continue our leadership position within the e-commerce industry,” said XSAg Founder and CEO Fulton Breen. “Clarkston-Potomac has the breadth of experience in and knowledge of our industry, as well as a solid reputation for success, all of which make it an ideal partner for such a strategic alliance.”
Monty Hamilton, managing partner of Clarkston-Potomac’s southeastern region and member of its board of directors, added, “Working with XSAg.com, we are defining the landscape of the digital marketplace via intelligent use of technology. Our experience with the fundamentals of systems integration and the processes that are critical to today’s e-business environment will help XSAg leap beyond the traditional transaction service into a customer-driven, service-focused trading exchange.”
Clarkston-Potomac harnesses the power of the Internet to unleash business potential for mid-market firms by providing a full range of services including strategy, implementation and application support. Through a client partnership approach, the company collaborates with its clients to articulate a competitive business vision and assemble a high-energy deployment team.
Clarkston-Potomac serves clients in a diverse mix of industries, including automotive, chemical products, consumer package goods, healthcare, high technology, manufacturing, medical products and pharmaceuticals. The company, which is headquartered in Durham, N.C., has locations in Detroit, Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco and Mumbai, India. Recently, Clarkston-Potomac announced a venture capital deal with Fleet Equity Partners. The $15 million investment will fund the strategic acceleration of the company’s growth in comprehensive end-to-end e-business consulting.
For more information, visit Clarkston-Potomac’s World Wide Web site at www.clarkstonpotomac.com. XSAg.com is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. Using proprietary software, XSAg.com provides a secure nationwide Internet trading exchange for manufacturers, distributors, dealers and growers to buy and sell chemicals, parts, seeds and other agricultural inputs. XSAg.com acts as a neutral market maker – bringing buyers and sellers together – and provides a seamless e-commerce fulfillment operation, including real-time freight quotes, credit facilities and transfer of funds while offering complete anonymity.
