Agentrics, a leading provider of sourcing, collaboration and
product lifecycle management solutions for the world's largest
retailers and suppliers, today announced it has partnered with
Tokyo-based Nomura Research Institute Ltd. (NRI) to build the Japanese
National Registry (JNR) under an agreement with the Japanese Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The JNR will serve as a
national registry of product information to support item-data sharing
between local retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.
"The Japanese National Registry represents a significant national
milestone as it will enable more effective trading among Japanese
retailers and suppliers by addressing specific local-market
requirements for reliable and effective data exchange," said Nihat
Arkan, Agentrics senior vice president of global customer management
and services. "Agentrics will leverage its vast experience supporting
country-level retail requirements to deliver and promote the benefits
of data synchronization while remaining consistent with GDS standards.
NRI is a valuable partner in furthering this local, yet global,
approach."
Agentrics will provide development, consulting and training as it
teams with NRI, a leading consulting firm and systems integrator, to
deliver the solution. The project includes making enhancements to
NRI's global data synchronization (GDS) module, which will enable
local data pools to exchange Japanese item attributes in a
standards-compliant manner.
The JNR was commissioned by METI to meet the unique needs of the
country's multi-tiered supply chain comprised of manufacturers,
wholesalers and retailers. It addresses data synchronization business
processes and local attribute requirements to better support Japanese
trade. The JNR also supports the Japanese government's Rising Sun 2007
initiative, which is focused on increasing the adoption of data
synchronization by driving standards compliance among the country's
major industry players.
"The Japanese market has exacting needs, and Agentrics and NRI
will lead the effort to build the framework and solicit broad
participation by enabling trading partners to integrate their existing
commercial relationships and processes into the GDS framework, rather
than change their business model to fit with GDS," said Tadashi Tsuji,
NRI chief consultant and general manager of business innovation
consulting. "The JNR will play a critical role in the local supply
chain as it promotes data sync participation, a key aim of Rising Sun
2007."
Atsunobu Agata, senior vice president of information technology
for Aeon, the nation's largest grocer and second-largest retailer, is
excited by the possibilities of broader data synchronization,
especially as they relate to data integrity. "Any retailer-supplier
relationship is productive only to the level of its data quality," he
said. "Agentrics has proven across the world that a localized, yet
standards-based, solution will drive more effective supplier
relationships that ultimately will benefit consumers thanks to supply
chain alignment. The JNR and Rising Sun 2007 initiative will go far to
increase local adoption and help us all keep product information
up-to-date and accurate, for the sake of providing better services to
our customers."
About Agentrics
Agentrics serves as the trusted agent for the retail and consumer
goods industry by assisting retailers, manufacturers and their trading
partners with optimizing shared business processes to more effectively
serve the consumer. Our customers rely on Agentrics' product
offerings, unique practical forums and deep domain expertise to drive
real business results. In the last six years, Agentrics has generated
more than $2 billion in cost savings for our customers by partnering
with them on the development and effective use of our technology and
services.
Agentrics serves over 250 customers, including 17 of the world's
top 25 retailers, in sourcing, supply chain collaboration, global data
synchronization and product lifecycle management. Customers include
Aeon, Ahold USA, Auchan, Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Carrefour, Casino,
Chedraui, Coles Myer, Coop Italia, Coop Switzerland, CVS/pharmacy,
Dairy Farm, Dansk Supermarked Gruppen, Delhaize Group, Diageo, El
Corte Ingles, Food Lion, GlaxoSmithKline, Izumiya, KarstadtQuelle,
Kesa, Kesko Food Ltd., Kingfisher, Kroger, Lotte, Makro Asia, Makro
S.A., Manor, Markant, Marks & Spencer, Metro Group, Migros, Modelo
Continente Hipermercados, S.A., Panasonic, PPR, Publix, REWE Group,
Royal Ahold, Safeway, Sainsbury's, SCA Hygiene Products, Sears Canada,
Sears Holdings Corp., Shopko, Smart and Final, Tesco, and Walgreen's.
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