Improves demand forecast integration with enterprise planning systems
Belmont, Massachusetts, February 10, 2012 – Smart Software, Inc., provider of industry-leading demand forecasting, planning, and inventory optimization solutions, will present Version 8.4 of its flagship product, SmartForecasts®, at the Institute of Business Forecasting & Planning Conference, Feb. 27-28 in Scottsdale, Arizona. New enhancements in this latest version will streamline numerous operations within the demand planning process, as well as the flow of data between demand and inventory planners and those responsible for enterprise planning systems. Eric Cox, Senior Sales Representative for Smart Software, will be on hand at the IBF Conference to discuss these and additional, upcoming enhancements. (Learn more about the conference at www.ibf.org)
“SmartForecasts 8.4 reflects our commitment to meet our customers’ needs to integrate accurate forecasts and inventory stocking information so they can make better planning decisions. This has been exceedingly critical as organizations seek to reduce their costs and increase their cash flow in a difficult economic environment,” said Charles Smart, president and CEO of Smart Software. “In particular, our patented intermittent demand forecasting technology has proven to be an effective way for service/spare parts operations and companies engaged in capital goods manufacturing to manage their hard-to-forecast inventory items. It has enabled our customers to reduce their aggregate inventories and improve cash flow while achieving the same or better service levels across their distribution networks.”
SmartForecasts is a best-in-class, cross-industry solution for demand forecasting, demand planning, and inventory optimization, with special capabilities to meet the needs of organizations with intermittent, “slow moving” demand. It integrates easily with host databases, such as Oracle, SQL Server, and IBM DB2, and virtually any ERP system, including mainstream solutions from SAP, Microsoft, Sage and Epicor. Version 8.4 of SmartForecasts includes the following new features and capabilities:
- Import/Export module, with new data integration capabilities providing fast, hands-off data transfer between SmartForecasts and corporate planning systems. This new module will eliminate the need for most if not all IT involvement in the exchange of demand forecast, safety stock, and historical data.
- Improved “what if” options that streamline the demand planning process by enabling users to make “on-the-fly” changes to key, embedded forecast parameters during batch automatic forecasting and simultaneously save these changes for future use.
- Support for background processing of extremely large databases, allowing users to forecast an essentially unlimited number of items. This will enable SmartForecasts to operate on very large data sets efficiently, utilizing distributed computer resources.
- Continued refinement of the core SmartForecasts system, including enhancements to numerical data filtering that speed forecast analysis and improve post-forecast decision support. Data table editing capabilities have been extended so that users can easily create “histories” for new inventory items based on values for comparable products, making these items forecastable.
SmartForecasts 8.4 is fully compatible with SmartCollaborator, Smart Software’s complementary application that provides web-based collaboration across the enterprise by utilizing feedback from remote users both inside and outside the corporation to foster consensus forecasting and better communications between planning groups.
SmartForecasts 8.4 is shipping now and is available directly from Smart Software and authorized resellers. Please contact Eric Cox at Smart Software to arrange a conversation at the IBF Conference, or to set up a private briefing via teleconference: call 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899) or send an email toericc@smartsoftware.wpengine.com.
About Smart Software, Inc.
Founded in 1981, Smart Software, Inc. is a leader in providing businesses with enterprise-wide demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions. Smart Software’s flagship product, SmartForecasts, has thousands of users worldwide, including customers at mid-market enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, such as Abbott Laboratories, Mitsubishi, Siemens, Disney, Nestle, GE and The Coca-Cola Company. SmartForecasts gives demand planners the tools to handle sales seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-dimensional hierarchies, and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items. It also provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the optimal inventory and safety stock required to meet future orders and achieve desired service levels. Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.smartsoftware.wpengine.com.
SmartForecasts is a registered trademark of Smart Software, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact Smart Software, Inc., Four Hill Road, Belmont, MA 02478.
Phone: 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899); FAX: 1-617-489-2748; E-mail: info@smartsoftware.wpengine.com
