Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Inbound Logistics Again Select Smart Software for Top 100 Lists and Executive Recognition

Belmont, Mass., July 16, 2013 – Smart Software, Inc., provider of industry-leading demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions, today announced that three supply chain industry publications have again recognized the company and its president as supply chain leaders. Smart was selected by Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Inbound Logistics for the eighth and ninth years, respectively, to be on their “Top 100” lists. In addition, Supply & Demand Chain Executive also chose Smart’s president and CEO, Nelson Hartunian, as a “Provider Pro to Know.”  The competitive awards recognize Smart Software as a leader in the supply chain planning software niche, and highlight the company’s strengths in technical innovation and the ability to meet customers’ needs for forecasting and demand planning solutions.

Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100
Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine chose Smart Software, from more than 300 entries, for its annual “Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100” announced on May 13, and published in its June 2013 issue. The 2013 Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100 are supply chain solution and service providers that are helping their customers and clients achieve supply chain excellence. They have produced measurable gains in ROI through cost-cutting and increased efficiency in forecasting and demand planning chain.

“Smart Software’s inclusion in this year’s “100” list recognizes its leadership as a solution and service provider in assisting the Supply Chain function and supply chain executives as your customers move toward supply chain excellence,” said Barry Hochfelder, editor, Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

Top 100 Logistics IT Providers
In its April 2013 issue, Inbound Logistics’ editors recognized 100 logistics IT companies that support and enable logistics excellence.  Chosen from more than 300 companies, the “Top 100 Logistics IT Providers” selected demonstrate leadership by answering Inbound Logistics readers’ needs for scalability, simplicity, fast ROI and ease of implementation.

“Inbound Logistics editors have selected 100 logistics technology companies that enable logistics and supply chain excellence. Smart Software was recognized by Inbound Logistics for leading the way in 2013 and positioning enterprises for the years ahead.” said Felicia Stratton, editor of Inbound Logistics. “Smart Software excels at providing solutions that drive supply chain excellence and answer IL readers’ need for simplicity, ROI, and efficient implementation. Inbound Logistics is proud to honor Smart Software for continuing to offer our readers solutions that optimize logistics and supply chain excellence.”

Provider Pros to Know
President and CEO, Dr. Nelson Hartunian, has been chosen a “2013 Provider Pro to Know” by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine in its February/March 2013 issue.  This well-respected publication’s annual listing of Provider Pros to Know recognizes a select group of individuals, and Dr. Hartunian, a pioneer in developing inventory optimization techniques for intermittent demand, was chosen from more than 400 entries submitted.

“Those working to overcome supply chain challenges and grow the global supply chain at the same time should get the recognition they deserve for their achievements,” said Barry Hochfelder, editor, Supply & Demand Chain Executive.  “Now in its 13th year, the Supply & Demand Chain Executive “Pros to Know” awards recognize both ends of the supply chain. This includes honoring individuals from software firms, service providers, consultancies or academia who helped their supply chain clients or the supply chain community prepare to meet industry challenges.”

“We work diligently with our customers to achieve their demand planning goals,” said Dr. Hartunian. “Our customers have found that better demand planning, using SmartForecasts, has become a critical strategic element for improving their operations and the productivity of their supply chain. While initially many purchase SmartForecasts^® to achieve tactical goals, they quickly discover strategic benefits. More specifically, the ability to accurately forecast and estimate their inventory stocking levels improves their relationships with both customers and suppliers, especially where their inventories experience a lot of intermittent demand.”

About Smart Software, Inc.
Founded in 1981, Smart Software, Inc. is a leading provider of 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, Metro-North Railroad, Siemens, Disney, Nestle, Nikon, GE and The Coca-Cola Company.  Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found online 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

New research to improve service and spare parts planning for the multi-billion dollar aerospace, automotive, high tech, and utilities markets

Belmont, Mass., November 28, 2012 – Smart Software, Inc., provider of industry-leading demand forecasting, planning, and inventory optimization solutions, today announced that it has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Smart Software will investigate new statistical methods to forecast intermittent demand, with the ultimate objective of helping enterprises worldwide reduce inventories by tens of billions of dollars.

The new research will build upon Smart Software’s patented solution for forecasting slow-moving or intermittent demand, developed with the support of a previous NSF grant.  The current method, commercialized as part of the company’s flagship product, SmartForecasts^®, evaluates historical demand for each item and establishes the optimum level of inventory that will be required to achieve service level objectives.  The new research seeks to extend demand forecasting beyond individual products and parts, identifying and interpreting interactions across clusters of items whose demands fluctuate together.

The new forecasting capabilities will benefit customers in several significant ways:

• A more dynamic statistical model of parts will enable forecasts to better reflect a variety of external factors that include part usage by itself or in combination with other products, as well as the impact of macroeconomic and environmental factors.
• Research results will provide planners with a dynamic model of item usage, enabling planners to develop functional maps of the interrelationships of large numbers of parts. Knowing which parts have demands that co-vary can be useful in at least two ways. First, item managers can be assigned to work with coherent clusters rather than arbitrary collections of miscellaneous parts, and second, parts can be co-located in warehouses for more efficient storage and retrieval.
• Another benefit from this new approach will be improved forecasts of “aggregates” where intermittent demand is present, such as all items in a product line, or all items at a particular warehouse. Better forecasts of aggregate demand across groups of parts will also be useful for raw materials purchasing, as well as for financial planning when parts are a source of revenue.

According to Nelson Hartunian, president of Smart Software, “Any organization that builds or supports capital equipment experiences intermittent demand for some portion of its inventory. This grant is a terrific opportunity to impact one of the biggest forecasting challenges facing these organizations – accurately forecasting parts and optimizing inventories. Ultimately, the goal is to have the right part at the right place at the right time. The research we are undertaking will make this goal more achievable.”

The Small Business Innovation Research grant program from the National Science Foundation is extremely competitive. More than a thousand companies compete in a two-stage screening: one for intellectual merit, and the other for commercial potential. This Phase 1 grant is the third Smart Software has received.

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