Supply Chain Consortium Expands with Online Tools, New Topics


RALEIGH, NC, March 1, 2006-The Supply Chain Consortium, known as the premier source for supply chain benchmarking and best practices knowledge, has grown to more than 90 companies in the retail, consumer goods and related industries and has their sights set on 200 companies for 2006. Now members have an even greater competitive advantage: online search and query tools that yield relevant results immediately.
Consortium subscribers can access all data points online and find answers to questions that match their specific areas of interest using targeted queries and keywords. For example, if you want to know the percentage of companies with sales of more than $1 billion that outsource their private fleet operations to a third-party logistics provider, you would be able to retrieve that information with a few key strokes and then further qualify your request. "The search and query capabilities really put the power of the database in the hands of the members, and therefore allow organizations to go far beyond benchmarking to truly achieve supply chain cost reductions and customer service improvements," says Jim Tompkins, President of Tompkins Associates and co-leader of the consortium.

These exciting new Internet-based tools allow you to click on any question in the online interview and get an immediate analysis of participant responses. "This includes averages, highs, lows, percentage breakdowns, satisfaction ratings, vendor selections, quartile distributions and importance rankings," notes John Traendly, Tompkins Associates Principal and consortium co-leader.

This year's consortium Advisory Boards are led by top supply chain executives from Polo Ralph Lauren, Campbell Soup, Molson Coors, Whirlpool, Coca-Cola, Hallmark, Best Buy,

J.C. Penney, Target and Rite Aid. The Supply Chain Consortium sponsors a comprehensive repository of more than 7,600 benchmarks complemented by search capabilities, online analysis tools, topic forums, and education and peer networking for executives and practitioners.

For 2006, the Consortium will consist of 9,000-plus benchmarks. Topics this year include:

o Air and Parcel Freight
o Dedicated Fleets
o Demand Planning, Forecasting and Allocation
o Distribution Center Operations
o Domestic and International Inbound Order Management
o Ocean Transportation
o Order Fulfillment-Internet/Catalog
o Supply Chain Network Design
o Supply Chain Technology
o Supply, Distribution and Transportation Planning
o Truck Transportation.

Companies representing over a trillion dollars in combined annual sales have benefited from consortium membership. Individual company data remains strictly confidential and interview results are only available to members. Participating in the Supply Chain Consortium is the best way possible to measure performance and determine exact areas to focus on for improvement. For more information, call 800-789-1257, ext. 55461.

About the Company
Tompkins Associates, an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., is the leading operations-focused consulting and integration firm, specializing in end-to-end supply chain solutions. Customers look to Tompkins' expertise to develop and implement strategies for intelligent solutions in distribution center design, warehouse strategic planning, distribution network configuration, transportation system planning, system integration and implementation, benchmarking and best practices, logistics and manufacturing outsourcing, and supply chain optimization. As consultants and integrators for more than 30 years, Tompkins offers a proven track record and deep industry expertise for solutions that reduce costs and improve overall supply chain performance. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, NC. For more information, visit www.tompkinsinc.com.

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