High-Octane Accuracy

When it comes to German-engineered auto parts, Robert Bosch Corporation is a one-man band as the company makes components for the world's biggest automakers and the automotive aftermarket to include braking systems, ignition systems, fuel injectors, electrical motors and more. Aftermarket products include everything from spark plugs to Blaupunkt car audio products. If that weren't enough, Bosch also has a hand in packaging machinery, power tools and home appliances. Bosch USA is a regional branch of the Bosch Group, one of the world's largest private industrial corporations, with 242,000 employees and annual sales revenues of more than $49 billion.

Need for Global Data Sync

With so many different products being ordered from a multitude of retailers, keeping product information up to date and accurate is a daunting challenge. Enter Sterling Commerce Item Synchronization, a new tool aimed at addressing global data synchronization. Sterling's Item Synchronization is a packaged application that automates the specific processes for submission to the industry's standard registry for information on products, the GS1 GlobalRegistry. It exceeds the GS1 GlobalRegistry's requirements by validating hundreds of additional data points, including industry-specific content. Retailers, for example, need to know the weight of a case with the individual components in it -- a level of detail that came in handy for Bosch.

"The power of the Sterling Commerce solution is that it enables us to meet our customers' mandates for global data synchronization and gain operational and business process benefits," says Gregg Mangialardi, RFID project lead at Robert Bosch Tool Corporation. Even though Bosch is a beta site for Sterling's newest tool, Mangialardi is already excited by the possibilities, specifically as it relates to RFID.

"At the highest level, this implementation will enable us to deliver what we promise, and that is an important customer service objective. It will enable us to improve customer associate networking, reduce re-work and shipping costs, and improve workflow and internal controls. This work also lays the foundation for implementing RFID, which will increase our return on this investment."

How It Comes Together

Sterling Commerce Item Synchronization provides secure connectivity to the global data synchronization network, manages the translation of data formats and communications transport protocols, while also providing detection, notification and workflow capabilities to optimize these processes. Through the industry's deepest data validation and cleansing capabilities, Item Synchronization ensures high levels of data accuracy. In addition, because the solution is built on Sterling Commerce Gentran Integration Suite, it allows users to customize their data synchronization processes to accommodate unique internal processes without any coding.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., the world's leading supplier and marketer of consumer products for do-it-yourself lawn and garden care, is wise to the ways of Sterling's Gentran backbone. Scotts sells numerous name-brand products to consumers through the world's largest retailers -- many of which are mandating new technology to streamline their supply chains. With industry mandates, changing communication standards and a critical need for real-time information exchange, Scotts required a single solution that could support secure AS2 data communications, global data synchronization, XML, EDI and various initiatives mandated by retailers to make the exchange of data more efficient and cost-effective. That's why Scotts found the Gentran Integration Suite to be a natural selection for their business needs.

By using the tool, Scotts was able to cut in half the time it takes to get its products on retail shelves -- giving it a significant competitive advantage. "We selected Gentran Integration Suite because it's the total package," says Lori Boyer, EDI Coordinator, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. "Gentran Integration Suite has everything we need in one solution to handle new standards and communication methods as they evolve. The solution offers multiple adapters so it can grow with us to meet our customers' future business requirements."

Winning Modular Approach

The modular approach of Gentran Integration Suite allows Scotts to purchase only the modules it needs, when it needs them. The first module Scotts purchased enabled AS2 data communication with its large retail customers.

"Our top customers wanted to send and receive business information in real time using Internet communications," says Boyer. "With Gentran Integration Suite, our customer support team receives orders faster, which means we can process those orders quicker and get products on the trucks faster. The bottom line -- our productivity is higher."

For added supply chain efficiency, Scotts purchased the UCCnet Services adapter for Gentran Integration Suite in order to publish data to UCCnet Services. "We're in the early stages of data synchronization, but we've tested the Gentran Integration Suite module, and it fits right in and does exactly what we need it to do without customization," says Boyer.