Apprise Software Customer, Catalina Lighting, Named PM100 Award Winner

Apprise Software, Inc., a leading developer of enterprise software for the consumer goods market, announced recently that its customer, Catalina Lighting, has been named a 2009 Progressive Manufacturing 100 (PM100) Award winner for enterprise data and integration mastery by Managing Automation Media. Catalina Lighting is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of residential and office lighting products. The award recognizes Catalina Lighting's business-wide deployment of Apprise Distribution and the resulting efficiencies it achieved across its global operations.

Catalina Lighting's 2008 deployment of Apprise Distribution – an ERP software solution for consumer goods companies – helped streamline operations, synchronize order entry data, automate operational processes and enhance business intelligence, including access to detailed sales and profitability analysis. Catalina Lighting's Canadian, U.S. and Asian operations experienced improved communications, data sharing and other efficiencies.

"Our global business requires streamlined communications between our North American and Asian operations," said Gerald Woelcke, chief financial officer, Catalina Lighting. "Improved data sharing and visibility across our entire operation helps synchronize business activities and intelligence. A deep dive into SKU profitability will help save a half-million dollars annually."

Apprise Distribution's executive information system (EIS) gives the company customer-level and product-level sales and profitability analysis to improve response time due to changing business conditions. Access to detailed intelligence on stock keeping unit (SKU) performance helped Catalina's management pare inventory from 3400 SKUs down to 1100 of its most profitable SKUs resulting in warehouse savings and other operational efficiencies. Real-time visibility into sales and operations helps the company respond to fluctuating margin performance due to cost increases and other factors.

In addition, Catalina Lighting adopted Apprise Software's integrated electronic data interface (EDI) to manage information flow to its largest retail customers. Apprise Software's integrated EDI keeps the $100M business compliant with mass merchant requirements for electronic data sharing.

"Operational excellence requires end-to-end organizational mastery," said Jeff Broadhurst, president, Apprise Software. "Catalina Lighting is a great example of the organizational vision and discipline required to excel in today's market."

The 5th Annual PM100 Awards will be presented during the Progressive Manufacturing Summit in Sarasota, Florida this June. The PM100 recognizes 100 projects that have achieved distinction in at least one of the eight core disciplines defined by Managing Automation Media as critical to business success in the years ahead. These disciplines are: Business Model Mastery, Customer Mastery, Supply Network Mastery, Data & Integration Mastery, Innovation Mastery, Training & Education Mastery, Leadership and Operational Excellence. For more information, visit: www.managingautomationmedia.com.

About Apprise Software, Inc.
Founded in 1984, with offices in North America and Nanjing, China, Apprise Software, Inc. is a leading provider of ERP and supply chain management software and services for consumer goods distributors. Leveraging the latest technologies - such as Microsoft .NET, Progress OpenEdge 10, wireless warehouse solutions, and RFID – along with industry best-practices, Apprise Software provides consumer goods distributors with solutions that meet their unique business requirements while delivering reduced costs, improved efficiencies, enhanced revenues and profitability, and a quick return on investment.

For more information, visit http://www.apprise.com

SOURCE: Apprise Software, Inc.