Supply Chain Solution: Avnet POURS Celebrates Its Crystal Anniversary
In the 15 years since its inception, the Point Of Use Replenishment System (POURS) launched by Avnet Electronics Marketing has nearly tripled its number of customers. In 1992, Avnet released the original DOS version of POURS, and has continued to evolve the supply chain offering to meet the needs of customers. In 2001, Avnet introduced www.pours.com -- the first online replenishment system for the electronics industry. Today, POURS generates revenue of approximately $330M annually.
Initially POURS automated the purchasing process for the pull-based electronics environment by allowing customers to see exactly how much inventory they had on their shelves at any given moment -- without actually having to walk back to the stockroom and do a manual count. The idea was to increase productivity, maximize quality and minimize paperwork through the swipe of a bar code. Since then, as the electronics industry supply chain itself has become increasingly more complex, POURS evolved to much more than a simple inventory management system.
Avnet's position at the center of the supply chain allows insight into a tremendous amount of data. And POURS gives customers access to that. Today, POURS integrates data from multiple point-of-use sources to provide a multi-site view of manufacturing facilities and distribution centers for customers. It also includes information on RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliance tracking data. Users can see order histories and receipts, generate late order reports, review purchasing information related to part numbers, print barcode information and integrate shipping notices and information.
"Customers see very tangible benefits associated with POURS almost immediately -- including automation of non-value-added activities, elimination of excess inventory and shortages, and reduced burden on IT resources," said Glenn Bassett, vice president of strategic business development for Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. "POURS was a pioneer of its day, and it has evolved with the times. It's just as relevant to our customers today as it ever was."
For more information, please visit: www.pours.com
About Avnet Electronics Marketing
Avnet Electronics Marketing is an operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. Avnet Electronics Marketing serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (EOEMs) and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers in 70 countries, distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The group's Web site is located at
www.em.avnet.com.
About Avnet
With more than 250 locations serving customers in 70 countries worldwide, Avnet markets, distributes and adds value to the products of the world's leading electronic component suppliers, enterprise computer manufacturers and embedded subsystem providers.
Additionally, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of service capabilities, such as supply-chain optimization, logistics solutions, product assembly, device programming, computer system integration and engineering design assistance. For the fiscal year ended July 1, 2006, Avnet generated revenue of $14.25B. Visit www.avnet.com.
SOURCE: Avnet