Avnet CTO One of Supply & Demand Chain Executive's Pros to Know; B2B Partner Automation Solution Lands Bill Chapman in February/March Issue.

PHOENIX -- Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a leading global distributor of electronic components and computer products, today announced Supply & Demand Chain Executive has selected Chief Technology Officer Bill Chapman as one of its 2005 Practitioner Pros to Know. Chosen for his leadership of Avnet's B2B Partner Automation project, which enables smaller trading partners to compete with larger companies with increased process efficiency, Chapman is one of 20 executives profiled in the February/March issue.

Supply & Demand Chain Executive Practitioner Pros to Know is an annual listing of supply/demand chain management professionals who have excelled in their commitment to improving the use of supply- and demand-chain technology and practices within a brick-and-mortar company. These individuals have a deep breadth of knowledge about the industry and are forward thinking in their approach to the evolving supply and demand chain network.

"The 2005 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Practitioner Pros to Know all have demonstrated a high degree of leadership both within their companies and in the broader supply chain field," said Andrew K. Reese, editor of Supply & Demand Chain Executive. "They are all truly 'Pros to Know.'"

Chapman led Avnet Global Information Solutions' development of B2B Partner Automation, a set of B2B connectors or "hooks" that allow smaller partners without resources to establish and maintain enterprise connectivity with Avnet to connect their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems directly to Avnet's without requiring significant changes to their business processes or an investment in translation technology.

As a result, many transactions -- including quote delivery, purchase order placement, order status and invoice services -- are automated and conducted 30 to 60 percent faster, providing a significant improvement in customer service.

"Previously, Avnet handled smaller partner transactions manually, which often caused delays in order processing, limited visibility into the supply chain and required dedicated resources to physically manage the process," said Ed Kamins, chief information officer at Avnet. "We are pleased to see Bill Chapman recognized for the significant competitive advantage he and his team have provided both Avnet and its partners."

About Avnet

Avnet enables success from the center of the technology industry, providing cost-effective services and solutions vital to a broad base of more than 100,000 customers and 250 suppliers. The company markets, distributes and adds value to a wide variety of electronic components, enterprise computer products and embedded subsystems. Through its premier market position, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of capabilities that help its trading partners accelerate growth and realize cost efficiencies. Avnet generated more than $10 billion in revenue in fiscal 2004 (year ended July 3, 2004) through sales in 68 countries. Visit www.avnet.com/.

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Supply & Demand Chain Executive (www.sdcexec.com) is a bi-monthly business magazine aimed at uniting the intelligence, news and tools necessary to steer the supply and demand chain management professional and business executive through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain management. With hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies, Supply & Demand Chain Executive will uncover each aspect of the new supply and demand chain to keep readers on the leading edge, the frontline and the profit zone.