Benchmark Electronics Deploys Kinaxis RapidResponse'TM' to Respond Faster to Change and Deliver Improved Customer Service.

OTTAWA -- Leading Electronics Contract Manufacturer Leverages RapidResponse Deployment Services to Achieve Operational Success

Kinaxis(TM) Corporation, formerly Webplan, a provider of Response Management solutions that deliver operations performance management for manufacturing by rapidly responding to constant volatility at the point-of-action, today announced that Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE), a leading contract manufacturing provider, has successfully deployed Kinaxis RapidResponse to respond faster to change and deliver improved customer service.

Benchmark Electronics is a $2 billion electronics manufacturer and services provider to original equipment manufacturers of computers and related products for business enterprises, medical devices, industrial control equipment, testing and instrumentation products and telecommunications equipment. Benchmark's mission is to maintain a global leadership position in the high technology electronics manufacturing services industry through customer satisfaction as measured by their customers' expectations for world class quality, flexible manufacturing, product delivery, leading edge technology, financial strength and managerial integrity.

Given the highly volatile nature of the electronics marketplace and the level of flexibility Benchmark provides to its customers, Benchmark sought the ability to respond more rapidly to customer scheduling changes. After conducting their search for a solution provider, Benchmark selected Kinaxis RapidResponse because it offers the "what-if" simulation, material constraint identification and ad-hoc reporting functionality needed to empower its staff to respond quickly and effectively to changes at a lower cost and shorter deployment timeframe than alternatives.

"Our ability to respond to change and do so rapidly is critical to our continued success," said Gayla Delly, chief financial officer (CFO) at Benchmark. "After a thorough review, we found RapidResponse was a key part of our IT solution set going forward that could empower our staff to continue to meet our goals and support Benchmark's continued market leadership."

RapidResponse delivers innovative technology that enables manufacturers to anticipate potential problems, instantly review multiple action alternatives, and align operations to rapidly and effectively respond to changes at the point-of-action. The RapidResponse unique architecture connects directly to front- and back-end systems, supports a continuous flow of information across multiple sites, as well as optimizes the value of existing infrastructure.

The initial project called for a deployment of RapidResponse at two Benchmark manufacturing sites. Using the RapidResponse Deployment Services, the software was integrated with Benchmark's Baan ERP system and began delivering value within the quarter. Based on these rapid results, Benchmark is going to extend the deployment to all sixteen of its global sites in an effort to achieve the following goals:

- Reduce the response time to customer requested schedule changes by 50% or more;

- Increase customer satisfaction scores in the areas of On-Time Delivery, Responsiveness, Flexibility, and Communications;

- Increase inventory turns, lower overall inventory levels and improve the management of excess and obsolete inventories;

- Avoid inventory liability through better management of excess and obsolete inventory and simulation of schedule changes before committing.

"The ability to rapidly and effectively respond to ever present changes in supply, demand, capacity and product has become a competitive necessity for electronics manufacturers," said Randy Littleson, vice president of Marketing at Kinaxis. "Market leaders like Benchmark are developing a core competency in Response Management to empower their executives with the insight and tools they need to simultaneously increase customer service and improve operating profits. We at Kinaxis applaud Benchmark's proactive approach to managing its supply chain operations and look forward to working with the company in this next phase of the partnership."

About Kinaxis

Kinaxis stands alone in delivering Response Management solutions that provide operations performance management for manufacturing. By rapidly responding to constant volatility at the point-of-action-where real world variances in demand, supply, product and capacity occur-Kinaxis RapidResponse goes beyond traditionally historic scorecarding and performance metrics to drive collaborative response and manufacturing action. RapidResponse allows global leaders such as Casio, Coty, Honeywell, Jabil Circuit, Raytheon and Solectron to access real-time information and quickly collaborate to reach optimal decisions that align with corporate objectives, and rapidly drive effective action. For more information, visit the Kinaxis web site at http://www.kinaxis.com/.

Copyright (C) 2005 Kinaxis Corp. All rights reserved. Kinaxis and Kinaxis Live Scorecard are trademarks of Kinaxis Inc. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners and should be treated as such.