Global Factory Launches Version 3.0 of its GO! Application Suite for Cross-Enterprise Product Development & Execution.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

APICS International 2001

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2001

GO! Global Orchestrator(TM) Suite Enables Streamlined, Build-to-Order

Product Development and Execution Across the Product Lifecycle

Global Factory, Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive cross-enterprise product development and execution management systems, announced today Version 3.0 of its GO! Global Orchestrator(TM) application suite. The GO! suite enables companies and their worldwide partners to collaborate across all phases of product creation, from design through manufacturing and delivery. Version 3.0 features new capabilities designed to enhance configurability of the system by non-technical users. Global Factory's solution is helping industry leaders achieve business-critical visibility and control, reduce product costs and improve time-to-market.

"Product managers today must coordinate the activities of teams in many different organizations, and their operations manager counterparts must integrate complex schedules and orchestrate the delivery of materials from many partners across a global supply and demand chain," said Sharone Zehavi, President and CEO of Global Factory. "Our Global Orchestrator suite manages complex intra- and extra-enterprise collaboration by putting people, rather than static legacy applications, at the heart of these critical product execution processes. Like a symphony orchestra whose conductor coordinates the performance of many players in order to achieve harmony, Global Factory's GO! suite harmonizes and synchronizes complex production environments, enabling all partners to share a common process view and execute a common set of best practices in design and production."

GO! Global Orchestrator(TM)

Global Factory's GO! application suite is designed to meet customer requirements for flexible integration across the product execution chain and seamless collaboration with all the partners who participate in the product lifecycle. The GO! suite targets enterprises that develop and sell complex goods such as telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery and semiconductors, particularly those operating in dynamic environments requiring system flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to changing requirements.

Unlike generic platform vendors offering integration middleware or general-purpose collaborative tools, the GO! application suite is designed around the requirements of multi-team product development, outsourced manufacturing and global service and support.

The 3.0 version of the GO! application suite provides the following nine key modules essential to product development and execution:

-- GO!NPI -- New Product Introduction enables engineering and program managers
to effectively manage the introduction of new products.

-- GO!Proposal -- Enables program managers to rapidly create competitive
proposals integrating multiple suppliers and partners.

-- GO!Quality -- Provides quality and operations managers with real-time
quality information, analytics and business processes across multiple
manufacturing facilities.

-- GO!Demand -- Enables business managers to view, analyze and measure their
demand chain in real-time, aggregating sales forecasts and actual orders.

-- Go!Materials -- Enables operations and supply chain managers to measure
inventory levels of raw materials and semi-finished goods across multiple
locations.

-- GO!Performance -- Allows executives to set, view and control critical
success factors across the extended enterprise.

-- GO!Production -- Enables operations managers to control build plans across
the supply chain, linking logistics and production locations to achieve
just-in-time operations.

-- GO!Inventory -- Enables operations and supply chain managers to measure,
plan and balance inventory levels of finished goods in stock against demand.

-- GO!VMI -- Enables multi-site Vendor Managed Inventory, synchronized with
GO!Inventory.

GO!Server

The GO! suite is built on the GO!Server platform. GO!Server is a collaborative command and control hub that is both robust and scalable. GO!Server employs patented technologies including, Dynamic Objects(TM) and GlobaLink(TM). Dynamic Objects technology enables the system to be reconfigured by business users in real time. GlobaLink technology enables connectivity to any enterprise source of structured or unstructured data without requiring expensive and time-consuming custom adapter development. GO!Server also provides the following functionality: advanced security, business rule development, data modeling, document management, report generation, and graphical business flow.

Together, these technologies enable non-technical business users to create, manage and personalize their supply-demand value chain. Users can create business processes, reports, links, alerts and monitor event-based actions to gain real-time visibility into critical information sources throughout the enterprise and across their global network of partners.

Availability

The GO! solution is available as both a subscription-based, hosted application suite and as a software package to be implemented within the customer's network. Operating in either environment, GO! can be easily integrated with existing legacy systems (ERP, MES, SCM, planning, home-grown systems) and can be quickly deployed and configured to manage individual customer's specific supply chain configurations.

About Global Factory

Global Factory provides a comprehensive multi-site and cross enterprise management system for companies developing, manufacturing, selling and servicing complex products. Global Factory's GO! Global Orchestrator application suite is designed to increase productivity, reduce cost and enable easy deployment of build-to-order strategies. The application suite includes modules for New Product Introduction, structuring proposal generation, quality management, demand sharing and aggregation, and a set of solutions for global visibility and execution of materials and inventory. Global Factory's GO!Server, built on Dynamic Objects(TM) and GlobaLink(TM) patented technologies enables non-technical business users to create, manage and personalize their business processes and seamlessly integrate both structured and unstructured data. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and founded in 1999, Global Factory provides collaborative solutions for extended enterprise networks in the industrial and high-technology markets including computers, electronics, automotive, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, and consumer packaged goods. The Company is helping industry leaders such as HP, Cypress Semiconductor and AMCC cut costs, reduce inventory, achieve faster time-to-market and be more competitive in the dynamic global marketplace. http://www.globalfactory.net