Wireless Data Collection: Twinlab Makes a Healthy Choice; Nutritional Supplement Manufacturer Opts for Acsis' DataPass Solution.

Business Editors

MARLTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2002

Twinlab Corporation, a leading nutritional supplement manufacturer and marketer, has chosen Acsis Inc.'s DataPass solution for wireless data collection and integration to the company's SAP R/3 ERP system.

Allowing warehouse employees to input supply chain data in real time, DataPass provides the ERP system with immediate access to critical information. DataPass works with a company's existing LAN or WAN through a wide range of radio frequency (RF) devices.

Hauppauge, NY-based Twinlab, with manufacturing and distribution facilities in Ronkonkoma, New York and American Fork, Utah, was running five disparate legacy systems before it transitioned to an SAP R/3 ERP system. "We needed to bring our business units together on one platform," said Chris Pendergast, Twinlab's Chief Technology Officer.

"It was very new to do bar coding and radio frequency scanning from the moment the work order was created in production to the moment it shipped out to the customer. Before going live with SAP, we only tracked localized warehouse movement and shipment transactions," said Pendergast. With no cross-enterprise inventory visibility, it was very difficult to produce accurate forecasts, and opportunities for human error abounded.

Once the ERP system was in place, it was apparent that implementation of a corporate-wide ADC (automatic data collection) solution was critical. Twinlab initially considered a list of 20 SAP data collection partners, then whittled the list to just three. "Of the three we evaluated in depth, Acsis' solution was the most mature," said Pendergast. "Also, Acsis had the most intellectual capital in terms of previously written routines and people who understood Twinlab's SAP solution and our company's business issues."

Because Twinlab uses Intermec and Symbol Technologies hand-held and truck-mounted scanners, as well as label printers from Intermec, the fact that Acsis had partnerships in place with both vendors was another factor in the decision.

After thoroughly studying Twinlab's business and data collection needs, in both the New York and Utah facilities, Acsis customized approximately 30 SAP transactions that run Twinlab's business. Once the system was set up, employees had to climb a high learning curve, with intensive on-site training conducted by the Acsis integration team. "We had to understand how to walk the warehouse floors with these (data collection) guns and use them at the appropriate time and get the appropriate feedback from the system to do the next step," Pendergast observed.

"From an ADC standpoint, the installation went very smoothly," said Pendergast. "The hardware worked, screens came up, and we were able to do what we needed to do the very first day."

Coupled with an Intermec wireless local area network (WLAN) in the Utah facility and a Symbol Spectrum 24 WLAN in New York, the data collection system provides Twinlab with real-time visibility to inventory throughout the enterprise. "We now have tighter control of inventory," Pendergast noted. "In fact, for the first time, at the click of a mouse we have visibility to stock, lot, bin, and location in the warehouse for every product line Twinlab makes and sells. Before, we had to check five or six different systems to get that information.

"Forecasting is now much more accurate, and our staff is able to work more efficiently," he added. "We are pushing a higher volume of products out the door than we've done traditionally, and we have 25 percent fewer personnel doing this. We have seen worker productivity increase significantly."

ABOUT TWINLAB

Headquartered in Hauppauge, NY, Twinlab Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, science-based, nutritional supplements, including a complete line of vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, herbs, and sports nutrition products. Annual sales are about $200 million.

ABOUT ACSIS

Acsis offers a range of value-added products and services proven in more than 250 data collection sites worldwide for industry-leading customers. A worldwide leader in supply chain execution systems solutions and data collection enabling technology and services, Acsis specializes in the implementation of SAP R/3-based systems. The company's solutions are designed to simplify the integration and use of SAP R/3 within manufacturing, distribution, and warehouse operations.

Acsis' suite of solutions includes:

- Professional services for SAPConsole: customized transaction development, value-added software products, and integration of the SAPConsole solution.

- DPExchange, which provides for Web-based exchange of mission critical data between the customer and third party manufacturers and outsourced warehouses.

- Acsis DataPass(R), a data collection solution designed for SAP users that require virtually no interruptions to mission critical data.

- Automatic data collection and data acquisition transactions and implementation services compatible with the SAP Web Application Server platform.

By implementing Acsis solutions, our customers dramatically improve their supply chain efficiencies and improve the reliability of real time material movements. This information results in the customer's ability to lower costs, improve customer satisfaction, and make better use of their assets. Since 1996, Acsis has served its global clients from our headquarters in Marlton, New Jersey and our European headquarters in Munich, Germany. For more information, please call [phone], email [e-mail], or visit www.AcsisInc.com.