The applications developed for these companies will eventually be sold to other companies within their industries, according to i2. The partnership is just what Kmart needs, said Conaway. The company lacks integrated supply-chain processes, he said, and as a result, customers wind up going to stores looking for advertised goods that aren't available. Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar plans to let customers order and configure heavy machinery and other products via the Web and create a private online marketplace to connect its network of suppliers and dealers. With a multitude of product options, Smith said, customers could order thousands of different configurations.
Some pieces are in place.
Calif. Interfacing with existing public and private online marketplaces is already putting stress on their IT resources, Greenbaum noted. Michael Bittner, a research director at AMR Research Inc. in Boston, said that although these are both significant projects that could benefit the two companies, they could also result in long-term, complex implementations. Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.