FM Logistic Selects Axway's Synchrony™ to Enhance its Development Strategy

PARIS, France - FM Logistic has chosen Axway's Synchrony software platform to meet the growing demands of its development strategy. Synchrony will enable FM Logistic to rely on state-of-the-art technologies for an electronic data exchange infrastructure using technologies such as *EAI, B2Bi, BPM, BAM, etc. Synchrony will work side-by-side with FM Logistic's industrial and distributor clients for their international development.

To best meet client demands for a drastic reduction of stock and resupply times, FM Logistic was interested in employing innovative, customised logistic solutions, with particular emphasis on information engineering (FM2I). FM Logistic selected Axway's Synchrony after a two-year internal EAI/B2B review. It was designed to determine how to best optimize FM Logistic's end-to-end data flow control, both externally and internally between 30 information system applications, across more than 50 locations in Europe and in Asia. According to the project team, Axway was the only candidate capable of meeting each of the identified key points.

"The Synchrony platform includes unified components for managed file transfer and message queuing, routing and EDI conversion, all of which are deployed in a distributed manner and managed centrally," according to the FM Logistic project team. "The process is controlled with graphic process modelling and is based on SOA technologies, which provides us with essential visibility. We selected Synchrony based on our previous work with Axway, whose AMTrix EDI solution we have relied on for a long time and through which most of the operations of our clients and partners are routed."

Synchrony's capacity to support the pre-defined migration process from AMTrix integrations was also a key argument in favor of the Axway solution.

"Axway can also work with us as a system integrator, capable of working side-by-side throughout the various implementation steps," said a member of the FM Logistic project team. "With its partners, Axway has built a collaborative process capable of real-time monitoring, which is definitely the key to logistics success."

FM Logistic's study included a needs analysis, consultation of all the parties in the market and a detailed modelling of discriminating data processing scenarios. As a result, the review team indentified the following needs in a new system:

  1. Optimize the interoperability of applications by a real-time data exchange infrastructure, as well as meet the demands of the logistics business.
  2. Streamline the Information System (IS) by a distribution of transport, routing and transformation functions.
  3. Integrate the most recent developments related to protocols (AS2 and JMS), standards and the B2B, EDI, XML reference systems to meet its customers' expectations.
  4. Secure the flow and data processing with persistent exchange components, capable of overcoming short-term unavailability constraints on networks and applications.
  5. Centrally administer and supervise all data exchange components distributed within the various local sites.
  6. Provide an upgrade without impairing the existing AMTrix EDI to the new platform.

EAI - Enterprise Application Integration

B2Bi - Business-2-Business Integration
BPM - Business Process Management
BAM - Business Activity Monitoring
SOA - Service-Oriented Architecture
EDI - Electronic Data Interchange
AS2 - Applicability Statement 2 protocol
JMS - Java Message Service
XML - Extensible Markup Language

 

 

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About Axway

Axway is the Business Interaction Networks company — the only provider in the market today to manage, run, secure, and monitor all of your business interactions, including email, files, messaging, services, events, and processes. Serving over 11,000 organizations in more than 100 countries, Axway facilitates the multi-enterprise transactions, processes and integration that accelerate business by eliminating the barriers between vendors, customers, departments, partners and suppliers. Axway's comprehensive offerings include business-to-business integration, managed file transfer, secure email, business activity monitoring, enterprise application integration, service-oriented architecture, business process management, track & trace and identity validation solutions. Axway provides professional and managed services, as well as cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Axway's global presence spans 20 countries.

About FM Logistic

A service provider at international level, FM Logistic manages and provides warehouse services, from packaging to distribution. FM Logistic optimises the Global Supply Chain for industrialists or distributors. FM Logistic has 13,000 employees and posted sales of 526 million euros in 2006, a growth of 26.5%. This sales figure breaks down 57.5% in warehousing activities, 23.2% in transport, 17.3% in co-packing and co-manufacturing and 1.9% in Excise Operations/Supply Chain Management. FM also operates 1,300,000 m2 of warehousing space, a fleet of 900 vehicles, 1,000,000 packages prepared every day, 200 packing lines and 2,500,000 batches packed per day.

FM Logistic numbers among its clients industrial companies from the food processing sector, hi-tech, DHP, consumer goods and supermarkets and hypermarkets. FM Logistic also means high performance engineers, such as NG Concept, specialising in building design and construction, and FM2i, its subsidiary specialising in the design and production of innovative IT solutions in the world of logistics in order to optimise the operation of Supply Chain Execution and Management between industrialists and distributors.