November 2000

UK-based businesses have the chance to use the US-developed RockBlocks global sourcing and supply-chain suite on an outsourced basis under a deal signed between its originator, QRS Corporation, and logistics specialist Lane Group. Lane has rebranded the product i-vision, and is marketing it through a new division called supplylane.com (News Update, page 4).

RockBlocks (or i-vision) is a high-end solution appealing particularly to major players in the retail market. It combines inherent functionality with the ability to integrate existing legacy systems, both within and between organisations. Modules cover functions such as costing, order-processing, finance, inventory management, landed cost control, Customs handling, logistics management (including advanced track and trace) and work flow management. Interfaces have been developed with many other leading systems such as those of Manugistics and i2. Recently QRS announced integration with Manhattan Associates' PkMS warehouse management system. It is QRS's boast that many Fortune 500 companies use the system, sourcing goods worth $54 billion a year from 62,000 suppliers in 40 countries. Most are American or multinational, but it has just gained its first German user, retailer Karstadt. Lately QRS has placed increasing emphasis on e-commerce, and runs its own global online marketplace, Tradeweave.com. However, RockBlocks is still supplied as a complete purchased solution, and Lane Group is the first company to re-sell it as an application service provider. Lane has outsourced the hosting, but will be offering an integrated global supply-chain management system in connection with the system. It envisages most users accessing the service over permanent connections such as ISDN or ADSL.