RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (May 24, 2006) – Dan Basmajian, forefather of first-generation slotting and master routing software and innovative thought leader in specialized optimization techniques, returns to supply chain with the launch of a unique, new company. Optricity™, his latest effort, offers a suite of optimization engines designed to supercharge existing supply chain solutions by enabling current systems to achieve higher payback.

Basmajian predicted the move many companies are making as they opt to standardize on integrated supply chain systems. Optricity's smart, optimization engines dovetail with current systems rather than repeat existing core competencies. The solution is similar to a plug-in, the value-added feature for standard software, just on a bigger scale. The optimization engines simply add functionality rather than disrupt the system. The leaders in WMS and TMS for example, have fine-tuned their offerings to meet a wide variety of standard needs. According to Basmajian, "it wouldn't make sense to re-design the basic guts of a WMS when so many requirements have already been accommodated and standard functionality readily exists."

Pervasive adoption of supply chain management systems has afforded leading edge domain experts like Basmajian to examine the next area for high payback. Functional area data collection, reporting, and even some predictive modeling have become standard fare. Basmajian predicts the next wave of return will occur at junctures in the supply chain - where one function meets another. Optimizing solutions across functions, coined by Optricity as Juncture Optimization?, (rather than simply optimizing within or providing visibility across functions) speaks to a more holistic and robust solution. Basmajian goes on to further distinguish between visibility and optimization.

"There's a big difference between 'visibility' across functions such as Order Management, WMS and TMS, and 'optimization' across functions. Many systems enable visibility but do not employ mathematical optimization engines to determine least cost solutions. Visibility in and of itself provides the input for good decision-making but does not provide the optimized answer." Optricity offers supply chain system houses and integrators the chance to infuse optimization engines into their software and provide a net new solution to their customers. Optricity's engines drive differentiation and respond to market inertia to achieve greater payback while supplementing, rather than replacing, existing infrastructure.

The differences between visibility and optimization are vastly different and the skill sets required to produce both are vastly different as well. Chief technology strategist for Optricity, Chuck Grissom, Ph.D., suggests the mathematics needed to solve one problem is often transferable to other junctures. "In order to solve complex optimization problems with multiple, often competing, goals we have the ability to apply various optimization techniques, which exploit the structure of the problem." Juncture optimization does just that, exploits and solves problems in the crosshairs. Basmajian utilizes a team that combines extensive domain expertise with advanced mathematics and software engineering to optimize junctures along the supply chain. A myriad of junctures have been identified to which the Optricity smart engines can be applied. Basmajian offers two straightforward examples: "A simple juncture example examines yard management or dock-scheduling problems with an eye toward maximizing cross-docking opportunities, all while meeting with capacity constraints and delivery promises. Or, we might apply advanced math to the pick line to minimize selection cost and to provide product to retail in a way that minimizes restocking costs."

For Basmajian and Grissom, a long-standing, successful team, delivering an innovative suite of engines to the supply chain community, returns them to their roots. Utilizing emerging web technologies to deliver the prophetic solutions Basmajian has envisioned will yield improved payback for some of their former slotting and routing customers as end users. But, the bigger market for Optricity may be today's, integrated, supply chain system providers themselves. The first Optricity engines have been released with more to come in early summer. Industry colleagues have offered praise in early reviews. "Basmajian has a unique talent for stripping away everything that's not important to create a clean, sleek solution. Grissom brings an enormous amount of intellectual capacity to the mathematics coupled with his top-notch software engineering skills to architect powerful optimization engines. Together, Optricity emerges with creative thought leadership in an industry where shaving seconds off the clock translates to a nose at the finish line." - Industry Colleague