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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

AHMA TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE HELPS CONNECT INDUSTRY

Attendees of the Hardlines Technology Forum® (HTF) departed Memphis, Tenn., much better prepared to connect and do business with one another thanks to three and a half days of intense sessions. The April 21-24 conference, sponsored by the American Hardware Manufacturers Association (AHMA), was designed to bring manufacturers together with some of their retail and wholesale customers to learn how to more efficiently do business in today’s technology-driven environment.

One of the highlights was a panel discussion featuring: Michelle Adams, director- merchandising operations, Lowe’s; Brett Hammers, vice president-marketing, Orgill; Greg Linder, director-supply chain operations, True Value; and Kay Williams, vice president- information technology, Do it Best Corp.

The panelists provided detailed instructions on how to work within their current data exchange systems to share ordering, shipping and invoicing information and provided a look into what new requirements will be coming in the future as technology evolves.

Lowe’s, Do it Best and True Value also gave separate presentations outlining how to do business with the companies in such areas as data synchronization, electronic receiving, product accounting and new item set-up.

Two keynote speakers presented insights into supply chain efficiency. Dr. Ernest Nichols, director of the FedEx Center for Supply Chain Management, and Brian Tervo, president and CEO of TIE Commerce, presented their views on how to best use today’s technology to optimize supply chain management.

The Home Depot was among the companies that participated in the conference, now in its 18th year, by hosting networking tables at some of the events.

Among the 40 sessions held in five distinct tracks, the “Seller Forum” provided manufacturers with an opportunity to voice their problems and concerns with customer data exchange procedures. Other session topics included data synchronization, global standards and bar coding basics.

“The 2008 AHMA Hardlines Technology Forum was the first to put an increased emphasis on the business/marketing side of the technology equation in the hopes of attracting more sales and marketing executives to future conferences so they can learn to work more efficiently with the information technology side of the industry,” said Timothy Farrell, president and CEO of AHMA.

First-time attendee Lucy Parker, EDI coordinator for Eclectic Products, said, “The thing I liked best is to meet with other EDI coordinators and learn that we all have similar problems.”

Larry Pensinger, director of e-business Do it Best., said, “We are very happy to participate in HTF to both learn and to also make it easier for our various constituents to do business with us.”