Free Tool Offers Supply-Chain-Performance Evaluation

Compiled ByDeborah Austin A new Advanced Planning Value Calculator -- free from J.D. Edwards & Co. on its Web site -- offers to help companies compare their supply-chain performance with industry benchmarks, troubleshoot problem areas and identify components that deliver the most value to their business. Users submit basic data online. The results are displayed in a table showing how the company compares with others in its industry regarding financial measurements directly related to supply-chain performance. These include revenue growth, cost-of-goods-sold, days in inventory, and fixed asset/revenue ratio. The company is compared with first quartile, median and last quartile performers. Performance gaps are identified and quantified, showing their rough impact on the user's annual profit. J.D. Edwards, Denver, is a provider of business-to-business software and services.