Ariba, Inc., Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, and Emax Solution Partners to Introduce the First End-to-End E-Research Supply Chain Solution for the Life Science Industry
The absence of an effective research supply chain solution has made it increasingly time-consuming and costly for scientists to secure the vast multitude of complex compounds and chemical reagents needed to execute modern drug discovery and development. Using technologies like high throughput screening, combinatorial chemistry and pharmacogenomics, a large pharmaceutical company will screen as many as 100,000 compounds in a single day. In many research organizations, these material assets can account for as much as 30% of all purchasing.
The landmark e-Research supply chain created by the integration of the Ariba, Sigma-Aldrich, and EMAX web capabilities will enable users to remotely search large, fast-changing catalogs of research chemicals, and to automatically transmit the unique chemical and safety characteristics of each property. The three partners will accomplish this integration by leveraging the Commerce XML (cXML) standard. As a result, users will gain real-time access to chemicals available from Sigma-Aldrich, as well as their own local inventories, with a single search that significantly reduces the time and cost of securing materials. In addition to supporting web-based sourcing and procurement, the three companies will also employ these open standards to integrate usage, tracking and disposal of research materials.
"Sigma-Aldrich and EMAX bring significant value and chemicals content expertise to the Ariba B2B e-commerce platform," said Pat Guerra, vice president, network markets, Ariba. "Through cXML interoperability with the open Ariba platform, their web-based research supply chain capabilities can be made available to leading companies around the world using Ariba solutions. This unique e-Research solution will provide greater competitive advantage and efficiencies to Ariba customers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other life science industries."
"We are committed to delivering ever-higher levels of service and value to our customers, who rely upon us as their prime supplier of research products," said Blake Hibray, vice president of sales for Sigma-Aldrich. "This collaboration with Ariba and EMAX is yet another step in our aggressive e-commerce strategy. It significantly advances our mission of enabling our customers to streamline and automate the flow of chemicals through every stage of their supply chains."
According to Mark Robillard, vice president of Internet solutions for EMAX, "For our customers, e-commerce doesn't end on the receiving dock. The essence of e-Research is the web-based integration of the material and information flow across the sourcing, procurement, receiving, tracking, inventory management, regulatory clearance and usage of these valuable research assets. The interoperability this collaboration provides is a powerful tool for life science companies in their drive to increase research efficiency and lower overall costs."
About Ariba, Inc.
Ariba, Inc. is the leading provider of business-to-business eCommerce services and solutions to leading companies around the world, including 15 of the Fortune 100. The company delivers an open, end-to-end, best-of-breed platform of interoperable solutions to manage corporate purchasing on the Internet, build net markets, and provide suppliers with buyer access and integration. Together, Ariba's software and services leverage the Internet-based Ariba Network to integrate the internal and external commerce processes of buyers, suppliers, net markets and commerce service providers. The result is a global eCommerce infrastructure that provides cost saving and revenue opportunities for businesses of all sizes.
About Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich develops, manufactures and distributes the broadest range of high quality biochemicals, organic chemicals, chromatography products and diagnostic reagents available in the world. The Company's products are used in high-tech research and development in universities and industry, in the diagnosis of disease, and as specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical and other manufacturing purposes in more than 160 countries. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to the success of its customers, employees and shareholders through life science, technology and service. The Sigma-Aldrich PipeLine eCommerce system offers simple, on-line access to more than 200,000 products from the Sigma, Aldrich, Fluka, Supelco and Riedel-de Haën brands. PipeLine is the only eCommerce solution that provides robust search capabilities and access to thousands of product data sheets, two million certificates of analysis and 90,000 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
About EMAX Solution Partners
Based near Philadelphia, EMAX Solution Partners, Inc. is the pioneer of e-Research asset management and planning solutions, a domain expert in drug discovery work processes and technologies, and the leading innovator of software and Internet supply chain solutions for life science research organizations. EMAX's OPTIMA e-Research software platform unites scientists, research managers and suppliers into a collaborative e-service network enabling on-demand, research enterprise-wide management of the substances and reagents that enable high throughput drug discovery. By eliminating the traditionally time-consuming search for research materials, OPTIMA enables scientists to focus on lead discovery and decreases the cost per lead by enabling capacity and throughput optimization throughout the discovery operation.