Electronics distributor outsources E-commerce platform to GXS

GXS, a provider of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce solutions, has announced that European IT distributor Esprinet has signed a five-year agreement for GXS Managed Services, a comprehensive portfolio of outsourced B2B services from GXS that includes mapping, on-boarding and technical support.

A wholesale distributor of IT and consumer electronics in Italy and Spain that is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, Esprinet is ranked as the number one distributor in Italy, top three in Spain,  and No.7 in Europe with sales in 2009 of more than 2.1 billion Euros. Esprinet's core business is delivering technology to over 40,000 resellers who typically address the needs of small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs). With this network of trading partners, Esprinet wanted to drive down costs whilst increasing operational quality and productivity.  To achieve these goals, the company is now deploying GXS Managed Services to replace Esprinet's existing internal B2B platform. As part of this decision, Esprinet is consolidating its disparate B2B traffic, encompassing value-added network, AS2 and Internet based electronic trading, with GXS Trading Grid.

Esprinet estimates that the adoption of GXS Managed Services will allow it to reduce the costs of its B2B e-commerce network by 45%. There are significant benefits to Esprinet beyond these cost savings. A key objective for the company was to enhance visibility across the business via a central point that would allow the company to track and monitor customer transactions in real time. GXS Managed Services is now delivering a dramatically improved level of visibility across incoming purchase orders. Finally, GXS Managed Services will improve Esprinet's ability to implement new connectivity and transactions requirements with customers and suppliers worldwide.

"We set out to identify and implement an elegant solution that would help reduce ongoing costs, while delivering distinct and measurable business benefits," commented Cesare Pedrazzini, Chief Information Officer of Esprinet. "With a very large installed base of more than 40,000 reseller customers across two countries, it was vital for us to make a step change in terms of our capability for transaction tracking and real time monitoring, which we have been able to achieve with GXS Managed Services."

"Outsourcing can drive down fixed costs, but it can also provide the platform for improved processes that are more closely aligned with the requirements of the growing business," commented Jon Keating, GXS vice president for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "In this agreement, Esprinet is working with GXS Managed Services and has seized the opportunity to re-model critical business processes that are at the heart of the company's sustained business profitability."

GXS Managed Services leverages GXS Trading Grid, a powerful B2B integration cloud that provides on-demand Services allowing Esprinet to engage GXS as a partner to help manage the day-to-day operations of its B2B e-Commerce program including mapping, on-boarding and technical support. Managed Services is flexible. GXS can assume responsibility for an entire complex, multi-national B2B program or handle a smaller subset of selected projects, regions or trading partner relationships. More than 250 clients from around the world are currently using GXS Managed Services.