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EMPTORIS DELIVERS VERSION 4.0 OF ITS SOURCING PORTFOLIO

The First E-sourcing Suite to Enable Systematic Sourcing for Enterprise-wide Savings

Burlington, Mass., November 5, 2002 - Emptoris, Inc., a leading provider of e-sourcing solutions that support the end-to-end strategic sourcing needs of Global 5000 companies, today announced the availability of version 4.0 of its Sourcing Portfolio (formerly ePASS), the company’s Web-based e-sourcing software suite. New modules in version 4.0 of the Sourcing Portfolio include Contract Management, Project Management and Supplier Assessment. Version 4.0 also introduces Emptoris’ Smart Data Framework, a new technology that provides enhanced flexibility, control and decision-making accuracy.

Emptoris also announced today that Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness with 2001 sales of approximately US $6.3 billion, is the first customer to implement version 4.0. The latest version of the Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio will allow Syngenta to make faster and better sourcing decisions by enabling the company to standardize sourcing processes and optimize supply base allocation.

In a recent AMR Research report titled “e-Sourcing: ROI Tastes Great, Applications Less Filling, June 30, 2002” Analyst Pierre Mitchell states that “Emptoris is very strong in all functional processes associated with direct materials support” and “Emptoris’ integrated, internally developed functionality is a strong point for companies looking for one sourcing application to cover a range of capabilities.”

“Version 4.0 of our Sourcing Portfolio solidifies Emptoris’ leadership position in the e-sourcing software market,” said Avner Schneur, president and CEO of Emptoris. “With new portfolio modules such as Contract and Project Management, and functional enhancements to existing modules, version 4.0 dramatically expands the functional footprint of our software and enables enterprise-wide implementation, visibility and control to provide quicker speed-to-category and maximize hard dollar savings.”

The Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio is known for its industry-leading event management, supplier enablement and optimization-based decision support that provide significantly shorter sourcing cycles and guarantee substantial bottom-line savings. Version 4.0 of the Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio provides deeper and more flexible functionality through new software modules, including Contract Management, Project Management and Supplier Assessment. In addition, version 4.0 includes the Smart Data Framework, a new technology that provides enhanced control and decision-making accuracy. The combination of these new modules offers companies comprehensive supplier management, better data visibility, improved process repeatability and a flexible data infrastructure to enable standardized e-sourcing activities across all categories throughout the enterprise to deliver even greater savings.

New Features in Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio Version 4.0

Contract Management
By providing a solution that helps users manage the interplay between ongoing sourcing activities and contractual relationships, the Emptoris Contract Management module allows enterprises to:

• Easily build complex multi-item, multi-term supply contracts with intuitive forms, menus and instructional wizards.
• Manage complex pricing arrangements, monitor supplier compliance and leverage negotiated agreements to identify additional savings.
• Decrease the time spent finding contracts, gain greater visibility into upcoming contract activities, and speed contract renewal and renegotiation.

Project Management
Emptoris’ Project Management module provides value-added task management for multiple parties during multi-stage sourcing. This module enables users to flexibly define multi-step projects, define teams and assign roles, manage tasks through completion and save project-related information as templates. Key benefits of the Project Management module include:

• Improved process repeatability and knowledge capture.
• Better management of the overall sourcing project schedule.
• Centralized control of all sourcing programs.
• Real-time data visibility.

Supplier Assessment
The Emptoris Supplier Assessment Module is designed to help category and supply managers assess the supply base and create performance scorecard data for use throughout the sourcing process. The Supplier Assessment module helps companies to:

• Conduct better, quicker, more cost effective supplier assessments.
• Assess supplier capabilities to meet ISO 9000 and Lean Manufacturing standards.
• Audit more of the supply base without increasing resource requirements.

Smart Data Framework
The Smart Data Framework is a flexible technology infrastructure for defining all elements in the Sourcing Portfolio. Where other systems ‘hard-code’ data for items or supplier bid forms, the Emptoris Smart Data Framework allows users to create their own definitions and forms ‘on the fly’. Key benefits include:

• More flexibility in defining goods/services.
• Greater ability to identify and compare supplier cost drivers and capabilities.
• Enhanced bid analysis by incorporating item and bid attributes into optimization constraints.

Functional Enhancements to Existing Modules
In version 4.0 of the Sourcing Portfolio, Emptoris has made substantial enhancements to existing modules to continue to drive the company’s market leadership position as a best-of-breed e-sourcing suite. Major functional advances include:

• New buyer-side consoles with intelligent data display and alerts put critical real-time information in front of buyers when they need it.
• Enhancements to Emptoris’ Decision Support Module, the industry’s first bid analysis engine based on true optimization. Users can now leverage the smart data framework and offer advanced formula and reasoning capabilities, making it possible for customers to identify and realize even more savings.
• The Executive Dashboard now includes context-relevant reporting, user-guided report creation, additional report templates and improved scalability. The Dashboard Module is fully integrated within all modules of the Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio to offer complete data visibility and better decision-making.
• Workflow and usability enhancements have been made to all bidding, negotiation and decision-making modules to improve ease of use and navigation for both buyers and suppliers.

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