B2B Technologies' Supplier Extranet Goes Live at Kubota

ATLANTA, (May 28, 2003) - B2B Technologies (www.b2btech.com), an IT consulting and application development firm specializing in e-commerce and supply chain solutions, announces that one of its key customers, Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation, has gone live with Kubota SupplierLink 2. SupplierLink 2 is a second-generation Web-based system that allows Kubota to communicate its production requirements to all its suppliers and then collaborate with them on scheduling and shipping.

B2B Technologies worked with Kubota to design and build this secure supplier extranet. SupplierLink takes the schedules produced by the internal ERP system and makes them visible, real time, to Kubota's suppliers. It alerts suppliers to changes in the schedule and allows them to respond online to these change requests. The system also prints bar-coded packing lists at the supplier's site. These accompany the shipment so that Kubota can scan the document at the dock, eliminating manual keying of receipt documents.

Since the results of the receiving process are visible in SupplierLink, suppliers have an immediate view of any discrepancies. This lets them see what they're going to get be paid via Kubota's paperless AutoPay system, and allows them to perform accounts receivable reconciliations online. To ensure that the system continues to meet its design goals, B2B designed a "supplier scorecard" system to track the performance of each supplier and confirm that they are meeting Kubota's expectations for delivery performance.

"As we roll SupplierLink out to more and more suppliers we continue to see dramatic benefits," says Bob Dicks, Manager of Planning and Information Technology at Kubota. "The results have included reductions in overdue orders, shorter lead times and savings in staff time, along with substantial improvements in delivery accuracy. B2B has done a great job for us, both in designing a total solution that works for the business and then delivering the technology and training to make it happen."

About the Companies

Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation is a subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Located in Gainesville, Georgia, the plant manufactures a line of commercial-grade small tractors and riding mowers and accessories. Renowned for their high quality and durability, the tractors are sold throughout North America and are exported to Europe and Australia. See www.kubota.com.

Atlanta-based B2B Technologies specializes in delivering software and Web applications that connect businesses to their customers, suppliers, and employees. Clients such as Kubota Manufacturing, Certegy, Tax Partners, Samsung, SunTrust Bank and Universal/MCA Records have improved communication, streamlined business processes and increased efficiency by deploying systems designed and built by B2B Technologies. Building award-winning e-commerce applications since 1995, the B2B Technologies team focuses on delivering innovative software solutions that leverage the latest advances in Microsoft technology. B2B Technologies is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for E-Commerce. Visit them at www.b2btech.com.