Rohm and Haas Launches Expanded Extranet

29-Oct-2002

Webridge, Inc., a developer of application software for extranet portals, and Rohm and Haas Company announced the launch of an extensive new extranet private exchange for Rohm and Haas' Architectural and Functional coatings (AFC) division. Called the Coatings e-Center, the extranet web site leverages Webridge application software to dramatically streamline communications with customers while simplifying their process of selecting optimal compounds for new coatings applications, technical service, and knowledge sharing. Using Webridge Extranet!(TM) software, Rohm and Haas' customer extranet securely serves product, market, and technical information to their customers and distributors. Combining the key elements of an integrated extranet portal - security, content management, catalog, collaboration and relationship management - Webridge Extranet provided Rohm and Haas the platform flexibility to easily expand their initial deployment across multiple cross-organizational business processes, simply and securely. "Webridge Extranet has allowed us to leverage our core strengths in product line and technical expertise to deliver further value to our customers, create stronger and more efficient working relationships, identify new opportunities, and to deliver creative solutions to our customers in a fraction of the time of traditional systems," stated Marc Touitou, AFC Global I.T. director for Rohm and Haas. "The Webridge software also allows rapid application evolution, enabling us to add new functionality for our customers and adapt quickly to their changing business needs." The Coatings e-Center provides a wealth of information that chemists need to select coatings ingredients for a wide variety of applications for architectural and functional coatings and building products. Each chemist has personalized access to in depth knowledge on products, technologies, and market segments, including an innovative web services link to current material safety data sheets. Rohm and Haas is also using the new Relationship Manager application in Webridge Extranet to do targeted eMarketing to their customer base, further increasing the velocity of information exchange around innovative technologies. A recent email campaign yielded over a 40% response rate. The new e-Center site debuts a sophisticated online formulating tool allowing Rohm and Haas' customers to enter an existing formulation and performance requirements, optimising the formulation in real time for lower cost without sacrificing performance. The new component, called Ultra Formulate, combines innovative polymer technology and sophisticated online functionality to save raw material and research costs. One international client benchmarked the web software to formulate a product in 30 minutes that previously had taken two of their chemists four months to produce. "Rohm and Haas is an excellent example of a customer-centric enterprise", declared David Brinker, CEO of Webridge. "By servicing their customers with real solutions, they make their customers' jobs easier, increase company value and capture new design wins. It's the perfect win/win - what's best for the customer drives continued success for Rohm and Haas." Technically advanced, the new site leverages the latest release of Webridge PX, version 4.2. and makes heavy use of XML and Web Services, using Microsoft's SOAP protocols to integrate with back end databases. Personalized pages are generated dynamically for each user, with the content controlled by the Rohm and Haas technical service, account managers, and product managers. "We will continue to leverage innovative solutions to ensure that Rohm and Haas is the easiest vendor to do business with in the industry," declared Touitou. "We believe that putting information as close to the customer as possible is the winning strategy, and Webridge provides us the engine to manage the content and security."

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