Italy's largest aerospace and defence group is to implement supply chain and database management software to better manage a large number of supplier components.
i2 Technologies (OTC: ITWO), a leading provider of closed-loop supply chain management solutions, today announced that Galileo Avionica has selected i2 solutions to better manage the large number of components the company uses to build its products. Galileo Avionica, which is part of Finmeccanica, the largest Aerospace and Defense group in Italy, aims to achieve faster time-to-market and significant operational efficiencies from its use of i2 solutions. Galileo Avionica produces a broad portfolio of highly complex products including navigation and attack equipment, precision approach radar systems and robotics for use in outer space.

As a result, they manage vast numbers of [components with a high level of technical specifications.

Galileo Avionicas goal is to implement i2 solutions to improve efficiency and minimize costs by managing components and suppliers more precisely, sourcing components more strategically, and responding more quickly to component obsolescence.

Galileo Avionica plans to implement i2 Component Supplier Management, i2 Product Sourcing and i2 Electronics Database.

Component Supplier Management is designed to enable companies to rationalize parts across their various design organizations and reduce product costs and time-to-market by promoting the re-use of parts.

Product Sourcing complements this solution by helping companies perform analysis at the Bill of Materials level to understand the impact of the expected lifecycle of each component on the end system.

Electronics Database offers a single catalogue of more than 12 million electronics parts from more than 500 manufacturers.

Together, the three solutions can provide Galileo Avionica with a platform for more effective and efficient component management.

Galileo Avionica found that the i2 solutions could help address their component management challenges with superior product functionality.

Galileo Avionica also reported that i2 was selected for this project based on i2s strong track record working with customers in the aerospace, defense and high tech industries 'We are very pleased to be helping Galileo Avionica implement technology and processes that will help them make the management of components for their products simpler and more efficient', said Ken Coulter, president i2 EMEA.

'By taking a best practice approach to component management they can potentially gain a competitive advantage as they bring their products to market quicker and more cost effectively'.

About Galileo Avionica - a Finmeccanica company, Galileo Avionica is the Italian leader in equipment and subsystems for space and defence applications.

Its products include avionics mission systems and equipment, navigation and attack equipment, airborne and precision approach radar, microwave components, electro-optical equipment, complete thermal imaging solutions, space payloads, robotics and UAVs.

The company, which has 3,100 employees and five business units, registered revenues of EUR 553 million in 2003 and has a leading role in all major European airborne military platforms including Eurofighter, EH101, NH90 and Tornado.

Learn more at www.galileoavionica.it.

About i2- a leading provider of closed-loop supply chain management solutions, i2 designs and delivers software that helps customers optimize and synchronize activities involved in successfully managing supply and demand.

i2s global customer base consists of some of the worlds market leaders – including seven of the Fortune global top 10.

Founded in 1988 with a commitment to customer success, i2 remains focused on delivering value by implementing solutions designed to provide a rapid return on investment.