SAP, FORD, CATERPILLAR DEVELOP TRACKING SOFTWARE

SAP, FORD, CATERPILLAR DEVELOP TRACKING SOFTWARE    SAP North America, Ford Motor, and Caterpillar have produced a software initiative to more efficiently ship parts used in auto servicing.
   The new system, based on mySAP CRM, gives dealers a real-time view of Ford’s global service-parts inventory.
   Ford and Caterpillar formed an alliance in 2001 to create a parts management application for service centers. They picked SAP for the software. Cat Logistics, part of Caterpillar, handles aftermarket distribution.
   In a separate development, SAP said it has recently customized e-business applications for apparel companies such as Global Brands Marketing, And1, Fossil and Fornari.
   Global Brands, which manages the Diesel and Nautica brands, among others, will use SAP’s new Apparel and Footwear System, known as SAP AFS, to support Global’s distributed business model.
   And1, a basketball apparel and footwear company will use SAP AFS for logistics and distribution.