Customer Spotlight: Hanesbrands Selects New Demand-Sensing Solution Based on Microsoft SQL Server Platform

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Helping transform itself from a push-based to a pull-based consumer apparel brand, Hanesbrands Inc. has selected a demand-sensing solution from Vendor Managed Technologies Inc. (VMT), built on the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 platform, Microsoft Corp. announced today.

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With VMT's Velocity® Demand Signal Repository, built on SQL Server 2008 and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Hanesbrands intends to increase sell-through performance and inventory visibility from the time of shipment through store-level scanned sales at the register.

"Hanesbrands selected Velocity to facilitate a consolidated view of our customers across all departments, including marketing, sales and demand planning," said Pete Bobalik, vice president of Technology at Hanesbrands. "Speed is critical when dealing with ever-changing consumer demand, and the solution met our expectations in this area, providing timely, accurate information to our business users."

During the past 15 years, VMT and Microsoft have delivered a comprehensive library of more than 250 retail adapters to tackle downstream data acquisition, data cleansing and data harmonization. Hanesbrands will be able to leverage this broad experience while working to increase sales, trade promotion and supply-chain effectiveness.

"Consumer goods suppliers continue to be challenged with how to best tackle downstream data to transform themselves into a demand-responsive organization with a single source of truth, making it critical for suppliers to have daily and weekly store-level and SKU-level insights across their key retail trading partners," said Kevin Tigges, director of U.S. consumer goods industry solutions at Microsoft. "With the VMT Velocity solution built on SQL Server 2008, Hanesbrands empowers its business analysts with the integrated insights and analytics they need to be a world-class, demand-driven organization."

The VMT Velocity solution will eventually scale across Hanesbrands' extended value chain, delivering cross-departmental sales insights and analytics to hundreds of business practitioners, and serving as a single source of consumption-based analytics enterprisewide.

"Our history of enabling suppliers to leverage demand and inventory data has uniquely positioned us to accelerate Hanesbrands sales, demand planning and marketing efforts across all its key retail accounts," said Jennifer Beckett, vice president of sales and marketing at VMT.

About Hanesbrands Inc.

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) is a leading marketer of everyday apparel essentials under some of the world's strongest apparel brands, including Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, JMS/Just My Size, barely there and Wonderbra. The company sells T-shirts, bras, panties, men's underwear, children's underwear, socks, hosiery, casualwear and activewear produced in the company's low-cost global supply chain. Hanesbrands has approximately 50,000 employees in more than 25 countries and takes pride in its strong reputation for ethical business practices. More information about the company and its corporate social responsibility initiatives, including the company's 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year Award, may be found on the Hanesbrands Internet website at www.hanesbrands.com.

About Vendor Managed Technologies Inc. (VMT)

Through its flagship Velocity® Solution Suite, VMT enables consumer goods manufacturers to become consumer-centric in their category management, sales, marketing, merchandising, trade promotion, demand planning and replenishment strategies. For over 16 years, VMT has equipped consumer goods manufacturers with best-in-class demand signal repository (DSR) and business intelligence solutions. Velocity cleanses, harmonizes and integrates store-level POS with third-party and internal data to provide end users with best practice analytics and processes geared towards maximizing sell-through and profitability across their retail and distribution accounts. Velocity® provides harmonization adaptors for over 200 retailers and distributors covering all classes of trades and geographies. For more information, please visit www.retailvelocity.com. VMT is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.