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Urban Outfitters Meets Consumer Demand for Cross-Channel Shopping Experience With Sterling Order Management

^{Published on 2009-11-09 06:07:09 - Market Wire}
 

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - November 9, 2009) - [ Sterling Commerce ], an AT&T Inc (NYSE: [ T ]) company, today announced that Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ URBN ]) has selected Sterling [ Order Management ] and Sterling [ Managed File Transfer ] (MFT) as part of a corporate initiative to improve customer service by replacing legacy systems with best-in-class solutions. Urban Outfitters will implement Sterling Order Management to enable the company to create a seamless shopping experience across all its channels and brands, which include its Urban Outfitters brand as well as Anthropologie, Free People, and Terrain. Sterling MFT has been selected to manage the internal and external file transfers for the retailer as part of a new customer relationship management (CRM) implementation.

"Urban Outfitters seeks to offer a differentiated shopping experience that creates an emotional bond with the customers, and Sterling Order Management will provide us with a world-class foundation for all our cross-channel operations that will enable us to excel in delivering that experience," said Calvin Hollinger, chief information and logistics officer at Urban Outfitters.

Urban Outfitters will implement Sterling Order Management, a solution that orchestrates the end-to-end enterprise order management process to improve [ cross-channel ] efficiencies and customer responsiveness. It provides global inventory visibility and synchronizes channel operations so that Urban Outfitters can enable its customers to research, buy, ship and return anywhere. The solution also offers call center capabilities that will enable Urban Outfitters to better manage its processes for special orders and "[ save-the-sale ]" efforts. Sterling Order Management is a part of the Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite that provides solutions to orchestrate the entire commerce lifecycle, including order capture, order management, transportation and warehouse management, yard management and supply chain visibility.

"In order to meet the growing needs of today's demanding consumer, retail organizations need to focus on delivering positive experiences across all channels and customer touchpoints," said Janet Sherlock, research director, Retail, at AMR Research. (AMR Research report, "Top 10 Cross-Channel and Online Retailing Trends (but This List Goes to 11)," August 5, 2009)

As part of its implementation of a new CRM system, Urban Outfitters also will implement Sterling MFT, the industry's leading solution for secure managed file transfer, to enable the seamless and secure integration of major customer files, regardless of whether those files are stored within Urban Outfitters or external to the company. Sterling MFT is a part of the Sterling Business Integration Suite, a comprehensive suite of industry-leading integration solutions to address the critical challenges of [ business-to-business integration ], managed file transfer and enterprise integration.

"Urban Outfitters is a retail leader in pleasing today's discerning consumer by making game-changing investments to innovate and deliver a superior customer experience," said Jim Bengier, global retail industry executive at Sterling Commerce. "Sterling Commerce is pleased to be helping respected brands like Urban Outfitters transform their selling and fulfillment operations."

About Sterling Commerce

Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc (NYSE: [ T ]) company, helps companies optimize and transform their [ Business Collaboration Network ] to accelerate revenues and reduce costs. More than 30,000 customers worldwide use Sterling Commerce [ applications ] and [ integration solutions ] to connect, communicate and collaborate inside and outside their enterprise. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Sterling Commerce has offices in 24 countries. More information can be found at [ www.sterlingcommerce.com ].