Valdero Corp. has rolled out a new version of its supply- and demand-chain application suite that combines analytics with planning and execution software. Valdero 3.0 includes a new application for supply- and demand-replenishment that's designed to help companies run vendor-managed inventory programs.

Supply replenishment lets companies postpone purchasing until materials are needed and maintain the delicate balance between reducing inventory and avoiding stock-outs. Demand replenishment helps companies work with distribution partners to reduce transportation lead times.

Valdero 3.0 also helps companies track inventory, both internally and externally, at contract manufacturers and suppliers; monitor demand and forecast consumption; and align inbound supplies with sales.

The software fills a gap between supply-chain execution systems and supply-chain planning systems, says Walt Rossi, Valdero's VP of marketing. Enterprise resource planning and supply-chain execution systems are systems of record and typically don't integrate well with external suppliers and distribution partners, Rossi says. "Planning software doesn't deal well with daily changes that can alter forecasts," he says. "What's missing are the dynamic processes and the visibility behind a company's four walls."

Using Valdero 3.0, a company can determine order fulfillment priorities via daily reports that are built against preset rules and list all orders that could be potential problems. Users can also run what-if scenarios to find out the best way to handle the problems. Once solutions are determined, the Valdero system can feed the new order list back into an ERP system.

The software starts at about $150,000, but pricing depends on the number of supply-chain partners it will be linked with.