i2 Technologies is quickly becoming the software provider of choice for the automotive industry.
Already part of the huge online exchange being built by General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler, i2 announced Wednesday that it has signed agreements to provide DaimlerChrysler, Toyota Motor Sales and Volkswagen AG with software for their in-house marketplaces.
Under the agreement with DaimlerChrysler, i2 will help link together teams from different departments to facilitate information exchange and ultimately slash production costs and the length of the product cycle.
The i2 project will be part of DaimlerChrysler's new FastCar initiative, which is focused on reducing time-to-market.
Toyota plans to use i2's e-business software to manage inventory in its replacement-parts division and forecast delivery dates for its Toyota and Lexus dealers.
"Online marketplaces will place increased importance on having the right parts available at the right time at a highly competitive cost," said Gerald Braga, corporate manager for procurement and supply chain management at Toyota.
Volkswagen will work with i2 on building a supplier exchange. That project is part of a larger partnership that i2 is involved in, along with IBM and Ariba, that will connect VW directly to its suppliers.
Ariba and i2 are also collaborating on the Big Three automakers' Covisint project, which was scheduled to be up and running this summer but will now likely be ready in the fall.
