Gloucester, Mass., May 22, 2007 -- With the explosion of globalization and the changing face of retail, the merchandising supply chain has emerged as the lynchpin to all major retailers. Gaining a strong understanding of issues such as global sourcing, global order management and product lifecycle management (PLM) for retail are paramount for success. That’s just what TradeStone CEO Sue Welch will address when she speaks at the D/C Expo behind held in Chicago on May 23 and 24. She will also bring her keen insights in these areas to the newly-formed Supply Chain IT Advisory Council, a group designed combine industry veterans and thought leaders to help shape the future of the industry.

“In today’s shopping environment retailers are becoming suppliers,” said Welch. “This means they have to deal with a host of PLM for retail, sourcing and order management issues that they never thought about before. How they manage these issues, as well as how they grow their private label brands, greatly affects profitability and even stock price. This is the new fundamental reactivity within the market: proprietary brands that drive margins.”

During her speech on Wednesday, May 24 Welch will focus on the “Five Stages of Global Sourcing” and how companies can use their global sourcing strategies to develop products and programs to push margins and profits higher. Welch will discuss how Retailers have evolved into product development organizations, with true P&L responsibility for private labels and brands. As product development specialists, merchants have to serve internal customers with complete product lifecycle information and work with factories around the world to ensure quality, preserve margins, and hit in-store dates. Merchants must now bridge planning, design, sourcing, quality assurance, delivery, and financial reconciliation in order to create truly innovative and profitable products. This is only possible when PLM solutions expand to include sourcing and global order management.

Sue will also take part in the first meeting of the Supply Chain IT Advisory Council, a 22 member group which includes such industry luminaries as Alan Dabbiere, founder of Manhattan Associates; Greg Hacket, Goodyear professor at Kent State University and the founder of Hackett Group; and Jason Busch, managing director of Azul partners.

The Supply Chain IT Advisory Council will have its first meeting on May 23 to discuss the state of the industry and how they can work to address future challenges.

“This Council will have a major impact on the future of this industry," states Shubhra Wells, President of The A2B Network, producer of the D/C Expo and Conference. "Each member was carefully handpicked not just for their vast experience, but their personal history of groundbreaking contributions in every area of the supply chain and logistics industry. Collectively, their accomplishments have been most far-reaching and high impact; the industry is fortunate to have such a powerhouse of leaders willing to give even more.”

Welch’s presentation is part of the D/C Expo Conference 2007. For more information or to schedule a time to speak with Sue Welch, please contact: Chuck Tanowitz or Annie Klein/Schwartz Communications/781-684-0770/ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

About The A2B Network
The A2B Network is the producer of the D/C Expo & Conference (www.dcexpo.net) which has been creating a unique marketplace for supply chain & logistics information technology executives and providers for 24 years.

About TradeStone Software, Inc.
TradeStone Software provides retailers and suppliers with a Unified Buying Process™ that improves margins and speeds products to market. Its PLM for Retail, Sourcing and Global Order Management solutions are recognized by Wall Street analysts as a superior tool to help retailers and suppliers compete in a global economy. These solutions give companies the power and visibility to plan, design, collaborate on and purchase goods from across the world in time to meet immediate customer demand. Worldwide customers include American Eagle Outfitters, Alliance Boots, Novi Footwear, Circuit City and Federated Department Stores. TradeStone Software's international headquarters is in Gloucester, Mass., with offices in Atlanta, London, Hong Kong, and Bangalore. For more information please visit www.TradeStoneSoftware.com.

Contact:

Tania Stockbridge
TradeStone Software
978-281-3723
tstockbridge@tradestonesoftware.com