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	<title>FreeFlow</title>
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	<link>http://www.freeflow.com</link>
	<description>Branded Consumer Electronics Online</description>
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		<title>FreeFlow Releases New Buyers’ Portal, Streamlines Online Access to Top Brands</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-releases-new-buyers%e2%80%99-portal-streamlines-online-access-to-top-brands/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-releases-new-buyers%e2%80%99-portal-streamlines-online-access-to-top-brands/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:01:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News and Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=976</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[San Jose, California (PRWeb), 4 April, 2011 – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk consumer electronics inventory, today announced the release of its new buyer portal at http://www.freeflowauctions.com increasing visibility of available inventory and streamlining the purchasing process for global wholesale electronics buyers.   The new buyer gateway complements the company’s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>San Jose, California (PRWeb),</strong> 4 April, 2011 – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk consumer electronics inventory, today announced the release of its new buyer portal at <a href="http://www.freeflowauctions.com" target="_blank">http://www.freeflowauctions.com</a> increasing visibility of available inventory and streamlining the purchasing process for global wholesale electronics buyers.   The new buyer gateway complements the company’s award-winning technology and services for sellers that include market research and pricing advisory, site merchandising, demand generation and buyer registration, customer support, logistics support and financial settlement.</p>
<p>With the new online portal, buyers can register once and gain access to any or all of FreeFlow’s 30-plus branded <a href="http://www.freeflowauctions.com" target="_blank">wholesale consumer electronics private marketplaces</a> listing manufacturers’ surplus stock. Filtered browsing allows buyers to select by brand, by global region, by category or by their budget.  Thumbnails of all products currently on auction across all seller marketplaces are showcased on the portal, giving buyers single-click access across brands.</p>
<p>“Today’s secondary marketplace buyers are running multi-million dollar businesses in online retail and they’re seeking the best CE brands.  We have the right brands at the right price point, but we needed to make it easy for buyers to search, browse and purchase across multiple marketplaces,” observed Alan Scroope, FreeFlow CEO.  “At the end of the day, helping buyers actually benefits our sellers, and that’s who we work for.”</p>
<p>In the new release sellers retain their ability to partition the buying community to <a href="http://www.freeflow.com/solutions/how-we-help/private-marketplace-technology/" target="_blank">maintain channel control</a>, a key differentiator for FreeFlow.  For example, a seller may restrict product to be sold only in North America, or vice versa – do not sell in North America.  Or they may provide a “do not sell to” list of companies and those companies will be screened in the registration process.</p>
<p>“Today’s release is in response to buying trends we’ve observed over the past year, that is, buyers registering on more than one and in some cases all of our branded marketplaces,” Scroope elaborated.  “We needed to make bidding on FreeFlow auctions a highly productive and efficient experience for this class of global buyer. This release achieves that objective while extending the market reach of our sellers.”</p>
<p>FreeFlow has proven to be a trusted partner for consumer electronics companies by building <a href="http://www.freeflow.com/solutions/how-we-help/private-marketplace-technology/" target="_blank">secure alternative channels </a>for selling at-risk inventory.  Slow-moving, aging or end-of-life finished goods as well as consumer returns inventory sold as-is or refurbished is a multi-million dollar market for FreeFlow’s Global 1000 customers. The company’s branded and anonymous private marketplaces allow stock to be sold at auction, fixed price, or minimum price. Auction and member privilege dynamics are deployed to improve bidding performance, resulting in higher financial recovery. With market and pricing analysis, integrated performance metrics and end-to-end business support services, FreeFlow provides low-cost, secure, high recovery alternative channel solutions for excess and at-risk inventory in all stages of the product lifecycle.</p>
<p><strong>About FreeFlow</strong></p>
<p>Founded in 2001, FreeFlow improves its customers&#8217; profitability by helping them identify excess and at-risk inventory and dispositioning the inventory through the alternative channel best suited for that inventory. FreeFlow’s customers include Apple, Creative Labs, Microsoft and SanDisk. FreeFlow’s leadership in the supply chain arena has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including back-to-back recognition by Deloitte in their Best-Managed Companies competition in 2010 and 2011, the Supply &amp; Demand Chain Executive 100 and the Ruban d’Honneur European Business Award for Information and Communication Technology Effectiveness in 2009.   Privately-held, FreeFlow has headquarters in Tralee, Ireland and US headquarters in San Jose, California.  For more information, visit <a href="http://www.freeflow.com/">www.FreeFlow.com</a>.</p>
<p>Press Contact:<br />
Anne Patterson <br />
FreeFlow<br />
860.705.0285<br />
<a href="mailto:Anne_Patterson@FreeFlow.com">Anne_Patterson@FreeFlow.com</a></p>
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		<title>FreeFlow Repeats as Best Managed Company</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-repeats-as-best-managed-company/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-repeats-as-best-managed-company/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:30:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News and Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=965</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tralee, Ireland, March 9, 2011 – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk inventory in consumer electronics companies, announced this week that for the second consecutive year it has been named as a winner in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards competition. The company, which was first recognized for superior business [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Tralee, Ireland, March 9, 2011</strong> – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk inventory in consumer electronics companies, announced this week that for the second consecutive year it has been named as a winner in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards competition. The company, which was first recognized for superior business performance in March of 2010, was recognized at a gala awards dinner in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin earlier this month.<br />
The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Program, in association with Irish Life Corporate Business, recognizes companies across Ireland which are operating at the highest levels of business performance. The independent judging panel reviewed a broad range of criteria including strategy, capability, commitment, financials and growth potential across all key functions of the business.</p>
<p>Commenting on the award, Alan Scroope, CEO, FreeFlow said, “Over the past year the entire FreeFlow team has been devoted to make FreeFlowAuctions.com the global go-to B2B marketplace for branded consumer electronics online. Deloitte’s repeat recognition this year reinforces that uniting a global team around a single over-arching goal is the winning strategy of the best of companies.”</p>
<p>Commenting on the winners of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Program, Pat Cullen, Managing Partner, Deloitte and judging panel member said: “Despite the negative sentiment that currently prevails, the Best Managed Companies Awards Program shows that Irish companies are a cornerstone of growth in the Irish economy and can and will play an important role in Ireland’s overall recovery. For proof of this, you need look no further than this year’s winners.”</p>
<p>FreeFlow has proven to be a top Sales and Supply Chain partner by addressing its clients’ needs to build secure alternative channels for at-risk inventory. Slow-moving, aging or end-of-life finished goods as well as consumer returns inventory sold as-is or refurbished is a multi-million dollar market for FreeFlow’s Global 1000 customers. The company’s branded and anonymous private marketplaces allow stock to be sold at auction, fixed price, or minimum price. Auction dynamics improve bidding performance resulting in higher financial recovery. With its proprietary market analysis and pricing advisory support, integrated performance metrics and end-to-end business support services, FreeFlow provides low-cost, secure alternative channel solutions for excess and at-risk inventory in all stages of the product lifecycle.</p>
<p><strong>About Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards</strong></p>
<p>The Deloitte Best Managed Companies program, in association with Irish Life Corporate Business, promotes and recognises excellence in Irish owned and managed companies. It is the only competition in Ireland that considers a business’ performance from every perspective. Entrants to the program compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates the caliber of their management abilities and practices.</p>
<p>Program sponsors are Irish Life Corporate Business, the Irish Management Institute and the Sunday Business Post.</p>
<p>For further information, visit <a href="http://www.deloittebestmanaged.ie" target="_self">www.deloittebestmanaged.ie</a>.</p>
<p><strong>About FreeFlow</strong><br />
Founded in 2001, FreeFlow improves its customers&#8217; profitability by helping them identify excess and at-risk inventory and dispositioning the inventory through the alternative channel best suited for that inventory. FreeFlow’s customers include Apple, Creative Labs, Microsoft and SanDisk. FreeFlow’s leadership in the supply chain arena has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including Gartner’s Cool Vendors in Supply Chain Management and Procurement, the Supply &amp; Demand Chain Executive 100 for 2009 and the 2009 Ruban d’Honneur European Business Award in the category of Information and Communication Technology Effectiveness. Privately-held, FreeFlow has headquarters in Tralee, Ireland and US headquarters in San Jose, California. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.freeflow.com" target="_self">www.FreeFlow.com</a>.</p>
<p>Press Contact:<br />
Anne Patterson<br />
FreeFlow<br />
860.705.0285<br />
Anne_Patterson@FreeFlow.com</p>
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		<title>Supply Chain Ready to Pop</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/supply-chain-ready-to-pop/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/supply-chain-ready-to-pop/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:44:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=950</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Supply Chain Ready to Pop

Alan Scroope &#8211; December 21, 2010
FreeFlow President John Kenny is a member of the Executive Advisory Board at the University of Wisconsin&#8217;s Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management. Also on the board is Gartner Global VP of Supply Chain Research, Kevin O&#8217;Marah.  Following this year&#8217;s board meeting Kevin blogged about supply [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Supply Chain Ready to Pop<br />
</strong></p>
<p><em>Alan Scroope &#8211; December 21, 2010</em></p>
<p>FreeFlow President John Kenny is a member of the Executive Advisory Board at the University of Wisconsin&#8217;s Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management. Also on the board is Gartner Global VP of Supply Chain Research, Kevin O&#8217;Marah.  Following this year&#8217;s board meeting Kevin blogged about supply chain tensions, one of which is addressed by at-risk inventory solutions such as those offered by FreeFlow.  Have a read:</p>
<p>Commentary:  Supply Chain Ready to Pop<br />
<a href="http://blogs.gartner.com/kevin-omarah/" target="_blank">by Kevin O&#8217;Marah</a></p>
<p>I recently had the pleasure of attending my fourth Executive Advisory Board meeting at the University of Wisconsin&#8217;s Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management. Each year the session draws an impressive group of senior supply chain executives (all are Board members) from top companies, including Cisco, Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, GE Healthcare, IBM, Logitech, Emerson, Sears Holdings, P&amp;G, Genzyme, FreeFlow, Pyle Group and, of course, the Center&#8217;s namesake, W.W. Grainger. The Center offers one of the most comprehensive, forward-thinking programs in supply chain management, including a full curriculum that spans value chain topics, such as new product launch, marketing and technology enablement.</p>
<p>A highlight of the annual meeting is the panel discussion when Executive Advisory Board members speak to students about the pressing issues of the day.  This year, a theme emerged on risk, and it had a good and bad side to it. Several Executive Advisory Board members commented on the tight capacity and inventory conditions — results of the recent recession.  Eric Smith, for instance, the VP of supply chain at Emerson (and a Grainger Center alumnus himself), said, &#8220;The inventory safety net is gone,&#8221; which increases the urgency to use sales and operations planning processes to improve agility. Carolyn Woznicki, VP of global procurement for Johnson Controls, talked about one of the top concerns today: certainty of supply, with capacity cut close to the bone for many upstream producers.  And, Brian Smith, the recently retired senior director of logistics for Harley-Davidson, highlighted the dramatically leaner operations the iconic motorcycle manufacturer&#8217;s supply chain achieved in recent years.  In these cases (others surfaced during the panel discussion, too), it was clear an increase in demand will, on one hand, create some great profit opportunities, but on the other, expose weaknesses in this increasingly tightly strung global supply chain.</p>
<p>The students did their part in feeding the discussion on the supply chain risk theme.  No fewer than three of the 10 student summer-internship projects had been focused on supply chain risk quantification. As impressive as these projects were in terms of pulling lots of hard data from SAP and other enterprise systems, the real impact seems more a matter of how the supply chain teams driving these projects are beginning to think about buffering against increasingly volatile demand.</p>
<p>One approach to tackling this issue is exemplified in a few reference cases I&#8217;ve seen of Triple Point Technology, a vendor specializing in commodity management applications on top of bigger enterprise systems.  Unilever, for instance, uses this tool to manage risk in its $5 billion annual purchasing stream for commodities, such as oils and fats, packaging materials, cocoa, sugar and grains.  Tight supply availability in commodities can have a huge impact on prices, which increasingly swing wildly from day to day.  For example, grain prices were up 41% in July alone, according to Mark Taylor, VP of commodities at Unilever.  To avoid being caught short in such situations, supply chain strategists must operate with a comprehensive picture of exposures, cover positions and price movements.  They must also have the ability to consistently report on commodity market movements and their impacts on costs, availability and lead times.</p>
<p>Again, this is a good news/bad news story.  Suppliers enjoying a surge in demand for their wares will see spiking profits, while customers downstream will pay the price. The notoriously volatile commodity markets have always operated this way.  And this is also increasingly true for all the other ingredients in a fully functioning supply chain, including shipping lanes, plant capacity and even managerial talent. It&#8217;s possible we&#8217;re finally hitting the limits of lean.</p>
<p>The global supply chain has seen intensive redesign over the past 20 years, as information systems have enabled levels of outsourcing and interenterprise collaboration that would never have been imagined in the early days of the lean factory.  Today, we have so little buffer in the system that sharp turns can hurt on both the downside and upside. Some stock-market watchers are calling for big gains, as macroeconomic growth stokes profits by goosing demand, while companies continue to hold back on hiring.</p>
<p>This all sounds great on Squawk Box, but too many supply chain people find the added pressure showing up in their Outlook calendars, as conference calls between Asia and the United States or Europe run 24/7. Something has to give, and it can no longer be the sleep needs of supply chain folks.</p>
<p>I would love to hear your opinion at <a href="http://kevin.o'marah@gartner.com." target="_blank">kevin.o&#8217;marah@gartner.com.</a></p>
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		<title>CFO.com:  Chasing Away the Excess-Inventory Blues</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/chasing-away-the-excess-inventory-blues/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/chasing-away-the-excess-inventory-blues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:47:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News and Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=943</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Online auctions can help streamline the process of getting cash for returned or unsold products, supply-chain executives say.
David M. Katz &#8211; CFO.com &#124; US   [view article online]
December 2, 2010
The day after Christmas is still weeks away, but that&#8217;s close enough for finance and supply-chain executives to start worrying about merchandise returns and excess inventory. How [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Online auctions can help streamline the process of getting cash for returned or unsold products, supply-chain executives say.</strong><br />
David M. Katz &#8211; CFO.com | US   [<a href="http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/14542814?f=search">view article online</a>]</p>
<p>December 2, 2010</p>
<p>The day after Christmas is still weeks away, but that&#8217;s close enough for finance and supply-chain executives to start worrying about merchandise returns and excess inventory. How will they get the best value for the unwanted goods?</p>
<p>One answer is to auction them off. By posting returned or overstocked items of interest to consumers (video games, baby clothing, televisions) or other businesses (computer parts, pallets of manufactured items) on an online auction, sellers can gain access to many more potential buyers than they would if they simply went straight to liquidators.</p>
<p>Further, auctions can help streamline the process of getting cash for returned, unsold, or excess products, supply-chain executives say. That process can be cumbersome and haphazard, as it used to be at SanDisk, a maker of memory storage cards used in consumer electronics products. That was before the company started to sell excess inventory via auction about two years ago, according to Doug Lampson, director of corporate financial planning and analysis at the company.</p>
<p>Previously, SanDisk executives would simply ask sales reps to &#8220;make some phone calls&#8221; to brokers if the pile of unsold items grew too high, says Lampson. That resulted in just one or two potential bidders per item or group of items (and tied up the sales reps&#8217; time). Now, since setting up a regular arrangement with FreeFlow, a logistics and supply-chain company that provides auctions for consumer electronics companies, SanDisk typically has eight vetted bidders for a set of items.</p>
<p>Perhaps more important, the arrangement has turned a scattershot process into a swift and regular routine. Each month SanDisk identifies slow-selling or obsolete products, draws up a pricing proposal, and then puts the products up for bid. Given the volatile nature of the semiconductor storage business, where prices are known to drop as much as 20% in a month, &#8220;we try to move product very quickly,&#8221; says Lampson.</p>
<p>Of course, surplus goods can be a problem for any company, given the inherent difficulty of forecasting. &#8220;There is a level of inaccuracy in the forecasting process, which tends to mean that we have some level of excess inventory,&#8221; says David Warrick, general manager for Microsoft&#8217;s entertainment and devices operations in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia/Pacific region, which also has an arrangement with FreeFlow. &#8220;And what we continually try to do is keep that to a minimum and make sure it flows as well through the supply chain.&#8221;</p>
<p>As a way of controlling their bidding audiences, companies with big sales staffs like Microsoft can auction off excess inventory in two stages. First, they can hold internally focused auctions, putting items up only for their sales staffs to see and offer to their clients. Then, if all the items aren&#8217;t sold that way, the auctioneer might provide a private, preselected set of bidders for the remaining goods.</p>
<p>Why would a company want to narrow the bidding audience? One reason might be that doing so could set a high bar among its potential creditors, by admitting only those buyers likely to pay their debts. Companies may also want to control the timing of the liquidation of their products, according to Alan Scroope, founder and chief executive officer of FreeFlow.</p>
<p>For example, a finance chief of a company selling its returned goods via a public auction might be irked to find that an individual or small firm has bought a batch of the products online and is undercutting the price at which the company&#8217;s favored retailers are selling it, says Scroope. That represents a risk to the brand that the CFO might not be willing to tolerate.</p>
<p>Such narrowly focused, niche-oriented auctions are not for every company with excess inventory, however. Wholesale bidders on such sites tend to require detailed grading of the products — and high-quality products at that.</p>
<p>And a company with products that have been handled roughly at Christmas before they&#8217;ve been returned might do better holding an auction elsewhere. &#8220;We handle broken and cracked consumer electronics,&#8221; says Bob Auray, chief executive of GENCO Marketplace, a logistics company that sells some goods through FreeFlow but auctions off a much broader array of excess inventory itself. &#8220;We find that parts-oriented scavengers may be best for that type of product.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>FreeFlow and Advanced MP Announce Strategic Alliance</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-and-advanced-mp-announce-strategic-alliance/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-and-advanced-mp-announce-strategic-alliance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:07:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News and Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[San Jose, California, October 4, 2010 – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk inventory in consumer electronics companies, and Advanced MP Technology, Inc., the leading global full-service distributor of electronic components, announced this week the formation of a global strategic alliance to bring at-risk inventory solutions to their customers for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>San Jose, California, October 4, 2010</strong> – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of <a href="../">alternative channel solutions for at-risk inventory</a> in consumer electronics companies, and Advanced MP Technology, Inc., the leading global full-service distributor of electronic components, announced this week the formation of a global strategic alliance to bring at-risk inventory solutions to their customers for the complete bill of material, from components to finished goods.  The program formally recognizes FreeFlow’s expertise in providing alternative finished goods channel solutions to global manufacturers and Advanced MP’s understanding of production challenges from factory shortages to surpluses and combines the strengths of both companies to provide significant added value to their customers.</p>
<p>The go-to-market strategy for the FreeFlow and Advanced MP alliance targets global consumer electronics OEM’s, identifying the stakeholders in sales, supply chain, and finance who are chartered with overall product lifecycle profitability.  For these executives the combined solution of FreeFlow and Advanced MP provides a single go-to solution for the disposition of excess and at-risk inventory, from components to finished goods, and the cumulative market expertise of the two companies ensures top margin retention in secondary markets.</p>
<p>“With the depth and breadth of our installed base in <a href="../solutions/how-we-help/">at-risk inventory solutions for consumer electronics companies</a> we are thrilled to have the component expertise that Advanced MP Technology brings to our asset recovery solution,” remarked John Kenny, FreeFlow President.  “FreeFlow’s customers are Global 2000 manufacturers who desire the broadest service offering from the fewest number of suppliers.  Together FreeFlow and Advanced MP form a single-vendor solution addressing every manufacturer’s excess inventory problem from the top of the bill of material to the bottom.”</p>
<p>“Advanced MP Technology has received enormous positive response from our customers for the supply chain services that we offer.  We have been a pioneer in component asset recovery and strive to be forward thinking and proactive in responding to our customers’ needs,” stated Daniel Karatosic, Inventory Asset Management Director.  “We embrace our new partnership with FreeFlow as a compelling addition to our service offering and our strategic customers will appreciate the increased scope FreeFlow brings to our supply chain and procurement solutions.”</p>
<p>FreeFlow has proven to be a top Sales and Supply Chain partner by addressing its clients’ needs to build secure alternative channels for at-risk inventory.  Slow-moving, aging or end-of-life finished goods as well as consumer returns inventory sold as-is or refurbished is a multi-million dollar market for FreeFlow’s Global 2000 customers. The company’s branded and anonymous <a href="../solutions/private-marketplace-technology">private marketplaces</a> allow stock to be sold at auction, fixed price, or minimum price. Auction and &#8216;member privilege&#8217; dynamics are deployed to improve bidding performance, resulting in higher financial recovery. With its private, detailed market analysis, integrated performance metrics and end-to-end business support services, FreeFlow provides low-cost, secure, high recovery alternative channel solutions for excess and at-risk inventory in all stages of the product lifecycle.</p>
<p>Advanced MP Technology is a global leader in electronic component distribution and Inventory Asset Management Programs. Advanced MP Technology maximizes asset recovery through a suite of hands-on programs and services that address At-Risk Inventory issues and impact many areas of total acquisition costs within the supply chain.  The company purchases millions of dollars of At-Risk inventory outright as well as implements large scale Consignment and 3R Programs (Reuse/Remarket/Recycle).  With its “be global, act local’ philosophy, Advanced MP Technology has a worldwide footprint with operations in North America, Europe and Asia.  Recent expansions in Munich, Germany and Budapest, Hungary are in line with Advanced MP’s commitment towards superior customer service and the growing presence of contract manufacturing in EMEA. The Shenzhen, China, office marks their fourth and most recent location in Asia, a direct response to the demand of a growing number of regional companies that are increasingly paying more attention to quality while still watching over costs. With over 32 years of successful component trading experience, as well as essential resources, Advanced MP Technology fills the gap in the supply chain by offering quality products and services while providing the best value to its customers.</p>
<p><strong>About Advanced MP Technology</strong></p>
<p>Advanced MP Technology is a leading global distributor of electronic components and supply chain partner, offering customized inventory management solutions and serving OEM and EMS customers worldwide for over 32 years.   Founded in 1978, and headquartered in San Clemente, California, Advanced MP Technology has global offices and stocking warehouses in the Americas, Asia and Europe.</p>
<p>For more information regarding Advanced MP Technology please contact Kamran Malek, Vice President of Marketing, at <a href="mailto:kamranm@advancedmp.com">kamranm@advancedmp.com</a> or at 949-492-3113.</p>
<h2>About FreeFlow</h2>
<p>Founded in 2001, FreeFlow improves its customers&#8217; profitability by helping them identify excess and at-risk inventory and dispositioning the inventory through the alternative channel best suited for that inventory. FreeFlow’s customers include Apple, Creative Labs, Microsoft and SanDisk. FreeFlow’s leadership in the supply chain arena has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including Deloitte Best-Managed Companies recognition in 2010 and the Supply &amp; Demand Chain Executive 100 and the Ruban d’Honneur European Business Award for Information and Communication Technology Effectiveness in 2009.   Privately-held, FreeFlow has headquarters in Tralee, Ireland and US headquarters in San Jose, California.  For more information, visit <a title="blocked::http://www.freeflow.com/" href="../">www.FreeFlow.com</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Press Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Anne Patterson</p>
<p>FreeFlow</p>
<p>860.705.0285</p>
<p><a href="mailto:Anne_Patterson@FreeFlow.com">Anne_Patterson@FreeFlow.com</a></p>
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		<title>Jumping Over Dollars to Make Pennies</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/jumping-over-dollars-to-make-pennies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/jumping-over-dollars-to-make-pennies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:01:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=834</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Don’t Overlook the Obvious
Alan Scroope &#8211; March 31, 2010
In a recent auction of “Open Box” product (untested customer returns), we recovered over 80% of standard cost for the OEM, a personal peripheral devices manufacturer, compared to their existing run rate which was averaging around 30%.  There are two lessons to be learned here.
First, why the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Don’t Overlook the Obvious</strong></p>
<p><em>Alan Scroope &#8211; March 31, 2010</em></p>
<p>In a recent auction of “Open Box” product (untested customer returns), we recovered over 80% of standard cost for the OEM<span id="more-834"></span>, a personal peripheral devices manufacturer, compared to their existing run rate which was averaging around 30%.  There are two lessons to be learned here.</p>
<p>First, why the huge jump in recovery?  The seller had settled into a comfortable routine of monthly liquidation with a single buyer.  This was a relationship of convenience for both parties; with pricing set in advance throughput was fast and intervention was minimal.  Convinced by FreeFlow to run a pilot auction with a wide audience of competitive bidders, the seller was astounded to recognize how much money they’d been leaving on the table, and with FreeFlow managing the process for them their overhead remains low.  They’re now fully committed to the auction process.</p>
<p>Secondly, why in the world would untested customer returns bring 80% of standard cost at auction?  Two reasons:  unlike the End-of-Life and close-out products typically found on auction, untested customer returns are typically on current version product.  Secondly, the No Trouble Found (NTF) rate on consumer electronics can be 80% or higher.  Secondary market buyers with test and repair capability capitalize on this situation and make a tidy margin, and they’ll compete for this inventory &#8211; driving recovery upward for the seller.<br />
Sellers take note:  lured by the retail or near-retail pricing for manufacturer refurbished inventory, you may be convinced that adding the (not-insignificant) processing cost  of refurb is the way to go.  I’d suggest running some trial auctions on your untested returns – you too may be pleasantly astounded at what the market will bear.</p>
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		<title>We Can Do THAT?</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/we-can-do-that/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/we-can-do-that/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:59:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=847</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Sales VP Lament
Alan Scroope – March 24, 2010
The flip side of my previous blog is what’s going on in the Sales organization.  They’re under constant pressure to make the quarter, introduce new products, and meet other business development objectives set by the organization.  To them, seeing one more spreadsheet of excess, at-risk inventory that they [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The Sales VP Lament</strong></p>
<p>Alan Scroope – March 24, 2010</p>
<p>The flip side of my previous blog is what’s going on in the Sales organization. <span id="more-847"></span> They’re under constant pressure to make the quarter, introduce new products, and meet other business development objectives set by the organization.  To them, seeing one more spreadsheet of excess, at-risk inventory that they have to sign up to is enough to make their eyes glaze over.  Yet they’ll take it on, knowing that it’s #25 on their Top Ten priority list, because they don’t want to risk product slipping onto the grey market.  They’d rather take the credibility hit for failing to move the excess than listen to their sales team regaling stories of channel corruption.</p>
<p>Then the Sales exec finds out what his counterpart in Supply Chain ended up selling the inventory for at liquidation.</p>
<p>Double whammy.  Besides failing to move the inventory as promised, the company’s bottom line performance took a hit with unnecessarily large reserves.  “If I had the tool and the flexibility on the ground rules that Supply Chain has I could have done <em>way </em>better.”   That’s the lament of the Sales VP.</p>
<p>Which is exactly why the two-tier platform run by many FreeFlow customers turns out to be a real win-win.  The Sales force gets a tool that lets their channel partners (or sales team if they want to keep it internal) a constantly updated view of product that is available for promotion to the channel.  The CFO is keeping an eye on sales and can adjust pricing as necessary.  And it’s only the residual inventory at the end of the period that ends up getting liquidated.</p>
<p>The Sales teams that have worked with a FreeFlow platform for promoting excess inventory to a safe, hand-picked, buying community are elated not only with the financial performance but with the minimum interference to the sales team.  No more email, spreadsheets, double-booking, price negotiation and exception approvals, the FreeFlow platform is always on and always up to date.</p>
<p>There will always be challenges to the credibility of the Sales organization, but excess inventory doesn’t have to be one of them.</p>
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		<title>Empty Promises</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/empty-promises/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/blog/empty-promises/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:41:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=840</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Supply Chain VP’s Lament
Alan Scroope &#8211; March 16, 2010
Whether your company has a solid Sales &#38; Operations Planning (S&#38;OP) process or you have an inventory reduction frenzy at the end of every quarter, if you’re in the Supply Chain organization you routinely come away from those meetings thinking, “I’ve heard that before”.  That’s your [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The Supply Chain VP’s Lament</strong></p>
<p>Alan Scroope &#8211; March 16, 2010<br />
Whether your company has a solid Sales &amp; Operations Planning (S&amp;OP) process <span id="more-840"></span>or you have an inventory reduction frenzy at the end of every quarter, if you’re in the Supply Chain organization you routinely come away from those meetings thinking, “I’ve heard that before”.  That’s your reflection on the Sales organization committing to move the excess inventory to the channel “this quarter”.  And as routinely, after several such “this quarter’s” the now-obsolete inventory makes its way to your Supply Chain organization for liquidation at cents on the dollar.</p>
<p>As inventory ages, financial reserves are increased and inventory valuation decreases.  How to stop the downward financial spiral and move this inventory while it still has good market value – without corrupting the channel?  That question stumps S&amp;OP teams and can really paralyze the organization, despite good inventory management.</p>
<p>FreeFlow’s customers have the answer.  Having used FreeFlow for EOL liquidation, they know that with their FreeFlow marketplace they have total control over who can buy their product, unlike with mass market liquidators that support only uncontrolled market access.   They know with FreeFlow they can have 2 buyers or 200 buyers (or more) and they can stipulate the conditions of sale, including sell-to restrictions.  So they create a two-tier process using their FreeFlow platform.  The second tier is their existing EOL liquidation auction.  They simply insert a first tier process for the sales organization to use as a promotions platform, giving selected channel partners or approved alternative channel partners visibility of inventory at pricing close to wholesale, which they can progressively discount.  Residual inventory at the end of the period is simply rolled over to the liquidation platform.</p>
<p>I’m continually amazed and thrilled with the new directions our customers take us, and the use of FreeFlow as a sales promotional platform is now driving millions of dollars per quarter of revenue that was previously written off.  And maybe a bit more credibility for the Sales organization.</p>
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		<title>FreeFlow Wins Best Managed Company Recognition in Deloitte Ireland Competition</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-wins-best-managed-company-recognition-in-deloitte-ireland-competition/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/news-and-events/freeflow-wins-best-managed-company-recognition-in-deloitte-ireland-competition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:41:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News and Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.freeflow.com/?p=818</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[FREEFLOW WINS BEST MANAGED COMPANY HONORS

Innovative Alternative Channels Solution Earns Deloitte Recognition
Tralee, Ireland, March 29, 2010 – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk inventory in consumer electronics companies, announced this week that it has been named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>FREEFLOW WINS BEST MANAGED COMPANY HONORS</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Innovative Alternative Channels Solution Earns Deloitte Recognition</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tralee, Ireland, March 29, 2010</strong> – FreeFlow, the world’s leading provider of alternative channel solutions for at-risk inventory in consumer electronics companies, announced this week that it has been named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards competition. In total, twenty companies who demonstrated superior business performance were recognized.</p>
<p>The Deloitte Best Managed Awards Program, in association with Bank of Scotland (Ireland), recognizes indigenous Irish companies that operate at the highest levels of business performance. The independent judging panel reviewed a broad range of criteria including strategy, capability, commitment, financials and growth potential across all key functions of the business.</p>
<p>Commenting on the award, Alan Scroope, CEO, FreeFlow said, “Every member of the FreeFlow team is committed to achieving operational excellence while serving our customers beyond their expectations.  This philosophy has driven our global success and it is gratifying to have our management philosophy recognized as best practice in such a prestigious competition.”</p>
<p>Commenting on the winners of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Program, Pat Cullen, Managing Partner, Deloitte said: “To be recognized as a Best Managed Company is a tremendous achievement, given the challenges that companies in all industries are currently experiencing. Our judging panel takes an in-depth look at each company &#8211; therefore to be chosen as a winner is testament to the sound management practices that are being implemented across the entire business. It is this thorough approach that will help these companies to take advantage of the upturn when it arrives.”</p>
<p>FreeFlow has proven to be a top Sales and Supply Chain partner by addressing its clients’ needs to build secure alternative channels for at-risk inventory.  Slow-moving, aging or end-of-life finished goods as well as consumer returns inventory sold as-is or refurbished is a multi-million dollar market for FreeFlow’s Global 1000 customers. The company’s branded and anonymous private marketplaces allow stock to be sold at auction, fixed price, or minimum price. Auction and &#8216;member privilege&#8217; dynamics are deployed to improve bidding performance, resulting in higher financial recovery. With its private, detailed market analysis, integrated performance metrics and end-to-end business support services, FreeFlow provides low-cost, secure, high recovery alternative channel solutions for excess and at-risk inventory in all stages of the product lifecycle.</p>
<p><strong>About Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards</strong></p>
<p>The Deloitte Best Managed Companies program, in association with Bank of Scotland (Ireland), promotes and recognises excellence in Irish owned and managed companies. It is the only awards scheme in Ireland that considers a business’ performance from every perspective. Entrants to the program compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates the calibre of their management abilities and practices.</p>
<p>Program sponsors include Bank of Scotland (Ireland), the Irish Management Institute and the Sunday Business Post.</p>
<p>For further information, visit <span style="color: #0000ff;">www.deloittebestmanaged.ie.</span></p>
<p><strong>About FreeFlow</strong><br />
Founded in 2001, FreeFlow improves its customers&#8217; profitability by helping them identify excess and at-risk inventory and dispositioning the inventory through the alternative channel best suited for that inventory. FreeFlow’s customers include Apple, Creative Labs, Microsoft and SanDisk. FreeFlow’s leadership in the supply chain arena has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including Gartner’s Cool Vendors in Supply Chain Management and Procurement, the Supply &amp; Demand Chain Executive 100 for 2009 and the 2009 Ruban d’Honneur European Business Award in the category of Information and Communication Technology Effectiveness. Privately-held, FreeFlow has headquarters in Tralee, Ireland and US headquarters in San Jose, California.  For more information, visit <span style="color: #0000ff;">www.FreeFlow.com.</span></p>
<p>Press Contact:<br />
Anne Patterson<br />
FreeFlow<br />
860.705.0285<br />
Anne_Patterson@FreeFlow.com﻿</p>
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		<title>Logos do not delete this post</title>
		<link>http://www.freeflow.com/logo/logos-do-not-delete-this-post/</link>
		<comments>http://www.freeflow.com/logo/logos-do-not-delete-this-post/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:39:42 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Logo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.d1074473.blacknight.com/freeflow/?p=205</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do not delete this post
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do not delete this post</p>
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