Carmaker Named to Managing Automation’s ‘Progressive Manufacturing 50’

ATLANTA (August 14, 2007) --- Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC has been recognized with a ‘Progressive Manufacturing 50’ award from Managing Automation magazine for an advanced SEEBURGER-powered Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) implementation at the Hyundai factory that opened in 2005 in Montgomery, Alabama.  SEEBURGER’s technology has enabled Hyundai to eliminate communication service provider fees as well as bring non-EDI-enabled suppliers online without expensive EDI deployments.  

Hyundai’s use of SEEBURGER’s B2B Gateway and AS2 adapter has enabled the Alabama facility to bypass value-added networks (VANs) by transmitting trading data exclusively over the Internet using the AS2 communication protocol.  The factory is the first AS2-only automotive plant and is saving at least $80,000 in annual VAN fees, according to SEEBURGER estimates.

In addition, SEEBURGER’s Hub & Spoke system has allowed Hyundai to automate communications with the U.S. production facilities of 15 Korean-based Tier 1 suppliers that previously lacked EDI capabilities.  The Hub portion of the system is installed at the Hyundai factory, integrated with SEEBURGER’s B2B Gateway, and configured with Hyundai’s trading documents. The Spoke portion is a small downloadable Java application used by participating suppliers to route transaction messages through the EDI data stream rather than by fax or other manual means, speeding communications as well as eliminating manual document processing costs.

These benefits led Managing Automation to recognize Hyundai in the Data and Integration category of its 2007 Progressive Manufacturing 50, an annual awards program that honors manufacturers who have achieved distinction in mastering the business models and processes necessary to compete in today’s global marketplace.
“EDI is standard operating procedure in the automotive industry, but SEEBURGER’s technology has enabled us to add new levels of automation that are saving us both time and money,” said Jing Tang Hu, IT Project Coordinator, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.  “This award reflects the importance of these improvements to Hyundai as well as the potential for other manufacturers to use similar strategies to further streamline their just-in-time/just-in-sequence trading relationships.”  

“Hyundai started planning their Alabama B2B system while the factory was still under construction, and they wanted the most advanced capabilities available.  They adopted AS2 at a time when it was not widely used, and they were among the first companies to adopt our Hub & Spoke architecture to automate communications with non-EDI-enabled suppliers,” said Scott Lewin, President and CEO, SEEBURGER Inc.  “This recognition from Managing Automation is a tribute to their vision and their willingness to embrace new technologies.”

SEEBURGER is a leading provider of global business integration solutions designed to optimize transactions throughout the extended enterprise by automating trading relationships with all partners regardless of their size and technical resources.  Launched in 1986 to provide integration solutions to the automotive industry in Germany, the company today is ranked among the top business-to-business gateway providers by industry analysts, and serves more than 7,000 customers in 50 countries and more than 15 industries through its flagship B2B Gateway and related products and services.  SEEBURGER has global offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, including a U.S. office that opened in 1998.

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