Avnet Electronics Marketing Ranked 25th in Second Annual InformationWeek China Business Technology 100

BEIJING , Nov. 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Avnet Electronics Marketing, the largest operating group of leading global distributor of electronic components and computer products, Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), today announced it has been ranked No. 25 in the InformationWeek China 100 list of the nation's best users of information technology. This is the second consecutive year that Avnet Electronics Marketing was chosen from a preliminary list covering more than 35 industries and nearly every large-scale company doing business in China to rank on the list.

    The InformationWeek China Business Technology 100 Research follows the research methodology and procedures of the InformationWeek 500, which has tracked the technology practices of the most innovative companies in America for the last 18 years.

    "The second annual InformationWeek China 100 focuses on companies' innovative use of IT architecture and solutions, leveraging them for sustainable competitive advantage to drive their business," said Geoffrey He, associate publisher and chief editor at InformationWeek China . "It has attracted leading companies from more than 35 industries, which represent numerous entries detailing highly innovative projects. Additional judging criteria examine the benefits that accrue to the specific industry's progress in China ."

    "With a leading global technology distribution organisation like Avnet, we are fortunate to be able to continue to make investments in our Asian infrastructure to the benefit of our customers and suppliers. They can further leverage our global resources -- giving them total support across the board -- in a way that will contribute to their success in the Asian market," said Stephen Wong, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia.

    Avnet Electronics Marketing was recognized for excellence in a number of areas, particularly its Third Party Logistics (3PL) Services Business-to- Business (B2B) Model.

    "As product cycles shrink and competitive pressures within the manufacturing industry increase, the focus on supply chain efficiency has never been greater. Accordingly, the world's leading distributor of electronic components, solutions and services, Avnet Electronics Marketing is constantly looking for ways to add value and efficiency to the production process," said Alfred Tang, senior IT director, Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia.

    In practice that means continually creating new solutions and services that can make a major competitive difference and provide its customers with a significant advantage in whichever market they operate.

    The most recent example of this approach is a new 3PL Services B2B Model that exploits Avnet Electronics Marketing's award winning SAP implementation and the power of RosettaNet. Stimulated directly by the demand from strategic customers for expanded logistics engagements, Avnet has completely overhauled its existing logistics management system. The organization has created a comprehensive new 3PL services model that stretches from inventory management, inspection services, tagging, bar coding, RFID, supplier management and technology integration all the way through to industry standard compliances and certification.

    "The most innovative aspect of the project can be seen at the core of the solution, where the expansion of the current 3PL inventory hub functionalities and business processes linked to customers has been radically transformed. Today, Avnet and its customers interact through a full-function B2B model that not only ensures maximum efficiency and therefore reduced turnaround times, but also maximizes cost-effectiveness, virtually eliminating wastage or wasted effort," continued Tang.

    "We are honored to have been ranked highly for the second year running in the prestigious InformationWeek China 100 list," said Steve Phillips, CIO at Avnet. "This accolade recognizes the relevance of our philosophy for long- term business-driven IT strategies which include providing excellent global customer service, expanding our end-to-end connectivity with suppliers and customers, delivering world-class materials management, and setting our ERP strategy."

    Phillips took part in a panel discussion at the InformationWeek China Fall Conference on Nov 13, 06 on "Management and Innovation-constructing sustainable competitive advantages".