Milestones - successes

Introduced “web services” eBusiness offerings, as early adopter. Extended web services to handhelds

Starting in 2001, Fulton Wilcox's team introduced a succession of commercial offerings that incorporated "web services" into external and internal services. The handheld were from Symbol Technologies, and the onboard software was created using Microsoft.net.

Introduced hosted customer inventory management/eProcurement suite for large customers. Added “vendor managed inventory” features.

There are no new ideas, just technically modernized, repackaged new implementations. One of the fabled early "strategic" systems was American Hospital Supply's customer-side inventory system based on 1970's technology. Twenty-five years later, under the rubric "onsite management" a new rendition leveraging far more advanced and lower-cost technology demonstrated that, properly packaged, a tried and true idea still has strategic, competitive "kick."

Created internet-based supply chain processes to link multiple sales channels/distributors into a virtual network

The Internet was "born" to create "porous" boundaries and inter-entity channel teamwork. The key is to create a single face to a customer, but to delegate to the network of channel partners their fair share of the revenue opportunity (and the work).

Introduced online Internet access as well as XML data feeds of key quality, environmental/safety-related data

For "light-duty" data integration, a web site that coupled internal supplier data from multiple sources became a powerful aid to specific key customers. Additionally, EDI. XML and proprietary data feeds enabled sophisticated customers to import data into their own systems.

Introduced online Internet access to telemetry devices and telemetry populated databases

Fulton's team were early implementors of telemetry accessibility via the Internet - demonstrating that the world of "process" and of business transactions can be easily, profitably joined. The payoff can go far beyond the nominal purpose of putting telemetry in place. See sensory data capture.

Introduced online configuration/pricing for complex make-to-order products

No system is smarter than human beings, but systems that are based on "best practice" human rules are consistent, available 24X7, and leave "perfect" audit trails as to what a certain product configuration was priced a certain way.

Introduced early “punchout” enabled sellside side, followed by a companion buyside eProcurement site that also supported workflow

Pioneered with respect to the buyside/sellside dynamic interaction defined as "Open Buying on the Internet" (OBI).

OBI enables a users "session" in effect to span multiple dissimilar web environments,
typically moving from a buyside environment to a sellside environment and then back
to buyside. Fulton and his team were charter members of the OBI Consortium as well
as among the earliest adopters of both "standard" OBI and the versions offered by Ariba
Technologies as "punchout, CommerceOne as Roundtrip, anf SAP as OCI (open catalog
interface). A key subtext of this site is that OBI still "has legs."

Assimilated and standardized more than twenty acquired industrial gases distributors onto sophisticated internal systems

Worked with a senior-level cross-functional team to bring a diverse set of acquired companies onto a common platform, without disturbing operations or customer relationships. Also consolidated hardware and networks.

Part of a pioneering effort at AT&T Enhanced Network Services to commercialize EDI (Electronic Document Interchange)

Primarily focused on use of EDI to expite ordering of electronic components and other technology-intensive commodities

Also at AT&T Enhanced Network Services, designed a "bill-anything" invoicing system crucial to being able to support simultaneously multiple services and multiple channels, while presenting one coherent face to the customer

Pioneered in data warehousing and data marts, starting in 1980 with an advanced human resources data warehouse for Bell Labororatories, coupled with advanced analysis

Created a detailed sales and marketing data warehouse to provide cross-business unit views of customer consumption, profitability and costs.