TECHNOLOGY

Infor to Acquire GT Nexus

New York–based technology solutions provider Infor announced it plans to acquire GT Nexus, the Oakland, Calif.–based global trade and logistics platform, for $675 million.

The deal is expected to be finalized in September following regulatory approval.

There are approximately 25,000 customers—including adidas Group, Caterpillar, Columbia Sportswear, DHL, Home Depot, Levi Strauss & Co., Maersk, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble and UPS—using GT Nexus’ cloud-based network.

Infor is a supplier of ERP (enterprise resource planning) and PLM (product lifecycle management) software. There are more than 3,200 fashion and retail businesses using the Infor CloudSuite Fashion, according to the company, which says many of those clients are also using GT Nexus. Together, the two companies will help businesses improve sales, operations and production planning by integrating merchandising, marketing and demand data. Companies can also track the status of work-in-process orders still in production through the Infor system as well as any production changes through Infor’s PLM solution.

“Together, Infor and GT Nexus will provide customers with unprecedented visibility into their supply chains to manage production and monitor goods in transit and at rest,” said Charles Phillips, Infor chief executive officer, in a statement. “In a complex, high-velocity supply chain, all partners need to know what was ordered, when it was built, where it is in transit, if the order has changed and has it cleared customs. Specialization and speed are moving the future of manufacturing into the commerce cloud.”

GT Nexus’ global order-management system allows retail, fashion and manufacturing companies to collaborate with suppliers and manage shipments to customers, distribution centers and retail outlets.

Buyers and suppliers access the GT Nexus network through their order-management system. Order information is sent by buyers through GT Nexus to suppliers, financial institutions, freight carriers and logistics providers. GT Nexus manages “the master record of the order across multiple partners” for the entire network. The company also facilitates more than $20 billion in payments between buyers and their suppliers in 90 countries and in 8 currencies, according to a company statement.

“Infor is a great home for GT Nexus, and we’re excited to join forces with a company with a strong manufacturing, retail and supply-chain pedigree,” said Sean Feeney, CEO of GT Nexus, in a company statement.

Infor also has a social collaboration platform, Infor Ming.le, for managing “unstructured processes within the supply chain,” and Infor Rhythm is the company’s omni-channel e-commerce platform.

For more information, visit www.infor.com and www.gtnexus.com.