Leading Window Manufacturer to Deploy BuyDesign at Multiple Sites as Basis for Online Sales & Service System

June 8, 2005 - Columbus, Ohio. TDCI Inc. (TDCI), a diversified enterprise software and consulting company, today announced that Atrium Companies, Inc. (Atrium), the largest manufacturer of vinyl and aluminum windows and patio doors in North America, has selected TDCI's BuyDesignT software solution as the basis for a new web-based online sales and service system. Atrium will use BuyDesign's collaborative multi-level sales channel support capabilities and powerful product configuration technology to offer online quoting, ordering, and status inquiry services to the company's extensive regional dealer networks. Atrium has executed an enterprise-level license for initial use of the software at five divisions, with an option for two more.

"We chose the BuyDesign solution primarily because of its configuration capabilities, including its templates for window and door products," states Mark Blanchat, Atrium Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development. "Many of our products can be configured for customer-specified dimensions and features, and BuyDesign enables us to make that capability available to our dealers online 24x7. In addition, the fact that it can be integrated with different back-end manufacturing systems enables us to provide a common process to our customers, even when our internal systems may be different at various manufacturing sites."

The decision to license BuyDesign followed a successful pilot implementation at Atrium's Washington Division manufacturing facility in Yakima, Washington. That division is already live with the new solution, and is now in the process of introducing it to customers in that region.

"Our customers are very enthusiastic about the capabilities we've introduced using BuyDesign," says Peter Venerdi, Atrium Washington General Manager. "They can now configure products, generate quotes, and place orders on their own any time of the day. That saves them a lot of time and effort while providing them with much greater flexibility."

Atrium Washington customers include dealers and lumberyards that support a number of large homebuilders as well as independent contractors and the entire remodel market.

"Our goal is to be easier to do business with than anyone else," adds Venerdi. "BuyDesign has enabled us to leapfrog our competitors in that respect. By offering these capabilities online, we are able to provide consistently accurate, up-to-date product and price information, where most other window manufacturers send out CDs that are essentially out of date as soon as they arrive. That means their customers don't know for sure if their product configurations and prices are valid until after they place the order - which they still have to do by fax or phone. That adds a lot of effort that doesn't exist with the online approach. And from our point of view, there's a lot less administration required as compared with publishing and updating CDs."

Following the success at Atrium Washington, Atrium is now developing implementation plans at the company's window and door divisions in Texas and California, as well as its HR Windows division.

Atrium is deploying the Sales BuyDesign, BuyDesign Control Center, and BuyDesign Integrator components of TDCI's BuyDesignT Product Customization Management solution suite. Sales BuyDesign is an online sales solution built from the ground up to support highly customized products. It provides comprehensive, easy-to-use sales and service capabilities while leveraging the power of BuyDesign Control Center to simplify the configuration process, provide dynamic 3D visualization, and automate the generation of configuration-specific pricing, documents, and information. With Sales BuyDesign, companies can provide customers, sales people, dealers, and distributors with comprehensive sales and service functionality, an intuitive browser-based user interface, and easy access via the Internet or intranet. BuyDesign Integrator will be used to integrate the solution with Atrium's back-end manufacturing and engineering systems.

About Atrium

With headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and 80 manufacturing and distribution centers located in 22 states, Atrium is the largest manufacturer of residential vinyl and aluminum windows and patio doors in North America. Atrium serves the new construction and repair and remodeling markets with a portfolio of products marketed under the Atrium® brand name and others. Atrium's product lines are offered in a broad range of designs and price points. The company utilizes a multi-channel distribution network that makes it possible to provide quality, nationwide service to the greatest number of end-users. Atrium customers include the industry's leading builders, retailers, home centers, lumberyards, contractors, designers, and architects. www.atriumcompanies.com

About TDCI

TDCI is a diversified enterprise software and consulting company serving both mid-market and large organizations. TDCI's innovative BuyDesign™ product customization management solutions help manufacturers of highly customizable products leverage configuration, engineering, and ebusiness technologies to streamline key business processes across product design, marketing, sales, and manufacturing. For more information, visit www.tdci.com/buydesign.

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