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Manchester Software Company Wins Major Technology Contract from US Multinational


Manchester UK: 20th October 2003

XeBusiness (XeB) the specialist provider of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems to Apparel and Textile companies operating in the retail supply chain has won a major technology contract from Fruit of the Loom International, a global 'household name' fashion brand.

The contract is for XeB's Real Time Manufacturing Control System (Xe-RTS) and it will be installed at a major Fruit of the Loom manufacturing facility in Morocco.

Following the successful implementation of the system at the first Moroccan site, the system is expected to be rolled out to other manufacturing facilities in Morocco and worldwide

The productivity improvements, cost reductions and management information the new system will provide are expected to result in its capital cost being recovered in less than nine months.

The XeB system will be electronically linked to enterprise wide merchandising, distribution and financial systems already in use within the American giant.

Commenting on the contract, Austin Cutliffe, European IT Manager of Fruit of the Loom based in the Republic of Ireland said:

"Following an extensive review of available systems in the manufacturing control area, we decided on the XeBusiness system as being the most comprehensive and best supported. The expertise and knowledge of our business demonstrated by the XeBusiness team was also decisive in awarding them this contract"

David Cullis, Managing Director of XeBusiness, commented:

"We are delighted to be working with a strong global fashion brand like Fruit of the Loom. Our Real Time Manufacturing Control System is a world-class 'best of breed' application that is already in use in many sites in the UK. This contract marks another overseas implementation of the system in the key textile manufacturing regions overseas where our product is already attracting a lot of interest."


About Fruit of the Loom

Fruit of the Loom is a leading, international vertically integrated basic apparel company. The Company is one of the largest manufacturers and marketers of men's and boys' underwear, women's and girls' underwear, printable T-shirts and fleece for the activewear, casualwear, and childrenswear segments of the apparel sector. The Company sells its products principally under the FRUIT OF THE LOOM®, BVD®, SCREEN STARS® and UNDEROOS® brands.

About XeBusiness

XeBusiness supplies computer based supply chain solutions for quick response and cost reduction - simply and economically. The company is a leading business to business provider of systems that allow client companies to automate their in-house functional processes and to also integrate these - via the Internet - with systems in use at their customers, suppliers and business partners to improve service levels and reduce operating costs.

About Xe-RTS (Real Time Manufacturing Control for the Apparel and Footwear Sectors)

Xe-RTS is a world class Manufacturing Control, Time and Attendance and Work in Progress (WIP) management system that monitors, records and feeds back information to operatives and managers instantaneously (in real time) about shop floor manufacturing processes as they occur, enabling productivity to be substantially increased (5% - 25%+),contract/production order visibility/tracking to be acheived and operating costs to be reduced.

For further information, please contact:

David Cullis at XeBusiness Ltd

Tel: 0161 869 0430 or

email: david.cullis@xebusiness.com