Athens Group Sponsors Private Label Experts to Speak at Material World 2008

AUSTIN, TX, Mar 31 (MARKET WIRE) --
Today retail business process leaders, Athens Group, announced that the company
will sponsor a customer-driven presentation entitled, "PLM and SRM Apparel
Manufacturing
and Retail Success Stories" at this year's Material World and Technology
Solutions.The presentation will highlight current challenges and best practices
strategies
from customers who have not only survived, but flourished in today's
challenging retail economic environment.

"Globalization, ever-changing sourcing models and increasingly
product-focused
investment criteria require new ways of partnering within and beyond an
enterprise," said Dan Staresinic, Global Marketing Director - Consumer
Products, Siemens PLM Software. "PLM is an extended enterprise strategy to drive
product and process innovation and achieve profitable differentiation."

The presentation will be held in the Technology Solutions Theater section of
Material World on Tuesday, April 8th at 3:45 p.m. Co-presenters Harry K.
Magazu of Jones Apparel Group and John Johnson, Apparel Expert at Siemens PLM
Software, will share best practices from real-world case studies of
successful PLM implementations. Attendees will learn the results that
successful apparel and CPG companies have achieved using enterprise-class PLM
and SRM
solutions.

"According to recent findings from Retail Systems Research, retailers who
outperform their peers in year-over-year comparable store sales carry a
significantly higher percentage of private label merchandise than their
underperforming peers," said Christine Lowry, CMO at Athens Group. "In order
to survive in today's economic environment, it's even more important for
retailers
and manufacturers to simultaneously reduce costs and differentiate offerings,
while speeding time to market."

Highly configurable Product PLM and SRM solutions are gaining traction in
footwear and apparel manufacturers and retailers. Those organizations that
have adopted PLM and sourcing solutions are better able to manage their private
label initiatives and are thus achieving higher sales, margins and turnover.
Aberdeen Group's recent report entitled, "PLM for the Fashion, Apparel and
Footwear Industries," states that best-in-class companies are 54% more likely
to have PLM solutions in place than industry-average companies.

Athens Group has the strong retail expertise key to helping customers
customize and
integrate their PLM and SRM solutions, ultimately reducing product risks and
costs
and speeding time to value. The company will be exhibiting Private Label
Management (PLM) and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) solutions with
technology
partner, Siemens PLM Software in booth number 325 during Material World
April 8 - 10th in Miami Beach, FL.

Athens Group Retail

Retailers cite outmoded IT portfolios, complex integration, and deficient
business
processes as their biggest barriers to profitable growth. To help business
technology leaders overcome these barriers, we provide cost-effective, flexible
retail solutions and services, to help support business growth and enable rapid
change. We can help you make practical business process changes and
improvements,
legacy systems enhancements and evolution, and achieve simpler, more
effective integration. Athens Group serves clients such as REI, Whole Foods
Market, Lance Armstrong Foundation, SUPERVALU and Dell. For more information,
visit
www.athensgroupretail.com.

Note: Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG.
All
other trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks belong to their
respective holders.

Contact:
Vanessa McMillan
Director of Marketing
512-345-0600 ext. 135
Email Contact

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