As companies learn to manage customer expectations and supply chain risks in a Web 2.0 and hyper-extended enterprise environment, software can help.

Oracle this week announced the general availability of Oracle Real-Time Decisions 3.0, designed to help organizations make better use of their data in customer service, and Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) 9.3, designed aid in risk management in the supply chain.

"Oracle Real-Time Decisions presents relevant information across any interaction channel, including Web sites," Paul Rodwick, vice president of product management for Oracle Business Intelligence, said in an e-mail to InternetNews.com.

Oracle's Rodwick told InternetNews.com that the software is designed to work with both Oracle and non-Oracle products.

"One customer in the insurance industry uses Oracle Real-Time Decisions to provide recommendations to call center agents through an old 4GL Informix green-screen application," he said.

The product is designed to deliver a positive feedback loop of constant improvements by analyzing data, prioritizing conflicting goals, and delivering real data, the company said.

While Oracle Real-Time Decisions focuses on helping companies handle customer service, Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) 9.3 focuses on supply chain risk management -- an especially critical issue for companies today, Oracle said.

"Given the current times, there are major shifts in risk profiles for suppliers and supplier individual parts," an Oracle spokesperson told InternetNews.com in an e-mail. "Broader concern about supplier viabilities and pressure to improve bottom line suppliers are obsoleting parts."

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"In this age of social platforms, quality problems quickly hit the brand," the spokesperson said. "Also broader geopolitical issues and pandemics can also impact your component supplies. All these are prompting high demand for product risk analysis solutions to help companies mitigate risk."

The Oracle spokesperson also said that the company is seeing interest in the offering from high-tech, industrial, automotive and consumer goods companies.

"A component shortage for a key product launch can make or break a high-tech company in a fast-paced competitive market," they said.

Component shortages are one risk that the product tracks.

"It shows you how overexposed you might be to certain suppliers, to allow you to look at other sourcing options to balance risks," the spokesperson said.