Retail giant Woolworths has added business process management (BPM) capabilities to its supply chain redevelopment program.

Software AG's webMethods Optimize business activity monitoring (BAM) solution was chosen with the aim of providing real-time insight into how Woolworths' supply chain processes are performing.

According to Software AG, the BAM software will help determine what's working well, where there may be bottlenecks and why, and what can be improved in the supply chain process.

Woolworths is also investing in an SOA registry and governance platform to underpin its overall corporate move towards service-oriented architecture (SOA). Software AG's CentraSite will underpin Woolworths' SOA program, including the BAM component.

Woolworths CIO Daniel Beecham said webMethods has been a key element in the technology platform that has helped the company revolutionize its logistics business.

"The confidence we gained from that program encouraged us to further leverage our webMethods investment in the areas of SOA and process. We see this relationship as a strategic one, the strength of which has been further enhanced by the involvement of Software AG," Beecham said.

Software AG's senior vice president for webMethods Asia Pacific and Japan, Paul Henaghan, said Woolworths' continued investment in business improvement technologies indicates it is "the most technically advanced retail organization in the country".