3PL News - 3PL News

First Single-Source, Fast-Track Ecommerce Solution for 3PLs Hy-Tek Introduces ECOMPLETE

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 02:56:51 +0000

June 3, 2020, Columbus, OH…Hy-Tek Material Handling, Inc. and its Johnson Stephens Consulting (JSC) division are pleased to introduce ECOMPLETE, a comprehensive solution that helps third-party logistics providers (3PLs) improve existing ecommerce platforms or enter into ecommerce for the first time. A one-stop shop for ecommerce components, ECOMPLETE takes 3PL sales from click to ship and everything in between.

“COVID-19 has exposed 3PL companies whose outmoded or nonexistent ecommerce capabilities prevent them from selling to quarantined consumers. Hy-Tek designed ECOMPLETE, which integrates with the company’s technology to get products online, out the door, and into buyers’ hands quickly,” said Sam Grooms, CEO of Hy-Tek.

ECOMPLETE’s predesigned, pre-engineered modular approach allows 3PLs to select only the components they need. Modules include facility acquisition, order management, warehouse management, material handling equipment, and operational readiness and support, among others. For companies with no ecommerce presence, webstore shopping cart systems are available.

“ECOMPLETE is designed to support ecommerce success during the pandemic and long after business returns to normal. From implementation through finish, ECOMPLETE takes a fraction of the time traditional projects require, accelerating the seller’s ability to provide or enhance ecommerce operations,” said JSC Managing Principal Sandy Stephens.

About Hy-Tek Material Handling
Hy-Tek is the premier single-source provider of material handling solutions for a wide range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, retail, construction, food, electronics, and automotive. Since 1963, Hy-Tek and its best-in-class industry partners—including manufacturers of industrial equipment; conveyor systems; automated storage and retrieval systems; rack and shelving—have been providing customers large and small with turnkey solutions. From customized one-of-a-kind handling and storage systems to pre-assembled buildings and off-the-shelf products—Hy-Tek’s experienced team of engineering, sales, operations, and project management professionals partner with customers to help enhance productivity, streamline processes, and boost profitability. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, employee-owned Hy-Tek Material Handling serves customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from offices in Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Posting annual sales of $127 million, Hy-Tek’s two divisions—Integrated Systems and Industrial Equipment—deliver cost-effective, efficient solutions for every material handling application.

About Johnson Stephens Consulting Division of Hy-Tek Integrated Systems
Johnson Stephens Consulting is a supply chain operations consultancy that provides clients with cost-effective, service-focused solutions. Opportunities include logistics network optimization, facility planning & design, WMS, TMS & LMS services, labor management engineering, LEAN distribution, and operations excellence. Founded in 2003, JSC professionals have completed over 400 projects and served over 200 different retailers, wholesalers, e-commerce/direct to consumer companies, 3PLs, and consumer product distributors.

Visit https://ecomplete.hy-teksystems.com/ or call 800-818-6242.

Great Point Partners Backed Softbox Systems Completes Tempack Acquisition – Adding Operations in Spain, Germany, and Latin America

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:03:47 +0000

August 18th, 2017 - GREENWICH, CT and LONG CRENDON, U.K. – Great Point Partners (“GPP”) today announced that Softbox Systems (“Softbox”) a GPP II Portfolio company has acquired Tempack Packaging Solutions (“Tempack”) based in Barcelona, Spain. Tempack focuses on the development and manufacturing of packaging solutions for the transportation of high value temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products. The addition of the Tempack’s operations increases Softbox’s footprint in Europe and Latin America and brings additional packaging solutions for its customers.

Wayne Langlois, President of Softbox, stated, “Softbox will leverage the customer relationships and distribution channels established by Alex Vila and his team at Tempack to expand its operations, offer current and future Softbox products, and provide innovative temperature-controlled packaging products across Europe and the Americas.”

Noah Rhodes, Managing Director at Great Point Partners added, “Global expansion is a key objective of our strategic plan for Softbox and the acquisition of Tempack will allow us to better serve our customers through an expanded presence in both the European and Latin American markets.”

Tempack currently has two offices in Europe (Spain, Germany) and four offices in Latin America. Softbox has offices in the U.K, United States, India, and Singapore. Together both companies will offer greater global coverage while providing existing customers with improved capabilities, production capacity and quality of customer support.

Alex Vila, Tempack CEO, commented, “Tempack can now offer an expanded product portfolio to our customers. Together we will continue to grow and to serve additional markets with the most comprehensive and cost-effective cold chain shipping solutions.”

About Great Point Partners
Great Point Partners ("GPP"), founded in 2003 and based in Greenwich, CT, is a leading healthcare investment firm with approximately $1 billion of equity capital under management and 28 professionals, investing in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. GPP is currently making new private equity investments from GPP II, which has closed on $215 million. Great Point manages capital in private (GPP I, $156 million and GPP II, $215 million) and public (BioMedical Value Fund, approximately $600 million) equity funds. Great Point Partners has provided growth equity, growth recapitalization, and management buyout financing to more than 100 growing health care companies. The private equity funds invest across all sectors of the healthcare industry with particular emphasis on biopharmaceutical services and supplies, outsourcing, pharmaceutical infrastructure and information technology enabled businesses. The firm pursues a proactive and proprietary approach to sourcing investments and tuck-in acquisitions for its portfolio companies. Reach Great Point at 203-971-3300 or www.gppfunds.com.

About Softbox Systems
Softbox Systems is an award-winning temperature control packaging innovator that has been designing and producing high-performance passive temperature control packaging solutions for over 20 years. We offer consistent quality to our clients from our strategically located global manufacturing sites throughout Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

We have formed long standing partnerships with the world’s leading biotech, pharmaceutical, clinical research and logistics companies, and apply innovative thinking to overcome the challenges that our clients face in managing the Cold Chain when shipping temperature sensitive clinical trial and commercialized products.

In 2014, Great Point Partners, a leading healthcare investment firm, recapitalized Softbox to provide growth financing for the Company to continue to execute on its expansion, innovation and global investment strategy to support its clients around the globe.

Softbox - Enabling Cold Chain Packaging Excellence
For more information about Softbox Systems and its innovative packaging, visit www.softboxsystems.com

Decisions happen, resolutions and goals don't!

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 04:07:09 +0000

Decisions happen, resolutions and goals don't - Erik Larson, Forbes

Greetings from Innovation Enterprise!

Executives and managers can't afford to count on resolutions to reach their corporate targets and objectives, they have to make decisions.

By registering today to the S&OP Innovation Summit In Las Vegas, you're taking a step forward and you're making sure both you and your team will gain knowledge & insights from industry leaders working in sales and operations planning.

This January 25 & 26, make the decision to expand your network, learn new skills directly related to your role, become a leader for your team and discover innovative tools & strategies.

Secure your Silver, Gold or Diamond pass online today and use the code 3PLNEWS200 to save $200 on any pass!

Our agenda is almost complete and includes presentations from Google, Pfizer, Intel, Charter Steel and many others. See the latest schedule here.

There's nothing like testing the product before buying it! Watch for free, on our On Demand platform, last year's presentation of Craig McLaughlin, Global Head of IBP at Modelez International: 'Global Integrated Business Planning Process'. It'll give you and idea of what to expect from the event.

LEARN THAT NEW SKILL

Best,

Elliott Jay
Global Events Manager
Innovation Enterprise
+1 415 800 4713
ejay@theiegroup.com

P.S.: Arguing with your colleagues on who gets to go to Vegas? Contact me to discuss our discounted group rates!

5 reasons to attend the S&OP Innovation Summit in Las Vegas on January 25 & 26

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 03:03:49 +0000

Greetings from Innovation Enterprise!

Last year, more than 150 S&OP leaders attended the S&OP Innovation Summit in Las Vegas. Many of them are coming back this year to meet the new speakers and to keep up to date with latest trends.

Here are 5 reasons why you should join them in Las Vegas on January 25 & 26:

The People: With 20+ hours dedicated to networking opportunities, you'll have plenty of time to meet potential business partners among the 150+ senior S&OP professionals in attendance.
The Content: The agenda includes 25+ keynote sessions that will help you modernize your outdated processes while realizing the importance of disruptive innovation to establish an agile S&OP. Download the brochure here.
The Speakers: When was the last time you spoke with the Director, Sales Operations at Google? This is your chance to meet industry leaders and ask them burning questions.
The City: The summit is taking place in one of the most dynamic cities in the United States. Why not make it a team building trip? Access our exclusive deals at Planet Hollywood here.
The Timing: By the end of January, the holidays are already far behind. A business trip to Vegas might be exactly what you and your team need!

Gather a group of 3 people to enjoy a unique discount of 25%. Use the code TEAM25 and register online today!

USE CODE TEAM25

Best,

Elliott Jay
Global Events Manager
Innovation Enterprise
+1 415 800 4713

5 High-Demand Careers in Logistics

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 05:40:15 +0000

By Tonya Chestnut, Associate Director of Admissions at Florida Polytechnic University,

Our global community is steadily growing larger, and so too is the worldwide demand for logistics professionals. Through communication, commerce and cultural connection, it’s become easier to move beyond borders and ship goods and services overseas. As a result, the logistics industry is in dire need of professionals who can efficiently plan, execute and improve shipping and distribution processes.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs for logisticians will be driven by the “need for logistics in the transportation of goods in a global economy.” This worldwide demand for logistics professionals offers lucrative job opportunities, but it remains a highly competitive market to enter. For this reason, young professionals need to get a head start on training and education. Earning a logistics degree, for example, is a great stepping stone to landing one of the five most in-demand logistics careers listed below.

Supply Chain Manager
Supply chain managers are among the most vital employees in any commerce-related organization. They oversee the entire operation, from the shipment planning stages to product distribution and storage. Supply chain managers are commonly responsible for: mapping out shipments; overseeing and securing product manufacturing; directing product transportation; finding adequate storage for goods; identifying the best means for product distribution and supervising customer service.

Logistics Software Manager
Global supply chains are managed by highly sophisticated technology and could not run properly without professionals to operate them. Logisticians who are proficient with these systems and software are a highly valuable asset, as technology is now a key component in nearly every successful logistics operation. In this role, technical skill is most valued since logistics software managers must troubleshoot intricate systems.

Logistics Engineer
The logistics engineer is the brains behind each of the systems used in the management process. Logistics engineers operate and regulate these systems to carry out a variety of tasks ranging from managing inventory to designing systems that efficiently package products. These engineers are typically detail-oriented and excel in communication, technical and leadership skills. Most employers require a candidate with a bachelor’s degree, but prefer a master’s degree in logistics or engineering to truly be capable of handling the role.

Warehouse Operations Manager
Warehouse operations managers not only oversee the manufacturing process within their respective warehouse, but they also manage employee recruitment, finances, security and inventory flow. As a result, this role requires a combination of soft and hard skills. Candidates should have a broad knowledge of warehouse operations and material handling, in addition to interpersonal and leadership skills to effectively manage teams.

Transportation Manager
Every day, millions of items are transported by land, sea and air. Transportation managers are responsible for electronically tracking these shipments to ensure smooth and secure deliveries. They act as a liaison between distributors and consumers to make sure products deliveries are satisfactory for both parties. Given their influence on international and domestic trade, transportation managers are a valuable asset in the global logistics market. To excel on the job, transportation managers should be detail-oriented, excellent negotiators and adept problem-solvers.

Each of these five logistics careers plays a valuable role in global commerce processes. For logisticians interested in filling one of these roles, the key to becoming a standout candidate is a thorough, early education. Enrolling in a higher education logistics program, particularly STEM-focused programs, allows students to dive into real-world problems and find creative solutions to the world’s logistics problems.

Tonya Chestnut
As the Associate Director of Admissions at Florida Polytechnic University, Tonya Chestnut actively recruits students and conducts group tours, in addition to traveling throughout northern and central Florida to meet students and guidance counselors in person. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Keiser University in Lakeland, and has also attended a one-year program on leadership and management at Saint Leo University.

Entitlement Management: The Key To Managing IoT Security

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 05:32:45 +0000

By Murt O’Donnell, Director of ESolutions at ModusLink

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers organizations infinite new business opportunities and potential for revenue growth, however it also introduces a range of new security risks. In fact, a study from HP revealed that 70 percent of the most commonly used IoT-enabled devices contain serious security vulnerabilities – and a recent Ernst and Young study found that 56 percent of the world’s global companies say that it is “unlikely or highly unlikely” that their organization would be able to detect a sophisticated IoT-related attack.

One of the biggest challenges with the IoT is that security tools and processes must be able to manage and monitor thousands, or even millions, of devices and new security threats that are constantly emerging. Additionally, the majority of IoT devices use simple operating systems and processors, so often they can’t support more advanced security technology. To make matters even more challenging, experienced IoT and emerging technology security experts can be difficult to find.

Thankfully, entitlement management is proving to be an extremely effective process for managing IoT security. Simply put, entitlements represent what a user has rights to. Entitlements control what software keys get created to unlock new features. They validate which users can receive updates or support and they can also record who has installed software on what devices.

The hyper-growth of the IoT is making all hardware and appliance original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) incorporate software, which makes entitlement management technology key to protecting the intellectual property of “smart” and connected devices. While companies can technically access all the data they want from an IoT-enabled Keurig coffeemaker or Nest thermostat, for instance, they shouldn’t be able to abuse that information. Entitlement management ensures that only those with clearance can access IoT device data – and that only permitted amounts and types of user information are viewable to authorized parties.

For organizations looking to leverage entitlement management to better manage IoT security, it’s necessary to implement on-premise or cloud-based software that can manage the thousands of entitlements a typical organization generates every day. In addition to providing greater IoT security and compliance, such technology can also reduce costs, improve quality of service and make products or services more accessible to customers.

When evaluating entitlement management software, ensure it includes the following 5 capabilities:

1. Multi-License Management
To make it easy for customers to access their orders and properly install their purchases – and for organizations to be able to assign and manage multi-license agreements – entitlement management software should offer the use of multiple license key generators. The software should also be able to manage complex product configurations and initiate support calls to remote or third-party key generators. Additionally, it’s important that entitlement management software can generate license authenticity codes for partners, as well as handle batch process activations, re-hosts, upgrades and returns. Finally, the software should be able to manage activation validation rules such as required products, quantities or combinations.

2. Streamlined Upgrades
A big benefit of entitlement management software is that it can simplify the process of software upgrades, giving customers a high level of personalized service, while also decreasing support and maintenance costs. Seek out entitlement management software that provides support for complex product mapping and changes during an upgrade process, gives options for targeting individual companies or machines for upgrades – and that has automatic new key generation. The software should also have the ability to push out critical patches and determine the number of affected customers prior to an upgrade.

3. Flexible Usage Tracking
As the IoT continues to proliferate our current business landscape, the ability to capture and report on the data generated by “smart” devices will be increasingly critical. Luckily, entitlement management software can collect and report on “smart” device usage. In fact, such software can receive usage information and associate it with individual devices – and it can also connect devices to customers through registration processes. Organizations should implement entitlement management software that can track usage against entitlements, report on usage by devices and customers and support pay-as-you-use and other usage-based business models.

4. Content Download Control
Effective entitlement management software should be able to control access to online resources and downloads and ensure that only entitled customers gain access to restricted files. The software should also provide content producers with a secure way to deliver electronic data via out-of-the-box integration with a leading content delivery network (CDN) provider or via URL- and FTP-based downloads. Entitlement management software should also be able to track download initiations and offer the ability to limit the number of times a file is downloaded by any one customer.

5. Real-Time Reporting
Along with flexible usage tracking, reporting is one of the key benefits of entitlement management software. Organizations should implement software that provides detailed insights into which customers are activating which products on what platforms, what is purchased versus deployed, how often products are re-hosted or returned, who is requesting temporary licenses and who is eligible for renewals and upgrades. Entitlement management software should offer the ability to run such reports in real-time and also have the ability to create additional, custom reports. Lastly, the software should have its own, siloed database to ensure its reporting doesn’t slow down transaction processing.

Business Insider projects that there will be 24 billion IoT-enabled devices by 2020, and nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years, with businesses leading the way in terms of IoT adoption. Given this incredible momentum, now is the time for organizations to seriously evaluate their IoT security risks.

Leveraging dedicated entitlement management software can allow companies to take full advantage of their IoT revenue potential without compromising the safety of their business – or their customers. As an added benefit, implementing entitlement management solutions can provide organizations with critical business intelligence, which can lead to reduced production costs and maximized revenue.

The Top 3 Reasons Why Companies Change 3PL Providers and How to Avoid Them Yourself

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 26 May 2016 02:04:52 +0000

The cornerstone of success for a 3PL company is the ability to retain existing customers while attracting new clients. Not surprisingly, it is often more difficult to attract new customers than it is to keep existing clients from being enticed to try another 3PL company. By devoting increased attention to improving customer service, affordable pricing, and user-friendly technology, a 3PL company can help prevent existing customers from straying to a competing 3PL provider. Below are the top 3 reasons why companies change 3PL providers and the strategies you can take to keep your customers, as compiled by 3PLCompanies.net.

How Poor Customer Service can Cause Customers to Change Providers

Clients enlist the help of a 3PL company to help their operations and shipments flow smoothly and seamlessly. In many cases customers are completely dependent upon their 3PL provider to supply the following important pieces of information:

Order updates
Shipment tracking information
Inventory availability

When a 3PL provider fails to provide requested information promptly and accurately, the result is customer dissatisfaction. Most customers who employ the services of 3PL companies have clients of their own who urgently require updates on their orders and failure to properly respond can result in a negative chain effect of lost customers. One or two episodes of poor responsiveness can cause a customer to consider switching 3PL providers.

How a 3PL Company Can Make Customer Service a Top Priority

The best way that a 3PL company can help prevent client loss is to constantly emphasize the importance of outstanding customer service to 3PL employees. Specifically, employees should be trained to focus on the following key elements of the customer service process:

• Responding promptly to customer phone calls and electronic correspondence
• Providing regular updates on order progress
• Ensuring that customers receive tracking information following shipments
• Promptly addressing order inaccuracies and returns

In addition to reacting quickly to customer inquiries, 3PL employees should be encouraged to proactively provide information and data to customers. By going beyond the call of duty and being proactive, a 3PL company can maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.

Technological Inefficiencies Can Ruin a Customer Relationship

Outdated technology can drastically impede the efficiency of a 3PL company. No 3PL customer wants to hear the reasons behind a delayed shipment. Customers hire 3PL companies because 3PL firms offer supply chain expertise. They should not have to worry about the failed integration of their 3PL provider’s software systems. While every organization experiences sporadic technological difficulties, 3PL companies have a responsibility to ensure that their software systems are current and designed to be compatible with existing technology.

How to Prevent Technological Failures from Driving Customers to Competitors

There are multiple measures that 3PL companies can take to ensure that their technology is updated and primed to handle the addition of employees, large orders and future anticipated changes. By taking the following steps, 3PL companies can help make sure that shipments are not delayed due to technological inefficiencies:

Ensure that all employees receive thorough training on software systems
Formally review the effectiveness of systems at least once per quarter
Invest in sufficient software licenses and make sure they are kept up to date
Request a demo of a new software system prior to purchasing the system

Why Price Remains a Significant Factor in Customer Abandonment

Anyone who has worked in management for a manufacturing company knows that competition within the 3PL industry is increasing every day. New companies that are hungry for business will often promise to beat any competitor’s price simply to get a foot in the door. While these new competitors may not necessarily offer a higher level of service, the fact remains that some customers can be lured to another provider if there is a significant price difference.

How to Prevent Customers from Choosing a Lower Priced Competitor

In addition to reviewing pricing structures on a quarterly basis, 3PL companies need to make sure that they take other measures to help prevent customer loss due to price. Suggested measures include the following:

Continually work with freight carriers to obtain better rates
Survey existing customers at least once annually about value and pricing
Ensure that customers are comparing apples to oranges when reviewing 3PL providers

By striving to consistently improve customer service, technology and price, a 3PL company will help solidify relationships with existing customers and help prevent them from turning to a competitor.

Supply Chain Intelligence with Weft™

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:30:15 +0000

Identify opportunities to improve supply chain operations right now and for the future.

No one has perfect supply chain visibility.

The majority of shippers and logistics service providers feel they don’t have all the information they need to make the best decisions. The problem is apparent every time you open the newspaper or, more commonly, visit a news website: “Poor Visibility Puts a Majority of Organizations at Risk for Supply Chain Disruption,” “Every supply chain operative knows that visibility is the key to success”, “It is usually only when there is a major problem, or a material event, that companies realize they do not have the level of visibility that they need.”

Make smarter logistics decisions with proven insights and visibility

Lack of supply chain visibility makes identifying opportunities for improvement all but impossible. But many companies have improved their bottom line after adopting asset intelligence solutions:

Seeing that inclement weather would disrupt their shipment in the Caribbean, a major CPG brand re-routed product to avoid a late shipment and losses.
A freight forwarder used data to evaluate their partners and network, eliminating incorrect information on most shipments, saving money and improving customer satisfaction.
Asset visibility and intelligence enabled a leading marine carrier to see when and where containers became available, eliminate excess fleet and maximize asset utilization.
A port operator applied analytics to identify bottlenecks, increase throughput and reduce congestion.

The critical ingredients for business growth are visibility, analytics and flexibility, according to CSC. “Visibility and analytics produce vital information to drive efficiency and target growth, flexibility then gives us the ability to act upon that information,” the Ninth Annual Global Survey of Supply Chain Progress states. Across the board, businesses lacking these areas realized slower growth than those who had at least two. In other words, at the very least, companies need a transparent view of operations to enable them to react quickly. But they need a solution with insights in order to be proactive.

Lack of Visibility - Can’t see what has happened, what is happening and what will happen
• Near Term Challenges: Poor resource allocation; Shipping empty containers; Incur demurrage and other fees; Learn of delays (bottlenecks, congestion, events) too late
• Long Term Challenges: Poor capacity planning; Demurrage fees (aggregate); Late fees in port

Lack of Analytics - Don’t have past performance to optimize for the future, both long-term and short-term.
• Near Term Challenges: Procurement, contract and rate negotiation; Can’t compare competitor, partner or network performance; Subject to higher risk; Can’t provide data and updates to customers
• Long Term: No resilience planning; Sub-optimal asset utilization

Lack of Flexibility - Can’t be nimble; unable to react to changes, updates or research findings.
• Near Term: Re-routing shipments – reactive instead of proactive; Last-minute air freight costs; Lose millions from late shipments, shrinkage and claims
• Long Term: React to fluctuations in supply and demand; Poor customer service

Inefficiencies cause trillions of dollars in unrealized revenue. Auto manufacturers lose upwards of $8,000 per minute on late shipments. Petroleum processers can spend $80 million per year on late fees due to port congestion. Last minute air shipments cost freight forwarders $100,000 per year.

Weft™ real-time visibility gives a global view of the past, present and future impacts to the supply chain. Our VITAS™ platform collects a wide-array of data sources, including Weft proprietary data (e.g. fixed vehicle activity at ports, terminals and air cargo facilities; multi-modal transfer rates at rail yards; container, pallet and asset movement and sensor data); 3rd-party proprietary data (e.g. satellite and terrestrial tracking of vessels and planes; transportation support systems; customer assets) and public data (e.g. weather, fuel prices, news, sentiment). Users log in to the web-based application, or import data to their existing TMS, for a live view of vessels, ports or sensor-equipped assets and what is going on around them.

Our analytics provide actionable information used every day to identify opportunities to optimize logistics. Customers can identify gaps and blockages in their supply chain, detect anomalous behavior, identify trends, analyze fleet and partner performance, pinpoint areas and conditions with higher risk and, with sensors, predict M&R. Weft indices, such as the Weft Port Ranking and Weft Maritime Ranking, are an objective resource for companies to compare performance of their network and competition.

Immediate predictions and long-term trends lead to improvements in business flexibility and empower leaders to make proactive supply chain decisions. With both visibility and analytics, companies can act immediately to reduce costs and make operations more efficient. Alerts allow logistics leaders to react immediately, while reports can inform improvements over the longer term. Automated alerts include changes in state, delays, abnormal behavior and, with sensors, unsafe changes in condition (temperature, humidity, light, etc), brute force and impact, need for maintenance or repair and more.

Break out of the Status Quo

Businesses are currently devoting incredible resources and funds to overcome these challenges and avoid the costs. Entire departments of people are devoted to the task of using slow, archaic methods of gathering and analyzing information. Data is constantly incomplete, outdated, incorrect and limited in scope. In-depth reports can be used for predictions a year out, but what about needs for next month, next week or today? If they can’t react in a timely manner, businesses lose money.

The capabilities to collect, clean, analyze and respond to data exists today, and Weft is putting them in action right now. The commoditization of telecommunications, advances in technology and data science and decreasing costs of hardware and tools have helped make it possible to build the VITAS platform.

Visit our website to learn more about how Weft can bring actionable insights to your supply chain.

The new super sector: Century old automotive business model overturned with tech sector convergence

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:14:23 +0000

New DHL Supply Chain report details the automotive sector’s revolutionary convergence with the tech sector
Growing consumer expectation of product innovation is propelling the convergence of the two industries
Automotive manufacturers now require greater standardization, visibility and risk management in supply chain operations

WESTERVILLE, OHIO March 22, 2016: DHL Supply Chain, the Americas’ leader in contract logistics and part of the supply chain division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, today launched its latest white paper highlighting that the century old way of doing business in the automotive industry is now over. The industry is facing a revolutionary convergence with the tech sector that will transform how it manages its supply chain operations. The white paper has revealed that the increasingly high tech composition of vehicles, driven by growing consumer expectation of product innovation, is propelling this convergence between the two industries.

The “Quiet Revolution: Convergence and the Future Automotive Supply Chain” white paper by Lisa Harrington, President of the lharrington group LLC, was commissioned by DHL Supply Chain to identify the challenges and opportunities facing the automotive sector globally.

The convergence into a potential single super sector is interlinked with the rise of the global mega supplier as 82% of components used by automotive manufacturers are now sourced from suppliers. This increased dependence, up from only 56% thirty years ago, changes the hierarchy of players away from the traditional power base of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The automotive industry now requires greater standardization, visibility and risk management in supply chain operations to maintain their competitive edge.

Lisa Harrington, President, lharrington group LLC, said, “The old ways of doing business in the automotive industry are over. Gone are the days of siloed industry operations where an OEM had a supplier base solely from within the automotive industry. Today’s average midsize vehicle has approximately 40 to 50 microprocessor-driven systems, which require 20 million-plus lines of code. In contrast, a Boeing 787 has less than 15 million lines of code.

“This demonstrates how intricately linked and therefore dependent the two industries have become,” Harrington notes. “Whilst consumers stand to benefit from increasingly intelligent and tech-savvy cars, manufacturers must face the challenge of greater risk and uncertainty entering their supply chains. Businesses must be proactive and work with suppliers to ensure supply chain practices are fit for a modern operation to avoid business interruption.”

The new automotive supply chain consists of three key pillars; standardization, visibility and risk management. The industry must work to standardize the management of the physical and information supply chain. This will allow OEMs and their suppliers to streamline operations, thereby reducing overall costs. For many companies, this journey towards standardization lies at the core of their strategic plans to transform their global supply chain.

The second pillar, visibility, is underpinned by the latest applications of information technology into supply chain operations. IT has the ability to inject visibility through analytics and tracking systems that record every transaction through the supply chain. This type of visibility allows companies to oversee exactly what’s moving across their global network, at any one time. Visibility enables a more effective risk management strategy, the third pillar, by reducing uncertainty in the supply chain.

Michael Martin, VP Strategic Development Global Automotive, DHL Supply Chain, said, “DHL Supply Chain has decades of experience working in both the automotive and technology industries. We have witnessed how these two industries have converged and seen firsthand the risk and uncertainty it can cause. The infusion of new suppliers into the automotive space means that supplier risk management has taken on new urgency and complexity in the automotive industry. There is newfound risk in competing with other industries, not least the consumer tech industry, for tech supplies. Automotive players need to diversify their supplier base by sourcing locally or near-regionally to reduce dependence and hedge their risk.

“Companies must also ensure they are utilizing the latest risk management solutions to maintain their competitive edge,” Martin continues. “These solutions include supply chain control towers that provide end-to-end visibility and control over the extended supply chain. They also include risk assessment/management tools such as DHL Supply Chain’s Resilience360 software application. Resilience360 is a unique new risk management solution which enables businesses to turn supply chain disruption and global environmental and socio-political volatility into competitive advantage by providing them with a holistic, end-to-end view of their supply chains and real-time risk visibility.”

You can download the “Quiet Revolution: Convergence and the Future Automotive Supply Chain” white paper here: www.dhl.com/auto-convergence.

Will you be an “Uber”?

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:07:00 +0000

Lucy Dunn (dunn@globallogisticsrecruiters.com)
29 March 2016

With the global success of Uber, the taxi-hailing app, a deluge of start-ups has been copying its formula of success, combining real-time data, mobile devices, instant gratification, and dynamic pricing to create a phenomenal new business model. There are even people who believe these technology revolutions will “Uberize” many more aspects of the economy. Isn't that a scary thought? If you think about it, many of the “customer service or intermediary businesses” could be or are under serious threats. It is not limited to but could include: lawyers, real estate agents, booking agents, and perhaps even people who sell shipping or storage capacity or dynamic manufacturing capacity.
My question is – can you Uberize the recruitment process? Today, indeed there are already disruptive technologies related to recruiting. The problem is that most are just that, disruptive to your time and are constantly thrusting U (you), the hiring manager or even candidate, into more and more of a self-service model without regard to the impact on your other work. So are we going see an Uber like app for recruitment and candidates? Really? Or is it only going to happen in a sci-fi movie?

Undoubtedly someone will come up with a version of Angry Birds for recruiting, but I personally think it is unlikely, because –

Making the correct hiring decision involves a significant risk. The cost of a mistake can easily cost the employer 1.5X the annual salary in lost time, income, lost competitive information, and accounts... vs. spending $10 on a cab ride or $0.99 on a game app

What makes apps like Uber valuable is an immediate need which is answered with real-time data. The data would be useless if the U don’t make an input about your latest. Now, think about the last time you updated your resume, how long ago was that? What if these apps demanded that candidates updated their company/whereabouts/projects on a tiny phone app every few days? What about the rest of their already hectic daily life, most people are even getting fatigué on Facebook which is meant to be pleasurable and not a chore

What makes Uber so successful financially is the “surge pricing” where they can double or even triple the cost of a ride during peak times. So now in recruiting, we are talking about thousands of dollars, how is HR going to feel if the app says “I have the perfect candidate but it will cost you 3X the normal rate to see their CV, want to proceed?”

Familiarity breeds contempt. Unlike a taxi driver in SFO or SHA, not everyone wants to be visible 24/7 like a LinkedIn or Facebook connection suggestion. Those candidates who are in high demand are preserving and growing their professional reputation, they will want to stay way back from the common public forms so as not to look like they are constantly “looking for what-next.” These candidates will only choose to be seen in the limelight of their industry in a manner that presents the professional image and a mystique that will advance them. They work with professional recruiters to help position them, and to grow into the positions that offer prestige and, perhaps the big bucks as well

When you feel sick, you go to a doctor; when you need advice on legal matters, you go see a lawyer/solicitor. My point is: you seek advice from the relevant subject-matter expert. When you want to explore career alternatives, you speak with a professional recruiter. Recruitment is still an intensely personal endeavor and unlikely to be replaced by a few clicks on your mobile screen.

I would think that smart candidates would rather spend time on building their reputation in the industry, than constantly updating their “Uber” status online.

What do you think?

Amazon.com Latest to Choose Kansas City Area, Announcing New 822,000-Sq.-Ft. Distribution Facility, 1,000 New Jobs

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:02:22 +0000

Kansas City’s 20M Sq. Ft. Spec Industrial Development Boom Pays Off, Reports the Kansas City Area Development Council and KC SmartPort

Kansas City, Mo. - March 29, 2016 – The Kansas City area’s speculative development boom continues to pay off. Amazon.com is the latest company to select the KC area, announcing it will occupy a new 822,104-sq.-ft. fulfillment center at Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton, Kan., part of the 18-county Kansas City metro area served by the Kansas City Area Development Council.

Amazon's new facility was developed by NorthPoint Development as the area's largest industrial building ever built on a speculative basis. The new state-of-the-art fulfillment center will create approximately 1,000 full-time hourly positions, plus managerial and support roles to support customer fulfillment.

“Amazon’s announcement validates the vast investments our local developers have made in speculative industrial developments,” says Tim Cowden, president and CEO, Kansas City Area Development Council. “There are over a dozen spec projects in 28 different locations across the metro right now, and we’re optimistic about the market remaining strong. Over half of the companies occupying Kansas City’s spec space are new to the market.”

In the past five years, the Kansas City area has seen an average of 4 million sq. ft. of speculative space added annually. More than 5.8 million sq. ft. of speculative industrial space hit the market in 2015, and currently 6.3 million sq. ft. of spec space is under construction. S&S Active Wear, Commonwealth Inc., Excel Industries, US Farathane, ReallyGoodStuff.com, Novia and Flexsteel have also located in a Kansas City area spec building in the last 18 months.

“The Kansas City region offers a unique competitive advantage to companies looking to diversify distribution with a Midwest location,” says Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort. “We are seeing the industrial market respond to demand for new distribution space, and this opens up opportunities for growing supply chain companies.”

Amazon already operates a 267,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center at Lenexa Logistics Center at 113th Street and Renner Boulevard. The new Amazon facility will be located at the northeast corner of 196th Street and Waverly Road in Logistics Park Kansas City. The Amazon project was managed by Cushman & Wakefield.

LeanLogistics Designs Software for Fleet Transportation Strategy

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:00:50 +0000

LeanFleet Manages Private Fleets as well as For-Hire Carriers on One Platform

Holland, MI – Software solutions provider LeanLogistics is enhancing its industry-leading transportation management system LeanTMS® with the addition of LeanFleet®, a tool designed to streamline fleet planning and execution.

Unlike fleet management systems, LeanFleet allows shippers to plan and execute their private fleet and contract carriers on the same platform, providing visibility across the entire transportation network. Shippers can optimize fleet routes, reduce empty miles, and maximize the use of their assets.

“Capitalizing on capacity is always a priority for shippers. We created a solution that allows for a blended transportation strategy when using private fleet and for-hire carriers on a single platform,” said Josh Hunt, Director of Product Management at LeanLogistics.

LeanFleet offers several features to reduce administrative costs. The system automates the assignment of drivers to trucks based on a scoring algorithm which evaluates information such as the driver’s current location, personal calendar, and hours of service. Shippers can integrate their telematics into the TMS to leverage their investment by utilizing its features in one workflow. They can receive updates on a driver’s arrival and departure based on their geo-fence, transmit load details, and communicate with the driver via messaging—all from the TMS.

Optimizing fleet routes with dynamic information is also a key functionality of the program. The system will analyze the business needs of the day to determine the effectiveness of each route and identify cost-saving opportunities.

LeanFleet will offer a wide variety of analytics to better measure and report on fleet performance. Once connected to LeanTMS, users can obtain real-time insights generated by the LeanLogistics Transportation Network that will drive both increased fleet efficiencies and actionable intelligence.

“Our fleet customers are seeing a return on their investment in less than a year—that’s the kind of solution we like to bring to the marketplace,” said Chris Timmer, LeanLogistics’ Chief Commercial Officer.

###

About LeanLogistics
LeanLogistics is a global solutions provider of transportation management system (TMS) applications and supply chain services enabled by the industry's largest transportation network. The LeanLogistics Transportation Network empowers shippers, carriers and other participating members to reduce costs, improve services and gain complete visibility. Used by many Fortune 1000 companies, LeanLogistics LeanTMS® delivers complete transportation planning, execution, settlement and procurement, as well as supply chain visibility and business intelligence, to improve business processes, increase efficiency and reduce costs. For outsourced transportation solutions, LeanLogistics offers Managed Transportation Services, GreenLanes™ and Managed Procurement Services that leverage the data intelligence of the transportation network with best practices and transportation expertise to ensure clients receive maximum value. LeanLogistics is headquartered in Holland, Michigan and is part of Brambles Limited. For additional information, visit http://www.LeanLogistics.com or call 877.828.5861.

About Brambles Limited
Brambles Limited (ASX:BXB) is a supply-chain logistics company operating in more than 50 countries, primarily through the CHEP and IFCO brands. The Group specializes in the pooling of unit-load equipment and associated services, focusing on the outsourced management of pallets, crates and containers. Brambles primarily serves the consumer goods, dry grocery, fresh food, retail and general manufacturing supply chains. In addition, the Group operates specialist businesses serving the automotive, aviation and oil and gas sectors. Brambles employs more than 14,000 people and owns approximately 500 million pallets, crates and containers through a global network of approximately 850 service centers. For further information, please visit www.brambles.com.

Omnitracs Expands Roadnet® Anywhere Platform to Enhance User Experience

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:51:55 +0000

Roadnet Anywhere v3.9 Receives Upgrades across Routing, Dispatching, Mobile Application, Insight, and Telematics

DALLAS, March 7, 2016—Omnitracs, LLC, a global pioneer of fleet management solutions to transportation and logistics companies, today announced the availability of Omnitracs Roadnet® Anywhere v3.9, the newest iteration of the platform designed to bring added functionality to its users, giving them more power than ever when routing fleets. With the new enhancements, the Roadnet Anywhere platform provides an even more holistic view of fleets, consolidating views of routing, dispatching, proof of delivery, telematics, customer notifications, and business analytics in one place.

One of the biggest additions to the new version of Roadnet Anywhere is the ability to create and optimize multi-day routes. These routes can be created automatically based on existing orders customers have in the system, and can be configured to include any layover rules (e.g., information pertaining to hotel fees, equipment location restrictions, etc.) in an easily accessible format. “This important feature reflects our commitment to supporting not just same-day and last mile routing, but to support customers desiring optimization for longer, multi-day runs” notes Kevin Haugh, general manager of Omnitracs Roadnet Technologies.

The update also includes significant enhancements to Insight — a data discovery and exploration tool that allows executives, managers, drivers, and data analysts to easily and quickly mine data. Specifically, the release allows users to dynamically change data drill down paths to determine root cause analysis and understand relations — unlike most BI (business intelligence) products, which have pre-determined drill-down paths and require IT involvement to change these.

“As we continue to rapidly deploy new features to the Omnitracs’ SaaS fleet management platform, our customers are able to reap the benefits of truly streamlined operations, whereby routing, dispatching, customer notifications, and analytics are integrated into one, single web-based tool, instead of managing various data entry points in typically-disparate systems,” said Kevin Haugh. “With the Roadnet Anywhere v3.9 platform, we’re able to deliver a 360-degree view of operational efficiency that considers all aspects of fleet management — comparing things like driver safety scores against number of routes completed, miles driven, or customer commitments met — to ensure all performance standards are met or exceeded.”

In addition to the routing and Insight upgrades, other enhancements to the Roadnet Anywhere platform include:

Geofence Enhancements — Offers the ability to draw geo-fences in additional custom shapes, giving customers more flexibility in defining stop parameters
Vehicle and Equipment Assignment — Allows workers to assign equipment using their mobile device at the beginning of the day as well as if they switch equipment mid-way through the day. This will help ensure accurate record of where each piece of equipment was used and by whom, and in turn support more effective performance management
Enhanced Analytic Filtering — An improved filter for Key Performance Indicators allows fleets to sort by Operations Unit, enabling them to focus on specific units of their business at a time, whether these are depots or regions
Key Fob Support for Telematics —Newly-available key fobs allow drivers to be associated with telematics devices and their given vehicles. This important new feature allows performance data associated with a hands free telematics device to be definitely associated with a given driver, especially where vehicles may have different drivers from one day to the next, or even in a given day.

Roadnet Anywhere v3.9 is now available. For additional information on Omnitracs’ planning and delivery solutions, visit: http://www.omnitracs.com/solutions/planning-delivery.

About Omnitracs, LLC
Omnitracs, LLC is a global pioneer of fleet management, routing and predictive analytics solutions for private and for-hire fleets. Omnitracs’ nearly 1,000 employees deliver software-as-a-service-based solutions to help more than 50,000 private and for-hire fleet customers manage nearly 1,500,000 mobile assets in more than 70 countries. The company pioneered the use of commercial vehicle telematics over 25 years ago and serves today as a powerhouse of innovative, intuitive technologies. Omnitracs transforms the transportation industry through technology and insight, featuring best-in-class solutions for compliance, safety and security, productivity, telematics and tracking, transportation management (TMS), planning and delivery, data and analytics, and professional services.

IoT Analytics Offers Supply Chain Innovators a Win-Win: Better Customer Service at Lower Costs

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:42:52 +0000

By Puneet Pandit
Founder and CEO, Glassbeam, Inc.

IoT machine data analytics has been generating actionable information from huge streams of information coming from hundreds and often thousands of sources within a host of vertical market devices over the past few years. Now, innovative supply chain managers are leveraging real time analysis to improve customer service, reduce the cost of that service, improve inventory control, and even identify new services with a potential to increase revenue. These IoT solutions are not expensive, yet can save thousands and even millions of dollars every year.

Companies that stock, sell, and service physical products have been seeking ways to improve operational efficiencies for decades. In many organizations, there have been ample opportunities for improvements in all facets of the business, including order management, customer support, service fulfillment, returns/replacements, shipping, and logistics. IoT analytics offers the ability to enhance all of these areas, faster and with much more accuracy because the information is coming from the field instantly.

This new generation of IoT analytics collects, distills, analyzes, and presents massive amounts of operational data in easy-to-digest formats. These automated solutions help the supply chain in three ways:

1. Proactive support: Applying rules to incoming data and taking automatic proactive action, such as opening up a customer case, alerting a support team to take preventive action, or dispatching a part (or more sometimes more important, determining that a part doesn't need to be dispatched to solve the problem).
2. Predictive maintenance: Uncovering failure rates before failures happen. Essentially, before an incident happens, customer service or field ops teams become aware that an incident is "about to happen" and can address a problem.
3. Prescriptive maintenance: Before an incident happens, machine data analytics can provide information to remedy engineering teams to help prevent the incident through an interface with a knowledge base. And the analytics can provide tips to avoid a potential problem as well.

In order management, IoT technology analyzes order trends and reveals inefficiencies in the account start up process and management of orders. Results of this analysis can help product companies reduce broken orders, and lead to improved practices for account activation and management.

Once the product arrives and is installed at the customer site, IoT analytics can let operations managers know when the machine the product is a part of may need maintenance or repair; can predict when the machine may need attention; and can often identify the product or products causing the need for maintenance or repair and recommend remediation activities.
When it comes to service level agreements (SLAs) or similar performance guidelines IoT analytics can have a significant impact. Analysis can identify real or potential issues in improving management of deliveries in near real time, optimizing inventory practices and rapidly addressing service events.

Of course, despite best efforts, a small percentage of defective products will make it through the supply chain and on to customers. IoT analysis can minimize the impact of these products in two ways. First, analytics can help product company management identify which parts or processes in the manufacture of the product are creating the defect. Next, IoT analytics can optimize efficiencies in the repair channel so that the customer is minimally impacted.

In shipping products to the customers, IoT analytics can also identify bottlenecks in the delivery, invoicing, part replenishment and customer helpdesk functions. Managers can then streamline these functions and enable them to contribute to reducing costs and improving customer loyalty.

No matter what industry you supply and service, the use of machine data analysis can identify new opportunities to improve all areas of the supply chain and enable you to streamline processes, improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs and enhance the bottom line. As an innovative manager eager to optimize all aspects of your businesses IoT analytics is worth looking into. You can bet your competition is.

About the author:
Puneet Pandit is the founder and CEO of Glassbeam, a provider of machine data analytics software. Prior to Glassbeam, he was founder and CEO of Orchesys, a professional services firm focused on enterprise storage solutions. Glassbeam was incubated inside Orchesys and launched in 2009. Prior to Orchesys, Puneet led the Database and Business Applications Solutions Group at NetApp. He also worked at Ernst & Young strategic advisory services and Tata Unisys as a management consultant. Puneet holds an MBA from University of Chicago and graduated with Electrical Engineering degree from Punjab University.

Panalpina Issues Annual Report for 2015

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:26:28 +0000

Basel, March 14, 2016 - Panalpina’s Annual Report for 2015 is now available in our corporate website. The full report can be downloaded as a PDF. A summary version, in English and German, is additionally available as a PDF or in print.

As well as providing an overview of our achievements over the past year in developing tailor-made, value-added services for our customers, the Annual Report 2015 features highlights from our products, regions, industry verticals and corporate functions. New sections include our business model, case studies on the Charter Network and Perishables, and our approach to innovation.

Access Annual Report 2015

New Border Rail Port Improves Logistics for Exporting to Mexico and Nearby San Diego

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:19:17 +0000

Imperial Railport can now reduce logistics costs for regional industry commerce. Additionally, Imperial Railport

Reduces carbon footprint, which complies with California's order of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
Removes up to 6,000 trucks from the interstates thereby decreasing congestion and increasing safety.
Utilizes Warehouse Management System with EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Storehouse Trading Inc. dba Imperial Railport is a bi-national rail trans-loading, warehousing and distribution facility in Imperial County, California. Our services offer considerable savings shipping commodities such as wood, steel, aggregate, agriculture, fresh and frozen food products, plastic pellets and non-hazardous minerals. Logistics via rail to the growing export market of Baja California, mainland Mexico, and the nearby regions of San Diego and Yuma.

Imperial Railport operates on a 90 acre facility, track #777, at 340 W. Ralph Road, Imperial CA, along the Union Pacific Railroad. The property includes 290,000 square feet of warehouse space and 1,900,000 square feet (43.6 acres) of outdoor paved parking and is completely secured by fence and two guard gates.

Imperial Railport can trans-load 120 rail cars per month, replacing 500 truckloads.

Imperial Railport’s lower logistical costs will help industries profit from growing demand and more stable conditions in Mexico. For example, fortuitously, 2014 was an all-time record for softwood lumber export to Mexico, reaching $160 million and exceeding all other categories of forest product exports to this market. Softwood lumber exports to Mexico have grown 56% since 2010 while treated lumber exports remain strong at nearly $10 million.(Per http://americansoftwoodsmexico.com)

Mike Ortega, with 41 years of experience in the rail industry, has joined Imperial Railport’s marketing team. He has served as Director of Rail Industrial Development for the Western United States for RailAmerica, and ATSF Railway. Mike will lead the customer service team in business development and will reach out to over 812 companies and maquiladoras in Tijuana, Ensenada, Tecate, Mexicali and San Luis RC.

Union Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Distribution Services provide Imperial Railport with connections that provide customers with seamless rail service from origin to destination.

Contact: Mike Ortega for Rail Industrial Development, at email: track777@imperialrailport.com. More information available at 760-545-1022, email: rty@imperialrailport.com http://www.imperialrailport.com

GLS Hong Kong partners with CHAMP Cargosystems to accelerate e-AWB adoption

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:14:51 +0000

Hong Kong, 16 March 2016 - CHAMP Cargosystems today announced its extended partnership with Global Logistics System Hong Kong (“GLS Hong Kong”) to provide a joint solution which is designed to enable small and medium sized freight forwarders in Hong Kong to create and submit e-AWB easily and efficiently.

As part of this partnership, GLS Hong Kong will be offering its multi-carrier cargo portal EzyCargo™ which got further enriched with extended functionality from CHAMP’s freight forwarding solution Logitude.

Nicholas Xenocostas, VP, Global Sales and Marketing at CHAMP Cargosystems commented, “We are pleased to be able to extend our successful partnership with GLS Hong Kong, further strengthening our relationship and joint activities. GLS Hong Kong is the key CCS provider in the region and EzyCargo™ has been extremely well positioned to serve the air cargo community.

Partnered with Logitude, this advanced version of EzyCargo™ provides a full freight forwarding solution that is also capable to address the very specific Hong Kong related co-loading scenarios involving brokers.”

Terry Lo, Chief Executive Officer of GLS Hong Kong commented, “Our EzyCargo™ platform provides a Software as a Service offering that is easy and quick to set up. With the combined Logitude features, small and medium sized forwarders in Hong Kong in particular will benefit from easy and affordable access to an advanced solution to maximize efficiency and productivity. Not only will they become more competitive, they will also be able to support IATA’s e-AWB initiative.”

The air freight supply is very interlinked and digitizing air cargo isn’t without any obstacles. CHAMP and GLS Hong Kong have acknowledged that the full digitization can only happen if the many small and medium sized forwarders are also provided with suitable, affordable and easily implementable tools.

For more information, please visit www.champ.aero or www.glshk.com.

Transplace Shipper Symposium to Focus on Supply Chain Challenges and Strategies

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:12:22 +0000

14th Annual Signature Event Includes Texas Secretary of State, Carlos H. Cascos, and other Speakers to Share Insights on Key Transportation, Economic and Business Issues

March 15, 2016 (Dallas, TX) – Transplace, a leading provider of transportation management services and logistics technology solutions, today announced the featured speakers and topics for its 14th annual Shipper Symposium. The company’s signature industry event will be held at La Cantera Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas on May 9-11.

Transplace’s Shipper Symposium is an educational forum that brings together leading shippers, experts and practitioners, academics and analysts to navigate the latest industry trends and obstacles faced by supply chain and transportation professionals, while helping them to identify strategies for addressing these issues and improving operations. A broad range of seminars from leading supply chain and economic visionaries will respond to current issues and trends that have a worldwide impact on the transportation of goods, as well as showcase strategic business solutions; all geared toward strengthening relationships and increasing supply chain efficiency.

This year’s featured speakers are:

Carlos H. Cascos, Texas Secretary of State and Partner, Pattillo, Brown & Hill, LLP
Brian Beaulieu, CEO, ITR Economics
Lora Cecere, Founder and CEO, Supply Chain Insights, LLC
Thom Albrecht, CFA, Managing Director, BB&T Capital Markets
Mike Song, CEO, GetControl.net
Siphiwe Baleka, Founder, Fitness Trucking
Jim Morris, former Major League Baseball player and subject of the movie The Rookie

“The Shipper Symposium has become a symbol of Transplace’s ongoing commitment to helping shippers address the trends and issues that directly impact their businesses,” said Frank McGuigan, president and chief operating officer, Transplace.

Tom Sanderson, chief executive officer, Transplace added, “Shippers are looking to navigate the challenges of improving their supply chain operations while reducing transportation costs and tackling issues such as increased government regulations and a shortage of over-the-road truck drivers, among others. To help address these challenges, we look to provide an educational forum that allows attendees to learn from industry experts through thought leadership content, industry trend discussions, networking opportunities and legislative updates.”

Key Highlights

The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the busiest, most economically important borders in the world with nearly a billion dollars’ worth of goods crossing each day. Texas Secretary of State Carlos H. Cascos will present on transportation challenges and cross-border trade with Mexico and why it is important to stay focused on creating a prosperous and safe border. In addition to serving the State of Texas, he has also served on the board of several civic organizations, including United Way, Sunrise Rotary Club and the Brownsville Economic Advisory Council among others.

Brian Beaulieu is Chief Economist for Vistage International and TEC, global organizations comprised of over 13,000 CEO’s and has been an economist with ITR Economics since 1982 and its CEO since 1987. Brian will speak on the business cycle outlook for several industries, including manufacturing, retail, oil and gas, automobile/trucking and chemical, examining leading indicator trends and putting it into the context of what it means for the consumer.

Lora Cecere is the founder and CEO of the advisory firm Supply Chain Insights, where she focuses on researching industry trends and issues such as the digital consumer, supply chain sensing, accelerating growth through innovation and demand shaping and revenue management. With more than 30 years of diverse supply chain experience, Lora has served as an industry analyst, a leader in the building of supply chain software and a supply chain practitioner for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. During the session “Race for Supply Chain 2020,” Lora will look into the future of supply chain management and what it means for process innovation and organizational teams.

Thom Albrecht, CFA, managing director, BB&T Capital Markets, will be joined by Transplace CEO Tom Sanderson for an interactive discussion on transportation trends and industry insights. They will explain how the transportation world is shifting and what it means for your business strategy. Thom has spent more than a decade at BB&T Capital Markets, where he follows the surface transportation sector, including truckload and less-than-truckload carriers, intermodal and a few specialty transport companies. He has been recognized by Institutional Investor magazine as best analyst in his sector among regional/boutique firms eight times.

“Zip! Tips: The Fastest Way to Get More Done” session is also the title of one of Mike Song’s best-selling books. Mike is the founder of GetControl.net, one of the world’s leading providers of email, meeting, and time management training, serving more than 20 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Mike encourages professionals, including the armed forced and Secret Service, to increase their personal productivity and time management by managing technology more effectively.

Siphiwe Baleka is the Driver Health and Fitness Coach at transportation carrier, Prime Inc. He is also the driver health editor for The Trucking Network (Canada) and former driver health editor for Road King Magazine, as well as the founder of Fitness Trucking LLC. His innovative driver health and fitness programs have won numerous awards, including earning Prime the "Healthiest Company Award" at the 2014 CES/Digital Health Summit.

Jim Morris will share his incredible story of going from being a school teacher to becoming a major league pitcher in just three short months. This story is what made him the subject of the hit movie “The Rookie.” A dynamic speaker and storyteller, Jim inspires others to become mentors and leaders in their own lives.

Registration for the 2016 Transplace Shipper Symposium and further details regarding the agenda and speakers can be found at http://symposium.transplace.com/.

About Transplace
Transplace is a North American non-asset based logistics services provider offering manufacturers, retailers, chemical and consumer packaged goods companies the optimal blend of logistics technology and transportation management services. The company's services and capabilities include Transportation Management Services, Intermodal, Brokerage and SaaS transportation management (TMS) solutions supplemented by supply chain strategy consulting services. The company is recognized among the elite 3PLs for its proven ability to deliver both rapid return on investment and consistent value to a customer base ranging from mid-market shippers to Fortune 500 companies.

Not a lot for freight forwarders in today's UK Budget

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:00:24 +0000

March 16th 2016 - BIFA, the British International Freight Association [www.bifa.org], says that there was little in today's Budget that was of specific relevance to the freight and logistics services undertaken by its members in support of the UK's international trade.

Robert Keen, BIFA's Director General says that BIFA's members will be concerned by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's warning that storm clouds are gathering over the global economy, with an outlook that is materially weaker.

“Any softening in the global economy is likely to have a material impact on visible trade, which is the lifeblood of our members.”

BIFA welcomed the news that the freeze in fuel duty would remain, but Keen says it doesn’t mean that the trade association will stop asking for an outright cut, the introduction of an essential user rebate and some form of fuel duty stabilisation mechanism.

BIFA was also disappointed that Osborne did not expand upon the transport capital spending increase that was announced in last year's Autumn statement.

“Back in November 2105, BIFA welcomed the news that funding would be provided for the largest road investment programme since the 1970s, but it would have been good to hear more good news on this front given that a lack of spending has caused the country’s network of A roads and motorways to become congested, undermining the UK’s competitiveness in comparison to its international peers.

“The earmarking of £230 million for road improvements in the north of England, including upgrades to M62, feels like a drop in the ocean compared to last year.”

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Pioneers Pricing and Sales Automation with Freightos AcceleRate™ Rollout

contact@3plnews.com (Super User) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 03:57:32 +0000

Freightos rate management tapped to improve online freight quoting, operational efficiency and data quality

Osnabrueck, Germany - March 14, 2016. Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, one of the world’s top logistics service providers, today announced that it is completing a global rollout of the Freightos AcceleRate rate management and auto-quote system to further increase value for customers and improve operational efficiency across all modes. Selected after an extensive vetting process, the AcceleRate rate management and sales digitalization system is already optimizing air, ocean, truck and rail freight pricing and sales for Hellmann Worldwide Logistics offices globally. As a result, Hellmann customers are starting to enjoy near-instant price quotes in an industry where days are the norm.

Roland Wiedenroth, Global Business Project Manager for the Freightos roll out at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics“Hellmann Worldwide Logistics constantly seeks technology that provides more value to our customers – we found this in Freightos,” said Roland Wiedenroth, the Global Business Project Manager for the Freightos roll out. “For a modern logistics provider, efficient data movement is critical for efficient freight movement. Instant freight quotes, optimized routing and pricing and on-demand analytics will play a pivotal role in increasing efficiency for both Hellmann and its customers.”

Freightos AcceleRate is a single-source-of-truth rate management system that enables instant comparison of pricing and routing across all modes and carriers, eliminating time-intensive manual work processes and delivering optimized freight services to customers. Leveraging Big Data routing and pricing algorithms, as well as an industry-leading agile rate management system, Freightos has already helped automate over 4.5 million freight quotes.

Zvi Schreiber, Chief Executive Officer at Freightos “We’re thrilled to be selected as a trusted solution provider and to support Hellmann Worldwide Logistics’ automation efforts,” said Freightos CEO, Zvi Schreiber. “With nearly 150 years of experience, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics continues to deliver new innovation to its customers. Freightos is delighted to be selected as the engine that drives even more innovation.”

About Freightos
Freightos is automating the trillion dollar global freight industry. With big data technology, Freightos enables forwarders, shippers and carriers to manage rates and automate freight booking and pricing online, introducing unprecedented efficiency and transparency into the industry. Registered in Hong Kong with offices in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the US, Freightos has already helped dozens of freight forwarders, including top ten global companies, as well as Fortune 100 retailers, automate freight sales, routing and pricing online, while providing big data-drive business insights to optimize operations. Learn more at http://www.freightos.com.