Luther Brown Founder & CEO
Logistics: What’sthe NextBigThing?
Likeeveryotherindustry,technologyisdisruptingandgettingintotheveinsofLogisticsindustry
too.Logisticbeingthebackboneofalmosteveryotherindustryfrome-commercetohealthcare, technologicaladvancementsinthissectorisnotjustessential,itisalsoimpactful.Influenceof artificialintelligenceandroboticsiscreatingarevolutionineverysectorandlogisticsisnoexceptionto that.
Itapparentlyappearsthatadvancementinthetechnologyhasmadeitpossiblethatfordeviceslikedrones toenablefasterdeliveryofproductsandeasytransportation.Thequestionobviouslyremains“What's Next?”Toanswerthatquestion,wehavegonethroughanindependentresearchandasfarindustry experts,trendslikeelasticlogistics,dronesandGoogleglasses,Blockchain,Datadrivenlogisticsalong withanalyticlogistics,sustainableandprofitablesupplychain.
TrendslikeBlockchainandAIaremakingdeliveryprocesssimplerandbettereveryday.Theseare enablingcompaniestomakeperfectorderdelivery Theselatesttechnologiesarenotonlybringingineasy accessibilityintheprocess,butalsoenhancingperfectioninit.Thesearehelpinginshorteningdelivery timeandensuringtheproductreachesitsdestinationperfectly.
Intoday'sscenario,Logisticsandfreightindustryisgainingnewheightswithvividdigitalinnovations. And,tobringoutsuchsignificantcontributorsofthebusinessworld,wehavecomeupwiththeissue, “The10BestLogisticsTechSolutionProviders”.
OntheCoveroftheissue,wehavedepicted“nVision Global: Offering Solutions to a Broader Array of Logistics Services Worldwide”. nVisionGlobalisaworldwideleader,providingGlobalFreightAudit& Payment,TransportationManagementSoftwareandSolutions,ClaimsProcessing,RateNegotiationsas wellasLogisticsConsultingServices. Throughitsnetworkofsevenstrategicallyplaced,corporate-
owned,full-serviceprocessingcenterslocatedinNingbo(China),Atlanta(USA),SanJose(Costa Rica),Maastricht(Netherlands),Cluj(Romania),NewDelhiandKolkata(India).Inaddition,they havelocalrepresentationinKulaLumpur(Malaysia),Seoul(SouthKorea),Prague(CzechRepublic) andSaoPaulo(Brazil).nVisionGlobalisabletoprovideitscustomerswithexceptionalproductsand servicesintheregion,timezone,andlanguagethey'vecometoexpect.
Luther Brown,the Founder and CEO ofnVisionGlobal,isastrategicsolutionsvisionarywithmore than40yearsofexperienceinthetransportationandlogisticsindustry Withthesupportand experienceofhisseniormanagementteam,Lutherhasbeenabletobuildaglobaltechnology company,basedonsolutionsandservicesthatexceedtheexpectationsofclients,whiledeveloping longstandingpartnershipsbasedonstrategicsolutionsfortheconstantlychanginggloballogistics landscape.
Inthisissue,we'veenlistedthosecompanieswhichareprovidinginsightfulandinnovativesolutions toenhancetheglobalfrightexperiencewiththeincorporationofthelatestdigitalinventions.Aheer TransportationGroup: The Leader with Excellence in the Ocean Freight Industry;Banyan Technology: Pioneering LIVE Data Connectivity; R2Logistics: A Technology Driven Logistics Provider;SimpleRoutePlan: Disrupting the Fleet Management with Real-Time Software;Polaris TransportationGroup: Shipping Confidence across the Borders arethecompaniesenlistedinthe issue.
Whilegoingthroughthemagazine,don'tmissoutonourspecialfeaturesDigiPerspective- Logistics and Transportation Organizations Going Digital andTechBytes- Envisioning the future of Logistics technology
We'vealsoincludedanExpert'sInsight: Impact of Blockchain technology in Logistics industry and aMaestro'sViewpoint: Block chain- Savior of the Logistics Industry
Hopethisissueofthemagazinewilldefinitelyleaveanimpactonyou.
Suhel Mashayak
Aheer Transportation Group: The Leader with Excellence in the Ocean Freight Industry
Banyan Technology: Pioneering LIVE Data Connectivity
Polaris Transportation Group: Shipping Confidence across the Borders!
R2 Logistics: A Technology Driven Logistics Provider Simple Route Plan: Disrupting the Fleet Management with Real-Time Software
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Senior Editor
Anish Miller
Managing Editor Suhel Mashayak
Executive Editor Crescent CU
Copy Editor Upama Goswami
Contributors Rahul, Shruti, Bhushan
Visualiser David King
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Rahul Kavanekar
Art & Picture Editor Belin Paul
Co-designer Shweta, Sapana Khanna Jayant
Senior Sales Manager Abhijeet Mehra
Peter Collins Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager Sophie Smith
Business Development Executives
Jennifer, Jospeh, Sophie, Vrushali
Sales Executives
Jim, Kevin, Alice
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Technical Specialist Swapnil, Vivek
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza
Online Marketing Strategist
Alina Sege, Shubham Mahadik, Vaibhav K
SME-SMO Executives
Prashant Chauhan, Uma Dhenge, Gemson, Irfan
Research Analyst Chidiebere Moses
Circulation Manager Robert, Tanaji
Database Management Stella Andrew
Technology Consultant David Stokes
Corporate Ofces: May, 2018
Insights Success Media Tech LLC
555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States
Phone - (614)-602-1754
Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: Visit www.insightssuccess.com
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Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Ofce No. 510, 513, 5th Floor, Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017
Phone - India: 020-69400110, 111, 112
Luther Brown Founder & CEO
nVision Global:
Offering Solutions to a Broader Array of Logistics Services Worldwide
‘
nVision Global’s best-in-class solutions assist our customers in reducing their trade expense, transportation expense, and increase value for higher ROI
‘‘
Globalcompetition,inall industries,continuesto increaseinscopeand intensity.Demandingcustomers, hyper-competitivemarketsand increasedconsumercustomization,are drivingtheneedforcustomizedTMS andlogisticssolutionswithinthese industries.Headquarteredin McDonough,GA,nVisionGlobal TechnologySolutionsleadsthefield byprovidingcompanieswithpersonal servicesandsoftwaresolutionsto ensuretheyremaincompetitive.
nVisionGlobalisaworldwideleader, providingGlobalFreightAudit& Payment,TransportationManagement SoftwareandSolutions,Claims Processing,RateNegotiationsaswell asLogisticsConsultingServices. Throughitsnetworkofseven strategicallyplaced,corporate-owned, full-serviceprocessingcenterslocated inNingbo(China),Atlanta(USA),San Jose(CostaRica),Maastricht (Netherlands),Cluj(Romania),New DelhiandKolkata(India).Inaddition, theyhavelocalrepresentationinKula Lumpur(Malaysia),Seoul(South Korea),Prague(CzechRepublic)and SaoPaulo(Brazil).nVisionGlobalis abletoprovideitscustomerswith exceptionalproductsandservicesin theregion,timezone,andlanguage they’vecometoexpect.
FromitsrootsasadomesticU.S. freightinvoiceaudit&payment company,tothecurrentindustryleadingglobalpresence,nVision Globalhasexpandeditsofferingsinto abroadarrayoflogisticssoftwareand servicesforcustomersseekinga single-sourcesolution.nVisionGlobal providesbest-in-classsolutionsfor FreightAudit&Payment,TMS, SupplyChainServices,Claims
Management,GlobalFreightRate TenderManagement&Logistics Analysis.
ThesolutionsprovidedbynVision Globalallowitscustomersto consolidatetheirdataandmanagement activitieswithasingle,globaldata warehouseandanalyticaltools, resultinginincreasedefficiencyand loweroverallcosts.nVisionGlobal’s unparalleledinsightandknowledgeof globalregulationsandprocessing allowsthemtoleveragetheirnetwork ofrelationshipswithtransportation providersaroundtheworldtoensure eachclient'sneedsareidentifiedand addressed. nVisionGlobal’sindustry leadingapproachhascatapultedthem toagloballeaderinthelogistics industry,withcustomersinmorethan 190countries,andactivepaymentof invoicesinmorethan50different currencies.
TheQuintessentialLeaderof nVision
LutherBrown,theFounderand CEOofnVisionGlobal,isastrategic solutionsvisionarywithmorethan40 yearsofexperienceinthe transportationandlogisticsindustry Withthesupportandexperienceofhis seniormanagementteam,Lutherhas beenabletobuildaglobaltechnology company,basedonsolutionsand servicesthatexceedtheexpectationsof clients,whiledevelopinglongstanding partnershipsbasedonstrategic solutionsfortheconstantlychanging globallogisticslandscape. “I encourage our customers and their supply chain providers to share where they want to be, what they want to accomplish and then we will work together to get there, together”,asserts Brown.
AresidentofAtlanta,GA,USA, Brownenjoysgolfingandspending timewithhisfamily.
ABriefGlanceattheSolutions OfferedbynVisionGlobal
nVisionGlobaloffersafullsuiteof LogisticsManagementapplications thatprovidescustomerscomplete visibilitytotheirsupplychain.By partneringwithtransportation providers,customersandtheirvendors aroundtheworld,nVisionGlobalhas
developedsolutionsthatallowseamlessintegrationandvisibilityforallparties.
AnintegralcomponentofnVisionGlobal’ssoftwaresolutionsistheirAdvancedBusinessIntelligencetools,whichhave becomeaninvaluableassetforcustomers. Thesetoolsallowcustomerstoseeintotheirdataandfinallyanalyzetheir shipmentdetails,thusprovidingopportunitiestostreamlinetheirlogisticsprocessing,optimizetheirsupplychainand ultimatelyreducetheoverallcostburdenpershipment. Tokeeppacewithmarkettrends,nVisionGlobalconstantlyworks withbothcustomersandtransportationproviderstodefineanddevelopsolutionsthatmakeallpartiesjobseasierandmore efficient. Bypartneringwitheveryoneinvolved,nVisionGlobalremainstheidealchoiceforcustomerslookingtogrowtheir businessinthesmartestandmostefficientwaypossible.
Datainsight,visibilitytoone’sglobalsupplychainactivityandtheeaseofaccessthatnVisionGlobalprovides,canturna businessaroundbyprovidingactionabledata,cuttingexpenditures,reducingthestresslevelsandautomatingprocesses. Informedbusinessdecisionscanbemadeandknowledgecanbesharedinsideandoutsidethecompanyusingthedataand productsprovidedbythenVisionGlobal.ThedataandsolutionsprovidedbynVisionGlobalalsoallowcustomerstocreate
theirownknowledgeportfoliobecauseallreports, summariesandinsightsaredownloadableinmultiple formats. Thisallowsforevenfurtherautomationof businessprocessesanderrordiscovery/savings,which leadstofurtherefficienciesgainedbycustomers.
HighlightsofnVisionGlobal’sSolutions:
Ÿ Cloud-basedTMSSolutionthatmanagestheentire supplychainglobally,acrossmultiplemodesfrom pickuptodelivery,includingsuppliermanagement, distributionnetworksandlastmiledelivery
Ÿ Onlineportalsautomatethebiddingandtendering processforeachshipmentprovidingseamlessonline communicationbetweentransportationproviders& customers.
Ÿ nVisionGlobalspecializesinprovidingglobalfreight invoiceauditandpaymentsforcustomersalloverthe world.
Ÿ Extensivereportingplatformsprovidedatatoclientsin amultitudeofways,enablingclientstomakeintelligent businessdecisionsbasedondataandnotemotion.
Ÿ nVisionGlobalcreatesroutingguidesfortheir customersandtheirlogisticssolutionsensurethe enforcementoftheseroutingguides.
Ÿ nVisionGlobalassistsitsclientswithlossanddamage, servicefailureandoverchargefreightclaims processing.
Ÿ nVisionGlobal’sduplicatecheckvalidationsare expansiveandspanmorethan5writtenpages, spanningthebroadestofspectrumstothesmallestof details,manyofwhichhavebeendiscoveredover25 yearsofbusiness.
Ÿ Onlinevisibilityofnegotiatedfreighttariffsthroughthe iPricingmodule
Ÿ Invoiceandbackupimaging
TheOut-of-the-BoxStrategy
Designingconfigurablesolutionswithafocuson automationandagreaterunderstandingofnormalizeddata accessedthroughitsadvancedanalyticsapplicationsisthe strategythatmakesnVisionGlobalunique.nVisionGlobal providescustomizedsolutionsthatnoothercompanydoes, butthatallcustomersneed.Thishasbeenthe differentiatingfactorleadingtonVisionGlobalbecoming thegloballeaderinsupplychainservices,withacustomer basethatcontinuestogrowthroughouttheworld.
AttractingClientsfromDiverseSectors
nVisionGlobalservesclientsinvariedsectorsincluding Aerospace,ElectronicsandTechnology,Automotive, Retail,Medical,Chemical,IndustrialGoods,andBusiness Services.Thereasonforthisdiverseclientportfolioisthat nVisionGlobaloffersworld-classsoftwareandservices, whilemaintainingtheflexibilityandcreativityofamuch smallercompany
Anotherreasonforthisdiverseclienteleisthatcompanies inallsectorsarelookingforthesolutionstotheseproblems thatnVisionGlobalprovides;reducingoverhead,reduce freightspend,gaintransparencytoshippingcostsand expensespriortoinvoicegeneration,gainvisibilityto shipmentdetails,gainvisibilitytoaccountingandreporting discrepanciesbetweeninternalregionsaresomeofthe goodbenefitsfortheclients.
TheFutureVision
Havingbeeninbusinessformorethan25years,Luther Brown,theCEOandleaderofnVisionGlobalisnow lookingforwardtoexpandingthebusinessandestablish morebranchesinmorelocationsthroughoutAPACand LATAMcountriesinnearfuture.Whileanswering questionsforthisarticle,Brownsummarizedhisfuture plansas“growth, new products, and new solutions”.
Brief CompanyName
AheerTransportation LTD aheer.com
Management
ShindaAheer CEO
BanyanTechnology banyantechnology.com
BrianSmith CEO
AheerTransportationGroupisagroupof bondedcompanies thatoffersacompletelineofservicesinthetransportationand storageindustry.
BanyanTechnologyisNorthAmerica’sleadingprovideroflive carrierandAPIconnectivityfortransportationmanagement.
C&DLogistics cdlogistics.ca
DanaMatheson CEO
C&DLogisticsisafullservicethirdpartylogisticsoperation servicingallofNorthAmericasince1999.
HanelSoftwareSolution hanelsoft.vn
NguyenQuangMinh CEO
INTTRA inttra.com
nVisionGlobal nvisionglobal.com
PolarisTransportation Group polaristransport.com
R2Logistics r2logistics.com
JohnFay CEO
LutherBrown CEO
DavidCox PresidentandCEO
HanelSoftwareSolutions(HanelSoft)isasubsidiaryofHanel LimitedCompany,oneoftheleadingtechnologyfirmsin Vietnamwithatotalof37affiliatedcompaniesandmorethan 7000employees
INTTRAisthelargestneutralnetwork,softwareand informationprovideratthecenteroftheoceanshipping industry.
nVisionGlobalisaworldwideleader,providingGlobalFreight Audit&Payment,TransportationManagementSoftwareand Solutions,ClaimsProcessing,RateNegotiationsaswellas LogisticsConsultingServices.
PolarisTransportationGroupisawell-recognizedand trustworthynameinthelogisticsandshippingsectoracross Americasandotherpartsoftheglobe.
RöhligLogistics rohlig.com
FrankDreischarf VPofSupplyChain
HyltonGray CEO SimpleRoutePlan simplerouteplan.com
R2Logisticsisathird-partylogistics(3PL)companythat providesaccesstothousandsofcontracttransportation providers.
RöhligLogisticsisanownerrunlogisticscompany,thatoffers solutionsinthefieldofseafreight,airfreight,projectlogistics andcontractlogistics.
AlinBoncioaga CEO SimpleRoutePlanisaneasy-to-usefleetmanagementplatform specializedforthecourierindustry.
Aheer Transportation Group:
The Leader with Excellence in the Ocean Freight Industry
Oceanfreightisadynamicmarket.Thegiant containershipsthattransporteverythingfrom garmentstoBarbiedollstostrawberriesaroundthe globe,isboomingdaybyday.Sameisthecasewiththe companiesthatownthem.Andthismillion-dollarindustry isachievingnewerheightseverysingledaywithdigital innovations.
AbouttheCompany
“Nothing of worth was ever accomplished without enthusiasm!”,thisquotebythegreatlitterateurSamuel JohnsonistheinspirationbehindthesuccessofAheer TransportationGroup Theenthusiasticteamatthe organizationworkstowardsemergingasavaluablevendor, allyandpartnerofanyclientfacinguncertaintywiththe Canadianeconomy TheteamisworkingwithCanadian ImportersandExportersinthePortVancouvermarket.This asset-basedcompany,foundedin1993,istotallyCanadian ownedandoperatedbyShindaAheerandhisfamily.
ABriefGlimpseofitsServices
Aheerownsthe15acresofPrimeIndustrialRealEstateon RiverRoadinDelta.BesidesitsRealEstatebase,the Groupconsistsofseveraloperatingdivisions:
AheerTransportationLtd.(non-union)
BurtonDeliveryServiceLtd. (TeamstersLocal31)
TriangleTransportationLtd(FlatdeckDivision,Teamsters Local31)
AGTransportLtd(UNIFOR)
PacificTransportationGroup(PTG)
DayalTransportLtd.
Togetherwetotalover80Tractorsand800+Chassis,onthe roadhaulingtheirclients’importandexportcargoes.
InadditiontoitsconsiderablethrowingweightintheOcean ContainerDrayageSectorofthePortVancouvermarket,the AheerGrouphasdiversifiedintoOceanContainerHandling andStorageOperationsoverthepastfiveyears.
AheerCYYardTerminallocatedat8713RiverRoad,Delta isthedesignatedCYYardforallofHamburg-SudLine’s
andMaerskLine’sdryboxes.Aheer’sLiftCapacityisnorth of80,000lbsandthecompanyhasthenewestHysterTopPickunitsinthePortVancouvermarket. WhileOcean ContainerDrayageremainstheAheerGroup’sprimary activity,theEquipmentHandlingandStorageDivisionis gaininggroundrapidly AheerhasasecondCYYard,subleasedfromVancouverFraserPort’sRealEstateDivision whichtotalsover3acresat10008RiverRoad,Delta, Aheer’s“NordelYard”.
OntheDrayageside,qualitatively,it’sworthmentioning thatAheerTransportationLtd.isthedesignatedOcean ContainerDrayageproviderforCanadaPostCorporation.
Assuch,andindealingwithaquasi-Governmentagency likeCPC,allofAheer’sdrivershavebeenvettedbyCanada PostSecurityinOttawa,includingcriminalchecks,fingerprinting,etc. TheCEOofthecompanyfeelsproudtohave thisCanadianGovernmentSecuritydesignationasit underscoresthequalityofdriverthathehasbeenhiredover theyears.Let’smeettheacclaimednavigator…
Theword‘Proficient’defineshim
ThePresidentandCEOofAheerTransportationGroup, ShindaAheermovedtoCanadafromPunjab,India,when hewasonlytenyearsold,theyoungestoffourbrothers. Afterattendingschool,Shindabecameaveryproficient TractorDriver,haulingHeavySteel,AluminumProducts, aswellasOceanContainersandGeneralLTLFreight. In 1992,whenthecompanyhewasdrivingforwasonthe vergeofdrowning,Shindamadeapactwiththelargest client,aprolificAluminumCanmanufacturerandreenlivenedthecompany
Gradually,Shindabuiltanasset-based,multi-faceted companythatmostrecentlyhasaccelerateditsgrowthvia theacquisitionofsmallercompetitorsintheOcean ContainerDrayagesector.
Hisentrepreneurialskillscontinuetoflourishwiththe recentpurchasesofPacificTransportationGroupandDayal TransportLtd.justoverthepasttenmonths.
‘‘
Our group provides innovative transportation and storage solutions through forward thinking and attentive customer service
‘‘
Loyaltyisatwo-wayvirtue.Shindastillcountsonmanyof hisoriginaldriversfromthebeginnings,aslongstanding employeestothisday.
Loyaltyalsoisevidentonthecommercialsideasmostof Shinda’scustomershavebeenwiththecompany,literally fordecades.OntheImportsidewithlongtimeFreight ForwardersupporteslikedbSchenkerandontheExport sidewithCanadianproduceslikeCatalystPaperandInterex ForestProducts,theclientstendtostaywithAheerthrough thickandthin.
ShindaAheerisaveryproudaswellasgratefulCanadian whowantstogivebacktothenationthatacceptedhimasa youngboy Towit,Shindaisanactiveparticipantin Charities,philanthropicdeedsliketheBCChildren’s Hospital,theUnitedWay,andmanymore.Reflectingonhis culturalethics,Shinda’sgenerosityislegendaryfor donatingfunds,equipment,andmanpowertohelpbring successtomanyannualIndo-CanadianFestivals,Parades, andotherSikhTempleevents.Shindabelievesingiving backtotheCommunitieshebelongsto,bothtothe CanadianandtheIndo-Indianorganizationswhoreachout tohimforassistance.
DynamicManagementteamworkingtowardsClient’s Benefit
TheManagementTeamatAheerismadeupofexperienced freightindustryprofessionals,whohaveforgedrelations withnotonlyvaluedAheercustomers,butotherimportant commercialentitiesliketheCanadianRailwaysandthe
Shinda Aheer President and CEO
OceanSteamshipLines.Moreover,operatingina RegulatedEnvironmentlikeTrucking,contactswiththe threelevelsofGovernment,PortMetroVancouver,thenew OfficeoftheBCContainerTruckingCommissioner,theBC TruckingAssociationandotherNGOshavebeen established.Theentirestaffofthecompanythrivesfor excellencebyexceedingthecustomerexpectation.
Safety-thePrimaryFocus Truckingisrightlydesignatedasaregulatedindustryin CanadaandtheAheerGrouprecognizestheneedforSafety Regulationsthatensurethesafeandsecuremovementof theirclients’cargoesonCanada’sPublicRoadwaysthatare alsousedbytheCanadianpublic. Safetyhasalwaysbeen theAheerGroup’sprimaryfocusthroughoutthecompany’s history
Aheer’sstandingshavealwaysbeentop-drawervis-a-vis:
NationalSafetyCode;
BCWorkSafeCompliance;
InsuranceCompliancy;
PortVancouverTruckLicenseCompliance;
BCTruckingAssociation
“Historically, safety has been viewed as a responsibility we owed to our Customers, to our Employees, and to our fellow Canadians…..and Safety will continue to be so…..first and foremost in our dealings and operations going forward!”,endsShindaonabrighttone.
Banyan Technology:
Pioneering LIVE Data Connectivity
ApplicationProgramInterfaceorAPIshavesparked thelogisticsindustrywithitsunparalleled significance.HeadquarteredinCleveland,Ohio, BanyanTechnologyisNorthAmerica’sleadingprovider oflivecarrierandAPIconnectivityfortransportation management.Introducingitselfasapioneerintherealm, thecompanyintroducedAPIcarrierconnectivitytothe transportindustrymorethanadecadeago.Withmorethan 1,400carrierconnectionsand33,000clientlocations accessingtheapplication,BanyanTechnologyprovides commercialshippers,brokers,and3PLswithunparalleled accesstocarrierdata.Theseconnectionsboostefficiency, improvevisibility,anddeliverpermanentreductionsin shippingcosts.
ExclusiveServicesandStrategies
BanyanTechnology,theleadingprovideroflivecarrierand APIconnectivityfortransportationmanagement,recently announceditslatestexpansiontoincludeliveconnectivity tomorethan1,000localcarriersthroughouttheU.S.and Canada.Thislatestenhancementcomesasaresultof significantindustrydemandtogainliveconnectivityand visibilityintolocalcarriersthroughasinglesetofAPIs.
Asthefirstplatformtobringlivecarrierconnectivitytothe transportationmanagementindustry,expanding connectivitytocapturelocalcarrierdataallowsBanyan Technologytoofferinsightsintothefullshippingprocess–fromthefirstmiletothefinalmile.Thisnewconnectivity impartsthesamelevelofautomationtofirstandlastmile thatBanyanhasdeliveredformorethanadecadetothe LTL,TLandparcelmarket.
Thiscomprehensive,liveconnectivitytolocalcarrier shipmentsallowsshipperstorate,book,andtrackboth pickupanddeliveryoftheirfirstandlastmileservices.
Throughthisconnectivity,userswillgaininsightinto pickupanddeliveryinformationinpreviouslyniche markets,includingresidential,rural,andmetropolitanareas aswellaswarehouses,facilities,anddistributioncenters. Localcarrierconnectionsspanacrossmultiplecarrier platformsandprovideuserswithincreasedvisibilityin ordertoensurethehigheststandardofperformance.
“We’re excited to integrate live connectivity to local carriers, as this gives our users a greater level of visibility into the entire shipping process that they have never experienced before,”assertsBrian.Heresumes,“With greater access to real-time data from local carriers, we’re confident that organizations will experience a boost in both productivity and profitability while ensuring customer satisfaction throughout the shipping process.”
ByutilizingBanyanTechnology,organizationswill experienceafaster,moreconvenientshippingexperience byeliminatingthetaskofmanualdataentry With connectionstomorethan1,400LTL,TLandparcel carriers,andnowmorethan1,000localcarriers,shippers canutilizeliveconnectivitythroughBanyan’sAPItomake betterinformeddecisionsbasedonreal-timedataatall levelsoftheshippingprocess.
BenefitsforClients
ThecustomersofBanyanTechnologybenefitfromlive pricing,constantvisibilityoffreightmovement,and automatedfreightbillauditing.Theypaylesstomove freight.Theymakebetter,moreinformeddecisions.Apart fromthat,Banyanenablesitsusersdomore—fasterthan theyeverimagined.
Theindustryrecognizesthevalueofthetechnology,with over33,000clientsitesaccessingtheBanyanapplication,
‘‘ ‘‘
Our live connections improve communication with carriers, so you can lower the cost of shipping, every time you move freight
Brian
Smith
CEO
andveryrecententrantsvyingfortheAPIspace.
OpportunitiesandChallenges
DatasourceconnectivitydemandsonBIandAIplayinto usersfeedinginformationintotheirsystems.Thisisindeed necessarytoincreasetheproductivityasanaddedresource ofinformationtheymaynotalreadyhave.Thus,the companyisgrowingasaresultoftheIndustryembracing thenewtechnology
Banyan’smainchallengeisinassistingtheclientstosee thattheyhaveanexistingorpendingproblemandthen helpingthemresolveit.Creativeapproachesweretakenby thecompanytoexplainandresolveproblemsthattheclient mightencounterinafewyearsdowntheroad.
FutureRoadmap
Banyan’scombinationofindustry-leadinginnovationand theresultingimpacttothefreightindustrycreatesa sustainableandexponentiallygrowingbusiness,primarily duetotheoverwhelmingbusinessopportunitytoestablish liveconnectivityacrossallshippers,3PLs,brokers,and carriers.
Banyanwillcontinuetoenhancetheplatformbasedupon themarketdemandsbyofferinggamechangerslikeLocal Carrier,UPSCapitalInsurance,expandedparcelbyoffering
USPSdiscountedratestoBanyanusersandinternational andhazmatrates.Thecompanyisalsolookingforwardto enhanceitssuccesswithNextGen,Blockchain,andSOX2 compliance.
TheLeaderwithaRevolutionaryZeal
BrianSmith,CEOofBanyanTechnology,isleadingthe SeniorManagementTeamtodriveanindustryrevolution replacingtheage-oldtechnologywithliveconnectivity.In hisshorttimeatthehelm,Banyanhasacceleratedhiring acrossalldepartments,completedafullcompanyrebrand, andsecured$7millioninarecentequityfundingand financinground.PriortojoiningBanyanTechnology,Smith ledaninternationalbaseddistributorofPrintand Promotionalitemsfrom$40mmto$400million
ThisproventrackrecordoftranslatingvisionintoresultorientedexecutionisthedefinitereasonwhytheBanyan BoardofDirectorsbroughtSmithin,inearly2016,as CEO.
“I joined Banyan because I wanted to be part of an amazing technology company with a proven track record and high potential for fast growth,”Smithsays,“ Banyan has been far ahead of the curve in terms of leveraging technology for the real-time exchange of data.”
Logistics and Transportation Organizations Going Digital
Digitaltechnologieshavesaturatedanddisorderedalmostallsegments,andlogisticscompaniesarenoexception.
Integratingtheoptimizationandefficiencyinspeedandseizingthemomentarethekeystosuccessintoday’s extremelycompetitivebusinessmarket.Thedevelopingtechnologyisthekeyenablerallowingcompaniestorealize theseaspects.Logisticsandtransportationareregardedasthebackboneoftheeconomy,providinganefficientandcosteffectiveflowofgoodsonwhichothercommercialsectorsdepend.Thelogisticsindustryisevolvingglobally;itisthe combinationofinfrastructure,technologyandnewtypesofserviceproviders.Thisdefineswhetherthelogisticsindustryis abletohelpitscustomerswithcost-effectiveoperationsandeffectiveservices.
LeveragingTechnology
AnIndependentanalysisrevealsthatthetransportationandlogisticscompaniesareincreasingrevenueandworkingwiththe visiontostandardizeandstreamlinestructuresandprocesses.Theyareleveragingtechnologyfordevelopingindustry orientedandinnovativesolutions.Theyhaveastrongbeliefthattechnologyisthekeyenablerforstrategicplanning.
Onanaverage,transportationandlogisticsenterprisesinvestaboutfivepercentoftheirannualreturnsindigitaloperations, majorlyfocusingondigitizingtheircustomerinterface.Thethrustthesedaysisexclusivelyonmobileappsandsolutions thatofferapersonalizedexperiencefortheircustomers.However,themajorityofthecompaniesareincreasinglyusing digitaltechnologytoexposenewbusinessmodels,dedicatedtotheestablishmentofvalue-addedservicesandinnovative solutions.
Logisticscompaniesareleveragingtechnologynotjusttoimprovetheefficiencyofoperations,butalsototransformtheway operationstakeplace.Theuseofrobotsingiantwarehousesisalreadywell-known,asisthedriverless,remote-controlled vehicles.Technologydrivesaswingtoacustomergrippedoperatingmodel,allowingthedeliveryofpersonalizedand customer-focusedlogistics,withimmediateandfastercycletimes.
ImproveOperationsthroughBigData
ThedevelopmentofthetechnologyinfluencesthealgorithmstocrunchBigData,unlockingacumensandopportunitiesthat werenotpossibleearlier Theseinsightsareenablingstreamlineoperationsandoptimizationofthesupplychain.The
automationbasedondata,mainlyautomatedloadstructureandaugmentingtheinboundandoutboundmovementof cargo,enablestheoptimaluseofexistingresources.Thisreducesthegenerationofthewasteandfacilitateslean operations.
Mobilesolutionsenablegreatertransparencyintothelogisticsoperations.Effectivesimultaneousfleetmanagement solutionpavesacreativewayfor uberization oftrucksandotherdeliveryvehicles. Anall-inclusivedatabasedcatalog andsupplychainmanagementsystemexposessilosandeasesend-to-endvisibilitytoinventory,orders,andshipments acrossthesupplychain.Thistypeoftransparencyimprovestheoperationsassociatedwithlocatingtheinventory movement.Also,reducesthenetwork-wideinventorylevels,andenablemanagerstoresponddynamicallyandinreal-time toeachandeveryeventorissuethatdisturbsthesupplychain.
Analyticaldataandinformationgeneratesexplicitgreenhousedischargesandcarbonfootprintsoftruckandmachinery maneuvers.Thispermitstheorganizationstotakestepstobecomeacarbon-neutralorganization,therebysupporting Green logistics. Theintegrationofmachinelearninginsupplychainmanagementempowersturningpilesofpassivedata intoactionableBI.
EnhancingtheSecurity
Thedisruptioninthesupplychaincreatesglobalbusinessrisksforlogisticscompanies.Besides,technologyenables revitalizingthesupplychaininmanyways.Digitallocksupsurgethesecurityhighgroundsoftheinventory,offering robustlayersofsecurityinassociationwiththephysicalsecurity.Theplanningofoptimumrouteincombinationwith real-timetrackingofthecargomovementthroughthemobileappsprovesessentialinnavigation,avoidscongestionpoints andminimizesrisks.
InfluenceofIoT
TheIoThasbeenavitalentityforlogisticsandtransportationorganizations.IntegrationofIoTinthelogisticsis extremelycontributingtowarehousemanagementsolutions,enablingprecisionmovementandaccuratetrackingand packagingofgoods.TheimplementationofIoTgadgetsinlogisticsisfundamentallyendless,rangingfromtrackingthe packagedandtransportedgoodsinatemperature-controlledmannerforensuringthecorrectpackagereachesthecorrect settingatthespecifiedtimeandmore.
FutureRoadmap
Thenextbigthingtoariseinthetransportationandlogisticsindustriesistheextremeandinnovativeuseofdrones.This extensiveuseofdroneswouldbringrapidityinthingsconsiderably,decreasethehassles,strainandprovidewithefficient andcost-effectiveoperationsintransportationandlogisticscompanies.
Thelogisticsindustrycontinuestowitnessgrowthduetothegrowthinretail,e-commerceandmanufacturingsegments. ThisindustryisexpectedtoreachovertwobillionUSDinthecomingdecade.Escalationofe-commercelogisticsand increaseddomesticconsumptionwillleadwaystowardstheindustrialrevolutioninthecomingyears.Withapotentialto growandimprove,theservice-orientedlogisticsindustryisreadytoswellbeyondthehorizonsinthenearfuture.
Inaddition,thedevelopmentsintheinstantfuturewillincludeconnectedandautonomoustrucks,warehouserobotics,and smartwarehousesolutions.Thiswillspeedupthelogisticsindustryoperations,andimprovetheiraccuracyandefficiency.
Impact of Blockchain technology in Logistics industry
Raghu Bala CEO
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Raghu Bala CEO, NetObjex Inc is based in Southern California. Raghu formerly worked with Yahoo, Infospace, PwC, and with 3 successful startup exits. He is a Wharton MBA in Finance, MS in Computer Science from RPI, ExColumbia University Adjunct Lecturer, published author and major conferences including IoT Congress, Google IO, and more. His Current focus areas are Decentralized computing, Distributed ledgers, IoT, and Cryptocurrencies respectively.
NetObjex Inc
TheLogisticsIndustryisakeysegmentinseveral worldeconomies,includingthatoftheUnited States.
UsingastudyfromATKearney,itaccountedforabout 7.5%ofGDPin2016. TheLogisticsindustryismadeupof severalsubsegmentsincluding:
Ÿ MotorCarrierse.g.JBHunt,OldDominion
Ÿ ParcelDeliverye.g.FedEx,UPS
Ÿ Raile.g.CSX,NorfolkSouthern
Ÿ ContainerShippinge.g.Maersk,Hapag-Lloyd
Ÿ AirFreighte.g.DHL,Martinair
Ÿ Pipelinecompaniese.g.Enbridge,KinderMorgan
Ÿ FreightForwarderse.g.Kuehne+Nagel,Sinotrans
Ÿ ThirdPartyLogisticse.g.CHRobinson,XPOLogistics
Ÿ WarehousingCompaniese.g.Ryder,Geodis
Manyoftheplayersintheabovelistbleedoverintothe othersegmentsandofferabroadproductmix.
Technologyhascontinuedtobethecatalystforchangein theLogisticsindustry. Newbusinessmodelsarebeing constantlydevelopedanddrivingtheindustrytowardsa flexible,connected,optimizedsupplychain. Customer
expectationsalsocontinuetoevolvewithagreaterneedfor immediacy,convenienceandpersonalizationatthecore. AI,IoT,andBlockchaintechnologieshaveamajorroleto playinthisevolution.
Logistics,ingeneral,involvesaChainofCustodywhere goodschangehandsbetweenmultipleparties. Forinstance, aSellerinChinawishestoshipgoodstoaBuyerintheUS. Itisverylikelythatinthisscenariothegoodse.g.a Containerwillgothroughseveralintermediariese.g. truckingcompanies,shippingcompaniesbeforereaching thebuyer
Atpresent,mostofthisjourneyisfairlyopaqueinthatonce thegoodsleavethecustodyoftheSender,thereisverylittle insightastoitsstatusuntilitarrivesattheBuyer. When singlecompanieshandletheentireshipmente.g.FedEx, DHLetcthenthereisslightlymorevisibilitythrough mobilenotificationsandwebbasedtrackingviatracking numbers. Butwhenmultiplecarriersareinvolved,tracing andtrackingbecomesexponentiallymoredifficultandis notbeinghandledmosteffectivelyatpresent.
EnterBlockchaintotherescue. Blockchainisaformof
Source: NetObjex Inc
DistributedLedgertechnologymaybejustwhatthedoctororderedwhenitcomestoimprovingthetransparencyinthe Logisticsindustry. Blockchaintechnologyprovidesatransparent,tamperproof,andimmutableledger–threeproperties whichcouldhelpmitigateseveraloftheinefficienciesinLogistics.
BeforeweexamineBlockchainindetail,letusquicklylistsomeofthecommonissuesfacedinLogistics:
Ÿ Inefficiencye.g.goodsnotarrivingontime
Ÿ Losse.g.goodsperishingenrouteduetoimproperhandling
Ÿ Thefte.g.goodsbeingstolenduetolackofsecuritymeasures
Ÿ Counterfeitinge.g.goodsbeingreplacedwithcounterfeitgoods
Ÿ Fraude.g.documentfraudwheredocumentssuchasbillofladingaremodified
Withthiscontextinmind,letusstudyhowBlockchaincanhelpinLogistics. First,blockchaintechnologyisextremely usefulinecosystemsinvolvingmultipleplayerswhoworkwithoneanotherbuttheremaybetrustissues. TheLogistics ecosystemeasilyqualifiesinthisregard. Second,mostofwhatailstheecosystemisalackofaccountabilitywhichis broughtaboutbythelackoftransparency. Forinstance,inthechainofcustody,ifalltheecosystemparticipantshave theirowninformationsilos(eitherautomatedorotherwise),thenthereisalackofacommonsetoftruthsoracommon systemofrecord. Thisleadstoinefficiency,errors,andevenfraud.Third,compoundthisalreadymalignedecosystemby saddlingitcustomerrequirementssuchascoldchainshipmentswheretemperaturehastobemaintainedwithinspecific thresholdse.g.pharmaceuticalsorwine.
Inallthreecases,Blockchainisaperfectfit. First,ithelpsallecosystemparticipants’workoffofthesamedataby sharingdataacrosstrustboundariesbreakingdownthesilosoninformation.Second,whencoupledwithIoTtechnology forrealtimedataacquisition,blockchaincanbeusedforgovernanceandaccountabilityinChainofCustodysituations. Forinstance,inacoldchainshipment,onecaneasilyascertainwhichpartywasresponsibleforashippingcontainer whileintransitwhenthetemperaturegaugereadingwentoutsideofthepresetthresholds.
BlockchainpromisestobeagamechangingtechnologyandsomethingthatisaverygoodfitfortheLogisticsbusiness andallofitscomplexity
Lately,theGlobalLogisticsandShippingsectorhas
witnessedanunprecedentedsurgeinthemovement ofgoodswithininternationalandintra-national borders.Withthisever-increasingoperationofgoods,the backbonesectorisundergoinganupgradeintermsofsmart exchangeofinformationbetweenbuyers&sellers;and incorporationofmodern-techforeffectiveandefficient businessoperations.
PolarisTransportationGroupisawell-recognizedand trustworthynameinthelogisticsandshippingsectoracross Americasandotherpartsoftheglobe.Servingfordecades, itisoneofthepioneersinLTLshippingsegmentand variousotherlogisticsservices.
PolarisTransportationGroup(PTG)isthebrainchildof LarryCox,theoriginalFounder.Larry’s,yearsof dedication,hardworkandcommitmentaidedPTGto emergeintoasizableandformidableorganization,which pridesitselfincontinuingthefocusonbeingthebestand mostreliableLTLcarrierintheindustry
THEMULTIDIMENSIONALLEADER
L Dave arryhandedthereinsofPTGin2017tohisson Cox President CEO ,thecurrent and . Dave,likehisfather, isavisionaryandmultifacetedpersonalitywhois spearheadingtheorganizationandmaintainingthekey fabricofthecompany ssuccess.Heiswell-knownfor ’ alwaysmanagingtheclientexperiencenomatterwhat.
Daveisalsobringingafreshperspectivetoenhancethe client sexperienceevenfurtherbyembracingcutting-edge ’ technologyandbecomingtheintegratedsolutionsprovider forthetruckingvertical,technicallyandoperationally; additionally,onboardingaChiefTechnologyOfficer‘Dave Brajkovich whowilllookafteroverallstrategicdigital ’ transformationinitiatives.
P operatesTG inseverallogisticsfunctionswhichinclude TransportationationofGoods,InventoryHandling,Storage,
PackagingandProcessingitfurthertothecustomer
Theorganizationhasstrengtheneditscapabilitiesand functionsbyincludingbestinclasstechnologyforallofits companies,soitcanbetterservetheirclient’sfullfreight lifecycleexperienceendtoend.
OUT-OF-THE-BOXSTRATEGIESTHATDELIVERS EXCEPTIONALSERVICES
Customerswantseamless,betterexperienceswhenitcomes totheironline&offlinepurchasesandthedeliveryofthose. Thishasresultedinabutterflyeffect,asothersegmentsof theindustryhaveneededtobeimprovedtoo. Simultaneously,theindustryhastoleveragetheavailable resources(humanresourceespecially)intelligently
PTGanticipatedtheseneedsandhaveincorporateduseof latestsmarttechnologyintheirbusinessoperations.
Forinstance,SmartRoboticsAutomationandMachine Learninghelpthemtorelievetheirinternallaborforceof repetitiveandheavyadministrativeprocessingandhence providetheStafftheopportunitiestogrowandmanagethe smartprocessingthatarobotcan’tdo.Reasonbeing,itmay beoverlycomplexorneedsthehumanrelationship interaction.Thisinevitablywillenhancetheoverallclient satisfactionandexperience.
Logisticscompanieshavemoredataavailablethanever before,however,theyhavetomakebettersenseofit.
PTGhasaperfectstrategywhichwillembracetheBlock ChainfabricpairedwithSeamlessDataExchange integrations(API’s,EDI,SFTP),helpingleveragethedata foranalysis,auditaffirmations,andinsightfultransparency reducingrelianceonheavyadministrativeeffortsand focusingmoreonmovingfreight,willbethebyproducts.
UtilizingtheInternetofThingsinlogisticsby Sensorization,i.e.usingsensorstotrackandtracetheroute
ofgoodsandshipmentshavebeenimplementedbyPolaris TransportationGroup.Workingintandemwiththeir partnersandtechvendors,Polarisaimstoprovidethemost robustintegratedrouteoptimizationandtrackingsystems.
Davestates, “By enabling these technologies, doing business, will now be the way it should be. The industry will go through a significant change from the way it does business today, however, it will make sense and become a simpler process overall. The old adage ‘ask and you shall receive’ will become a reality, we are getting there with the likes of Google Home and Alexa.”
CHALLENGESBRINGOPPORTUNITIES
Challengeisthepathwaytoengagement&progressandan integralpartofanybusiness. ForDave,thechallengeisthe adoptionsandthewillingnesstotrustandcooperatively workwithalltypesofbusinesspartners,competitors, vendors,clients,etc.
“Providing the tech will be the easier part, it will be the change management and industry adoption that will be more of the tricky part, however, that’s what good leaders are for! They motivate, direct and make things happen. Let’s get our leaders in the industry pushing us to the next level of transformation, with a little help from our governing bodies,” expressedDave.
Whilesharinghisthoughtsonpresentopportunities,Dave speaks, “Our motto is to be the strongest link in our clients supply chain and to enhance our internal staff’s growth and performance values. Working smarter by supervising
systems is way better than, working harder and having the systems manage the people.”
“By investing and deploying smarter technologies we are then constantly improving on our core values in enhancing the client experience and providing our people a higher degree of value to the overall process.”
FUTUREROADMAP
Recentstudies,havepredictedthefutureofgloballogistics andshippingindustrytobechallengingbutbright.
“Polaris is focused on technologies such as blockchain, enhanced robotic processing, chatbots, dynamic delivery management to help with customer service, enhancing our front facing user interfaces, seamless integrations with our partners and clients. But most of all we want to ensure that we are focused on the most important and precious freight and that is our people and our families,” assertstheCEO.
Theultimatelong-termgoalofthelogisticscompaniesisto buildandimplementintelligent,digitalizedsolutionsfor efficientoperationsandcustomersatisfactionandtobeable toshiftandalignintheglobalcompetition.TheRaceison!
ENVISIONING the FUTURE of LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY
Corporationsworkveryhardtoprovidethebestcustomerservices.Logisticsissuchoneservice.These companiesmanagetheflowofthingsbetweentheoriginandtheterminatingendtoprovidenecessary productsandservicestomeettherequirementofothercorporationsandindustries.Thesecompanies havehugeresponsibilitiesontheirshoulders.Theyhavetomanagetheirfleets,bothtrackingandplatooning,and havetodelivergoodsintimewithutmostcareandmostimportantly,withagility Theday-by-dayevolutionof technologygivesthecompaniesanultimatum;“Transform or be terminated” . Companieslike Amazon arefrontrunnersinacceptingthenewtrendsinlogistics.Theirtesteddronesdeliveredgoodsovertheair,emittingthe longordealsoftraffic. ItwouldbetremendoustoseeAmazonturningthe“same day delivery”into“same hour delivery”.
TheinvolvementoftheAutonomousvehicles
Anautonomousvehicleisnotanunheardtermanymore.Thesevehicleseradicatetheneedofaphysicaldriver thusimprovingtheoveralldeliverytime.Vehicleslikethesecanmaptheirrouteinadvanceandcanimproviseit basedontherequirementofsituationslikechangeintraffic,weather,andaccident-proneareas.These autonomousvehiclesarebettercoordinatedandwouldhaveseamlessandfrictionlessdeliveryprocess.Further, theseautomobilescangotoareaswherehumansfacedifficultiesinreaching.Citizensofruralandlowdensity areas,oftenhavetocompromiseeitherwiththedeliverydurationorinordertoreceivetheirproduct,theyhave toareacharecognisablelandmarkthemselves.Thesevehiclescangoanywhereandcandelivermaterialsto anyone.RobotsandAI-poweredforkliftswillaidinloadingandunloadingoffreights.Thehumanhandlingand consolidationofloadwillbeminimised.Shippingagentswillbeabletosupervisetheloadingandunloadingof freightsfromanappropriatesafedistance.
3DPrinting
Thisrevolutionarytechnologywillimpactthewayproductsareproduced.Theproductwillnothavetobemanufactured halfwayacrosstheplanet.Theproductwillbemanufacturedneartheuser/customer,thuseliminatingmovingcostsand savingtime.Astheprocessinvolvesavingthedataindigitalform,thesparepartscanbeprintedondemands, eliminatingtheneedtoadministertheoverallinventorystatus.Virtually,thesparepartswillnevergooutofstockand canbeproducedatthedemandingtime.Furthermore,thecompanieswillbeabletocustomisetheproductasper customer’srequirement,eveniftheproductisinitsproductionpipeline.
Theinterconnectedweb
Byupcomingdecade,internetwillconsistofextensivefiberandfastbroadbandcapabilities.Thishigh-speedinternetwill becoupledwithconnectedsensorscapableofdetectingandmonitoringtraffic,regulationonheavy-dutyvehicles,etc. Thistechnologywillfurtherbeinstalledinautonomousvehiclesforlocationmonitoringandinprovidingrouting information.Therevampedinternetwillalsosupporttheinternetofthings(IoT).ByusingIoT,thedatacanbe transferredoveranynetwork.Monitoringofstaff,employees,andequipmentwillbemucheasier.Theoverall performanceofmachines,equipment,energyconsumption,inventorystatus,andmaterialflowwillbeboosted.
Guidingtheway-Augmentedreality
Augmentedrealitywillsimulatereal-lifesituationbycomputer-generatedsensoryinputs.Additionalinputs,suchas wearable,handhelddevices,anddroneswillassistinsupervisingincalamity-pronescenarios.Thesedeviceswillhelpin generatinghologramsthatcanbeextremelyhelpful.Inseveralscenarios,supervisorscanvirtuallyseethevariablesthat canhappeninaccident-pronesituations.ARwillinformsupervisors,themiscalculationsandtheprobableoutcomeof suchmiscalculations.ARwillscanthecargoinfreightloadingandcanhelpinplacingthemproperly.Insimpleterms, remediescanbeappliedeverytimebeforeanyproblemarises.Thisartificialrealitywillfurtherassistinmonitoringthe inventory,employees,readingbarcodes,andrecognizingproductsthuseliminatingtheexistingpaper-basedprocess.
TheUberoftrucks
Thereareseveralcompaniestestingoutthe“Uber”likeapplicationstotransportgoods.Thishelpscompaniesin outsourcingtheirtransportationtootherdrivers.Thesoftwareprovidesadirectlinkfortruckerstoconnectwithshippers whowanttomovetheirloads.Themainpurposeistoremovethethird-partybrokersbetweenthetruckersandshippers. Byeliminatingthemiddleman,expensesaresaved.TheseapplicationswillfeatureonlinemapsandGPSfortheirexact route.Theseappswillmonitorexactdistanceandarrivaltimes,eliminatingpaper,phone,faxandpricehagglingissues.
Technologyonitsway
Theevolvingtrendsinlogisticstechnologywilldefinitelyhelpinimprovingthetransportationofresources.The transportationmanagementsystemswillbelive,dispatcheswillbeautonomous,freightandfleettrackingwillbe extremelyaccurate,backofficeefficiency,routing,tracking,andblockchainbusinesswillbeimproved.ByusingAIand robotics,inventorystatus,management,supplychaindesignandmodelingtoolswillbemonitored.Thelistgoesonand on.Somehurdlesinvolvedinthisindustryaretheminimaluseofsuchtechnologies.Only3%companiesareusing3D printing.Augmentedrealityisyettofullyfunctiontosecureitsplaceinthemarket.Theinternetneedsmore cybersecurity.Cyber-attackshappencommonlynowadaysandprivacyhasalwaysbeenaconcern.SomeCEOssuggests thatautonomousvehicleareessential,butthehumanelementshouldnotbeeliminated.However,theeverydaychanging technologywilldefinitelyovercomesuchobstaclesandit’seasytosaythatthe ‘future of logistics technology is shipped on time and will be delivered to industries on the exact estimated day’.
R2 Logistics :
A Technology Driven Logistics Provider
Weseethatsignificantportionsoftheshipper communityarecurrentlynotutilizing technologysolutionsinordertomaketheir supplychainsmoreefficient.Thisisespeciallytruein mid-sizedandsmallcompanieswithlessthan$25MMin totaltransportationspend.R2Logistics,aglobal provideroftransportationservicesandlogisticssolutions ischangingthistrendbyofferinghighlyeffectiveand efficientsolutionsfortheindustry
R2Logisticsisathird-partylogistics(3PL)company thatprovidesaccesstothousandsofcontract transportationproviders.Withofficeslocatedacrossthe UnitedStates,R2Logisticshasthecapacitytoresolve anyshippingneed.Backedbygame-changing technologyandthecultureforReliableServiceand RelentlessPassion,thecompanyhasbuiltastrong reputationasanindustryleader
AbouttheLeader
FrankDreischarfstartedwithR2Logisticsin2017 whenhefilledtheroleofVicePresidentofSupply ChainSolutions.Dreischarfhas20plusyearsof distributionandsupplychainexperienceandhasspent thelast10yearsmanaging$200MMplustransportation spends.FrankisagraduateofTheOhioStateUniversity, wherehedualmajoredinOperationsManagementas wellasTransportationandLogistics.
Inhiscurrentrole,Frankisresponsiblefordeveloping andmanagingR2’smulti-modalandSupplyChain serviceofferings.Thisincludes:LTL,ReverseLogistics,
InboundSupplyChainLogisticsandDistribution, IntermodalandFinalMileDelivery.
“Logistics is a relationship based business and the foundation for any successful relationship is integrity and trust. That means doing what you say you will do, always seeking to find and add value, and to treat others as you want to be treated,” assertsDreischarf.
Extraordinary
OfferingsthatPutR2LogisticsApart
TheR2Logistics’TMSsystemwasdesignedto democratizelogisticstechnologyforshippersofallsizes. Also,theTMSsolutionisacloud-basedsystemwhich reducesimplementationtime(andcost)whileatthe sametimeprovidingtheircustomerswithindustryleadingreportinganddataaggregationcapabilities.
CustomerOrientedApproach
Withitsplatform,R2Logisticsbringsvisibilitytoa spendcategorythatisoftenoverlooked.Thecompanyis abletoprovidenotonlytransportationreporting information,butalsotrackandtracecapability, documentcreationandretentionaswellasmode selectionandratingallinoneplatform.ThisallowsR2 Logistics’customerstofocusontheircorebusinesswith theassurancethattheirtransportationdollarsarebeing spentasefficientlyaspossible.
“We have learned that often our customers are unaware or blind to where the waste is in their Supply Chain programs. We view our role to be a collaborative partner, making suggestions and implementing cost
Logistics is a relationship based business and the foundation for any successful relationship is integrity and trust
‘‘
reduction strategies to educate and benefit our customers. Often times this means having honest and difficult conversations with a customer about ways they can make changes to their operations to become more efficient,” –saysDreischarfaboutR2Logistics’ approachtowardsunderstandingcustomersandfulfilling demands.
KeepingaCloseEyeonMarketDynamicsand Changes
TeamR2LogisticsistotallyawareoftheDieselphaseoutplansoftheUKandEuropesimplymeanamigration tolower-emittingtechnologiesinthefuture.Asa3PL company,R2Logisticskeepsacloseeyeonmarket dynamicsandchanges.Astheircarrierbaselooksto adoptthesetechnologies,R2Logisticsiscommittedto workingwiththemtocontinuetogrowtheirbusiness.
“A more connected world is also a more efficient one. We are constantly searching for ways to become more integrated with our customers and their customers in an effort to make supply chains more efficient. We view AI, EV and other technologies as an enabler to this
Frank Dreischarf VP of Supply Chain Solutions
mission,” assertsDreischarfabouttheintroductionof advancedtechnologiesinthefieldoflogistics.
FutureStrategies
R2Logisticswillcontinuetofindsolutionsforshippers ofallsizesthathelpthemtosavemoney,becomemore efficientandeliminatewaste.Thecompanyhasevolved fromstrictlyatruckloadbrokerageintoafullmodal3PL andwillcontinuetoinnovateinareasoftechnology,data aggregation,andreporting. “As we look to the future, you can expect us to continue to add capabilities that provide value for our customers and help them to become the most efficient Supply Chains possible,” said Dreischarfwhiletalkingaboutthefutureofferings.
Matthew Telesca President & CEO
BLOCK CHAIN-
Savior of the L ogistics Industr y
About the author:
Company founder, Matthew Telesca serves as the President and CEO of MGN Logistics, Inc. Telesca is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and tech enthusiast, who sold his first company by age 32. A five-time recipient of Inc. Magazine's prestigious Fastest Growing Private Companies in America award, and two-time nominee for CEO of the year, Telesca is a long-time member of The International society of Logistics. He was selected as one of the top 50 most creative CEOs to watch in 2016 and has been featured in numerous technology and logistics magazines.
Technologyinbusinesscontinuestoevolveand
disruptmajorcompaniesandmarkets. Ifyouneed confirmationofthatpoint,justlookatthetop10 retailersfifteenyearsagocomparedtotoday'slist. Nearly allthelargestretailersfromabygoneerahaveeitherclosed orfiledforbankruptcy. Theyhavebeenreplacedbyan onlineretailmodelthatemphasizesconvenienceandnearly unlimitedoptions. ThinkaboutwhatUberhasdonetothe taxiindustry,orFacebooktotheadvertisingmarket. Yes, technologyisnotonlyheretostay,butwillcontinueto influencenearlyeverypartofourlives,andbusinessisnot immune.
Infact,forbusiness,itbecomesevenmoreimperativeto stayattunedtothesechangesanddifferentiatebetween passingfadsversusatrulytransformativetechnology. One suchexamplehasbeentheintroductionofblockchain, originallydevisedforthedigitalcurrency,Bitcoin. The blockchaintechnologyhassinceexplodedwithavast numberofotherpotentialusesandvaryingplatforms. However,manymainstreambusinesseshavebeenvery slowtoadoptthistechnology,oftentakingawaitandsee mentality.Andrightlyso,ifacompanyisnotcareful,they couldrecklesslyspendsubstantialresources,timeand money,pursuingatechnologythatcouldultimatelybea passingfad. Orworse,betonatechnologythatthemarket doesn'tassimilateandfindthemwithaworthlessplatform.
Blockchain,however,inmanywaysisrevolutionary. It doesn’taddressmakebelieveproblemsoroverexaggerated inconveniences,butrather,thereal-worldchallengethat nearlyeverytransactioninvolves,thatoftrustand incorruptibledata. Yes,everytransactionofvaluehasthe potentialtobecorruptedorcompromisedintoday’sdigital world. Thereinliesthegeniusofblockchain. Itisa decentralizeddigitalledgerthatcanguaranteethevalidity ofatransactionthroughitdistributedregistersandsecure validationmechanism. Simplyput,itbringsthehighest levelofaccountabilitytoeverytransaction. Withsuchan essentialkeyattribute,howcouldblockchainbeanything otherthanarevolutionarynewtechnologythatwill eventuallyneedtobeembraced?
It'sbeenwiththiscorebelief,thatMGNLogistics,based outofEaston,Pennsylvaniahasbeenpushingforwardwith
thelogisticsindustriesfirstblockchainbasedTransportation ManagementSystem(TMS). Anearlyadaptorofwebbasedtechnologyandoneofthefirstcompaniestolauncha fullyautomatedon-linefreightplatformcalled LogisticsQuote, MGNhascontinuedtobringtomarket cuttingedgetechnologyforthetransportationspace. These innovationsincludeits'awardwinningTMS,bigdata truckloadandLTLpricingapps,sophisticatedbusiness intelligenceKPIsandhundredsofAPIconnections. The companyhasgrownorganicallyandthroughaseriesof privatepartyacquisitions,includingofficesin Pennsylvania,NewJersey,Massachusetts,Michigan, Florida,andtheDominicanRepublic.
Thecompany’scurrentundertakingentailsutilizing blockchain'sincorruptibleledgertosynthesizewith transportationrelatedtransactions. Withmany transportationprocessesstillbeingverymanualandthe highlevelofhumanerrororevenfraudinthemarketplace, MGNfeltitwasripetimingtointroduceanewrobustTMS thatoffereditsusersandthoseinterfacedwithahigherlevel ofaccountability,trueendtoendvisibilityandgreater degreeofautomation. Whileseveralcompaniesinthe spacehavebeenfocusedontheinternationalapplication, MGNhasconcentratedonthedomesticLTLandtruckload marketswheretheirblockchaintechnologywouldbefirstto market.
Today,withfraudulentdoublebrokeredloadsontherise, andshipperslosingvisibilityintothisprocess,weenvision aplatformthatwouldenddoublepaymentsforloadsthat havebeendelivered. Wearecreatingatechnology;we believewillendtheinsanityoftendingaloadofvaluetoa carrierorbrokerwithpotentiallylittleornovalidationof whotheyare. Wearecreatingaplatformbasedon blockchaintechnologythatwillprovidethemostsecure transportationtransactionsonearth. Andwehaveatrack recordofnotjusttalkingorenvisioningbutdeliveringon thoseinnovations.
Simple Route Plan:
Disrupting the Fleet Management with Real-Time Software
Thefleetmanagementsystemisstillatitsinfancy. Thereareonlyfewfleetmanagementcompanies whohavefullyadoptedthebenefitsofArtificial Intelligenceandotherdigitalinnovations.
Fleetmanagementiscomplicated.Therearesomanythings thatimpactthefleet.Whilemanagingalargefleet,thereare chancesthedetailscangetlost.However,it’sthedetails thatoftenmakeallthedifference.Withouttherighttools, fleetscan’tbemanagedeffectively.
HeadquarteredinBucharest,Romania,SimpleRoutePlan isaneasy-to-usefleetmanagementplatformspecializedfor thecourierindustry.Foundedin2016,thiscompanyoffersa solutionthatconsiderseveryelementofrouteswithoutany arealimitation.Themainfeaturesofthisplatforminclude: planoptimalroutesworldwide,estimatedeliverytime, contactcustomerviatextmessagesoremail,GPSfleet trackingwiththelivetrafficupdates,deliverylivetracking andadvancedreporting.
FeaturingthePassionateLeader
AlinBoncioaga,theCEOofSimpleRoutePlanisa graduatefromUniversityofTransylvania.Heispassionate aboutsoftwaredevelopmentandsecurity.Heholdsvast experienceinsoftwarearchitecture,variousprogramming languages,AI&Blockchain.BeforeSimpleRoutePlan, Alinusedtoworkwith Pentalog asaSoftwareDeveloper.
“My goal was to automate part of the transportation industry. The company offers a key fleet management solution as well as automated communication with customers throw SMS and Email. Part of the team are logistic professionals that made it possible to develop a platform to answer real customer needs”,assertsAlin.
ExclusiveOfferings
TheadvancedtoolsofSimpleRoutePlanhelpthefleet companiesinmanyways:
Automatically Track Vehicles:GPSFleetTrackinghelpsto locateeveryassetinrealtime.
One Platform for your Entire Fleet:Thissoftwarecanbe usedtomanagetheentirefleet,regardlessofwheretheyare locatedintheworld.
Find Insights:Reportingoptionsallowitsclientstoreview thehistoryofroutessotheycandetermineifthereareways toimproveroutesandsavemoney.
An Investment in Your Future:Fleetmanagementsoftware willsoonhelpyourealizeareturnoninvestment.Simple RoutePlanisaffordable,andjustbyusingityou’llenjoy betterproductivityasitautomatesmanymanualtasks.As youlearnwhatroutesaretheleastexpensive,you’llfind yourreturnquickly
Reduce Risk:Anessentialfacetoffleetmanagementis minimizingrisk.Thishasmanyapplicabilityintheindustry fromenhancingsafetytoensuringvehiclesarewell maintained.
Operational Efficiencies:SimpleRoutePlancanalsohelp withreducingfuelconsumptionandvehiclemaintenance.
Idling Trucks Cost the industry $20 billion in Fuel Costs
Each Year:Thecompanycanhelponetofindand implementsmartwaystoavoidtheidle.
Reroute instantly:Ifthere’sablockeronthepreferred route,SimpleRoutePlanhasanoptiontocircumventthe hazard,notifydriversimmediatelyandrerouteproactively notreactively
Track Fleet Metrics:Withthereportfeatures,ithasbeen easiertolookatmetricslikeidling,fuelconsumption,and routehistory.Thesenumberscanshedlightonhowthe
Fleet management doesn't have to be complex
‘‘
Alin Boncioaga CEO
operationcanbeimproved.Theinefficientroutesmaybe identified,ordeterminedhowdriversareperforming.Italso givestheoptiontocomparethesamerouteinformationfor twodifferentdriverstoseewhatthedifferencesare.
Theout-of-the-boxStrategies
ThesoftwareplatformofSimpleRoutePlanhasbeen designedwiththeuserexperienceinmindtryingtocreatea layoutwheresettingsandoptionsareinthemostintuitive placesandmanyprocessingstagesareintegratedsothere arefewerthingstheuserneedstofocuson.
Couriercompaniescanupdatetheircustomersonthe deliverylocationandstatusthroughSimpleRoute’scontrol panel.Thisiswhatkeepsitapartintheglobalmarket.The companyoperatesworldwideandplansroutesacross multiplecountriesandcontinents.
BenefitsforClients
SimpleRoutePlanoffersitsclientstohavebettertoolsto measurecompanyprogress.Thereports,history,and statisticswillallowcompaniestoimprovethewaysto managetheirkeyperformanceindicators.Itincreasesendcustomersatisfactionbecauseofexcellentcommunication andtransparentprocedures(customersarenotifiedwhen
deliveryhasbeenregistered,thehourthecourierwillarrive atthedestination,etc).
ImpactofDieselphase-outplans
Dieselphase-outplansaremovingthetransportation industryforward.LogisticsTechsolutionswilladapt accordingly.“When the vehicle manufacturing industry will be ready to place advanced planning software solutions in the vehicles themselves we will be there to meet the demand”,saysAlin.
OpportunitiesEvolvingwithDigitalAdvances
Thelogisticstechsolutionprovidersaregettingcloser everydaytooptimizingtheirinternalbusinessprocesses andreducingcost. AutonomousVehicleswouldbeahuge leapforwardautomatingtheentireindustry.Ontheother hand,IoTislookingtoredefinetheindustryanditisseen thatpioneerslike Amazon arealsotestingitandtryingto makethemostoutofit.
EnvisioningFuture
Withtherapidbusinessgrowth,thecompanyislooking forwardtoexpandtoallcontinents.SimpleRoutePlanis continuouslyenrichingtheplatformbyaddingnewer softwarefeatures.
