Archive for the ‘Supply Chain Visibility’ Category.

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Suggested New Years Resolution: Improve Your Performance Management

January 11, 2010, 3:16 pm

More and more companies are becoming aware of the need for detailed metrics to track supply chain performance, according to a recent study done by the Georgia Southern University and the University of Tennessee on issues in transportation and logistics.

“What we’re starting to see,” says [Karl Manrodt, Associate Professor at Georgia Southern], “is senior management … trying to understand what those metrics are and should be.” The desire to monitor one’s own performance, so prevalent in school, never really goes away. At the same time, “it’s important for us to communicate what’s critical … to customers and suppliers. Let’s manage to that.”

Unfortunately many supply chain teams struggle to access data in multiple sources and formats and do not have access to the latest business intelligence tools. Implementing a Performance Management solution that integrates with your supply chain visibility and trade compliance processes can give companies the insight to make better-informed strategic decisions and improve supply chain performance.

Management Dynamics has a Performance Management solution that offers several important capabilities:

  • A portal to schedule reports, alert users when new reports are available and to distribute polished deliverable documents.
  • A dashboard to provide a consolidated view of key performance indicators and reports along with extensive personalization options.
  • Over 80 standard reports are available across all supported modules to manage key metrics such as cycle time, trading partner performance, landed cost, and data quality. Users also have the ability to create their own customized reports.
  • A web-based reporting tool to perform ad-hoc queries and multi-dimensional analyses with the ability to drill to operational details. Reports can be quickly customized by dragging and dropping data, inserting calculations, and adding graphs.
  • A business intelligence platform for developing strategic reports, analytics, KPI metrics, scorecards and personal and corporate dashboards.
  • Ability to scorecard carrier performance, compare transit times, analyze pricing trends, and track the history of all transaction costs through an end-to-end audit capability.

To learn more about this solution, please visit our website.

For more details on the study, please read this article on SupplyChainBrain (includes a link to a video interview).

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Ocean World Lines Sails Ahead with New Order Tracking Portal Powered by Management Dynamics’ Supply Chain Visibility Solution

December 17, 2009, 8:52 am

Leading NVOCC Launches OWL360° to Offer Comprehensive Value-added Service to Customers

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, December 17, 2009 — Management Dynamics, a leading provider of global trade management solutions, today announced that Ocean World Lines (OWL), a leading non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), has launched OWL360°, an order, shipment and inventory tracking portal powered by Management Dynamics’ Supply Chain Visibility solution. This robust and flexible web-based solution allows OWL to provide comprehensive and timely data on purchase orders and shipments across all modes and trade lanes, enabling customers to analyze and improve their supply chain efficiency.

“The highly flexible nature of the OWL360° system allows us to easily adapt to market conditions and our clients’ changing needs as we continue to differentiate, provide added value to our customers and stay ahead of our competitors,” said Alan Baer, President, Ocean World Lines. “We truly value our partnership with Management Dynamics as we work together to continuously create enhancements to the system and additional benefits to the user which has significantly improved our customer loyalty and retention.”

Prior to integrating Management Dynamics’ Supply Chain Visibility solution, OWL’s tracking system was a highly manual process whereas operations personnel input data received from carriers and performed manual queries. With EDI connectivity, automated alerts and reports, the new OWL360° portal automates this process and has significantly improved internal productivity. Today, over 200 customers have seamlessly integrated OWL360° within their supply chain operations. OWL uses analysis and reporting tools to help clients improve their supply chain performance with accurate and timely visibility into the status of their orders across all U.S. and international trade lanes.

“While many companies lack critical supply chain visibility due to highly manual processes or first generation visibility solutions that lack the sophistication to accurately manage inventory in-transit, best-in-class companies such as OWL are adopting advanced technologies that help streamline the supply chain,” said Nathan Pieri, SVP Marketing & Product Management, Management Dynamics. “OWL fully exploits the power of our Supply Chain Visibility solution and delivers a highly differentiated service to its customers.”

In addition to Supply Chain Visibility, OWL utilizes Management Dynamics’ Transportation Management solution to automate ocean pricing and manage service contracts as well as Management Dynamics’ on-demand trade compliance tools to help customers classify goods, calculate landed costs and screen for restricted parties.

About Ocean World Lines

Ocean World Lines is a leading global transportation company providing full-service ocean/air freight, NVOCC, customs brokerage, cargo management and supply chain visibility solutions, with 100,000+ TEUs shipped annually. Established in 1979, OWL’s long-standing relationships with leading ocean carriers enable the company to provide the most competitive pricing, daily sailing schedules and equipment availability for a diverse list of import and export clients. Ocean World Lines operates 12 offices throughout the U.S. and international offices in Germany, United Kingdom and Asia. For more information, please visit www.owlusa.com or call (888) 747-4685.

Please follow this link to learn more about the benefits of  Supply Chain Visibility.

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Teamwork Between Two Competitors Leads to Greater Benefits

December 15, 2009, 9:25 am

Here’s a cool story I found about two competitors working together for a greater benefit: Nestlé and Mars join forces in logistics collaboration. Nestle and Mars are sharing trucks to deliver combined loads of chocolate. In the past 11 weeks, over 60 loads have been combined, and approximately 7,500 miles of duplicate truck journeys have been eliminated. Not only to both companies save money by doing this, the overall environmental impact has been reduced. Big props to Nestle and Mars!

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Free Online Tool Helps Farmers Secure Their Supply Chains, Compliments of Uncle Sam

December 11, 2009, 8:58 am

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have created a free online tool, called Agriculture CARVER + Shock, which will allow farmers and producers identify vulnerable areas in their supply chains. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, is quoted in an American Shipper article about the new tool:

“This assessment tool helps the producer understand how someone intending to disrupt agriculture might think” … “Producers can easily identify weak spots in their operation and receive practical advice on countermeasures they can put in place.”

To learn more about this online tool, or to download the software, please visit this website.

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Look for us at the CBP Trade Symposium!

December 4, 2009, 2:44 pm

Management Dynamics’ executives will be attending the CBP Trade Symposium next week in Washington, DC. If you are planning on attending, please find us and say hello!

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Supply Chain Network Optimization

December 4, 2009, 1:37 pm

A new report published by IDC Manufacturing Insights talks about the importance of establishing a high quality supply chain network. In their summary of the report, Supply Chain Brain gives a good overview of why this is such a priority in supply chain management, referencing Kimberly Knickle of IDC:

The report, Best Practices: Supply Network Optimization in Asset-Oriented Value Chains, answers a number of questions prevalent in many industries about how to plan, position and allocate inventory. Many of these questions are particularly relevant given the economic conditions of the last 18 months, says Knickle. “As companies have been forced to re-look at their business models due to declining sales and/or profits, the supply network is an obvious candidate for transformation. Having sophisticated tools may well make the difference between riding out the economic downturn versus becoming a victim of it.”

If you are looking to follow this advice and expand your network, this could be simplified with a solution that allows you to communicate with your network efficiently. The reality is that most parties involved in a transaction have different information systems and data definitions, and information that can flow at unpredictable times. Management Dynamics’ Supply Chain Visibility solution provides the most extensive global, multi-mode (air, motor, rail and ocean) connectivity in the industry, with over 500 connections that represent 80% of freight moved.

If you’re interested in learning more about our solutions, please visit our Resource Library, or Contact Us directly.

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Management Dynamics in the News

December 3, 2009, 9:12 am

Check out these recent articles that feature interviews with Management Dynamics’ executives regarding various topics related to global trade and supply chain management:

FEATURED ARTICLES:
Journal of Commerce: Technology’s Survival Kit – September 1, 2009
Nathan Pieri discusses how the Global Trade Management providers have thrived during the recession magnifying the importance of controlling supply chain costs.

Supply & Demand Chain Executive: Hard Times Are GTM Time - September 1, 2009
As the recession took hold of many U.S. companies, new strategies were created to help counter-balance the hard times. Nathan Pieri offers several compelling arguments in favor of making Global Trade Management investments in today’s hard times.  

Journal of Commerce: Holding Your Breath Won’t Help – September 7, 2009
In recent months, major Global Trade Management software providers have launched a range of products aimed to help in the process of filing ISF information, including Management Dynamics. Ty Bordner discusses the importance for importers to be ready for the mandatory Importer Security Filing ruling.

MENTIONS:
Journal of Commerce: Retailer’s Balancing Act - November 2, 2009

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Odyssey Logistics & Technology Offers Chemical Customers Differentiated Service with Management Dynamics’ Transportation Management Solution

December 1, 2009, 1:12 pm

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, November 30, 2009 — Management Dynamics, a leading provider of global trade management solutions, today announced that Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation (OL&T), a global logistics and transportation service provider for the chemical and process industries, has expanded use of Management Dynamics’ Transportation Management solution to provide its customers with flexible and competitive routing and rate options for international shipments. This scalable web-based solution has enabled the OL&T logistics team to grow its international business and develop stronger customer relationships.

“We are expanding our business into international markets, adding new contracts and rates, and therefore needed a fully automated process that allowed us to handle more quoting without having to hire additional staff,” said Doug Clark, Senior VP, Global Marine & Int’l Logistics Services, Odyssey Logistics. “Management Dynamics has enabled us to differentiate our logistics services with a powerful solution that has significantly improved customer satisfaction and contributed to growing our business internationally.”

Management Dynamics’ Transportation Management solutionallows OL&T to centrally manage its ocean service contracts, describing every term with a powerful rules engine to create ‘calculable contracts’. Fully integrated with all carriers’ governing rules tariffs, the solution evaluates all potential routings from available bullet rates to more complex multi-factor combinations of outport arbitraries, alternate port-to-port rates, and inlands. This allows users, with little or no experience in pricing, to compare full bottom-line rates across multiple service contracts, modes of transport, routings and service levels. OL&T has also integrated Management Dynamics’ Transportation Management solution into the Odyssey Global Logistics PlatformSM, OL&T’s technology backbone, using an XML-based API. This allows OL&T users to check an ocean rate stored in the Management Dynamics Transportation Management solution without leaving OL&T’s system.

OL&T has seen several significant benefits since implementing Management Dynamics’ Transportation Management solution, including:

  • Optimized Carrier Selection – a secure, centralized repository of ocean freight rates and service information provides the OL&T logistics team the ability to compare shipping options based on cost and service parameters and ultimately optimize carrier selection for its customers
  • Differentiated Service Offering – powerful multi-factor search and rating engines empower the OL&T logistics team to quickly prepare accurate rate quotes and help OL&T’s clients handle complex rate requests when offering differentiated freight cost proposals to their customers
  • Reduced Transportation Costs– ability to compare full, bottom-line shipment costs including all applicable assessorials side-by-side prior to booking allows OL&T to capture cost savings for its clients

“Logistics Providers must use specialized price management tools to improve sales productivity and better differentiate their services for shippers that are looking for detailed comparisons of equipment, routes and rates,”said Nathan Pieri, SVP Marketing & Product Management, Management Dynamics. “Odyssey Logistics is successfully using Transportation Management to support their international growth objectives and setting an example of how to exploit technology to build a winning edge.”

About OL&T
Odyssey Logistics & Technology provides global logistics management services to the chemical industry and other process manufacturers. OL&T delivers a comprehensive portfolio of logistics services to the chemicals and process industries so that clients` products are delivered safely, reliably and economically, with the advantage of shipment visibility and actionable data across all modes. OL&T presents a unique scope of industry knowledge, experience and technology, applied to client supply chain operations in two distinct outsourced logistics contexts: Managed Logistics Services and Third Party Services. The OL&T team of chemical engineers and logisticians brings unparalleled expertise-they are chemical and process industry insiders, intimately familiar with the supply chain complexities and hazardous materials requirements. Its technology backbone, the Odyssey Global Logistics Platform (SM) features a net-native transportation management infrastructure that supports highly integrated, flexible and data-rich service offerings. For more information, visit www.odysseylogistics.com.

NVOCC Profit Optimization White Paper: Download Today!

 

 

Free White Paper:To learn more about the benefits logistics providers can gain from using an automated transportation management system, please read our white paper on NVOCC Profit Optimization.

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Management Dynamics Releases Trade Wizards 10.0 Web-based Research Tool

November 18, 2009, 11:56 am

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, November 18, 2009 — Management Dynamics, a leading provider of Global Trade Management solutions, today announced the release of Trade Wizards 10.0, a Web-based portal to trade content from 122 countries that facilitates the research of complex trade questions. The new release makes it easier for companies to classify products, calculate landed costs and perform document determination at the Harmonized Schedule (HS) level. In addition, a new user experience allows users to manage their searches and ultimately find information faster.

“Trade Wizards is an invaluable tool for our global trade team and we use it daily to quickly and accurately classify our products, determine applicable import or export controls, or to answer a question from the business on total landed cost,” said Glenda Welch, Director of Corporate Logistics and Transportation, Belkin International. “The latest version of Trade Wizards is much easier to use, allowing us to conduct our research more efficiently and to fully tap into Management Dynamics’ trade content library including the new HS-based document templates.”

Management Dynamics’ Trade Wizards 10.0 enables the user to make quick, interactive queries using a standard Web browser to calculate landed cost, screen for restricted trade parties, search for HS and Export Control Number (ECN) classifications, identify applicable regulatory controls, and determine trade documents. Management Dynamics maintains the trade content needed to answers these questions for 122 countries or approximately 99 percent of the world market. What used to require many hours to manually research trade rules and regulations can be achieved in minutes using Trade Wizards 10.0.

New key features available on Trade Wizards 10.0 include:

  • New Classification Workflow – Perform complex searches that include the tariff number and either a legal or common term to quickly find relevant classifications. Also, searches may be defined with complete Boolean logic and search results are displayed in a tree format to simplify the navigation to a classification.
  • Landed Cost Calculator Scenarios – Build landed cost scenarios with multiple origin countries to quickly identify the minimum landed costs with respect to product invoice, duty, VAT, excise, other governmental charges, transportation and insurance.
  • Restricted Party Screening – Screen with an improved screening engine and access to Management Dynamics’ coverage of 94 restricted party lists offering the highest level of compliance with the lowest rate of false positives. 
  • Document Determination - Determine the documents required for exporting and importing based on country of export, country of import, and HS number. Results returned include hundreds of documents required for exports, imports, preferential agreements and product specific documents based on the HS number provided.

Trade Wizards 10.0 functionality is available in a highly intuitive user experience with online help that can be used immediately with no user training.

“As businesses continue to globalize at a fast pace, it is important for supply chain teams to have the resources they need to keep up with the ever-changing trade regulations and supporting content,” said Nathan Pieri, SVP Marketing & Product Management, Management Dynamics, Inc. “The latest Trade Wizards 10.0 release takes a big step forward on usability and ultimately makes it easier for users to accurately answer their toughest trade questions.”

 

For more on Management Dynamics’ Global Trade Content solutions, please visit our Global Trade Success blog.

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AMR Research Ranks Top Healthcare Supply Chains

November 18, 2009, 8:55 am

AMR Research has named Johnson & Johnson as the top health care supply chain for 2009. This top 25 list, released annually, “identifies the global companies that have best demonstrated leadership in building supply chain excellence and innovation. Specifically, these companies have focused on applying demand-driven principles to their operations to drive significant business results.” According to AMR, the supply chain has not been considered a strategic function at many health care companies, and as a result supply chain innovation in health care has lagged behind other industries. (Side note: If President Obama passes his health care reform initiatives, this is something that will need to change in the health care industry. Check out my previous post on this issue: Obama’s Health care Bill and the Medical Supply Chain.)

J&J has implemented “a series of targeted, enterprise-wide initiatives that focus both on the customer and operational efficiencies. The company strengthens these internal initiatives by actively participating in industry forums and engaging key hospital customers in supply chain pilots aimed at identifying and unlocking joint value.” All of the companies on the list demonstrated several key traits - biodirectional visibility, enabling technologies, collaboration, business process innovation, alignment, and integrated demand-driven supply networks:

Source: AMR Research

Source: AMR Research

(Congrats to the Management Dynamics customers who made it on to the list!)

To read the full report from AMR Research, please go to The AMR Research Healthcare Top 25 for 2009.

Download Case Study: Learn how one company in the medical technology industry improved its supply chain with an automated solution from Management Dynamics: Trade Automation Remedies Complex Compliance Operations for Medical Technologies Company.

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