This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Success story Supply Chain
The ideal vehicle for
transportation efficiency
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with Nick Berry, RedPrairie’s executive
director of transport solutions for Europe, about how state-of-the-art transportation
management software can help companies in the aerospace and automotive sector
improve business & operational processes as well as save bottom-line costs.
here are a number of key efficiency
T
issues surrounding an optimal One of the key messages RedPraire is driving
transportation management regime is the importance of integrating inbound and
within aerospace and automotive. outbound freight movement to achieve fuller
According to RedPrairie’s Nick consolidation and to minimise empty running
Berry, the drive to reduce inventory levels in miles. “As a parts supplier, you’re looking
the automotive and aerospace supply chains at back-haul and continuous movement
has significantly increased the frequency of opportunities, as well as dealing with reverse
shipments to plants. At the same time, reducing logistics issues, such as returned goods,”
volumes for each shipment and the time he said. “Certainly within aerospace and
window for deliveries are all factors that place auto motive, there is sometimes the need to
very significant increases in transportation return assets in containers, but when moving
Nick Berry: Having visibility of
costs. There are therefore huge pressures to
inbound and outbound move
product from one location to another a
reduce the increasing transportation costs for
requirements via a transportation
company ideally wants to be in able to bring
these increasingly complex transport operations. software solution can help companies back other assets in order to be as cost-
For transportation to be cost-effective,
to achieve that consolidation and,
effective and time-efficient as possible; so the
efficient consolidation is critical to make up full
of course, also help to reduce their
ideal is for the transportation cycle to continue
truck loads whenever possible – or at least
carbon footprint.
rather than planning one delivery route in
optimal part-load shipments – to reduce the isolation with no back-haul required. Having
number of ‘empty’ miles travelled and and end customers – basically, this all adds visibility of inbound and outbound move
maximise utilisation of increasingly expensive up to an extremely complex supply chain requirements via a trans portation software
transportation assets; for example, trucks and network.” However, Berry points out that this solution can help companies to achieve that
drivers. This is a huge challenge when the type of scenario presents is an enormous consolidation and, of course, also help to
international distances and multi-modal nature opportunity regarding the consolidation of reduce their carbon footprint.”
of automotive and aerospace supply chains loads. “Given the scale of this type of operation,
are considered. In addition, Berry points out the only way a company can truly optimise Warehouse management
that there are special requirements for after - such vast warehousing and logistics challenges integration
market parts distribution with unpredictable is by using automation; namely proven According to Berry, another important attribute
requirements for ‘off-road’ vehicles. transportation management solutions,” he of modern transportation management
remarked. Berry explains that RedPrairie has solutions should be their ability to provide users
Extreme complexity taken many years to develop its transportation with fully integrated warehouse management
Then there is the fact that if a large number of optimisation engine. “This is the brains of our functionality. “This type of solution enables a
suppliers are involved there will inevitably be transportation software solutions, and is able company’s warehouse and transportation
a large number of shipment points in the to absorb all of the complex constraints of the teams to work in sympathetic cooperation with
logistics equation. “We’re working on a project supply chain – such as capacities, schedules, each other,” he said. “For example, if a company
for an automotive parts 3PL at the moment, for shipping, delivery windows, cross-border can achieve a full truck load by bringing
example, which has almost 100 distribution taxation and legal compliance issues – and forward a pick today that was originally
centres in Europe alone,” said Berry. “So you then produce an optimised and consolidated scheduled for tomorrow, then there are obviously
can imagine they have thousands of suppliers route planning schedule.” major cost savings that can be made.” circlesolid
www.logisticsit.com
MANUFACTURING
March 2009 &LOGISTICSIT
49
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com