Posted on 10-20-2016 by Lucia Garza
In today’s dynamic global supply chain environment, companies must be robust, nimble and flexible, and have adequate controls in place to provide operational efficiency.
Posey International is well aware of this and sought effective technology tools and solutions to best serve our customer base. In early 2015, we introduced Descartes OneView system – a cloud-based solution that allows us to better compete in the logistics market.
OneView provides visibility for freight operations, accounting for several modes of transport – which includes ocean, air, and trucking. The application includes a Customs House Brokerage module, and aids in integrating all operations and accounting functions into a system that provides a singular view into multiple operations and applications within the supply chain functions we perform for our customers.
“Integration, nowadays is key,” says Martha Klie, Posey General Manager. “It is one component of our strategy as a preeminent third party logistics (3PL) provider. Supply chain logistics has many moving parts. Goods flow from multiple points of origin, and across many different modes of transport. Things are moving all the time – 24/7. Managing it all can be overwhelming. We sought to find and use technology tools to manage operations for our customers, seamlessly.”
Within supply chain management, there are many discrete databases that often utilize a separate silo of data and events. Required documentation for regulatory requirements of shipments can be overwhelming.
“This is where integration comes in,” adds Klie. “By integrating different functions from many different operations, our customers are best served. This is where we are able to offer true value to our customers and help them succeed.”
One of the greatest challenges in managing any supply chain is visibility: what’s going on where, when and how. For Posey, Descartes OneView allows us to have greater visibility into disparate operations. With a customer portal, we are able to keep tabs on shipments, schedules, delays, and cost. We integrate shipping data with accounting data to better track and manage shipments. This visibility is instrumental in informing us of any problems or obstacles as they occur, or even more importantly – before they occur.
“When we know if some circumstance is causing a delay, it helps us to do something about it,” adds Klie. “If a specific operation sends up a red flag, we can do something about it. We can also keep our customers in the loop; we’re a trusted vendor working with the right technology tools and solutions for our customers.”
Descartes OneView is expected to help Posey, help our customers achieve fast response times. This is crucial in a competitive global environment that demands quick response without error.
Customer response time was ranked as one of the greatest concerns in Supply Chain Digest’s Top Supply Chain Challenges for 2016. By their research, 57% of supply chain managers surveyed said that customer demands for faster response time was very challenging or extremely challenging. Faster response time ranked second of all their responses from the survey.
An integrated system is a solution that we at Posey expect will serve this concern. With OneView, end-to-end operations may be viewed to ensure all the moving parts of a supply chain flow smoothly. It helps us serve not only our customers better – but also our customers’ customers.
The system will operate via the cloud as a Software-As-A-Service (SaaS). This is allows real-time updating of information. It also allows for better maintenance of the system, software updates, and security controls to be implemented to protect data and intellectual property.
It enables Posey to work together with others in a supply chain to improve overall operations.
OneView helps us better collaborate with customers to achieve better results for everyone.
Jonathan Thatcher, the Director of Research for APICS, wrote in his blog that “firms and their supply chain partners must together work faster in order to improve.”
For Posey International, that’s precisely the impetus behind our new Descartes OneView system: working together, faster, to integrate, provide visibility and supply chain efficiency for not just our customers, but also our customers’ customers.