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Tag: Descartes

Fulfilment Capacity Doubled with Peoplevox WMS

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Descartes Systems Group, a leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that U.K.-based ecommerce brand AYBL, an online retailer of activewear, has transformed its warehouse and fulfilment capabilities by replacing paper-based picking and manual fulfilment practices with Descartes Peoplevox warehouse management system (WMS). Using the solution to improving picking efficiency and accuracy, AYBL has doubled its fulfilment capacity with existing staff and can seamlessly scale to fulfil over 70,000 orders a day during peak season.

“To become a leader in ecommerce within the U.K. you have to deliver on customer promises and build loyalty, which means you have to be able to rely on your warehouse and fulfilment capability: every order shipped on time, accurately, with visibility into the process, easy returns, all on demand and fast.,” said Paul Maynard, Head of Operations, AYBL. “With Descartes Peoplevox, we instantly improved picking accuracy and efficiency and we no longer needed to keep our warehouse layout in SKU order, which had previously prevented us from making the best use of available storage capacity. Additionally, the system scaled easily as we moved multiple times to larger warehouse facilities and, today, allows us to flex to 100+ people during peak periods and train new staff within hours, which beforehand would never have been possible.”

Part of Descartes’ ecommerce solution suite, Descartes Peoplevox WMS helps direct-to-consumer brands and ecommerce retailers drive significant efficiencies across order fulfilment processes to provide a remarkable customer experience. The solution helps ensure that retailers can ship on time, ship the right items, not oversell existing inventory, and have transparency into warehouse operations. Order information is automatically available to be executed via mobile-driven multi-order pick-and-pack strategies and then fed into Descartes and third-party parcel shipment systems. The solution is pre-integrated with major ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify Plus, Brightpearl by Sage, Netsuite and others, to accelerate implementation and time to value.

“We’re pleased to help AYBL scale its fulfilment operations to meet growing consumer demand for its products and maintain its customer commitment – even at the height of peak season,” said Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Solutions for Ecommerce at Descartes. “Our ecommerce WMS Peoplevox is designed for ambitious ecommerce brands. It empowers them to grow efficiently and reduce fulfilment costs to achieve more profitable person-to-goods fulfilment operations.”

Sustainability in Retail Transportation Management

Posted on by David Priestman

In today’s retail landscape, sustainability is no longer just a buzzword – it’s a fundamental concern for consumers, that has an impact on retailers. The demand for eco-friendly products and environmentally responsible companies is on the rise. In fact, according to Descartes’ 2023 consumer sentiment study on home delivery sustainability, a sizable 41% of respondents indicated they regularly or always make purchasing decisions based upon the product or company’s environmental impact.

What is more, it’s no secret that freight transportation (i.e., over-the-road, ocean, rail and air) is one of the top causes of greenhouse gas emissions, representing 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, with an increasing spotlight on the environment, we wanted to know what companies were doing about transportation sustainability or not, and added it to Descartes 7th Annual Global Transportation Management Benchmark Study – the findings, of which, are useful to retailers.

To find out more, we divided transportation sustainability efforts into four categories, ranging from no action to a daily concern. The overall response showed that 31% of respondents indicated they did nothing, 19% reported on their transportation carbon footprint, 27% factored it into their strategic plans and 22% made sustainability a component of their daily transportation decisions.

In essence, we discovered that 50% of businesses are actively addressing sustainability in transportation, presenting an excellent opportunity not only to make a positive impact on the planet; but also to cater to a market hungry for sustainable choices. Chris Jones (pictured), EVP, Descartes explains more.

Taking this exploration further for retailers, we examined how management perceives the importance of transportation management and its correlation with company financial performance. We discovered that companies whose management regarded transportation as a competitive advantage (57%) were far more likely to take action compared to those who did not prioritise transportation management (48%). Similarly, in terms of financial performance, the numbers were compelling, with 58% of top performers taking action, contrasting with 44% of less successful companies. This then raises a question of retailers about the extent to which they can perceive how transportation could enable competitive advantage?

Additionally, differences in sustainability actions among businesses that recognise the value of transportation management and top financial performers, versus other respondents makes sense. In the benchmark study, we see these respondents more interested in strategies and actions that improve transportation management performance; and most transportation management improvement programs have a positive and measurable impact on the environment too – again, something which is important to consumers and, inadvertently, the retail sector at large.

Reducing CO2 footprint, fuel consumption and waste generated are all results of transportation management performance improvement programs that reduce distance per delivery, empty miles, and vehicle wait times and eliminate paper-based processes. So, if there is a perception that most sustainable transportation efforts result in less efficient supply chains, this needs correcting.

In fact, sustainable transportation programs are also an opportunity for organisations, including retailers, to capture more business. The home delivery sustainability study showed that consumers are more willing to buy from companies that can showcase sustainable supply chains, with 60% expressing a preference for environmentally-friendly delivery options. Equally important for B2B companies is the opportunity to gain more business from companies that are looking at their supply chains’ partners to help reduce Scope 3 Emissions, as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) initiated in January 2023. This standard requires more large businesses and SMEs that trade in the EU to conduct sustainability reporting to stricter standards from January 2024.

Conclusion

It’s clear, now more than ever, that retailers have a unique opportunity to distinguish themselves by embracing sustainability in their transportation management efforts. This not only meets regulatory requirements – but also aligns with the preferences of eco-conscious consumers and contributes to a greener, more sustainable future. As well as this, retailers who make this a priority will also simultaneously cut costs, boost customer satisfaction and grow their business. How many opportunities are there for retailers and businesses alike to create this kind of win, win, win, win situation?

Forced Labour Implications in Global Supply Chain

Posted on by David Priestman

The battle against forced labour in global supply chains has gained momentum in recent times, not least thanks to coverage of the dramatic situation of the Uyghur population in the province of Xinjiang in China and the legislative proposals which have emerged in reaction, writes Thomas Lobert (pictured), Solutions Consultant Global Trade Intelligence at Descartes.

In the United States, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has, for example, prohibited the import of goods manufactured in whole or in part by forced labour and originating from the autonomous region of Uyghur since June 21, 2022. At the European level, a much-debated bill will be voted on by MEPs with implementation expected at the start of 2024. In Germany the law on corporate responsibility in the supply chain came into force on January 1, 2023. Similar laws are in force or in preparation in other countries in Europe.

Meanwhile, in the UK, what are the implications of forced labour in the management of international supply chains? And what can businesses do to create more ethical and responsible supply chains in this regard?

1. Forced labour: reinforcement of UK regulation
Forced labour is considered a serious crime in the UK. In 2009, a standalone offence of holding a person in slavery, servitude or forced labour was included in section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act, while a House of Lords private members bill was proposed in July 2021, that would have seen significant amendments to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA), significantly increasing accountability for abuses occurring in the supply chain of UK multinational corporations. Unfortunately, little seems to have happened since those amendments were tabled, and meanwhile, the UK’s risk rating for critical violations has increased, according to the Supply Chain ESG Risk Ratings Report 2023.

Despite this lack of regulatory enforcement, UK businesses cannot afford to maintain a ‘laissez-faire’ attitude to forced labour within their supply chains. According to research from Deloitte, amongst the changes consumers are making in their purchasing decisions, sustainable and ethical practices are becoming more important, with consumers actively choosing brands with ethical practices / values ; ceasing to purchase certain brands or products because of ethical concerns ; and even contacting brands to raise an issue regarding sustainability or ethics.

2. Identifying forced labour: a complete ecosystem
Forced labour refers to situations where workers are forced or threatened in any way to work against their will, often in inhumane and abusive conditions. This can happen at any time in the supply chain: from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing products, including distribution. It is a serious violation of human rights and a form of modern slavery that affects millions of people around the world.

This concern is not limited to the practices of a company alone, but extends to its suppliers and external service providers. The entire chain must be able to be audited. We must be vigilant about working conditions and the location of the company and its suppliers. For a Chinese supplier, for example, is the production plant close to a Uyghur forced labour camp?

As global supply chains are infinitely complex and constantly in motion, establishing long-term, reliable risk monitoring and visibility is challenging. Additionally, government agencies do not publish lists of companies suspected of using forced labour, further complicating background checks on potential suppliers.

3. Take action NOW
Despite its perceived complexity, there are actions and practices businesses can put in place to bolster the fight against the use of forced labour within their supply chains:-
· Identify risks: be alert to the circumstances that may encourage the use of forced labour
· Diversify sources of information to understand working conditions within your supply chain (talk with your suppliers’ employees, examine your internal policies in detail, collaborate with NGOs, etc.)
· Always be aware of the laws in force on slavery and forced labour
· Review and implement internal compliance plans (ICP): the control measures required to monitor the compliance of exports and international trade are increasingly taken into account.

Thorough monitoring is essential in the fight against forced labour. Analysis firms like Kharon have developed their own research methods and their network of international experts to identify companies at risk, particularly with regard to forced labour. This information can then be implemented into a due diligence solution to continuously analyse all third parties in the supply chains.

Conclusion

Today, based on a list of 50 entities sanctioned by a government, it is possible to identify more than 8,600 companies associated with these 50 entities. Every company in the world should be able to guarantee that their supply chain is free of forced labour. This includes identifying at-risk suppliers, promoting fairer supply chains and implementing solutions to ensure all suppliers meet these working standards. Not taking action is no longer no option.

Routing, Mobile and Telematics Innovation Forum

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, unveiled numerous innovations to customers at its 2023 Innovation Forum for Routing, Mobile & Telematics, which expand the capabilities of its routing, mobile and telematics solution suite for fleet operators. New solutions and integrations, in addition to enhancements to existing systems, allow companies to improve the operational performance of their fleets, driver safety and customer engagement.

Innovations include:
• Descartes Fleet Control Tower. New comprehensive performance management solution integrated with existing Descartes route planning and execution solutions.
• Descartes Customer Engagement Platform. Digital self-service solution integrated with Descartes route planning and execution solutions to allow customers on demand access to view delivery updates, book, reschedule or cancel deliveries and to interact with delivery drivers or call centres.
• Proactive driver safety training for Descartes Mobile customers. Seamless integration of microlearning-based driver safety training and tracking platform with Descartes Mobile solution.
• Advanced optimisation for couriers. Enhanced strategic and operational modelling capabilities and optimisation for high delivery volume carriers.
• Hours of service (HOS) status aware optimisation with Geotab electronic logging devices (ELD). Route planning integrated with Geotab ELDs to automatically consider drivers’ hours.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning performance improvement and simulation. Significantly more precise machine learning-based recommendations for stop and drive times and ability to simulate the recommended impact on daily operations.
• Advanced for-hire trip and leg optimisation and rating. Improved capabilities for companies that want to manage fleet and commercial transportation through a single transportation management platform.
• Live and historical asset tracking. Ability for fleets to now track assets in their route planning solution, in addition to tracking drivers and deliveries.
• MagicLogic load and cube optimisation integration. More accurate load building through the combination of Descartes route planning solution and Magic Logic.

“We’ve made significant investments to expand the breadth and depth of our existing solutions, brought new solutions to market and integrated important third-party solutions to allow our customers to significantly improve their fleet performance, make drivers safer and better engage customers in the delivery lifecycle,” said Sergio Torres (pictured), Senior Vice President, Product Management at Descartes. “These innovations are part of our vision to provide our customers with comprehensive solutions that allow fleet operators to use digitisation and automation to transform not just fleet performance but positively impact their business more broadly.”

Descartes helps fleet-based companies dramatically improve their productivity, customer experience and safety compliance to not only reduce costs but also to allow them to better compete and minimise risk. From delivery appointment booking to route planning and execution and mobile solutions for drivers and other field workers to digital customer engagement, Descartes solutions give fleet operators the ability manage and optimise and interact with customers during the delivery lifecycle. Descartes fleet performance management, telematics and safety solutions allow fleet managers to understand and optimise their operational and individual driver and vehicle performance, and better train and coach drivers to be safer and more productive. The cloud-based solutions utilise state-of-the-art technologies, such as continuous optimisation, real-time GPS data and systems processing, analytics, AI and machine learning, and can be deployed as a suite or as modules.

Difference Between ‘Plan’ and ‘Actual’ Fleet Delivery Performance

Posted on by David Priestman

Last mile delivery within retail and ecommerce is complex and vital to get right. It impacts customer satisfaction and experience, repeat business, brand perception and profitability, among other things. Understandably, therefore, logistics and delivery planning teams tend to spend a significant amount of time preparing their delivery routes, developing the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly plans for their delivery teams and fleets to execute. Creating an optimised route plan for deliveries is the first step to maximising fleet performance and providing a positive customer experience.

However, a great plan only matters when it is executed – and that’s the challenge for many fleet operators. Sure, tracking drivers with GPS helps, but the problem is not that simple as there are several areas where deviations from the plan occur. For instance, some deviations are voluntary (e.g. a driver decides to change the delivery sequence) and others are involuntary (e.g. there is a road closure not captured in the digital map data). In many cases, deviation from the plan starts well before a driver even gets on the road. Therefore, to get better control of fleet performance, retailers need to track “plan” versus “actual” performance. Chris Jones, EVP, Descartes explains.

Defining “Plan” Vs. “Actual” Performance

There are three key points to understand when it comes to plan versus actual performance, and how retail fleet operators can use that information to maximise fleet performance and customer experience.
1. Start with an Optimised Route Plan
Many fleet operators make use of route planning solutions to support with retail and ecommerce deliveries. Today’s advanced route optimisation solutions are very adept at considering all the business constraints and evaluating the tradeoffs between having specific orders on particular routes, and the sequence that they are delivered in. They look holistically to find the best combination of routes and sequences that will meet customer delivery requirements for the lowest delivered costs.
While not perfect, if the route planning solution is configured correctly, it will consistently outperform the human mind to find the most cost-efficient route plan. For this discussion, let’s consider that the plan initially generated by the system is the starting measuring point and has the best potential results.

2. Evaluate the Impact of Changes Made by Planners
Once a plan is initially created it is typically reviewed by a planner to ensure there are not any inconsistencies that could impact delivery performance, and account for any conditions that were not considered in the system configuration, or not possible to model. This step is the first place where deviation from the initial optimised plan can occur. For legitimate and arbitrary reasons, planners make changes to optimised routes. For instance, the planner knows that the solution doesn’t fully capture a constraint and the number of deliveries that a specific truck can execute.
Equally, a planner may have preconceived notions about what a route should “look like” and make changes to have it appear in a certain way on the digital map. In either case, the optimised plan has been adjusted and the results fall into two categories: more optimised and better performance or less optimised and lower performance. These changes need to be captured and compared to the initially optimised plan.

3. Track Execution and Capture Deviations that Impact It
Once the planner is finished making their adjustments, the plan is published to the driver. Let’s assume that all the deliveries are on the truck and the driver starts executing the route, which is tracked by GPS. Here again, the driver can deviate from the route plan for legitimate and arbitrary reasons.
The driver knows that a certain customer will take orders earlier than indicated in the route plan and changes the delivery sequence to be more efficient, or the driver likes to stop at a specific location because the facilities are better or the food and beverage options more appealing. Then there are events that are out of the driver’s control, which can change the route plan. For example, a customer cancels a delivery or an accident closes a road. All the driver changes and external events need to be captured to get a complete picture of the deviations during route execution.

The Complete Plan Versus Actual Picture

Capturing these points gives fleet managers a comprehensive view of plan through actual execution, and better control of performance outcomes. Managers will know the plan’s starting point in terms of cost and customer service, how the planner’s changes impacted cost and service, and the same for the driver’s changes and external events – all important factors to consider with rising costs for home delivery and fleet operations.

Placed side-by-side, the manager can see (1) if the plan was not as optimal or feasible as possible, (2) the degree to which planners are changing the original plan and why and the degree drivers are deviating and why. With this information, managers can take corrective action to (1) improve the quality of the initial optimised plan through configuration changes, (2) identify which planners are over-editing the plan and negatively impacting costs and customer service, and (3) better manage driver adherence to plan and understand the degree that external events are impacting delivery performance.

Technology Can Refine and Optimise the Review Process

Technology is advancing efficiency across the retail sector continually. It can make the home delivery plan versus actual review process easier, eliminate some of the causes of deviation to plans that have a negative impact on performance; but it can also take into account deviation that had a positive impact. This is how technology supports.
• Data analytics integrated with the planning and execution solution can accelerate the plan versus actual performance analysis. One of the biggest challenges is collecting, organising, and correlating the tremendous amount of data that route planning and GPS-based execution solutions generate.
The advent of powerful, but intuitive and low-cost analytics platforms such as Microsoft PowerBI™ that has standardised integration to route planning and execution solutions streamlines the data management process and gives deep insights into plan versus actual performance.
• How machine learning helps capture plan versus actual performance. Tracking fleet plan versus actual delivery performance is an excellent application for machine learning because of all the data that is created in the route planning through execution process.
Machine learning can more accurately identify actual stop location, drive, service and stop times, and other patterns such as changes in stop sequence. These recommendations can be applied to the optimised planning solution to create more accurate and productive route plans.
Machine learning can also identify which planners and drivers are outliers to capture best practices or coach poorer performers.
• Robotic process automation can eliminate some of the causes of plan versus actual deviation. Unfortunately, planner performance can vary widely resulting in significant deviations to the initial optimised plan and poorer plan performance.

By capturing and automating the planning practices of the best planners using robotic process automation, fleet operators can eliminate many of the post-optimisation tweaking that occurs during the planning review phase. Consequently, there will be fewer changes, more predictable planning outcomes across the organisation, shorter planning reviews, and greater planner productivity.

Plan versus actual delivery performance analysis is an important process for pinpointing and improving the practices and actions that planners and drivers take that negatively impact home delivery performance for retailers. Using this three-point approach described allows managers within retail and ecommerce organisations to capture the changes that impact home delivery performance. When combined with technological advances such as data analytics, machine learning, and robotic process automation, fleet operations can implement powerful plan versus actual performance processes that drive delivery fleet performance and improvements to the bottom line.

Different Delivery Requirements Across Age Groups

Posted on by David Priestman

Today retailers are increasingly appreciating that the buying behaviour of their customers varies from consumer to consumer, and is much more complex than it has ever been before.

Even though many ecommerce merchants use data-backed buying personas, that provide insight into the purchasing decisions of their customers, many are only truly starting to get to grips with the next part associated with buying personas – and that is appreciating that consumers have delivery personas too. So, what attributes might play out in different delivery personas and how can merchants take advantage of them?

For example, how might preferences relating to the convenience, cost and speed of delivery affect different consumers? What is the difference of opinion relating to deliveries generationally? Does Gen X expect something different to Gen Z? What about Millennials and Boomers? What are their preferences?

A 2023 study of over 8,000 consumers across 10 geographies, including the UK, central Europe and North America reviewed the state of ecommerce and home delivery performance. It investigated how demographics impact online buying habits and delivery preferences. Reflecting on these findings, Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Solutions (pictured), Ecommerce at Descartes explains what retailers need to consider, so that they can meet the requirements and expectations of their different consumers’ delivery personas.

Providing different age groups what they need

When reviewing the online shopping habits and home delivery expectations of consumers, the survey revealed that the reasons people choose to buy online, and why some consumers are planning to receive more ecommerce deliveries than last year, are similar across all demographics, from Gen Z and late Millennials (18–34 years) to early Gen X and Baby Boomers (55+ years) and everything in between:
• Shoppers have become used to
• The order process has become easier.
• They don’t have to go out of their way to pick up the items they need.

Millennials Vs Gen Z

Although all demographics are driven by the same online shopping factors, they all have different delivery expectations. Older buyers do not have as much experience ordering goods and services online; in comparison with younger shoppers, for whom online shopping is second nature. For instance, younger shoppers have grown up with ‘digital’ and smartphones, and are at ease with digital commerce. Indeed, Descartes’ study points out that Millennials and Gen Z consumers tend to shop online more, spend more money online, and are more likely to increase ecommerce spend (50% vs. 33% of 55+ consumers).

Therefore, as a result of their online buying habits, Millennials and Gen Z expect more from retailers’ ability to execute on deliveries which, today, is a consideration for merchants that are attempting to meet the expectations of younger target groups. Moreover, when confronted with a delivery challenge, younger consumers are more likely to take action against the retailer. For example 80% of 18-34 year olds are likely to take some form of action against a delivery problem – this could include complaining in detail on TikTok, or telling family and friends to avoid a particular brand. This statistic changes to 69% for 35-54 year-olds and to 53% for people over 55.

Further, when planning delivery propositions to meet the expectations of a younger demographic, ecommerce vendors must recognise that these shoppers are most concerned about speed of delivery, instead of low-cost deliveries. In fact, 39% of respondents in the 18–34 age group prioritise speed, compared to just 19% of early Gen X and Baby Boomers. What is more, Millennials and Gen Z shoppers are most interested in sustainable delivery options. Though, while it is a choice – similar to buying organic – it is not a delivery requirement.

What Baby Boomers are interested in

Since Baby Boomers and early Gen X consumers are not prioritising the speed of their deliveries, what do they value in a delivery experience? Price is the main factor driving delivery options for this group. These shoppers are characterised by being ‘the’ cost-conscious delivery persona and are willing to forgo speed in order to save on delivery costs.

For instance, half of the early Gen X and Boomers surveyed prioritised lowest cost – and they both agreed that speed is not important. For 18–34 year-olds, only 30% of respondents prioritised cost. What also stands out is that 47% of the 55+ age group cited less disposable income – a stark increase from 19% in 2022 – as a reason for putting off future online purchases.

Although the 55+ age group purchases less online and is less ecommerce-savvy than Millennial and Gen Z consumers, they are becoming more comfortable with online shopping. In 2023, only 36% of older consumers said they prefer to see a product in person before buying, compared to 55% the previous year.

Where to improve

Customising delivery choices according to the range of delivery personas and appreciating how consumer delivery preferences and expectations vary across the demographic spectrum is an important building block to developing long-lasting customer relationships. Unfortunately, many retailers are falling short in their efforts.

Although the 2023 study reported a 6% improvement in delivery performance over 2022 figures, 67% of consumers surveyed experienced a delivery failure in the three-month evaluation period. Of those consumers affected by delivery issues, 68% took some form of action that translated into negative consequences for the online retailer or delivery company – whether refusing to order from the retailer again, losing trust in the delivery company and/or retailer, posting their dissatisfaction on social media, or telling family and friends to avoid the merchant and/or delivery company.
Additionally, it is also important to point out that, 80% of Gen Z and Millennials were inclined to take some form of action against the retailer, compared with only 53% of the 55+ age group.

Improvements in ecommerce are encouraging a wider array of demographics to buy a wider variety of products and services online. This is resulting in more home deliveries, which is also resulting in more opportunities for merchants to form better relationships with customers during the delivery experience.

However, in light of consumers’ recent average experience of last mile performance, ecommerce merchants must take action to meet the home delivery requirements of their customers more effectively. This means considering and evaluating the values, priorities, and preferences of their various demographics, with a view towards defining and serving multiple delivery personas. This needs to comprise all age groups: including Gen Z and Millennials, who are motivated by delivery speed and convenience – and the cost-conscious 55+ age group that prefers to save money instead of paying more for next-day delivery.

Ecommerce brands that appreciate the significance of these kinds of demographics, or personas, when it comes to delivery, will create opportunities to provide a customised home delivery experience that will enable them to differentiate themselves from the competition. Understanding customer delivery personas: cost-conscious, speed-driven, convenience-motivated, sustainability-focused, etc. and how consumer expectations are changing across age groups will allow retailers to enhance their customer experience, improve brand enthusiasm and loyalty, and ultimately drive their bottom line.

Air Shipment Visibility Enhanced by Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group has announced that Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics division of Etihad Airways, has further automated air shipment cargo processes using Descartes’ next generation Internet of Things (IoT) Bluetooth® Low Energy solution, integrated with Jettainer’s unit load device (ULD) management services. The combined solutions expand Etihad Cargo’s ability to improve ground processes at cargo and ULD handling and to gain data-driven insights into the transport and ambient conditions of air cargo in transit.

“At Etihad Cargo, we’re continuing to invest in technology and innovation to make air cargo handling more efficient, smarter and faster, and this includes the usage and management of our ULD fleet” said Thomas Schürmann, Head of Cargo Operations & Delivery at Etihad Cargo. “The addition of Descartes’ next generation IoT devices to our ULD fleet provides true operational value for us. Etihad Cargo expects to reduce the number of lost ULDs – those that lose their trail somewhere at the airport, at the ground handling agent or the forwarder – by being able to tell exactly where they were last seen. We furthermore expect to simplify ground processes, for example, by reducing the time and effort spent on stock take.”

“As part of our premium product, ULD Select, the combination of our sophisticated ULD management solution with Descartes’ next generation IoT devices can be a powerful boost to our service. The technology can provide our valued customers like Etihad Cargo insights into the conditions of their freight, give access to detailed location information, facilitate ULD processing on the ground, and thus further improve asset utilization,” said Ram Krishnaswamy, General Manager Middle East, Africa, & Indian Subcontinent at Jettainer. “Jettainer embraces innovation and digitalization, and this is exactly what we experience with Descartes as the leading technical provider in the field of Bluetooth® Low Energy tracking solutions. Potential benefits are not limited to ULD processing, we also see value in streamlining export, transit and import cargo processes and will explore this further with our customers and partners.

Descartes’ next generation IoT Bluetooth® Low Energy ULD tracking uses Bluetooth® tags affixed to containers or pallets, mobile applications and mesh networks to automate end-to-end tracking of assets. Bluetooth® tags affixed to ULDs prior to loading enable easy access to real-time location information, shipment-level condition data, such as temperature, light, humidity and movement, and chain of custody detail that indicates whose custody assets are in at any given time. Tags can also be added to any ground service equipment, like dollies, for full control over a carrier’s equipment.

“We’re pleased to help Etihad Cargo optimize the use of its ULD fleet with richer visibility at both the asset and shipment level,” said Scott Sangster, General Manager, Logistics Service Providers at Descartes. “ULDs are the backbone of the air cargo supply chain and, with coverage in over 1,300 reader locations and 200 airports worldwide, Descartes’ innovations in IoT-based tracking and advanced network capabilities are helping airlines access the status of their ULDs anytime, anywhere—through any internet-enabled device.”

65% of Companies Plan Supply Chain Innovation Investment

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released findings from its study ‘Supply Chain and Logistics Innovation Accelerates, but Has Long Way to Go’, which examined how technology innovation is changing supply chain and logistics operations and executives’ plans for continued investment. The report found that 59% of companies surveyed accelerated the pace of innovation investment and deployment over the last two years. Moreover, 65% plan to increase their technology spending over the next two years; however, 87% indicated they still face internal inhibitors to supply chain and logistics innovation.

The study of 1,000 supply chain and logistics decision-makers across nine European countries, Canada and the United States provides supply chain and logistics organizations with critical insights into the importance of innovation and differences in the strategies, tactics and technology decisions of top financial performers and those companies whose senior management thought innovation was very important.

“The recent past has highlighted that supply chain performance can make or break companies and the need to innovate supply chain and logistics operations has moved to the forefront of many C-suite agendas,” said Chris Jones, EVP, Industry and Services at Descartes. “The study shows that, while efforts in supply chain and logistics innovation are accelerating, many companies are relatively early in their innovation journey in areas such as digitization and especially in the use of advanced computing technologies such as machine learning.”

The study analyses the connection between innovation and business success, the drivers of supply chain and logistics innovation, the expected benefits of innovation to companies, and the obstacles inhibiting the pace of innovation and innovation investment. The study also examines where supply chain and logistics innovation is considered to be the strongest and the weakest, the degree to which key supply chain and logistics innovative technologies are deployed and innovation focus areas today and in the future. Lastly, it provides insight into how the importance of supply chain and logistics innovation changes on a geodemographic basis.

Descartes is a global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world.

Route Planning Optimization Cuts Delivery Distance

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that Topps Tiles, a British tile retailer, is optimising its fleet delivery capabilities with Descartes’ cloud-based route planning and optimisation solution. By working with Descartes, Topps Tiles is decreasing the average kilometres driven per delivery route by two percent and gaining a better understanding of the potential impact of changes to its delivery strategies.

“With over 300 stores nationwide in the U.K., we’re continuously evaluating how to maintain a high degree of customer service while reducing operational costs, especially today’s high transportation costs,” said Simon Macdonald, National Transport Manager, Topps Tiles. “Working with Descartes, we’ve replaced manual, spreadsheet-based processes with automated route planning to optimise the volume of tiles being delivered at any given time, as well as the routes our vehicles are travelling. Descartes’ strategic route modelling capabilities are also enabling us to model delivery scenarios and make more informed strategic decisions, which would have been nearly impossible with traditional resource-intensive analytical methods.”

Route Planning Optimization

Part of its Routing, Mobile and Telematics suite, Descartes’ route planning and optimisation solution helps brands, retailers and logistics providers reduce costs with more agile and efficient routing, improve fleet resource management by generating additional delivery capacity and become more sustainable through the reduction of their CO2 footprint and their use of paper across the route network. The strategic route modelling capabilities allow companies to understand and optimize their delivery and customer service strategies before having to execute them. Descartes’ mobile application helps drivers perform their daily routes, keeps managers aware of the progress and provides an accurate estimated-time-of-arrival (ETA) to notify customers of their deliveries. Proof of delivery (POD) capabilities support customer service excellence and order accuracy through real-time mobile communication.

“Topps Tiles’ long-term success is based upon its ability to continually provide customers with a superior shopping experience while offering cost competitive pricing,” said Pól Sweeney, VP Fleet Sales in Europe at Descartes. “We’re delighted to help Topps Tiles minimize its operational costs today through our route planning and optimisation solution and in the future with our strategic route modelling capabilities.”

 

Latest global shipping crisis report released

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has released its October report on the ongoing global shipping crisis and analysis for logistics and supply chain professionals. The report shows that a slowing economy, retailers reducing purchases, inflation and high fuel costs are finally making an impact on US container imports. The decrease in September import volumes did not, however, have a measurable impact on port delays, especially for East and Gulf Coast ports, which continues to point to congested and challenging global supply chain performance for the rest of 2022.

Container imports into the US in September retreated 11.0% versus September 2021 to 2,215,731 TEUs, though volume was still up 9% from pre-pandemic September 2019. September 2022 volume was also down significantly versus August 2022 with a 12.4% decline (see image). China was a significant contributor to the decline as Chinese imports in September were down 18.3% to 820,329 TEUs compared to August 2022 and down 22.7% versus September 2021.

“This is the first month that US container import volumes are seeing the effects of market headwinds, but we haven’t yet seen a similar reduction in port waiting times, which would help improve global supply chain performance,” said Chris Jones, EVP Industry & Services at Descartes. “The decline in Chinese imports was the greatest driver of the overall decrease in US imports and was felt the most on West Coast ports as most East and Gulf Ports continued operating at higher overall volumes.”

Note: Descartes’ definition of port delay is the difference as measured in days between the Estimated Arrival Date, which is initially declared on the bill of lading, and the date when Descartes receives the CBP-processed bill of lading.

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