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Logistics and Supply Chain Case Studies

Review our case studies to see how we’ve helped major corporations turn logistical ideas into a reality., leading beverage distributor, penske logistics helps beverage distributor rapidly establish new warehousing operations.

When this distributor had to expand its operation quickly to counter a competitor, they turned to Penske to deploy a customized solution.

Baby2Baby Donation Transportation

Coordination and planning lead to successful transport of $3 million clothing donation.

Penske Logistics worked with Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides basic essentials to impoverished children, and Old Navy to transport $3M of clothing donations.

Luxury Product Manufacturer

Penske logistics reduces inventory shrinkage, improves overall inventory management.

A leading producer of fine luxury products required a partner who could improve their warehouse and distribution operations and reduce the theft.

Poultry Supplier

Transporting food items requires extra care and expertise.

Poultry producers, navigate a complex array of supply and delivery challenges to ensure their food arrives fresh, wholesome, and on-time.

Building Products Manufacturer

Customized fleet technology solution.

A leading building products manufacturer sought to streamline its supply chain operations and expand its fleet while improving visibility through the implementation of fleet management technology.

National Wholesale Distributor

A national wholesale distributor case study.

A national wholesale distributor of heating and air conditioning supplies was struggling to manage its complex supply chain and maintain high levels of customer service, which is a top priority.

Looping Process Ensures Continuous Production

Penske collaborated with Novelis to create a closed-loop recycling network that moves finished aluminum coils and transports scrap for new production.

A Global Manufacturer

Optimizing activities in the distribution center.

Penske worked with this global manufacturer to optimize its inventory routing and mode selection and to improve visibility to its supply chain.

Quick Service Restaurant

Food and beverage in-store delivery and warehousing.

Penske helped this restaurant chain get its supply chain fundamentals in place with the right logistics tools, truck driver training and warehousing solutions.

Tier 1 Automotive Component Supplier

Managing the inbound supply chain.

Penske helped this supplier minimize supply chain disruptions by designing a network that optimized mode selection, routing and analysis.

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A Worldwide Shipping Company Transformed Its Reporting with Clearview Group and Workiva

As the director of reporting and consolidations for amultinational shipping and logistics company, Brian considered a stapler an important tool—but not anymore.

Brian leads the team that oversees the monthly financial close and internal reporting for a worldwide shipping company. Managing different types of reports and Excel workbooks while working under tight timelines, he’d staple reports together to create presentations for investor relations reviews, financial results, and SEC filings.

“We were doing a lot of manual reporting and redundant paperwork,” Brian said. “We came to the realization that we needed to get ourselves away from that so we can focus on analyzing the data.”

As a part of its commitment to constant transformation, the company engaged Workiva and Clearview Group, a trusted Workiva advisory partner, to help revolutionize its financial reporting. Clearview uses its expertise in technology, IT risk, finance, and accounting to help clients save time, reduce risk, and unlock innovation using the Workiva platform. Michael Molloy, an advisory partner at Clearview, has been Brian’s counterpart in the process.

“Mike and his team have been great with developing the right solutions to get us from a short-term fix to the long-term goal and leveraging Workiva all the way through our transformation,” Brian said.

The shipping company was already using Workiva’s solution for environmental health and safety reporting and SEC reporting before engaging Clearview to help expand into using the platform for management reporting, including annual and interim reporting that feed into SEC reporting. The company continues to expand its use of the platform. Clearview and the company shared these practical approaches for organizations that are collaborating to implement it in new ways.

Bringing the Magic

The team focused on using features within the Workiva platform to solve the company’s pain points, which are common in many organizations’ financial reporting processes.

Solution 1: Linking

The Workiva platform’s linking functionality resolves cut-and-paste exercises that slow productivity, reduce efficiency, and increase the risk of error in transferring information from spreadsheets or ledgers to final reports. Clearview helped Brian and his team pull data from its source systems directly into the Workiva platform so it flows through all linked reports.

“To be able to pull my consolidated revenue number for all of the company and show it going through various versions, have it end up on the consolidated income statement, and that I can trace it through other reports—it’s a game changer,” Brian said.

Solution 2: Security

Protecting financial data is fundamental, but teams that depend on emailing financial data to each other on large networks open themselves up to security risks. The platform’s activity log shows who accessed each file and when, which gives transparency as the team and Clearview work together.

“Controls within the Workiva platform let users manage access right down to the sheet, slide, and cell level,” Michael said.

Solution 3: Audit trail

Establishing an audit trail when using Excel spreadsheets or SharePoint requires diving into different versions of a file to see what’s changed. With source linking in the Workiva platform, version controls are baked into every step.

“The ability to see cell-level history on spreadsheets in the Workiva platform is something I haven’t seen in any other tool,” Michael said. “If you’re trying to source an error in the filing, you can trace it back through source linking and into the cell level history to see the audit trail.”

Solution 4: Search

“Hunting and pecking” is how Michael describes the process many clients use to find their financial reports in shared networks or drives. Instead, Workiva’s connected solution has a built-in search functionality for an easy, dynamic way to find files.

“The crux of any complex reporting process is having a good roadmap—but not one that’s set in stone,” Michael said.

Creating a roadmap helped build trust and understanding in how the company would move from its current state to a future state using data.

“Working through the stepped approach and having the documentation that leads up to the integration was big,” Brian said. “It helps you think through it and gives you a feel for the pain points and how to solve them.”

Here’s a look at how Brian and his team worked with Clearview Group:

• List all reports. Brian and his team created a complete list of the company’s financial reports in a spreadsheet, which they brought into the Workiva platform for easier collaboration and version control.
• Obtain the reports. Identifying where the reports are and importing them into the Workiva platform makes a consultant’s work more efficient. “You don’t want your consultants hunting and pecking through your system to find things themselves or asking a million questions every day,” Michael said.
• Document the reporting process. Create a document in the Workiva platform where you and your advisor or consultant can collaborate on how the will process work, where data comes from, and how content will be shared.
• Inventory data sources. Review the different report types, and consolidate instances of queries and reports that include third-party content. “Having a centralized, complete understanding of the data the client uses ensures we have an effective, long-term implementation and data integration strategy,” Michael said. “This also helps avoid finding out later that you need a set of data that you don’t have access to.”
• Integrate data. Clearview Group worked with the company’s technology team to design a customized data integration process.
• Create the roadmap. With the reports and data in hand, define the steps required for a successful adoption of Workiva.

2. Stay Agile

Your roadmap shouldn’t be set in stone. Having a few ways to reach the endpoint is important. “Big ships are slow to turn. You need to build agility into your plan,” Brian said. He appreciated how Clearview flexed when there were delays but kept the process moving forward.

3. Communicate Regularly

Constant communication keeps everything on track. “All along the way we’ve kept our client informed so that we don’t go too far in any one direction,” Michael said.

The fact that the transformation takes place in the Workiva platform means that both teams have access to it and can see what’s happening in real time. That creates transparency and fosters collaboration.

The Transformation Continues

There’s more work to be done to complete the financial reporting transformation. But Brian and his team know they have a proven partner and solid process for continuous improvement.

“Clearview has proven to be a true partner in developing the future of our annual reporting process with Workiva,” Brian said.

See what a relationship with Clearview can do for your business.

We are a full-service management consulting and CPA firm covering all aspects of audit, compliance, risk management, accounting, finance, tax, IT risk, and more. Just let us know what you need help with and an expert will be in touch!

Clearview Group is an award-winning, dynamic management consulting and CPA firm offering services that are flexible and scalable to meet the specific needs of our clients of all sizes and industries. Committed to providing real solutions that offer practical and efficient improvements to processes, procedures and operations, Clearview Group delivers exemplary client services normally associated with national firms, but with the hands-on, personalized feel of a local firm.

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Copyright © 2024 Clearview Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Case Studies & Shipping Solution Successes

CASE STUDY | MELON 1

Leading Watermelon Producer Streamlines Shipping Process With WWEX and GlobalTranz

• Melon 1 was assigned a dedicated account team that operates on a “must go” and “no fail” mentality.
• Worldwide Express uses its network of more than 85,000 FTL carriers to get shipments on trucks when capacity is tight.
• Worldwide Express monitors drivers and trucks in real time and alerts Melon 1 to any issues regarding late deliveries.

CASE STUDY | GREEN ROADS

CBD Company Streamlines Parcel Shipping with Worldwide Express and UPS ®

• Green Roads sends roughly 2,700 small package shipments nationally/internationally each week.
• Worldwide Express delivers a dedicated UPS trailer to its location every day.
• Green Roads has a dedicated account team that provides around-the-clock support.
• Worldwide Express works with UPS to keep a steady 97 percent claims approval.

CASE STUDY | BAY ISLAND

Specialty Food Gift Supplier Saves Money, Improves Shipping Processes with WWEX

• Bay Island bid out their freight and Worldwide Express came in with very competitive rates.
• Worldwide Express helped improve processes for tracking and delivery verification.
• Bay Island now has the trucks, trailer space and support it requires for its annual shipping surge.
• Worldwide Express leverages its carrier network and sophisticated TMS to provide top solutions.

CASE STUDY | CHEMCORE

Sink Wholesale Supplier Gets Customer Support, Claims Process Upgrade with Worldwide Express

• Chemcore sends 380 shipments per week through UPS parcel, LTL and FTL shipping.
• Worldwide Express provides better rates along with a single point of contact.
• Worldwide Express assumed oversight of the often-complex claims process.
• Chemcore was assigned an account team that understands their unique shipping challenges.

CASE STUDY | ADA

Midwest Manufacturer Cuts Cost and Increases Shipping Efficiency With Worldwide Express

• ADA manufactures plastic-coated steep products, averaging 18 freight shipments per week.
• The company was assigned a dedicated account team that provides expert shipping support.
• Worldwide Express leveraged its TMS to create a 95 percent quote-to-billing accuracy.
• ADA has seen a 100 percent success rate in claims payouts from carriers.

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How Maersk Designed a More Resilient Supply Chain

• Ned Calder,
• Alasdair Trotter,
• Conor Carlucci,
• Erez Agmoni

In 2021, the shipping giant launched an innovation center to contend with current and future challenges.

Maersk, the global shipping giant, created an innovation center in 2021 to help it contend not only with the supply disruptions caused by the pandemic but also long-term challenges such the need to decarbonize and further digitize its operations, deploy and leverage AI capabilities, and address endemic staffing and retention issues. In doing so, Maersk adhered to three principles, which other companies can employ to address supply chain problems as well as others.

As the Covid-19-related lockdowns eased in 2021, Maersk North America, a division of the Denmark-based global shipping and logistics giant, found itself in the eye of a storm. Its ports, terminals, warehouses, and distribution centers were becoming global chokepoints, and labor shortages made the situation worse. Maersk responded by redeploying ships from less-traveled routes to transpacific trade lanes, expanding the hours of operation in its facilities, upgrading its tracking systems, and opening new warehousing and distribution locations.

• Ned Calder is a partner at Innosight , the strategy and innovation practice of Huron Consulting Group.
• Alasdair Trotter is a partner at Innosight, the strategy and innovation practice of Huron Consulting Group.
• Conor Carlucci is a senior associate at Innosight , the strategy and innovation practice of Huron Consulting Group.
• Erez Agmoni is senior vice president of innovation & strategic growth at Maersk.

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FreightPOP Case Studies

See how freightpop has helped companies like yours improve supply chain operations and freight management, freight management case studies.

See how FreightPOP has improved the supply chain and logistics operations for companies like yours with these case studies.

How FreightPOP Helps Odeko Achieve $45,000 In Monthly Savings

Kyocera Division Case Study - How to Negotiate Fairer Carrier Contracts

4Wall Entertainment Take Shipping To The Next Level

Award-Winning Global Mailer Wins Big With Shipping Software

LogiQuip Counts On Shipping Software For Custom Integrations

Quality Shipping Software and Carrier Insights for Manufacturers

Plastics Distributor Case Study

Elgen Manufacturing Sees Impressive Results

Newegg reduced the time spent on shipping

Customer Spotlights

From sticky situations to smooth shipping: an adhesive leader's transformation.

For 45 years, our latest customer – a titan in adhesive solutions – has been crafting the perfect product for every...

Crafting Memories With Improved Logistics

Our latest partner is a family-owned enterprise renowned for creating exquisite glass ornaments for over 70 years....

💪Powering Growth: NetSuite Integration For HAZMAT And International Shipping

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Retailer Upgrades Shipping With SAP S/4HANA Integration

Does your TMS fail to connect with SAP S/4HANA? This was something a new client of ours encountered when trying to...

Global Printer Fast Tracks Shipping With Powerful ERP Integration

When a pioneering print and press production supplier sought a powerful TMS solution that could easily integrate into...

How a Designer Furniture Brand is Offering Better Shipping to Customers

Today's customer spotlight is on a high-end furniture brand designing for online catalogs and IKEA home & storage...

Janitorial Distributor Cleans Up On Procurement, Orders, And HAZMAT

Learn how a major supplier and distributor with a heavy ecommerce arm relying on Magento and InsiteCommerce revamped...

Syspro ERP And Custom BOL App Integrations Give Manufacturer Peace of Mind

Industry-leading lamination manufacturer struggling to find solid logistics software to integrate into Syspro and...

When This 3PL Struggled To Scale - FreightPOP Delivered

FreightPOP empowers customers to quote, ship, and track at scale. Read how a 3PL struggling to keep up with his...

How To Improve Fragmented Shipping And Clunky Quoting Processes

"Streamlined shipping" is bandied about by TMS companies quite a bit, but what can a solid shipping platform really do...

Grocery Distributor Makes The Most Of Resources - Ships With FreightPOP

Like many businesses, you have to be clever about using your resources. See how this grocery wholesaler with limited...

How a Major Telco Streamlined International Shipping with FreightPOP

Read how a major telecom customer streamlines their international shipping through FreightPOP's currency conversion...

[Case Study] WMS Provider Uses FreightPOP APIs For Freight Shipping

Our WMS provider customer had big problems. They had an outdated TMS, couldn't provide freight shipping to their...

3PL Fulfillment Company Breaks Into LTL Market

When a 3PL fulfillment company breaking into the LTL market approached us, they had specific requirements. They needed...

Custom Wheel Company Kicks it up a Notch - Tracks Shipments Smarter

When a custom-design wheel retailer said they needed reliable tracking and streamlined shipping to free up labor and...

Case Study: Streamlined HAZMAT Shipping, NetSuite Integration

Customer Spotlight: How shipping software helped move one of America's largest non-profit agricultural advocacy...

Supporting Our Shippers With Reliable IT and Custom Configurations

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Brief overview of how we helped a manufacturer maintain their competitive advantage through ongoing...

How a fulfillment company improved their HAZMAT and International shipping

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Read how a major private label manufacturer with over 50 production lines found the perfect TMS...

Digitizing Logistics In The Face Of Major Growth During COVID

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Learn how a national supplier with 15 locations used FreightPOP's integrations and software to...

Clinical Lab Accesses Better Shipping Rates Through FreightPOP

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: At FreightPOP, we solve issues that hinder shipping processes. In today's spotlight, we highlight...

"FreightPop has become part of our operating system so to speak, it brings all your carriers into one platform for quoting, tracking, and shipping with ease."

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ShippingEasy enabled AshaPops fulfillment team to batch up to 200 labels at a time — 10 times faster than their previous shipping solution. 

“I tried several other shipping softwares and I kept coming back to ShippingEasy. For our business, it's the best one that we've found.”

Boardroom Socks loves ShippingEasy because it allows them to ship out orders up to 36 times faster than before.

As Grounded grows from a seedling of an idea into a flourishing business, Danuelle and Mignon trust ShippingEasy to keep their complex shipping processes running smoothly with less manual effort.

“It's definitely a tricky industry to be in, so it's really nice to have easy partners when everything else is really difficult.”

With ShippingEasy, Kevin is able to spend more time designing and sourcing unique costume ideas instead of worrying about excessive labor and costs going into their shipping process.

Using ShippingEasy saves a ton of time and a ton of man-hours

“OneBalance has been an amazing program for us. It helps get us lower shipping rates than what we can negotiate on our own."

“One factor for choosing ShippingEasy was the commercial rates. And now we can toggle between USPS or UPS, whichever is less expensive.”

"With ShippingEasy, I am easily three to four times more efficient than before."

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“ShippingEasy’s Feedback Management has allowed us to compete on Amazon with larger players in the industry and is central to our success. It gives us the tools to do that and so much more.”

"Processing orders previously took us half a day, and now takes minutes. That allows me to shift focus to email marketing that builds repeat business from our customers.”

“We can now automate our inventory workflows with low-stock alerts, 2-way sync, and also bundle products. This has opened up time to focus more efforts on marketing the business.”

"My customers need answers right away… being able to pick up the phone and call, having someone answer right away really sets ShippingEasy apart from the rest."

"One of the greatest things about ShippingEasy is that it grew with me. There was never a time where ShippingEasy didn’t work for the quantity of packages I was shipping."

"It’s really easy to use. The ability to connect multiple marketplaces is a great benefit for a multi-channel seller like us. Our inventory is more accurate because we’ve eliminated duplicate ordering.

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"The ability to customize the platform and shipping confirmation templates is a huge plus for us, as well as the categorize feature, which we use to organize and differentiate our wholesale orders from our retail orders."

"I have saved an incredible amount of time and have reduced errors by automatically assigning orders to certain carriers."

"I have cut the time I used to spend generating shipping labels each day by over half – not to mention the mileage & time I save by not physically going to the Post Office each day!"

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Perspectives

A Leading Shipping Company Sets Sail on a ‘Digital Voyage’

03 December 2021

A WNS Perspective

A leading shipping company partnered with WNS in its digital transformation journey

WNS deployed robotic process automation and intelligent automation across front and back-office operations to increase speed, accuracy and overall efficiency, while reducing costs

The shipping company realized savings of ~USD 3 Million annually apart from deriving other benefits

This is our story of co-creating and deploying intelligent automation solutions to drive cost efficiencies, and improve speed and accuracy for a leading shipping company

As we know ....

The shipping industry is a heavily regulated sector that demands extensive documentation — and more so for cross-border transportation. From bookings, export and import documentation to scheduling, container movements, regulatory compliance and other financial processes, there are myriad complex operations that should be completed on time for smooth sailing. The right interventions leveraging Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and intelligent automation reduce costs, and improve speed, accuracy and productivity, while being a lever for digital transformation.

A leading shipping company was looking to...

Reduce costs significantly across its operations in three countries, supported by ~4,000 resources and multiple vendors. The company knew that to surge ahead in an industry that is cyclical and has experienced multiple consolidations in recent times, it would need:

Smart standardization of operations and reduction in Turnaround Time (TAT)

Increased speed, quality, accuracy and productivity, and overall efficiency of its front and back-office operations

The company partnered with WNS on a transformation journey. WNS, with its domain expertise in the shipping and logistics industry, strategized and executed on the ‘right’ interventions through RPA and intelligent automation.

Here’s what we co-created as a solution…

The WNS team collaborated closely with the shipping company to understand its vision and deploy automation with minimal disruptions.

Developing & Deploying BOTs

We identified a booking process in a single country to develop and deploy BOTs in less than 10 weeks, as a starting point. The shipping company saw significant benefits in terms of productivity and TAT. The process was error-free and without delays. More importantly, the BOTs did not intrude into the company’s core applications. This set the stage for designing an RPA Center of Excellence (CoE).

Setting Up an RPA CoE

We chose a third-party RPA platform that was compatible with the shipping company’s core applications, e-mail systems and other frequently used applications. An RPA CoE and operating model were set up keeping in mind the shipping company’s holistic digital transformation journey.

Enterprise-wide assessments across multiple countries and vendors helped in identifying automation opportunities and creating an automation roadmap. The RPA infrastructure for scale was designed and provisioned in the cloud. A support team was set up to monitor and maintain the BOTs in production. The CoE model helped identify areas where intelligent automation could be deployed to unlock maximum benefits. RPA interventions in repetitive tasks enabled resources to improve productivity and focus on strategic work.

The outcomes from the process of co-creation are…

~USD 3 Million annual savings realized through the initial implementation of intelligent automation. Other outcomes include:

~35 percent productivity benefits and higher accuracy of documentation in the areas of export documentation and booking

~75 percent automation of the bill of lading release process through BOTs without human intervention

~50 percent improvement in quality of customer data — through process re-engineering and automation in the setting up of new customer profiles. A combination of BOTs and humans validate requests, reject incomplete and duplicate requests, ensure country-specific requirements are in place, and verify the accuracy of data

Improvements in service-level agreement as a result of deploying automation in the vessel actualization process

WNS Malkom — a proprietary solution driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence leads the way ahead in terms of further intelligent automation across the bill of lading process.

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Although we handle a wide variety of clients, the following user case studies will serve to underscore some of the value-added services that we have been able to provide over the years. Please be aware that we strive to constantly give each of our clients a full service, customized solution to all of their needs.

Top 100 Importer – Major Electronics Company

Client Background: Leading manufacturer and wholesaler of consumer and business related electronics

Client Footprint: In addition to North America, client warehouses and distributes to over 50 countries and maintains substantial market share in high end product lines.

Challenge: Client’s legacy supply chain systems (manual & multiple service providers systems) developed inefficient processes, created redundancy and inconsistent reporting.

TAC Solutions:

• Evaluate each business units’ needs of performance metrics.
• Carrier Performance, Landed Costs, Event Management, Vendor Management
• Develop business unit KPI’s based on performance metrics.
• Consolidate supply chain data management in TAC data centers.
• Single data source reduced errors, commissions and redundancy by 27.5% within 12 months.
• KPI’s allowed client to replace under- performing carriers resulting in a current on-time performance of 98.3% (an improvement of 19% prior to implementation.)
• KPI’s improved purchasing strategies reducing non- performing categories and increasing inventory turns from 4.2 to 4.7 on higher profit categories.

Food Industry Importer/Manufacturer

Client Background: Leading manufacturer and wholesaler of food products

Client Footprint: Client serves the USA food retailers

Challenge: Due to the complexity of individual business units the client required a process/system to eliminate manual record keeping and deliver, electronically, all documentation to comply with CBP and OGA requirements

• Electronic “checklist” utilized by all TAC and client locations providing real time confirmation of document receipt.
• Customized file structures for business unit reporting
• Client operates in a “paperless” environment allowing for distribution of personnel to other areas in the company to drive growth.
• Converted space previously utilized for document retention to manufacturing allowing for increased production and overhead absorption.

Automotive and Consumer Electronics Company

Client Background: Leading manufacturer and wholesaler of automotive electronics and accessories

Client Footprint: Under both named and private branding, client serves as a tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry and wholesaler to “big box” retailers.

Challenge: Client’s legacy supply chain system was limited in functionality and was unable to produce customized financial and supply chain event reporting.

• Evaluate each business units’ data element requirements.
• Shared development with clients IT group to integrate their ERP system with TAC operating systems.
• Single data source feeds real time, product specific information to clients ERP system allowing client to adjust inbound receipt locations. This feature reduces “touch points” thereby reducing costs and speed to client.
• Client captures landed cost at SKU level improving visibility of purchase price variances which creates efficiencies for cost accounting and product managers.

Client Background: A leading manufacturer and wholesaler of canned seafood products.

Client Footprint: Client’s products are distributed and sold in over 115 countries.

Challenge: Client needed enhanced reporting to track SKU level data based on products production date in order to comply with various countries consumer product laws.

• Capture SKU level data and production date electronically for each shipment
• Prepare all US Customs entries at lowest product level (production date code) then “sum” all production date codes by “like” HTS code for filling purposes with US Custom.
• Client can now trace each shipment back to specific production date insuring quality and product integrity within the entire supply chain.
• Summary filing by HTS code reduced entry fees by 13% on an annualized basis.

Manufacturer & Wholesaler of Home Improvement Pneumatic Tools and Accessories

Client Footprint: In addition to North America, client warehouses and distributes to over 20 countries and maintains substantial market share in both home owner & professional contractor categories.

Challenge: Client’s growth created a huge strain on the management of inventory for raw materials, sub-assemblies and finished goods resulting in excess inventory and reduced products turns.

Our Solutions:

• Created an SKU database (raw materials, sub-assemblies and finished goods).
• Created an EDI interface between clients ERP (JD Edwards) and TAC operating system allowing for the flow of supply chain transactions. (304,310,850, 856, etc…)
• Created timing “triggers” in the supply chain that would alert client as to potential inventory deficits/overages.
• Within 12 months of program launch, client was able to eliminate 37% of slow moving and obsolete inventory.
• Replenishment of lower level SKU inventory driven by system data (inventory triggers) allowing for greater focus on higher performing SKU’s.
• Within 12 months of program launch, we improved vendor shipping performance by 18% and 8 years later vendors operate at 98.4% on time.
• Reduced clients timing for NAFTA certification from 12 to 2 weeks.
• Created tools to implement a paperless Duty Drawback Program.

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Case Study – Air transport services for mining industry

Our client needed to transport a total of 8 cable reels of 23 tons each from Shanghai. The challenge was to make the shipment in the shortest possible time with reasonable costs.

Case Study – Air Charter for Healthcare

The start of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign was imminent and our client needed regular shipments of syringes from China, where the factory was located, to Peru so they could ensure the vaccination campaign ran smoothly.

Case study – Air charter for the mining sector

Our client needed to urgently ship two conveyor belts from Santiago de Chile to Lima. These conveyor belts are used to move the mineral extracted from the mine into the storage area. Due to their size and weight, more than 60 tonnes, it was necessary to study in detail what would be the best transport solution to deliver in the shortest possible time.

Case Study – Automotive logistics

To create a cost saving solutions with enhanced service levels, whilst maintaining existing structures and warehouse facilities.

Case Study – Retail logistics: LG Harris

When understanding the LG Harris supply chain requirements, Noatum Logistics quickly identified that their buying terms were CIF (cost, insurance, freight) across the majority of their supply base. This prevented shipment visibility for LG Harris until the goods arrived into port. Accounting for over 1,000 TEU per annum was a major headache. The supply chain model was completely reactive with little or no reporting or key-performance-indicator (KPI) management. This created high demurrage charges, inbound-inventory and stock-control challenges at the LG Harris distribution centre (DC) located in the Midlands (UK).

Case Study – Personal care logistics

The customer felt its supply chain was working fine. No pain, no need to change! However, having worked with Noatum Logistics in the past, and experienced improved operations, the new leader was willing to let us review the company’s pricing and route information on outbound shipments to the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Australia.

Case Study – Outdoor retailer logistics

The retailer faced major challenges with days-in-inventory and capacity at its distribution center (DC). Days-in-inventory time continued to increase over the prior five years The single distribution center experienced overly high storage levels, delays with unloading railcars and shipping containers, and an overall worsening in port-to-DC transit times (hovering around 40 days).

Case Study – Oil & Gas industry

With each unit weighing approximately 32,000 pounds, the company faced high shipping costs for the pumping units sourced from China.

Case Study – Oil and Gas logistics

The customer suspected they were being overcharged for shipping. They were not using freight forwarders, instead allowing manufacturers to arrange for the ocean-freight shipping of the oilfield equipment from China to Canada. Cargo was shipped using fixed load plans with no optimization for larger batches.

Case Study – Mining logistics

An initial assignment was for the movement of Autoclave and Flash Vessel pieces from their manufacturing plant, located 30 miles inland from the Shanghai port, to the mining project 90 miles east of Lima, Peru. The equipment pieces were over size and over weight, requiring special loading/unloading procedures; ocean, rail and ground transportation; and infrastructure modifications.

Case Study – High Tech logistics

With a significant segment of the semiconductor wafer foundry base moving to Asia, our customer decided to relocate operations closer to their end user. Our customer opened an equipment integration facility in Singapore near their customer who provides wafer fabrication equipment. Unfortunately, this move created an increase in real estate and labor costs, thus denying our customer the warehouse space to stage components for assembly and integration.

Case Study – Pharma&Healthcare logistics

Sourcing product from Korea, the customer initially used Noatum Logistics to assist with international freight forwarding and the custom clearance process for shipments to the U.S. As the customer grew their customer base and product offering, it was apparent their outsourced warehouse solution in the U.S. could not keep up with their needs. The end customers’ orders frequently required special packing, rush deliveries, and special project handling, straining the customer’s inventory management practices.

Case Study – Fashion industry logistics: Gant

Capitalise on the retail expertise and capabilities of Noatum Logistics, including our robust warehouse management technologies and local capacity. The benefits of greater inventory visibility and control would cascade into other supply chain functions including transportation, warehousing, distribution and customer service.

Case Study – Consumer Electronics logistics

A leading manufacturer of cell phone accessories was in a crisis. Issues with an overseas partner completely shut down their supply chain. They needed a new logistics services provider to quickly step in and get shipments moving. The manufacturer also recognized the need to rethink its supply chain to gain better control over vendors, reduce costs and achieve more efficient handling of orders.

Case Study – Apparel retailer logistics

A retail client of Noatum Logistics for international freight forwarding services sought additional assistance for improving control over its global supply chain. The client recognized that greater visibility to purchase orders and shipments would lead to better purchasing, transportation and distribution decisions.

Case Study – Industrial Manufacturing logistics

Our customer is a leading multinational manufacturer of automobiles and agricultural machinery. The company entered the U.S. market in 2000; since 2002, Noatum Logistics has handled the company’s customs brokerage at Noatum Logistics’ Houston branch.

Case Study – Fashion industry logistics

Founded in 1920, New Era Cap Company is an American headwear company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Best known for being the official on-field cap for Major League Baseball, the official sideline cap for the National Football League, and the official on-court cap for the National Basketball Association.

Case Study – High tech firm

The customer, a global provider of secure IP/Ethernet switching solutions, sources products from South China and Taiwan for sales in the United States. They identified cost containment objectives and wanted to improve the overall performance of their supply chain.

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Case Study: Improving the Flow of Cargo and Documents in a Shipping Company – Part 1 of 2

Published: December 14, 2015 by Niraj Goyal

In this case study, a team wants to be sure their customer-focused business is satisfying its clients. Part 1 focuses on reducing the wait times associated with transferring cargo and documents.  Part 2  looks at making more improvements using just-in-time (JIT) principles.

A 15-year-old shipping company with a network of offices throughout India considered being “value-driven, customer-focused” a key driver of its business. Its senior management decided to implement total quality management (TQM) to provide a competitive edge to the company’s customer service; a pilot program was implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of TQM in a shipping environment. Depending upon that pilot’s success, leadership would decide whether to adopt TQM as a way of life within the company.

A two-day quality awareness program was conducted with management to introduce them to TQM with an overview of why and how it works, and how it can open minds to the exploration of change. The group then brainstormed problems, prioritized the most pressing and selected a theme for the TQM pilot – dramatic improvement in customer service and delivery. Within that focus two projects were selected:

• Delivery of information
• Delivery of cargo/documents (e.g., bills of lading)

A team was selected to work on both projects; this case study pertains to the second project – delivery of cargo/documents. Since the company serviced several shipping companies, its largest customer was selected as the project’s subject.

The project began using TQM’s seven steps of problem solving:

• Define the problem
• Research the causes
• Generate countermeasure ideas
• Test and modify the ideas
• Implement ideas
• Standardize procedures
• Compile quality improvement story

Step 1: Define the Problem

In TQM, the problem equals the desired state minus the current state. The project goal was defined as seeking a “dramatic improvement in delivery of cargo/documents.” The company delivers three items to its customers:

• Empty containers

These were prioritized using a weighted average table; documents were revealed to be the priority item in deliveries. At first glance, this seemed odd. Upon reflection, however, it was logical since the company was a shipping agent – not a shipping line. It had little control over processes after the container was loaded on the ship. Up to that point, the timely issue of documents, in particular the bill of lading (B/L), was of vital concern of customers.

To measure the current state, a format for data collection was developed and data was collected. If a particular voyage’s sail date was “s” then the metric selected was the percentage of B/Ls released relative to the date of sailing. The initial data collection results are shown in Table 1 below.

Eighteen percent of documents were released by the day of sailing and 45 percent were released by two days after date of sailing. The desire was to release 90 percent of the B/Ls by s +2 days.

The improvement was carried out in two stages. A description of stage 1 activities follows; stage 2 is featured in Part 2 .

Step 2: Research the Causes

When it comes to reducing process lead times, waiting time generally constitutes more than 50 percent of the lead time. To determine if this was the case here, a list of activities required to issue a B/L was prepared, identifying the doer and the receiver (Table 2).

The next step was to identify the stages where an activity waits for another activity’s completion.

Steps 3 and 4: Generate Countermeasure Ideas/Test and Modify the Ideas

The team decided to try the countermeasure of minimizing waiting by organizing a “green-channel” run in which the whole team would process one sample ship’s B/L without any avoidable waiting. A B/L tracker was designed to log the days when each step in the process was completed. The tracker shows the cumulative number of containers for which the activity is completed corresponding to the date and activity. The results of the first voyage processed with the tracker are shown in Table 3.

The observed vessel had 104 containers and sailed on September 23rd. The cumulative number of B/Ls released were as follows:

Up to sailing date s = 11 (11 percent) Up to s +1 = 21 (21 percent) Up to s +2 = 49 (47 percent)

The remaining 55 B/Ls were released up to s +10 (i.e., 10 days after sailing).

By making work flow as quickly as possible and minimizing the waiting time before each stage for each container the delivery of B/Ls would be expedited. The team was trained to “keep their in-trays clean” – to keep work-in-process wait time to a minimum.

Step 5: Implement the Ideas

It was time to check the results of this work. A dramatic improvement was achieved as shown in Table 4.

The percentage of B/Ls released increased by day s+2 from 47 percent to 84 percent and then 100 percent in the first two voyages respectively.

Part 2 of this case study looks at making more improvements using just-in-time (JIT) principles.

About the Author

Niraj Goyal

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Same challenges, different solutions.

See this companys experience with cargobot., executive summary.

This Company is a logistics company in North America that focuses on land-based FTL freight coordination. With thousands of miles to oversee and hundreds of trucks to coordinate, they need tools that guarantee both reliability and transparency.

The Challenge

Communication..

The Company was struggling with coordinating reliable communication with carriers. They needed a solution to streamline a fragmented reporting system spread across phone, email, and text messaging.

“When you move a load, the most important issue right now, for the shippers, is to have up-to-date information at the time.”

Operating directors at the company decided to investigate companies who were creating technology-forward platforms - ones placing a priority on reliable, accurate communication between shippers and carriers.

How Cargobot Helped

Customer-first experience..

From the start, Company A received a welcoming, customer-first experience. A dedicated customer service associate was ready to answer any questions. They provided a full walkthrough of Cargobot’s digital platform and mobile app just for shippers. Both training and a trial run were available - for free!

“They are a company, taking care of clients in a very personal way.”

Cargobot's technology and support is changing the way shippers more freight. 

The Company is happy to report Cargobot’s digital suite of tools has improved their communication systems exponentially, including:

Real-Time Freight Tracking  

One Place for All Communication  

Pickup and Drop-off Confirmations

Insurance to cover the unexpected, cargobot provides comprehensive risk insurance for our partners from all risk insurance in the event of lost cargo or damages that the motor carrier has not paid., dedicated customer support, each company is assigned a dedicated customer service associate who is ready to support you, no matter the situation. have a question or concern support is available 24/7., join cargobot and go beyond  , discover more about our solutions and opportunities. .

Learn more today

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Shipping Case Study

How this digital healthcare and manufacturing company is working with Una to save six-figures on shipping costs.

Introduction

The Una member featured in this story is a medical equipment manufacturing company focused on redefining digital healthcare.  They have graciously allowed us to highlight the success they’ve seen with Una since joining earlier this year while remaining anonymous to respect the doctors and patients they serve.

As a medical equipment manufacturer, this valued member ships and receives millions of dollars worth of packages every year. Their product, a medical device built to detect and diagnose irregular heartbeats, is used by doctors, clinics, and patients around the country.

Having reliable shipping providers is a must as the health of their patients depends on getting testing done right and results returned to their doctors quickly.

With significant shipping costs adding up and limited procurement resources at their disposal, this member needed help establishing a relationship with a trusted shipping partner, as well as securing discounted pricing on various shipping rates.

Read on to learn more about their success with Una’s group purchasing platform.

SHIPPING CASE STUDY

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER This medical manufacturing company is dedicated to redefining digital healthcare and improving the lives of patients around the country.

LOCATION: USA

INDUSTRY: Manufacturing

TYPE: Medical Equipment / Digital Healthcare

At the heart of the matter

Cardiac arrhythmias affect approximately 5% of the U.S. population and heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. If left undiagnosed, arrhythmias can lead to heart damage and other organ failure, and an increased risk of stroke, dementia, and cardiac arrest. Symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia may include dizzy spells, shortness of breath or faintness, sweating, chest pain, anxiety, and weakness.

To complicate matters, individuals may be experiencing arrhythmias without these common symptoms, making a diagnosis difficult to obtain.

Knowing this, our member was determined to develop an ambulatory monitoring device that could accelerate the standard of patient care. Their monitor successfully records every single heartbeat while worn, pulls the data into a system that can identify irregular rhythms, and provides doctors with a clear report that helps determine the best course of treatment, quickly and efficiently.

Thanks to their services and commitment to bettering the healthcare industry, hospital systems around the U.S. have been able to improve clinical outcomes, reduce costs, and improve profitability .

This company has an important mission: to revolutionize the way healthcare is managed and give more people access to the necessary care they need to remain healthy.

While they continue to move towards bringing their vision to life, the company was also experiencing the impact of the current economic conditions . It’s no secret that businesses and consumers alike are seeing drastic price hikes when it comes to shipping and freight costs. Increased fuel costs and ongoing inflation are also affecting everyone’s bottom line.

Shipping is a key component to this member’s business operations, as they continuously send medical devices out to doctor offices and patient homes. They also foot the bill when it comes to the return shipping costs incurred when a patient has completed the monitoring process and sends the device back to be analyzed.

With limited procurement resources at their disposal, however, business leaders were having trouble securing favorable shipping pricing on their own and feeling the pressure to deliver cost savings quickly.

After some initial research, this member decided that bringing in a group purchasing organization was the resource they needed to support the company’s mission.

Why partner with Una?

When it comes to securing discounted shipping rates , companies have few options. National carriers and purchasing platforms may offer programs for businesses looking to save on postage and shipping, but they are not without caveats. Oftentimes, discounted rates are based on order sizes and shipping volume.

Even with millions of dollars in shipping spend, our member ran into roadblocks when it came to locking in favorable pricing, navigating relationships with suppliers , and budgeting for fluctuations in surcharges.

Having worked with a GPO in the past, this member was familiar with the concept of group purchasing . They understood the purchasing power and value a GPO partner could bring to the table.

After an initial discovery call, the Una team conducted a compelling spend analysis to highlight the savings opportunities available with our discount shipping programs. The information was compared across several shipping providers to ensure the best value was found for the organization.

Thanks to the strength of Una’s established supplier relationships and pre-negotiated contracts, this member is now saving over $650,000 a year in shipping costs.

"[We] really enjoy working with Carrie Dunavant and Cindy Rittel. [They're] very easy to work with and provided good options [and true savings]." Director of Sourcing, Valued Una Member

Shipping Cost Analysis

Curious as to what a cost analysis from Una looks like? Here’s a sample from the Una member featured in this shipping case study.

While it’s true not every company will have millions of dollars in shipping spend, that doesn’t mean there aren’t savings to be found.

In fact, our contracts tend to save small to medium sized companies, who have at least $10,000 in annual shipping expenses, up to 20% on domestic and international services.

Una's process

Una’s mission is work alongside our members to increase their organization’s profitability. We accomplish this by following the same process for each category.

Here’s how we helped the member featured in this shipping case study achieve 23% savings :

Discovery Call The first step to savings is a discovery call with a Sourcing Advisor. This where you can ask questions, define what success looks like, and set a timeline for the connection process.

Cost Analysis We refer to this step as Una’s time to shine and where we can show real value . Your real spend data is sent directly to our supplier base to compare costs and identify savings.

Supplier Connection Next, we work quickly to get you connected so you can start saving as a GPO member right away.

We pride ourselves on our “speed to savings” mentality, and build relationships based on trust and transparency. The process is seamless, and better yet, repeatable for nearly every category of spend.

For this member, shipping was their biggest headache and they needed immediate relief – they were able to start saving money within a month of getting connected to their contract.

Our relationship continues to evolve, as well. We’ve explored other spend categories and are finding additional savings opportunities to improve their bottom line.

While the Una team works to uncover potential savings and value, our member can stay focused on what matters most – the doctors and patients they serve. 

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In today's big story, we're looking at a critical tech review that caused a bit of a stir on social media .

What's on deck:

Markets: Goldman Sachs quiets the haters with a monster earnings report .

Tech: Leaked docs show one of Prime Video's biggest issues, forcing customers to abandon shows .

Business: The best bet in business these days? Targeting young men who like to gamble .

But first, the review is in!

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The big story

Up for review.

"The Worst Product I've Ever Reviewed… For Now"

Marques Brownlee, the YouTuber better known as MKBHD, didn't mince words with the title of his review of Humane's AI Pin .

In a 25-minute video , Brownlee details all the issues he encountered using the AI device. (Spoiler alert: There were a lot.)

Brownlee's review aligns with other criticisms of the device . But not all of those came from someone with as much sway. His YouTube channel has more than 18 million subscribers.

One user on X pointed that out , calling the review "almost unethical" for "potentially killing someone else's nascent project" in a post reposted over 2,000 times. 

Most of the internet disagreed, and a Humane exec even thanked Brownlee on X for the "fair and valid critiques." 

But it highlights the power of Brownlee's reviews. Earlier this year, a negative video of Fisker's Ocean SUV by Brownlee also made waves on social media . 

Critical reviews in the age of innovation raise some interesting questions.

To be clear, there was nothing wrong with Brownlee's review. Humane's AI Pin costs $700. Watering down his review to ease the blow would be a disservice to the millions of fans relying on his perspective before making such a significant purchase.

Too often, companies view potential customers as an extension of their research and development. They are happy to sell a product that is still a work in progress on the promise they'll fix it on the fly. ("Updates are coming!")

But in a world of instant gratification, it can be hard to appreciate that innovation takes time. 

Even Apple can run into this conundrum. Take the Apple Vision Pro. Reviewers are impressed with the technology behind the much-anticipated gadget — but are still struggling to figure out what they can do with it . Maybe, over time, that will get sorted out. It's also worth remembering how cool tech can be, as Business Insider's Peter Kafka wrote following a bunch of trips in Waymo's software-powered taxis in San Francisco . Sure, robotaxis have their issues, Peter said, but they also elicit that "golly-gee-can-you-believe-it" sense.

As for Humane, America loves a comeback story. Just look at "Cyberpunk 2077." The highly anticipated video game had a disastrous launch in 2020 , but redeemed itself three years later, ultimately winning a major award .

Still, Humane shouldn't get a pass for releasing a product that didn't seem ready for primetime, according to the reviews. 

And its issue could be bigger than glitchy tech. Humane's broader thesis about reducing screen time might not be as applicable. As BI's Katie Notopolous put it: " I love staring at my iPhone ."

3 things in markets

1. Goldman finally strikes gold. After a rough stretch, the vaunted investment bank crushed earnings expectations , sending its stock soaring. A big tailwind, according to CEO David Solomon, is AI spawning " enormous opportunities " for the bank. 

2. Buy the dip, Wedbush says. Last week's drop among tech stocks shouldn't scare away investors , according to Wedbush. A strong earnings report, buoyed by the ongoing AI craze, should keep them soaring, strategists said. But JPMorgan doesn't see it that way, saying prices are already stretched .   

3. China's economy beat analysts' expectations. The country's GDP grew 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. It's a welcome return to form for the world's second-largest economy, although below-par new home and retail sales remain a cause for concern .

3 things in tech

1. Amazon Prime Video viewers are giving up on its shows. Leaked documents show viewers are fed up with the streamer's error-ridden catalog system , which often has incomplete titles and missing episodes. In 2021, 60% of all content-related complaints were about Prime Video's catalog.

2. Eric Newcomer is bringing his Cerebral Valley AI Summit to New York. The conference, originally held in San Francisco, is famous for producing one of the largest generative AI acquisitions ever. Now, it's coming to New York in June .

3. OpenAI is plotting an expansion to NYC. Two people familiar with the plans told BI that the ChatGPT developer is looking to open a New York office next year. That would be the company's fifth office, alongside its current headquarters in San Francisco, a just-opened site in Tokyo, and spots in London and Dublin.

3 things in business

1. America's young men are spending their money like never before. From sports betting to meme coins, young men are more willing than ever to blow money in the hopes of making a fortune .

2. Investors are getting into women's sports. With women like Caitlin Clark dominating March Madness headlines, investors see a big opportunity. BI compiled a list of 13 investors and fund managers pouring money into the next big thing in sports.

3. Bad news for Live Nation. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Justice Department could hit the concert giant with an antitrust lawsuit as soon as next month. Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has long faced criticism over its high fees.

In other news

Blackstone hires Walmart AI whiz to supercharge its portfolio companies .

Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Blackpink's Lisa: Celebrities spotted at Coachella 2024 . 

NYC's rat czar says stop feeding the pigeons if you want the vermin gone .

A major Tesla executive left after 18 years at the company amid mass layoffs .

Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say .

New York is in, San Francisco is very much out for tech workers relocating .

AI could split workers into 2: The ones whose jobs get better and the ones who lose them completely .

Oh look at that! Now Google is using AI to answer search queries .

A longtime banker gives a rare inside look at how he is thinking about his next career move, from compensation to WFH .

Clarence Thomas didn't show up for work today .

What's happening today

Today's earnings: United Airlines, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and others are reporting . 

It's Free Cone Day at participating Ben & Jerry's stores. 

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco , deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb , editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock , senior editor, in London. George Glover , reporter, in London.

Watch: Nearly 50,000 tech workers have been laid off — but there's a hack to avoid layoffs

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