Archive for Transportation Management Systems
Our annual Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Market Outlook Study was delayed this year due to other priorities, but it will get published after the holidays with a forecasted market size for 2009 and a five-year outlook through 2014. I won’t steal the report’s thunder here, but it’s sufficient to say that despite the strong value proposition of transportation management systems, the market was not able to fully escape the… Continue reading
In case you missed it, Kraft Foods issued a press release a couple of weeks ago highlighting how it “eliminated more than 50 million truck miles since 2005 through [a] focus on transportation sustainability efforts.” In North America, for example, the company “saved more than a million miles (1.6 million km), replaced 10,000 truck shipments and reduced 2,000 tons of CO2 emissions by shipping wheat via waterways to its… Continue reading
TMS for iPhone: There’s an App for That!
· CommentsLast week, I participated in a conference call MercuryGate organized for clients interested in learning more about its TMS Mobile (aka iPhone Portal) solution. If you’re a longtime reader of Logistics Viewpoints, you know I’m a big fan of the iPhone, and that I view iPhone-like apps as the next frontier for software-as-a-service TMS solutions (see “An App Store for Logistics Software”). So, needless to say, I was… Continue reading
Earlier this year, I wrote a piece highlighting the expanding footprint of transportation management systems (TMS)—i.e., how software vendors are transforming TMS from a fragmented collection of applications to a unified platform where users across the enterprise and value chain can execute role-specific processes via configurable user interfaces, workflows, and web services. Yesterday, I participated in a webcast sponsored by RedPrairie (an ARC client) on this very topic… Continue reading
Best Practices in Transportation Procurement
· CommentsThat is the title of the workshop I will conduct next week at The Logistics & Supply Chain Forum organized by Richmond Events. The content of my presentation is based on numerous case studies and end-user interviews I’ve conducted over the years (Ace Hardware, Frito-Lay, HJ Heinz, International Paper, Wausau Paper, and others), as well as interviews with some of the leading technology and service providers in this area… Continue reading
Outsourcing technology, especially software, isn’t just for the little guys any more. With the downturn in the economy, firms of all sizes are looking for outside help in managing their supply chains, particularly the transportation component. Many are finding that technology service providers can help lower costs, as well as conserve resources.
For those new to outsourcing technology, the first and most important challenge is choosing a partner or… Continue reading
Transportation Procurement Remains Hot
· CommentsBack in May, I wrote a piece on how transportation procurement is “hot” right now (plus a follow-up piece called “Transportation Procurement: Another Viewpoint”). A couple of weeks ago, I gave a keynote presentation at a transportation management seminar organized by Manhattan Associates and CSC for executives in the Boston area. Terry Norton, VP of Transportation Lifecycle Management at Manhattan Associates, presented some interesting data on… Continue reading
A Missed Opportunity: Linking Demand with Transportation Planning and Execution
Posted on Mar 02 2010 | By Greg Brady · Comments (0)Supply chain best practices preach the benefits of end-to-end, integrated business processes. We regularly hear analysts and industry experts tell companies, “Your supply chain is fragmented and you must connect it.” And while some traditionally silo-based groups are doing better at sharing information and connecting their supply chain, most organizations are not planning and executing across functional domains to create a truly interconnected and collaborative supply chain.
Demand planning… Continue reading