Case Studies HON and Ruan: A Synergistic Partnership in Logistics and Transportation

Edit This Case Study Record

	HON and Ruan: A Synergistic Partnership in Logistics and Transportation

HON and Ruan: A Synergistic Partnership in Logistics and Transportation

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases	Fleet Management Predictive Maintenance Process Control & Optimization Supply Chain Visibility
Services	System Integration Testing & Certification Training
Challenge	HON, a leading office furniture manufacturer, faced challenges in maintaining its own shipping line and ensuring high customer satisfaction. The company needed a reliable transportation partner to handle logistics efficiently, reduce costs, and improve service quality. HON's unique relationship with Ruan Transportation Management Systems evolved over 30 years, leading to increased customer satisfaction, greater driver commitment, faster policy implementation, and lower overall costs. Read More
About Customer	HON is a prominent office furniture manufacturer headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa. Since its inception in 1947, HON has been a category leader in the office furniture industry, known for its durable and ergonomic products. The company's product line includes chairs, desks, tables, shelving, workstations, and storage units designed for maximum comfort, style, and adaptability. HON has built a reputation for innovation and quality, capturing the loyalty of businesses across America. The company has a long-standing relationship with Ruan Transportation Management Systems, which has played a crucial role in its logistics and distribution operations. Read More
Solution	HON invited Ruan to play an active role within its distribution and logistics departments, creating a seamless inter-corporate synergy. Ruan earned HON's trust by consistently delivering as promised and fulfilling small, unassigned areas of the contract relationship. Ruan's dedicated HON fleet made over 20,000 deliveries in 2010, maintaining an on-time delivery rate of 99.58%. Ruan drivers, who wear HON-branded clothing and drive HON-branded trucks, act as the frontline representatives of the HON brand. They offer superior consistency and reliability, ensuring back-up drivers and vehicles are always available. Ruan's high level of screening, training, and retention of its employees ensures that drivers are professionals in every sense of the word. The repeated interactions between Ruan drivers and HON customers illustrate the ongoing trust and mutual understanding between the two companies. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Fleet Management

Predictive Maintenance

Process Control & Optimization

Supply Chain Visibility

Services

System Integration

Testing & Certification

Training

Challenge

HON, a leading office furniture manufacturer, faced challenges in maintaining its own shipping line and ensuring high customer satisfaction. The company needed a reliable transportation partner to handle logistics efficiently, reduce costs, and improve service quality. HON's unique relationship with Ruan Transportation Management Systems evolved over 30 years, leading to increased customer satisfaction, greater driver commitment, faster policy implementation, and lower overall costs.

About Customer

HON is a prominent office furniture manufacturer headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa. Since its inception in 1947, HON has been a category leader in the office furniture industry, known for its durable and ergonomic products. The company's product line includes chairs, desks, tables, shelving, workstations, and storage units designed for maximum comfort, style, and adaptability. HON has built a reputation for innovation and quality, capturing the loyalty of businesses across America. The company has a long-standing relationship with Ruan Transportation Management Systems, which has played a crucial role in its logistics and distribution operations.

Solution

HON invited Ruan to play an active role within its distribution and logistics departments, creating a seamless inter-corporate synergy. Ruan earned HON's trust by consistently delivering as promised and fulfilling small, unassigned areas of the contract relationship. Ruan's dedicated HON fleet made over 20,000 deliveries in 2010, maintaining an on-time delivery rate of 99.58%. Ruan drivers, who wear HON-branded clothing and drive HON-branded trucks, act as the frontline representatives of the HON brand. They offer superior consistency and reliability, ensuring back-up drivers and vehicles are always available. Ruan's high level of screening, training, and retention of its employees ensures that drivers are professionals in every sense of the word. The repeated interactions between Ruan drivers and HON customers illustrate the ongoing trust and mutual understanding between the two companies.

Impact #1	Ruan drivers are the most visible element of the HON/Ruan synergy, but the synergy runs much deeper between the two companies.
Impact #2	HON relies on Ruan's vast transportation resources, such as flatbed and brokerage services, to leverage other areas of business for parent company HNI and to run logistical analyses of new business opportunities.
Impact #3	Ruan's analytics and engineering have helped HON's transportation department identify several areas for improvement and opportunity, decreasing empty miles by 20%, increasing third-party usage, and synchronizing inbound and outbound loads.

Impact #1

Ruan drivers are the most visible element of the HON/Ruan synergy, but the synergy runs much deeper between the two companies.

Impact #2

HON relies on Ruan's vast transportation resources, such as flatbed and brokerage services, to leverage other areas of business for parent company HNI and to run logistical analyses of new business opportunities.

Impact #3

Ruan's analytics and engineering have helped HON's transportation department identify several areas for improvement and opportunity, decreasing empty miles by 20%, increasing third-party usage, and synchronizing inbound and outbound loads.

Benefit #1	Ruan's dedicated HON fleet made over 20,000 deliveries in 2010.
Benefit #2	Ruan maintained an on-time delivery rate of 99.58%.
Benefit #3	Ruan's analytics and engineering helped decrease empty miles by 20%.

Benefit #1

Ruan's dedicated HON fleet made over 20,000 deliveries in 2010.

Benefit #2

Ruan maintained an on-time delivery rate of 99.58%.

Benefit #3

Ruan's analytics and engineering helped decrease empty miles by 20%.

Download PDF Version

Overview

HON and Ruan: A Synergistic Partnership in Logistics and Transportation

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit