Case Studies Sophisticated TMS & Real-time Visibility Transforms Freight Operations

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	Sophisticated TMS & Real-time Visibility Transforms Freight Operations

Sophisticated TMS & Real-time Visibility Transforms Freight Operations

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics Functional Applications - Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
Applicable Industries	E-Commerce Transportation
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases	Fleet Management Predictive Maintenance Supply Chain Visibility
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	Freight Scouts, an Atlanta-based broker, faced significant challenges in managing truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight originating from fulfillment centers managed by its parent company, PBD Worldwide. The company serves a diverse range of customers and load types, including construction supplies, refrigerated freight, consumer goods, and modular buildings. However, the existing transportation management system (TMS) was inefficient in handling TL transactions, leading to operational inefficiencies. Additionally, manual load tracking was error-prone, compromising customer service. Freight Scouts needed a brokerage-focused logistics solution that could manage the lifecycle of shipments from order creation through execution. The company also required an integrated real-time visibility solution to optimize delivery performance and strengthen customer and carrier relationships. Read More
About Customer	Freight Scouts is the non-asset transportation brokerage division of PBD Worldwide, a leader in fulfillment and distribution services for eCommerce companies, retailers, associations, and faith-based organizations. Based in Atlanta, Freight Scouts focuses on delivering exceptional freight solutions for clients, including truckload (TL), less-than-truckload (LTL), and parcel shipping. The company handles a diverse range of freight types, such as construction supplies, refrigerated freight, consumer goods, and modular buildings. Freight Scouts is committed to providing 'Exceptional Service every time,' leveraging advanced logistics solutions to enhance operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall performance. Read More
Solution	To address its operational challenges, Freight Scouts implemented the Descartes Aljex™ transportation management system (TMS) and integrated it with the Descartes MacroPoint™ freight visibility solution. This combined solution aimed to automate manual processes, improve planning and decision-making, and provide real-time visibility into shipments. Descartes Aljex™ helped Freight Scouts save time and resources by automating carrier rate acceptance, dispatching, and EDI, while also enabling better lane pricing choices through historical price comparisons. The cloud-based Descartes MacroPoint™ provided real-time load status updates, replacing manual check calls with automated status updates from carriers every four hours. This real-time visibility allowed Freight Scouts to take corrective actions before potential supply chain disruptions occurred. The seamless integration of Descartes MacroPoint™ with Descartes Aljex™ ensured scalability and supported Freight Scouts' growth and diverse customer base. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Functional Applications - Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Applicable Industries

E-Commerce

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Fleet Management

Predictive Maintenance

Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

Freight Scouts, an Atlanta-based broker, faced significant challenges in managing truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight originating from fulfillment centers managed by its parent company, PBD Worldwide. The company serves a diverse range of customers and load types, including construction supplies, refrigerated freight, consumer goods, and modular buildings. However, the existing transportation management system (TMS) was inefficient in handling TL transactions, leading to operational inefficiencies. Additionally, manual load tracking was error-prone, compromising customer service. Freight Scouts needed a brokerage-focused logistics solution that could manage the lifecycle of shipments from order creation through execution. The company also required an integrated real-time visibility solution to optimize delivery performance and strengthen customer and carrier relationships.

About Customer

Freight Scouts is the non-asset transportation brokerage division of PBD Worldwide, a leader in fulfillment and distribution services for eCommerce companies, retailers, associations, and faith-based organizations. Based in Atlanta, Freight Scouts focuses on delivering exceptional freight solutions for clients, including truckload (TL), less-than-truckload (LTL), and parcel shipping. The company handles a diverse range of freight types, such as construction supplies, refrigerated freight, consumer goods, and modular buildings. Freight Scouts is committed to providing 'Exceptional Service every time,' leveraging advanced logistics solutions to enhance operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall performance.

Solution

To address its operational challenges, Freight Scouts implemented the Descartes Aljex™ transportation management system (TMS) and integrated it with the Descartes MacroPoint™ freight visibility solution. This combined solution aimed to automate manual processes, improve planning and decision-making, and provide real-time visibility into shipments. Descartes Aljex™ helped Freight Scouts save time and resources by automating carrier rate acceptance, dispatching, and EDI, while also enabling better lane pricing choices through historical price comparisons. The cloud-based Descartes MacroPoint™ provided real-time load status updates, replacing manual check calls with automated status updates from carriers every four hours. This real-time visibility allowed Freight Scouts to take corrective actions before potential supply chain disruptions occurred. The seamless integration of Descartes MacroPoint™ with Descartes Aljex™ ensured scalability and supported Freight Scouts' growth and diverse customer base.

Impact #1	Elevated Customer Experience: By automating communications and leveraging real-time load visibility across multiple parties and modes of transportation, Freight Scouts can serve customers more proactively and strategically. This improves delivery performance and minimizes customer service issues and penalties.
Impact #2	Lower Operating Costs: The Descartes solution eliminates the need for administrative-intensive check calls to track approximately 40 loads every day. The scalable solution ensures Freight Scouts can determine the best mode, lane, and fees without increasing staff or resources.
Impact #3	Greater Efficiency: By uniting the most commonly-used functions in a single dashboard, the Descartes solution automates and streamlines daily activities such as lane rate comparison, rate confirmation, carrier acceptance, dispatching, and EDI. This boosts operational efficiency.

Impact #1

Elevated Customer Experience: By automating communications and leveraging real-time load visibility across multiple parties and modes of transportation, Freight Scouts can serve customers more proactively and strategically. This improves delivery performance and minimizes customer service issues and penalties.

Impact #2

Lower Operating Costs: The Descartes solution eliminates the need for administrative-intensive check calls to track approximately 40 loads every day. The scalable solution ensures Freight Scouts can determine the best mode, lane, and fees without increasing staff or resources.

Impact #3

Greater Efficiency: By uniting the most commonly-used functions in a single dashboard, the Descartes solution automates and streamlines daily activities such as lane rate comparison, rate confirmation, carrier acceptance, dispatching, and EDI. This boosts operational efficiency.

Benefit #1	Manages approximately 1,200 TL and LTL loads per month.
Benefit #2	Automated status updates from carriers every four hours.
Benefit #3	Eliminates the need for administrative-intensive check calls to track ~40 loads every day.

Benefit #1

Manages approximately 1,200 TL and LTL loads per month.

Benefit #2

Automated status updates from carriers every four hours.

Benefit #3

Eliminates the need for administrative-intensive check calls to track ~40 loads every day.

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Overview

Sophisticated TMS & Real-time Visibility Transforms Freight Operations

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit