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value-added taxes, and freight forwarding charges involved
in an international shipment.
The ability to track and manage carrier contracts. Part of what makes carrier selection and rate comparison so complex is the wide variation in carrier contract
terms—particularly when it comes to accessorial charges
(for example, fees for the use of lift gates or “lumpers,” temporary workers who assist with freight loading or unloading). “A single customer will have many multimodal carrier
relationships, with each carrier having different methods of
charging for accessorials and specific lane treatments,” says
Les Hamashima, chief operating officer at TMS developer
Transite Technology Inc.
For that reason, Hamashima and other experts urge shippers to look for a TMS that can track all of their various carrier agreements and the individual terms of each contract.
Among other benefits, knowing precisely what a particular
carrier would charge for a given shipment takes a lot of the
guesswork out of carrier selection.
line the process, Wooden of MercuryGate recommends
choosing a TMS that can audit and pay freight invoices.
Essentially, the software takes invoices as they come in
and matches them to loads in the system, she explains. It
then compares the rated amounts to invoiced amounts
based on established rules. Once the invoices are approved,
the software applies the necessary general ledger codes to
the trucking charges to ensure proper accounting.
The ability to provide item visibility. When it
comes to the whereabouts of their goods, today’s customers
are no longer satisfied with assurances that the shipment is
en route. They expect their suppliers to be able to pinpoint
the exact location of their orders at any given moment.
That’s why Wooden advises selecting a TMS that can provide shipment visibility down to the item level.
“A user should have the ability to key in an item and find
out what shipment [contains] that item,” she says. “What
box the item is in. What pallet the box is on.” That kind of
information will prove invaluable if the customer needs to
reroute its freight in transit, she adds.
The ability to handle freight settlement. The
logistics manager’s job doesn’t end once the freight has been
loaded onto a vehicle. There are still invoices to be reconciled and bills to be paid at the end of the cycle. To stream-
The ability to provide benchmark data. Up until
recently, shippers had no good way of knowing how the
rates and service they got from their carriers stacked up
ey run with us mand for ASICS America’s athletic shoes and apparel 0%, company leadership wanted to capitalize on the momentum. Fortna mapped out a growth strategy, luded the design and implementation of a 520,000 sq ft on facility. The result: ASICS quickly doubled its on capacity and kept its financial growth racing ahead.
FORTNA
has the broad perspective we need to develop
rehensive business case. And they have the people,
lities and sense of ownership necessary to deliver
sults. They’re unique in the industry and invaluable
success.”
– Gary Jordan, VP of Operations, Chief Supply Chain Officer
To learn how we drive results for clients like ASICS America, check out more stories at www.fortna.com.
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