rollouts
Supplier management software: UPS has introduced a cloud-based technology platform that allows customers to collaborate
more efficiently with international suppliers and better manage
their inbound supply chains. The platform, UPS Order Watch, is
part of UPS’s global ocean and airfreight forwarding product,
UPS Supplier Management.
UPS Order Watch helps companies manage all of their
inbound shipments via a single platform. “This can provide
opportunities to consolidate ocean freight shipments and
improve container usage to realize cost savings,” said Tom Boike,
vice president of supplier management at UPS.
Order Watch can enable greater accuracy and timeliness of
overseas vendor bookings, according to UPS. The improved UPS
Order Watch vendor booking system will dispatch system-gener-ated exception alerts to help ensure vendor adherence to customer requirements and provide an online system for approvals.
It also provides enhanced monitoring of vendor bookings against
purchase order details and ship windows. This functionality
increases customer control, enabling intervention in early or late
shipments or improper order quantities. The system also enables
shipment planning and execution capabilities at the purchase
order level. The solution enables visibility and control from order
creation through shipment delivery, providing customers with a
virtual view of incoming orders and merchandise.
The UPS Order Watch platform will be available to new customers starting in early 2013. (UPS, www.UPS.com)
Electric tug: The ergonomic Xtra-400 model electric tug is a new heavy-duty load-moving device
from Load Mover Inc. The unit is a self-contained, bat-tery-powered walk-behind tug that allows a single
operator to move heavy product with minimal effort.
The Xtra-400 model, which is designed for industrial,
warehousing, and manufacturing environments, is suitable for operations that have to move heavy or unwieldy
items, such as heavy parts or equipment, on a regular basis.
The Xtra 400 model can pull up to 400 pounds using its draw
bar, or push or pull industrial carts (or a train of carts) with loads
of up to 20,000 pounds. Carts can be pushed or pulled with a
variety of attachments installed into the receiver located at the
front end of the unit.
The Xtra-400 includes a self-contained, maintenance-free sealed
transaxle. The gearbox, electric motor, and electromechanical
brake are one assembly instead of loose parts. With the handle in
the up position, the overall length of the mover is 48 inches. The
unit’s width, including the drive wheels, is 30 inches.
With a 36-volt DC power circuit, heavy-duty batteries, and onboard five-stage battery charger, the unit can run all day on a single charge.
The unit has an adjustable ergonomic handle that promotes
comfortable walking posture. The handle also includes a high and
low variable speed control, horn, and belly switch.
According to the manufacturer, the tug is suitable for lean
material-flow or fork-free environments. (Load Mover Inc.,
www.loadmoverinc.com/)
Labeling solution: Label Magic from Dasko Label allows users
to easily relabel, reconfigure, and reslot their racks and shelves
without having to scrape off, paint over, or use industrial cleaners to get rid of old labels.
Label Magic acts as a “base label”; it has an easy-release topcoat that allows users to apply an adhesive label, and then remove
and reapply it at any time in the future. This allows users to easily
reconfigure locations; reslot pick faces; and change voice check
digits, product information, and other variable data. Standard
labels can be applied, removed, and reapplied to Label Magic.
Label Magic can be applied directly over existing labels and
markings. The product can be colored to match existing racks,
and it has a special “block out” lining that prevents “bleed
through” from markings underneath—a feature that’s especially
important when applying new bar-code labels to the racks.
There is also a tape version of Label Magic, which allows users
to turn the entire rack beam into a reusable label system. (Dasko
Label, www.daskolabel.com)
Rate calculator: Caro Trans, a nonvessel-operating common carrier and ocean freight consolidator, has created a “Door-to-Port
Rates” application that calculates the combined transportation
cost for less-than-truckload (LTL) and less-than-containerload
(LCL) shipments on specific origin-destination routes.
The application provides users with a variety of route/sailing
options, allowing them to evaluate and select transportation
services based on transit time/destination ETA and cost. The
application calculates the total cost based on origin and destination locations, cargo pickup date, number of pieces, weight, and
freight volume. It can also calculate the cost of special cargo,
such as hazardous materials. (Caro Trans, www.carotrans.com)
