DC Velocity - April 2017

28 DC VELOCITY APRIL 2017 www.dcvelocity.com newsworthy

Logistics technology provider MercuryGate International Inc. has launched a program that connects users of its transportation management system (TMS) with pre-ap-proved logistics service providers (LSPs) that can advise shippers on tricky operational and implementation questions.

Known as the “Logistics Integrator Program,” the product is designed for shippers that handle enough freight volume to justify buying their own TMS but need help customizing and applying the software to meet specific business needs, MercuryGate said. In the past, shippers would typically outsource the job to a third-party logistics service provider (3PL), which would often insist on using its own TMS application. Under the new program, TMS users can keep their own software and still take advantage of the delivery and execution advice of an experienced LSP, Cary, N.C.-based MercuryGate said.

“Many shippers are aware of the potential benefits
of transportation management technology but may be
limited by the number or experience of internal resourc-
es available to facilitate the implementation process or
optimize performance of a system once it is in place,”
MercuryGate CEO Monica Wooden said in a statement.

MercuryGate said Chicago-based 3PL Redwood Logistics was the first company to become part of the program. Shippers of all sizes can now leverage Redwood’s expertise in TMS design, testing, and training, MercuryGate said. Users can ease the burden on their own IT departments by relying on Redwood to set up the MercuryGate TMS, integrate it with other platforms, and create solutions that match the shipper’s needs, MercuryGate said.

Working with expert partners is the most direct way for a shipper to keep up with the accelerating pace of change in the supply chain industry, MercuryGate Vice President John Carey said in a webcast about the program. That webcast, part of consultant Adrian Gonzalez’s “Talking Logistics” series, is titled “There’s no silver bullet; extracting maximum (and ongoing) value from a TMS.”