newsworthy
22 DC VELOCITY DECEMBER 2016 www.dcvelocity.com
Port of Los Angeles and GE
Transportation test maritime
info portal
Industrial giant General Electric Co. continued its investment in supply chain technology by partnering with the
Port of Los Angeles to test a secure port information portal
that enables cargo owners and supply chain operators to
share shipping data.
The two-month pilot project, which began in mid-No-vember, could help the port to service ultralarge container
vessels by providing
greater supply chain
visibility, potentially saving millions
of dollars through
improved transportation efficiency.
The pilot project
is a first step toward
providing better
coordination among the parties involved in the conveyance
of waterborne cargo containers and could enhance supply
chain performance by delivering fast, data-driven insights
through a single portal to many partners, Boston-based GE
said.
“The Port of Los Angeles will have robust information
on container count and container placement for some of
the world’s largest cargo ships coming into [its] docks 10
to 14 days before they arrive, as well as a breakdown of
their destinations—to the Midwest via rail, for example,
or to local retailers or inland warehouses to be unloaded,”
Mailee Garcia, a GE Transportation spokeswoman, said in
an e-mail. That would be an improvement over the 48- to
72-hour window that port operators currently have before
each shipment arrives, she said.
With more advance notice, ports could notify trucking
companies of the incoming flood of containers and collaborate with rail carriers to position railcars weeks in advance
to ensure the most efficient turnaround, Garcia said.
“Digital solutions that enable supply chain partners to
receive a ship’s cargo information well in advance of arrival
... are a critical key to optimizing U.S. cargo efficiency and
trade competitiveness,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, in a statement.
GE has invested in logistics software by buying the
cloud-based rail software firm ShipXpress in September,
purchasing German 3-D printing company Concept Laser
GmbH in October, and launching an Internet of Things
partnership with SAP SE in November.
—Ben Ames
alliances
A Midwestern medical system has commissioned
Akro-Mils to create a dolly to make the challenging job of moving medical supply racks easier.
The dolly features heavy-duty all-steel construction, bolt-on casters for easy replacement, floor
locks, and a durable powder-coated finish. …
To help transition from an all-franchise business
model to one with corporate stores and help
consolidate its distribution centers from two
sites to one, Pet Supplies Plus chose Manhattan
Associates’ Inventory Optimization (IO) system.
In other Manhattan news, Giant Eagle has implemented the company’s transportation management system as part of a larger business initiative
to build a next-generation supply chain on a single platform. … Saddle Creek Logistics Services
has selected cloud-based customer engagement
software from Enspire Commerce to enhance
its omnichannel supply chain capabilities. …
Safari Ltd. has chosen HighJump’s AccellosOne
Warehouse Management Solution to improve
inventory visibility and enhance its order fulfillment processes. … National British supermarket
chain ASDA Stores Ltd. has renewed its long-term agreement with XPO Logistics to handle its
reverse logistics operations. … Wincanton, a U.K.
third-party logistics service provider, has adopted Paragon Software
Systems Inc.’s fleXipod
proof of delivery and fulfillment solution for its
multiclient home delivery operations. … End-to-end e-commerce solutions provider TradeGlobal
will implement TZA’s ProTrack labor management software in its DCs in Cincinnati, Ohio. …
Cloud Logistics is working with Breakthrough
Fuel, the industry’s first supply chain fuel management company, to better manage fuel consumption, achieve fuel cost savings, and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. … 10-4 Systems, a
Boulder, Colo.-based supply chain technology
startup, has integrated project44’s network of
less-than-truckload (LTL) APIs into its freight portal, giving customers access to synchronous and
real-time LTL shipment data directly within their
current user interface. … Logistics Plus Inc. was
named an official freight forwarding partner for
the 2016 Christkindlmarket held in Chicago and
Naperville, Ill.
WINCANTON
