One of the greatest challenges for logistics providers today is being able to respond to increasing pressure from customers for flexible volumes to meet consumer demand. Innovate procured the Manhattan Warehouse Management and Performance Management System due to its ability to provide enhanced tracking and visibility of products throughout the supply chain, which will enable Innovate to anticipate stock fluctuations, plan proactively and satisfy customer requirements.
Advanced planning is fundamental to ensure multi-site compatibility and avoid costly system failures.
An audit of each facility to benchmark financials, staffing and productivity rates and reviewed the existing IT infrastructure to determine where improvements were needed. Innovate then developed a detailed implementation plan to ensure best practice was adhered to and compliance to the overall system architecture was achieved.
Many of the supply chain disciplines honed over recent years by the Automotive and Retail industries are equally applicable to the Logistics Industry.
In a dynamic, often cyclic and interdependent industry like logistics, visibility across the supply chain and close to real time status information can be a source of both very significant direct cost savings as well as reduction in inventory and associated holding costs.
There are some practical examples where even partial implementation of value chain management solutions has yielded significant benefits e.g. RECS in Rugby Cement UK.
Warehouse Management Systems
Innovate Logistics use a combination of industry leading, off the shelf systems with bespoke products and a strong in-house development team to provide our customers with a flexible and robust service.
Data Capture:
- • RF technology
- • EDI interfacing
Communications:
- • E-business reporting platform
- • EDI communication
- • VoIP technologies
- • Voice pick
Transportation Management Systems:
Currently Innovate Logistics uses a number of transportation execution systems e.g. Roadrunner.
The transportation division is going through a major step change in its exploitation of technology. It will implement a true closed loop transportation solution, this being the utilisation of an automated dynamic route scheduling tool linking to a tactical execution system which in turn is integrated to in-cab technology. This gives us the ability to geo-fence and provide an early warning system for potential issues.
From a central perspective Innovate Logistics utilises the CAST strategic network modelling tool to sense check periodically our transportation network infrastructure and the impact that potential new business would have upon this.
