SmartWay Logistics, a 4PL with a presence throughout Europe, was struggling with a TMS that was inefficient, required a lot of manual tasks, had poor visibility and couldn’t keep up with market demands. When it decided to make the switch to a new TMS, the company was approached by the typical TMS names, including those that had a long-standing presence in Europe.
But brand names and longevity didn’t make the deal. Instead, SmartWay chose us – smaller in comparison and newer to the European market – because our TMS had the best mix of robust functionality, the freedom to self-configure the system to fit SmartWay’s specific needs, and a proven reputation for stellar customer service.
“We think a TMS should do as much as possible so our people can focus on serving the customer,” explained Edwin Schouten, 4PL business unit manager at SmartWay Logistics.
Using sophisticated optimization algorithms, actual rate cost, along with a comprehensive set of data points, our 3G-TM technology determines and delivers the best plan that can be realistically executed. It’s the only TMS in the world powerful enough to handle the most complicated projects, yet intuitive enough to be used by all transportation professionals.
Since implementing 3Gtms, SmartWay Logistics has gained…
Real-time optimization results in cost savings for 4PL and customers
The power of optimization has resulted in significant cost and time savings for the company and its customers. For one of SmartWay Logistics’ largest customers, a global corporation that produces paper-based consumer products, SmartWay Logistics has the ability to more quickly find and use local carriers to avoid last-minute trucks and transportation arrangements. These improvements have results in reduced costs for the customer.
With the power of 3G-TM, SmartWay can optimize in real-time and build loads that can actually be executed, including the unique ability to factor in all real-world constraints from the beginning to the end of an order. As conditions inevitably change, 3G-TM’s optimization engine continuously reveals the effects of those changes on the routes and determines whether there are new options to consider.
Increased automation frees up employees to focus on customer service, not technology
With increased automation, SmartWay Logistics employees have refocused their time and effort on larger business objectives and ensuring stellar customer service. With expanded visibility into shipments and access to intuitive portals that improve the speed and accuracy of routing requests and order management, SmartWay Logistics can more efficiently consolidate loads and avoid the manual work of pushing through orders. “We don’t have to think about inconsistencies like orders that are missing a delivery date,” said Schouten. “3G-TM is a flexible system that can cope with all of those elements.”
Broader visibility into carrier network strengthens efficiencies and relationships
Due to a capacity shortage, there is a significant effort in the European market to reduce empty mileage. To achieve this, SmartWay must configure its capacity details to fit with what carriers can accomplish. Schouten explained, “Our carriers can say, ‘I have 10 trucks for you on Monday or five for you on Tuesday,’ for example. We have better visibility into which ones never accept a load at certain times or which ones begin too late in the day and miss the tender. As a result, we don’t overload our carriers with offers and this makes everyone’s lives easier. It makes carriers feel positive about working with our customers.”
Faster integrations for faster on-boarding and ROI
The unique architecture of 3G-TM allows SmartWay customers and carriers to on-board faster and more inexpensively than ever before. The TMS’ library of templates, its infinitely scalable hub-and-spoke design, and its ability to match shipments to orders and customers for more complex pool moves result in simpler and faster set-ups.
“The ability to move any customer with limited effort onto the system is really key for us,” said Schouten. “When there’s an opportunity for business, the integration to a TMS should never be the problem. We rely on the flexibility of 3G-TM to make integrations work.”
And when there is a problem or a question, Schouten says the 3Gtms team is knowledgeable and enthusiastic to help. “From addressing our unique needs in the European market to our questions about system capabilities, the 3Gtms team takes the time to think about our problems and come up with the best solution. It’s a very good partnership.”
To learn more about SmartWay Logistics’ TMS journey, get the full case study here.