As the nation prepares to observe Memorial Day, taking time to remember the estimable bravery, sacrifice and dedication of all those who served in the Armed Forces of the United States of America over the course of 237 years of defense and warfare, Ultra would like to honor the dedicated men and women, in all branches of our armed services. These heroes personify all that is good about American culture: honor, duty, grit, determination, compassion, co-operation, intelligence, valor and dignity. Please join all of us here at the Supply Chain Collaborator in a voicing full-throated “thank you” for all that each successive generation of soldier, sailor, Marine, Air Force pilot and Coast Guard have contributed to the continued success, safety and prosperity of our great nation.

Let’s also ponder the critical role played by logistics in maintaining and projecting the “Arsenal of Democracy” around the world. It boggles the mind to ponder the size, scope and challenges facing military logistics planners operating in the most fraught environments of the modern battlefield; and as were the case in most of the major conflagrations of the 20th Century, without the benefit of the supply chain management software that so greatly aids modern logistics efforts. Contemporary military operations in Afghanistan, the Middle East and other locations are no less challenging, despite the modern military’s extensive use of logistics software and other supply chain management solutions. So it is particularly amazing to consider just how effective our armed forces were in managing the logistics of an invasion such as the Normandy landing of World War II.

Even though the US would not formally enter the War until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, the US had been supplying British and allied forces with huge quantities of materiel for several years. After the US entry into the conflict, planning began immediately for the invasion/liberation of occupied France. Between January of 1942 and the June 6th 1944 D-Day invasion, the US shipped more than 17 million tons of cargo to the UK in preparation, including general supplies and equipment, 800,000 pints of blood plasma, 125 million maps, prefabricated harbors (known as Mulberries), a replacement rail network, cigarettes, and toothbrushes among many other items. The invasion forces landed on 6 June 1944 at five beaches in Normandy: Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword. At Omaha and Utah, the two American beaches, only 6,614 of the planned 24,850 tons of cargo were discharged in the first 3 days, which is indicative of the difficulties the Americans experienced in beach resupply operations.

In spite of overwhelming obstacles and fierce German/Axis resistance, the Allied efforts, supported by the gigantic American logistics operation, led to the liberation of France and the ultimate victory over the Axis powers. The logistics lessons learned in WWII were carried forward into subsequent conflicts in Korea, Viet Nam, the Persian Gulf, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. All those who served in combat as well as in military logistics in these wars and all American wars deserve our respect, admiration and thanks this Memorial Day.

For those of us practicing logistics and transportation management in the business realm, we’d do well to remember General Somervell’s dictum regarding the critical nature of logistics planning to winning whether it be in the theater of warfare or global business.

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Chris Noble, Director of Carrier Relations at Ultra

First, let me say, “I am honored to have been asked to be a contributor to this blog.  I hope you’ll all share your thoughts on my postings here in the comments.” Now, let’s look at a very timely topic.

It’s no surprise that many busy transportation managers and logistics planners haven’t had the bandwidth to take a deep look at the changes in HOS rules that are soon to be imposed.   Nevertheless, HOS changes are soon upon us and won’t be – as some are hoping – modified.  Ultra transportation analysts have done the legwork, taking a hard look at what the new rules will actually require and establishing a framework for analyzing client program data to determine the real-world impact the changes will have on their current operations.

Ultra’s review of information from sources like the DOT and regulatory compliance consultants has determined there are three main components to the new regulations.  They are as follows:

• Reduction in drivers’ seven-day workweek to 70 hours (down from 82)
• Requirement that the 34 hour minimum restart period must occur once every seven days and include two rest periods between 1:00 – 5:00 (AM) over two consecutive days
• No change to the 11 hours of continuous drive, but there is now a mandated 30-minute break which reduces the 14 hour driving window to 13 ½ or 14 hours depending on the number of breaks required

Therefore, Ultra analysts conclude, the people impacted the most will be regional shippers who deliver at night and on the weekends and shippers who have a length of haul over 500 miles.  There will be less of an impact on regional work (under 250 miles) that runs during “normal” daily shipping hours (07:00 – 17:00) Monday – Friday.

On longer hauls analysts noted a likely reduction in miles estimates ranging from 9% to 12%.  In the end the carriers will be driving these changes as they change their routing and level of service/transit for various points across the country.

Have you considered how these changes will affect your transportation plans?

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Aware that the transition from fiction to fact happens at an ever increasing rate, we’ve been having a series of discussions – over pints after work – about the ways current, emerging tech advancements will impact on transportation in the very near future. While the dev team favors microbrews, executive leadership prefers imported ales and the support team swears by PBR in a can, the one thing we all agreed on in our discussion is that the amazing innovation of today’s supply chain software will pale in comparison to the tools we’ll all be using in another 10 years. Here are highlights of the interesting predictions dreamed up over Beer Nuts and the din of the jukebox.

Big Data + Historical Weather Patterns = Proactive Transportation Planning

Imagine you could run historical weather averages and compare them to shipping volumes. You could see how cooler-than-normal spring temps would delay shipping; or how a warmer-than-average summer would increase it. In short, agri-business could prepare for an earlier- or later- than usual produce season and avoid idle capacity or capacity crunches. Fleets moving raw milk from dairy farms to production facilities would be able to adjust to higher or lower production, as temperature greatly affects the milk output of dairy cows. Tying this kind of weather data into your TMS would enable weather alerts, preemptively rerouting your shipments around rains, hailstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods or any other trouble spots.

3D Printing Fundamentally Changes the Nature of the Supply Chain

In the longer term, as this technology progresses, it is safe to assume that more items will be “printed” locally thereby reducing the demand for transportation to carry goods from disparate manufacturing locales and consumer distribution points. Of course, transportation will still be required to ship the “3D ink” and related materials to every corner of the world. In the near term though, we can easily imagine using 3D printers to produce RFID tags at the origin of every shipment, cutting down on the time it takes to get shipments on the road.

What flights of fiction-to-fact fancy can you imagine? Share your predictions for how technology will change the face of transportation in the comments.

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May 13, 2013 – Fair Lawn, NJ – Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine has included UltraShipTMS in its 2013 “100 Great Supply Chain Projects” issue.  Inclusion on this annually published list is reserved for solution providers demonstrating clear leadership in the supply chain management industry.  The criteria for selection include providers who have the proven ability to produce measurable gains in supply chain excellence via cost-cutting and efficiency improvements within the end-to-end supply chain.  UltraShip’s suite of state-of-the-art software products and consultative services scored highly in the editorial staff’s analysis which considered such criteria as project scope, creativity/innovation and business results.  A case study of the UltraShipTMS project earning the recognition can be viewed here.

President Nick Carretta welcomed the latest critical acclaim saying, “We’re very pleased to be included in this well-regarded list of notable supply chain practitioners.”  Carretta elaborated explaining, “Transportation management systems are enjoying significant boost in adoption rates as shippers seek to mitigate dwindling capacity and increasing costs.  We’ve worked around the clock to produce a solution to address the pressing needs of logistics organizations and our success has been very gratifying.  Thanks to the SDCE editors for recognizing our efforts!”

UltraShipTMS has been on something of a winning streak, earning numerous industry accolades for its solution in 2013 including nods from Supply Chain Brain, Inbound Logistics and the American Business Awards.

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More than 3,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others.
Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May.  More than 150 members of nine specialized judging committees will determine Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place May 13 – 24.

UltraShipTMS President, Nick Carretta said, “We’re very proud of this significant accomplishment.  The LoadFusion product is truly at the cutting edge of intelligent logistics technologies, and it is a great honor to earn the validation of the American Business Awards judges.  This honor is a fitting reward for the UltraShipTMS team who has invested countless hours in development of a truly world-class, industry leading tool.”

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

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Yet most of this work takes place behind computer screens or from behind the wheel of a tractor trailer, airplane or container ship.  And even from that perspective – where the actual rubber meets the proverbial road – there is only a short-distance view of the whole big logistics picture.  That’s why here at the Supply Chain Collaborator, we were struck by the hypnotic beauty in this amazing hi-resolution image of every single roadway in the United States of America.  According to techie website www.io9.com , the image “was created by redditor ‘thechao’ some months back.  According to thechao, the map is based on the 2010 Tiger Dataset – a package of road data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.”

Seeing every single roadway etched across the face of the lower 48 really drives home the mind-boggling number of variables factored into transportation planning.  Clicking on any part of the map zooms the viewer in for a closer look at the selected area.  The country is veritably covered with a mesh of roads.  Freeways, main arteries, smaller highways and bi-ways, business loops, rural routes, city streets, suburban subdivisions, backroads, country lanes and even cart paths.  It’s no wonder some of the most powerful algorithms and technologies must be enlisted to help high volume shippers determine the best shipping routes and lanes.  There are nearly limitless possible routes to be built, but only a handful represents the most efficient and cost-effective way to get any given load of materials from its origin to its destination.  Is this really a business process that should be left to processing by hand?

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Back?  Good!  If you didn’t take the time to read it, I will break it down for you and then explain how for our part, UltraShipTMS is built to avoid these obviously commonplace obstacles to satisfaction with enterprise software.  According to Meshing,

1)      Technology ROI numbers are mostly fiction

2)      ROI rarely drives the tech investment decision

3)      There’s rarely any long-term accountability in technology

4)      Detailed plans are the enemy

5)      Bringing in the big outside guns ensures someone gets shot

While most of what Meshing discusses relating to these 5 reasons is likely true when it comes to macro solutions – ERP s produced by the IBMs, Oracles or multi-tenant TMSs produced by the likes of JDA and LeanLogistics – more nimble providers of innovative technology don’t necessarily fall into the traps he mentions.

Regarding Reason 1:  Yes, many organizations ignore the most complex ROI variable – “the cost of the business re-architecture required to consume a proposed technology.”  When a customer is informed of harsh realities and resolved to making the difficult choices required, then there’s rarely disappointment with ROI. A good technology partner knowingly risks losing a sale by illuminating the changes required if the implementation is to be successful.

Reason 2 examines conflicts of interest between the advancement of the honchos who would greenlight a solution and the overall good of the organization.  A solid partner succeeds by demonstrating value to all would-be users and doesn’t just focus on winning support of the HIPPO or C-suite.  When the value proposition is internalized by users at every level, the software sells itself and the results soon follow.

Reason 3 blames frequent job switching among IT pros for hampering accountability in projects typically spanning 2 to 5 years. This is only problematic when companies select solutions that lean too heavily on internal IT resources to manage and maintain.  The best partners deliver ample support and training freeing IT for more strategic pursuits.  When the original champion moves on to higher station, the partner remains to bridge the gaps, provide continuity to the new boss and maintain pride of ownership in the solution amongst IT workers.

The analysis paralysis or “death by details” discussed in Reason 4 draws the wrong conclusions from typical obstacles.  Yes, the outside world is changing rapidly and scope creep is inevitable.  Yes, organizations invest significant time and energy in detailed planning as a hedge against the unknown.  But when circumstances demand change, it is not the fault of prudent planning if the improperly chosen solution cannot flex or quickly adapt.

By the time an organization gets to the breaking point described in Reason 5, they’ve already screwed the pooch.  A sober assessment of what should be within and outside of the internal IT teams’ core responsibilities should happen at the point that technology is first considered as a solution to a business challenge.  The question to ask then shouldn’t be; “Can we do this with our available IT resources?”  Better to ask, “Who can do this best, our internal resources or a well-researched provider/partner?”  Bringing in an outside gun to troubleshoot the failed implementation left behind by the last poorly-chosen outsider is a morale killer and brain drain.  But if the decision-making and selection process were completed with the proper eye towards sustainability and long-term partnership, no one needs to be shot.

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UltraShipTMS Named to Inbound Logistics’ List of Leading Solution Providers Again in 2013

April 13, 2013 – Fair Lawn, NJ – For the fourth consecutive year, UltraShipTMS has earned a spot on Inbound Logistics magazine’s “Top 100 Logistics IT Providers” list which was published in their April 2013 issue.  Editorial staff reported this year’s competition was exceptionally stiff with hundreds of companies submitting their credentials for consideration.

UltraShipTMS builds state-of-the-art software for logistics and transportation management as well as for freight, route and overall network optimization, saving client companies millions of dollars annually on their transportation spend.  Leveraging the power of cloud computing, UltraShipTMS provides Software as a Service (SaaS) ease of accessibility and implementation sought by enterprise and mid-sized organizations.  

Darren Graham, Director of IT for UltraShipTMS credits the depth and breadth of talent exhibited by the stable of developers in his charge and the dual domain expertise they all possess.  “The UltraShipTMS team is really unique in the industry because on top of the master-level programming skills, each of our developers also possess a deep knowledge and understanding of transportation.  As a result, the product we deliver is eminently intuitive; built specifically for transportation users, by transportation technology experts.  This team deserves this recognition and I am very proud of the fact that they continue to earn it year in and year out.”  

 Inbound Logistics’ editor, Felecia Stratton reinforced this theme saying, “Every April for the past 17 years, Inbound Logistics editors have selected 100 logistics technology companies that enable logistics and supply chain excellence. UltraShipTMS was recognized by Inbound Logistics for leading the way in 2013 and positioning enterprises for the years ahead. UltraShipTMS excels at providing solutions that drive supply chain excellence and answer IL readers’ need for simplicity, ROI, and efficient implementation. Inbound Logistics is proud to honor UltraShipTMS for continuing to offer our readers solutions that optimize logistics and supply chain excellence.”

UltraShipTMS has been on something of a winning streak, earning numerous industry accolades for its solution in 2013 including nods from SupplyChainBrain, Inbound Logistics and the Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazines.

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Transportation is particularly vulnerable to disruptions because by its very nature transportation is mobile.  Sure, earthquakes and tsunamis may disrupt business in the West, hurricanes in the Southeast, and tornadoes in the Midwest. Terrorist attacks and/or large scale nuclear or industrial accidents can happen anywhere at random.  But transportation organizations typically move products to-from and through all these areas.  So no matter where the tragedy unfolds, transportation will need to be able to adapt quickly.

It is not enough to have a disaster recovery/business continuity plan in place for your organization’s operations.  It makes sense to have one that encompasses the shipping/transportation portion of your business.  Perhaps the best way to protect your transportation function is to use a best-in-class TMS system.  The flexibility a well-implemented TMS offers enables a company to find alternative routes and carriers on the fly should certain lanes or locations be impassible due to disasters.  Furthermore, the cloud-based TMS models allow for logistics and transportation managers to work from virtually anywhere in instances where offices are inaccessible or otherwise damaged.

Lastly, shippers should investigate the disaster recovery practices of the TMS providers they select to be certain their provider has robust redundancy and fail-overs in place should their data centers be damaged or knocked offline.  UltraShipTMS maintained a perfect, zero-downtime record during Hurricane Sandy, even as much of the locale was under water and/or without power.  Does your transportation program have a plan for when disaster strikes?

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Did you know that the auxiliary power units or APUs used to cool or heat the cabins of long-haul semi truckers burn more than a billion gallons of diesel fuel each year?  Simply running the climate controlling APU while they sleep adds billions of dollars a year to the cost of shipping; not to mention additional pollutants to the atmosphere.

Enter engineers/inventors from a company called EnerMotion who determined that the energy from the nearly 700°F exhaust produced by a semi tractors’ engines could be captured and used to run APUs without using any fuel at all.  Their project, still under development has shown promising results.  Their prototype APU stores between 6 and 10 hours worth of energy for cabin heating or cooling each hour the truck is driving.  EnerMotion projects their APU could cut truck fuel consumption by nearly 10 percent and reduce carbon emissions by 20 tons a year.

This month’s issue of Popular Science has the details on how this amazing new technology works.  Just goes to show that using technology to foster collaboration throughout the supply chain improves the efficiency of transportation at every level – from the routing and rate efficiency provided by TMS and related software, to the systems being developed to use less and cleaner fuels.

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