Eagle Global Logistics unveils global supply chain control platform for better understanding of customer orders, inventory and shipments
Houston, TX, and Alameda, CA September 11, 2003 Third-party logistics provider EGL Eagle Global Logistics (EGL) and logistics software provider GT Nexus today announced the launch of a new managed service to provide EGL customers with an advanced technology platform for global visibility and control of orders, inventory and shipments.
According to the companies, the new service extends EGL's operating systems with GT Nexus commercial logistics software and infrastructure to create a global supply chain intelligence and visibility platform. The new service, delivered over the Web is designed to support and enhance EGL's current shipment tracking technologies.
The offering is created for multi-national companies with global sourcing, cross-border transportation and fulfillment operations to help them manage end-to-end supply chain execution, from order to delivery.
"Customers are demanding that we provide solutions that enable them to reduce the delivered cost of product, operate with lower inventory levels and enhance service," said Joe Bento, chief marketing officer and president of North America for EGL. "We're adding technology to our service package that addresses this imperative and expands the value we can deliver. Our tool set will represent a strategic blend of technologies we have built in-house, combined with commercial software applications and services."
Traditional transportation management systems typically provide shipment-level information, noted Kim Wertheimer, EGL's executive vice president, strategic planning. "Our integrated offering with GT Nexus lets us go deeper to the order, item, [stock-keeping unit] and part level of information," Wertheimer said. "We're moving from being able to tell our customer not just where the box is, but also providing a proactive view around where it should be, where it goes next, what specific products or [purchase orders] are in the box, and how it's performing against an optimal plan. That creates tremendous advantage for customers."
It also gives EGL a much earlier view into supply chain performance exceptions, as well as a collaborative system to resolve them before they impact service, he added.
EGL has already begun selling and operating the new service. This month, EGL and GT Nexus completed implementation of their first customer. The client, a major global manufacturing company, went live on the platform last week.
Over the past year EGL said it conducted surveys of software vendor capabilities as well as customer plans for investing in supply chain visibility and management tools. The company chose GT Nexus because its product footprint fit with identified customer needs and matched up well with EGL's strategy for deploying advanced, customer-facing information systems.
Wertheimer said his company expects the GT Nexus-powered services to drive value to customers by reducing inventories and their associated costs, improving in cycle time and lowering transportation spend, and reducing customer administrative logistics management costs.
Additionally, the engagement marks the first deployment of GT Nexus' Enterprise Series 7 supply chain products in a "branded" offering for a 3PL and its customers, noted Greg Johnsen, GT Nexus vice president of marketing and products. "EGL is taking a different approach to the imperative faced by every 3PL to demonstrate new sources of value," he said. "The managed services platform is designed to drive results where customers are telling us it is most important improving supply chain visibility while reducing inventory and logistics costs. We're pleased and excited to support EGL and its customers in this initiative."
