Canadian 3PL taps Delfour solution in move to Linux platform; looks to reduce IT costs, ensure e-business compliance
Toronto — May 25, 2004 — Third party logistics (3PL) provider J.D. Smith and Sons is upgrading its logistics management software platform from Delfour and moving to a Linux-based system in a move to reduce its information technology costs and ensure compliance with customers' e-business requirements.
Headquartered in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan, J.D. Smith and Sons began as a transportation company in 1919, later entering the warehouse field to complement its transportation services. Currently the ISO 9002-certified company operates four ambient temperature warehouses in Toronto and another in nearby Cambridge.
The company was an early adopter of logistics management solutions from Delfour Corporation, and J.D. Smith is now migrating its software platform to Delfour's SmartEnterprise 2 product suite running under Red Hat Linux operating system software and the Oracle9i database management system.
The 3PL's new SmartEnterprise 2 implementation is comprised of the Enterprise Foundation, the WarehouseLogic 2.1 warehouse management system, the Active Desktop product suite navigation and alert notification tool, the e-Vista supply chain management and visibility tool, the d'Amigo real-time alert management and ad hoc reporting tool, and the EDI management module.
Cameron Arntsen, information systems manager at J.D. Smith, said that moving to SmartEnterprise 2 and the Linux operating system would provide the company with several advantages. "Not least are the ability to use the most powerful and flexible versions of the software and the ability to move from conventional RISC hardware, which is expensive to buy and maintain, to the more economical Linux-based environment," Arntsen explained. "We also will be positioned to make more use of Crystal Reports in support of our operating and administrative activities."
J.D. Smith is committed to eliminating custom coded program functions wherever possible in favor of Delfour's core functionality, Arntsen said.
Arntsen and his staff are also preparing to implement Delfour business partner ACOM Solutions' EZConnect EDI-XML universal translation and connectivity solution for J.D. Smith customers, which will upgrade the 3PL's current e-commerce capabilities. The X.12 EDI transaction sets scheduled for implementation include the Warehouse Shipping Order, Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice, Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice, Warehouse Shipping Advice, Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice and Advance Ship Notice, respectively.
"Integration of the new EDI-XML solution with the SmartEnterprise 2 suite will enable us to accommodate the B2B e-commerce requirements of any customer, since it is a true any-to-any solution that automatically converts inbound documents to the Delfour standard integration format and outbound documents to the formats required by trading partners," Arntsen said.
