DGX Automates Worldwide Ocean Contract and Pricing Operations

Leading NVOCC aims to boost efficiency of routing, rating and customer quotations for its ocean business with Management Dynamics solution

Leading NVOCC aims to boost efficiency of routing, rating and customer quotations for its ocean business with Management Dynamics solution

East Rutherford, NJ — March 10, 2006 — Common carrier DGX has selected a logistics contract and price management solution from Management Dynamics to automate and improve worldwide ocean contract and pricing operations.

Sales staff members at DGX, a prominent non-vessel owning common carrier (NVOCC) operating across multiple trade lanes, are using the Web-based "on-demand" solution from Management Dynamics across 10 countries in an effort to streamline the customer quotation process and drive higher levels of customer service with faster, more customized proposals.

DGX has seen demand for its global logistics services continue to expand in recent years. The company realized that, in order to maintain its "Dependable Difference" mission, it needed to improve its response levels to customer rate requests. With more than 3,000 rate requests per year, DGX required a solution that would help its sales team prepare complex quotes to meet the exacting specifications of its customers.

Supporting a Growing Business

"Our spreadsheets and paper-based contracts simply could no longer accommodate our customers' needs for fast, accurate responses," explained Bradley Dechter, president of DGX. "Our quoting system was inefficient and highly error prone. With our goal of 100 percent customer satisfaction, we needed an automated tool that could meet the sophisticated needs of our growing business."

Having reviewed available alternatives in the industry, DGX identified a number of key benefits offered by Management Dynamics' logistics contract and price management solutions, including:

  • Ease of use — DGX sales and customer service users can become proficient with the quotation management tools within days, helping to improve productivity and boosting close rates, according to the solution provider.


  • On-demand solution — Without costly software or hardware investments, DGX sales teams are able to deploy the tools using only a PC and Web browser. Management Dynamics offers the solution on a subscription-based pricing model.


  • Visibility — With central online access to its carrier service contracts, DGX personnel have gained visibility to all contract amendments and forward-filed rates to ensure the correct rate would be quoted to the customer, as well as highlighting alternate rate, route and transit time choices to improve customer satisfaction.


  • Margin management — By analyzing each quotation and the resulting transaction, DGX management has the opportunity to more effectively review profit margins and better understand its win/loss trends going forward, Management Dynamics said.
10-minute Turnaround

The system was implemented and went live in two weeks. It is currently used by 56 DGX professionals to manage 28 contracts across 10 offices worldwide, including locations in Japan, Singapore, China, New Zealand and Australia.

Using the Management Dynamics system, DGX's sales team can now prepare a quote in less than 10 minutes and respond to a customer in under an hour, in contrast to its previous 24-hour turnaround time. With a more streamlined and efficient process, many quotations can now be handled over the telephone.

Moreover, using pre-built templates and design tools, the DGX sales team can now provide customized proposals that differentiate the company from its competitors and enable them to take advantage of new business opportunities at higher margins, the solution provider said.

"Today's intensely competitive logistics services environment requires that providers respond more quickly to rate requests and with professional proposals that will help them win and retain important customer relationships," said Jim Preuninger, CEO of Management Dynamics.


Additional Articles of Interest

— As market conditions continue to change, manufacturers are looking for any extra advantage against their competitors. Could a manufacturing execution system be the solution? Read more in "Extending Supply Chain Execution in Production to Improve Fulfillment," an SDCExec.com exclusive.

— Got reverse logistics? Learn how one company's high-velocity "reverse logistics" operation put its ERP system to the test by making pre-owned network equipment available globally. Read more in the SDCExec.com exclusive "5 Principles for a Better Reverse Logistics Operation."


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