Do you really know where the costs are in your supply chain? Most shippers understand the importance of affordability, on-time delivery and controlling freight loss/damage.  But proactive supply chain managers also concern themselves with data.  Not just raw data, but the type of transactional and historical trend analysis rendered by business intelligence tools.  Access to this powerful information empowers shippers to easily become more efficient. Unfortunately, supply chain visibility isn’t always available to the shipper who works directly with multiple carriers or relies on suppliers, due partially to available technology platforms and/or the scale of the relationship.

Technology is obviously a powerful tool for achieving a more convenient and efficient supply chain. Look for a 3PL that will not only manage your physical transactions, but one that will help manage your business information using web-based tracking, automated rating tools, data-warehousing, custom reporting and analytics to create greater visibility and accountability throughout the entire process.

-Paul Grothe, Director of Information Technology

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