Trucking Technology Report - Dec. 29
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Both the online report and e-mail are sponsored by @Track Communications, a supplier of wireless communications and dispatch services.
Today's Technology Headlines:
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Change Your Warehouse to a Web House
E-logistics will become the key to future success in the new e-economy. Businesses must begin to change traditional methods of order execution and prepare for e-commerce.
Because the nature of the Internet allows increased customer personalization, the number of smaller, individual orders will increase distribution complexity. Therefore, flawless order fulfillment will be necessary in differentiating a company on the Web, as well as in creating customer loyalty, especially as global price transparency heightens competition.
Because of the resources required to manage such a powerful supply chain operation, many businesses will begin to consider business process outsourcing instead of third or fourth party logistics providers. This will allow companies to focus on providing products and other core competencies. Frontline Solutions (12/00) Vol. 1, No. 13, P. 48; Sherman, Richard
Redefining E-Business Through Connectivity
Founded in 1999, ECOutlook.com is offering software designed to forge platform-agnostic connections between trading partners. Customers and trading partners can retain their present technology, and ECOutlook.com handles the translation between different data formats.The ECOutlook.com infrastructure can combine such enterprise applications as digital marketplaces and both traditional and electronic business apps.
The company's five core products include SupplierLines, for supply-chain automation; CustomerLines, which automates the sales process; and TransportationLines, a transportation-management product. Rounding out the core list are ExchangeLines, which handles information flow among businesses and trading communities, and EnterpriseLines, for integrating business systems throughout the enterprise. Inbound Logistics (12/00) Vol. 20, No. 12, P. 50; Ignall, Heather
GPS: A Space Odyssey
The global positioning system is allowing car manufacturers to provide in-vehicle wireless access to consumers. The systems employ navigational software to trace the whereabouts of vehicles. A consumer's need for the service is likely to rest on how often he or she needs to drive to unfamiliar locations. Because the technology is in its infancy, it is probably most beneficial to sales and delivery employees, along with drivers of rental cars.Currently, Acura, Audi, Infiniti, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, and Cadillac have navigational systems available in at least some of their 2001 models. The systems cost roughly $2,000. The systems help direct drivers via various voice and imaging technologies. They also provide concise, easily understandable voice directions to keep the driver's eyes on the road and not on the visual traveling map. The electronic map allows a driver to check the direction of the vehicle on a four-inch-wide screen.
Navigation Technologies provides all the mapping software for systems distributed in the United States. The software can use either CD-ROMs or DVDs to store maps. DVDs can store maps for the entire country on a single disk, but CDs can only provide certain regions of the United States on one disk. For now, users of system may find that the technology does not always provide the most expeditious directions. Kiplinger's Personal Finance (12/00) Vol. 54, No. 12, P. 118; McGrath, Courtney
Are You Ready for UCCnet?
UCCnet has established a universal electronic commerce platform on the Internet, offering standardization and synchronization of data and messaging, and it enables the formation of collaborative relationships through an electronic trading capability.It offers consumer goods companies the opportunity to transform business, by standardizing information exchange and the common business processes for parties within supply and demand chains. But trading partners will have to develop software for applications and connections, and will have to analyze business processes. UCCnet supports the exchange and organization of information, but not how it is used.
Trading partners wanting to run on B2B applications in an exchange, utilizing UCCnet standards and synchronization, need to go through several steps. First, analyze current internal business processes, hiring a consultant if necessary. Second, build or purchase the software needed to facilitate the sending and receiving of messages and the synchronization with UCCnet and exchanges. Then integrate any legacy or enterprise resource planning systems to the new software.
The next step is to build or purchase the many-to-many software applications required for efficiency, and to integrate them with the systems. Then undergo internal and external testing with trading partners. Grocery Headquarters (12/00) Vol. 66, No. 12, P. 59; Weismantel, Gregory N.
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