SAP Adds New Transportation-Management Capabilities to mySAP Supply Chain Management Software Suite
SAP AG has incorporated new transportation-management functionality into its mySAP Supply Chain Management (mySAP SCM) suite. The enhancements relate to ocean-shipping management and transportation planning. They consist of a composite application that is based on the newest version of mySAP SCM and a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Users get enhanced planning capabilities for their current transportation planning and vehicle scheduling. They also acquire new functionality for other types of scheduling, routing, regulatory compliance and customs processes. The package bolsters the SAP for Logistics Services Providers portfolio, in addition to the mySAP SCM application. It addresses global demand for an end-to-end transportation-management system, spanning company and information network boundaries, SAP said. Collaborating with multi-carrier electronic-commerce platforms for the ocean shipping industry, mySAP SCM allows for electronic capacity reservations and the transmission of shipping instructions. Integrated business-process monitoring, coupled with event-management functionality, supports compliance with government regulations, according to the vendor. Other new capabilities within the software suite include the ability to separate trucks from trailers as a unit, model drop-and-hook scenarios, and change equipment without the need for exception processing. http://www.sap.com
ABF Brings Expedited Service to Central, Southern U.S.
ABF Freight System, Inc. has added the central and southern U.S. regions to its regional transportation network. The move brings increased next-day and second-day service to two-thirds of the company's North American service centers, ABF said. Its Regional Performance Model (RPM) network offers enhanced flexibility and operational efficiency for short-haul freight transportation. Services offered under RPM allow ABF to operate national long-haul and regional short-haul networks in parallel. ABF said it will continue to offer the two options simultaneously. As a result, ABF customers will have access to common pickup, delivery, sales and customer-service capabilities, as well as the convenience of one carrier providing regional, inter-regional and long-haul freight services. ABF offers guaranteed service for expedited or time-definite shipments through its TimeKeeper service. Regional shipments are handled via the carrier's RPM Network, providing next-day and second-day service. http://www.abfs.com
Zosel Associates Forms New Transportation Assets Division
Tom Zosel Associates, Ltd., a logistics consulting company, has grouped all of its transportation assets and services into a new division. It combines Zosel's transportation-related offerings from both planning and execution perspectives. In the process, the firm has created an integrated approach to transportation management, addressing the needs of both inbound and outbound transportation. Services include quantifying driver performance, accounting for the unique requirements of each customer, order and route; identifying optimal distribution networks so as to reduce inventory, facility assets and the overall cost of freight and labor; and enhancing the efficiency of transportation operations through outbound delivery and inbound freight programs. With headquarters in Chicago, Zosel offers such services as productivity-improvement programs, labor-management and other logistics-related software, logistics training, strategic distribution planning, facility design, material-handling engineering and transportation-system design. http://www.tzaconsulting.com
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Infor Issues Newest Version of Asset-Management Software
Infor, a vendor of business software, has developed the latest version of Infor EAM MP2, asset-management software for small to medium-sized businesses. The new version features enhancements designed to ease the transition to Microsoft-based servers and operating systems, including support for Windows Vista, Microsoft's new operating system. The new version of EAM MP2 is based on extensive feedback from customers, the vendor said. It includes numerous updates and upgrades, including support for Microsoft's SQL Server Express and SQL Server 2005. Other enhancements include an updated user interface. The Infor software automates the process of tracking, maintaining and managing capital assets. It allows customers to maximize equipment uptime, while controlling the cost of labor and inventory, according to Infor. http://www.infor.com
NOL Sets Up Wholly-Owned Container Services in Vietnam NOL claims to have become the first Singapore-based company to establish a wholly-owned company in Vietnam, for container transportation and logistics services. The new company, known as APL-NOL (Vietnam) Limited, replaced a joint venture on Jan. 1, 2007. NOL's subsidiaries APL and APL Logistics have provided container-transportation and supply-chain management services, respectively, in Vietnam since 1991, under a joint arrangement with the local shipping and logistics provider known as Vietfracht. The new company will have more than 140 employees deployed throughout the country, with offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong and Danang. Approval of the license was based on the provisions of the Singapore-Vietnam Connectivity Agreement, signed in December, 2005. Its aim is to strengthen the economic relationship between the two countries. APL currently offers five weekly sailings from Vietnam to global destinations; APL Logistics operates more than 30,000 square meters of warehouse space for customers in the country. NOL was an early investor in the Vietnam International Container Terminal, the country's first privately owned, purpose-built container port. http://www.nol.com.sg
Radiant Logistics' Airgroup Corp. Expands in Portland, Ore.
Airgroup Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Radiant Logistics, Inc., has opened new offices in Portland, Ore. The new Airgroup-PDX entity will operate as an exclusive agent location, providing domestic and international freight forwarding and logistics services throughout the Pacific Northwest. Heading up the office will be Julie and Bob Hansen, who together have more than 50 years of experience in serving domestic and international shippers. Radiant is a logistics services provider based in Bellevue, Wash. Airgroup, founded in 1987, provides the platform for Radiant's operations. It services a diversified account base, including manufacturers, distributors and retailers, through a network of exclusive agent offices across North America. http://www.radiant-logistics.com
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Evergreen, Coscon Launch a New Far East-Red Sea Service
Evergreen Marine Corp. and Cosco Container Lines (Coscon) have launched a new ocean container service linking points in the Far East with the Red Sea region. Known as the FRS service, the venture will have a port rotation of Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Aden, Jeddah, Aqaba, Sokhna Port, Singapore and Shanghai. The service was scheduled to get underway with the Dec. 31, 2006 departure from Nansha of the containership Ever Growth. The partners will deploy a total of seven vessels, each of 2,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Five will be operated by Evergreen and two by Coscon. http://www.evergreen-marine.com
Sato America Introduces New Series of OEM Print Engines
Sato America, a provider of barcode printing and labeling technology, has introduced a new line of OEM print engines, the S84 Series. According to the vendor, the family of four-inch-wide print engines was designed to be more user-friendly and "application flexible." It features the latest generation 32-bit RISC microprocessor, with print speeds of up to 16 inches per second for fast label output and maximum throughput, and 16 MB of on-board random access memory (RAM) to handle data-intensive label formats. The S84 Series was designed for a wide range of applications in manufacturing, logistics, automotive and machinery, and electronic commerce, Sato said. Other features include a quick-change ribbon cassette and extra-large ribbon capacity, bi-directional ribbon capability, improved serviceability, large LCD display with icon-driven user interface, field-configurable print resolution, and the SBPL programming language. The S84 Series was designed for radio frequency identification (RFID) capability from the outset, Sato said. http://www.satoamerica.com
IJS Global Establishes Full-Service Facility in Chicago
IJS Global Inc., a multi-modal freight forwarder, customs broker and non-vessel operating common carrier, has opened a full-service facility in Chicago. The new location is IJS Global's eighth in the U.S., and its first in the Midwest. Located in Elk Grove Village, adjacent to O'Hare International Airport, the 14,000-square-foot facility is handling international and domestic operations for the Chicagoland area, as well as the U.S. Midwest. It is headed up by Pete Smith, a 27-year industry veteran. Other U.S. offices of IJS Global are in New York; Newark, N.J.; Atlanta, Ga.; Miami, Fla.; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore. and Houston. http://www.ijsglobal.com
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Intermec Releases Latest Rugged Handheld Wireless Scanner
Intermec Inc. is now shipping the SR61 rugged handheld wireless scanner. The device is the first to be made available with a choice of all Intermec scanning options, including standard range area imager, MEMS laser and linear scanning. According to the vendor, the SR61 allows companies to standardize on a single form factor and choose the scanning technology that best suits their application needs, from low-light environments to dense or difficult-to-read barcodes. The SR61 communicates with Intermec handheld or vehicle-mount terminal products, as well as standard PCs. It is equipped with a Class 1 Bluetooth radio with up to 100 feet of range. All of the unit's configurations are compliant with the new Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. SR61 accessories include easily swappable batteries, desktop charger and multi-bay chargers which allow for the charging of more than one battery at a time, a belt holster, and dangle suspension for easy access to users on forklifts or boom ladders. http://www.intermec.com
