Analytics is good for business – as long as you can make sense of it.

Challenge: Medical Device Customer had challenges directed to hospital part shipments for warranty and contract events in EMEA. Primary Goals: Increase velocity and overall rate of returns; Minimize pick-up attempts surrounding returns; Maintain customer satisfaction. Auxiliary Goals: Develop enhanced reporting; Provide increased visibility into return cycle; Develop escalation procedures to help customers overcome barriers to return; Decrease transportation costs associated with multiple pick-up attempts.

Still growing, with Europe forecast to grow by 6 percent and North America by 5 percent, automotive logistics offers growth prospects but only for those logistics service providers who can exploit change. This is one of the main conclusions of the latest report from Transport Intelligence, "Global Automotive Logistics 2014".

Vascor Ltd., a global provider of automotive logistics services, has acquired Commonwealth Express, Ltd., a U.S.-based specialist in asset-based transportation and brokerage.

Challenge: A global Fortune 500 heavy machinery manufacturer experienced challenges on inbound freight moves from their vendors. Carriers were experiencing 4-6 hour wait times upon arriving at the customer’s assembly plants to deliver mission-critical parts. In addition to incurring demurrage (waiting) charges from the carriers and overtime pay costs to unload the backlog of deliveries, their carriers were reluctant to deliver to these plants and offered non-favorable rates.