Descartes Systems Group had a bevy of product announcements at its Evolution 2012 global user and partner conference. The product advances cover Descartes’ Routing, Mobile & Telematics, Transportation Management, Global Logistics Network services, Customs’ & Regulatory Compliance and Broker & Forwarder Enterprise systems.
“These key product advances are a direct result of our close work with our customers and the innovation of our product development organization,” said Ken Wood, senior vice president of product strategy at Descartes. “We continue to exploit the convergence of technology markets to integrate software, hardware and networks to create new solutions and significantly enhance our existing ones.”
Some of the advances presented at the conference include:
Routing, Mobile & Telematics
Descartes’ Telematics & Compliance system has been certified for US FMCSA 395.15 Hours of Service (HOS);
Descartes added a new geographic information systems (GIS) technology platform for Descartes Routing, Mobile and Telematics customers that supports commercial and hazardous road restrictions, enables use of map technology from Google, Bing and Yahoo and supports commercial and hazardous road restrictions;
Descartes Mobile for Android added international support (e.g., multi-language) and field data capture for customer-specific data collection requirements; and
Descartes Public Transit is a new system that features advanced telematics and notification systems to manage public bus routes, improve vehicle safety and help provide riders with the most up-to-date schedules possible.
Transportation Management
Fleet and For-Hire Vendor Allowance Planning: Profit-based optimization that provides dynamic evaluation of supplier transportation allowances versus fleet pick-up costs to help reduce transportation costs and maximize fleet utilization;
Integrated Transport Planning and Small Package Execution: Transportation functionality that extends beyond simple small package carrier selection and includes detailed rating and manifesting for high volume shippers; and
Automated Export System (AES) Small Package Shipping Integration: U.S. exporters using Descartes’ solution for small package shipments can automatically file with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) AES as part of their shipping process.
Global Logistics Network Services
Descartes Standard Messaging Formats (SMFs): 25 formats for air, ocean and customs filing messages made public for use, free of charge, to those wishing to connect to Descartes’ Global Logistics Network (GLN);
Descartes eCatalog: A GS1 product catalogue compliance management solution for retail suppliers in the Netherlands and Belgium;
Descartes GS1 Message Validation: Services the help retail suppliers in the Netherlands validate data that is uploaded to the GS1 global data pool;
Descartes Cargo XML: Support for IATA-standard Cargo XML and a translation service for customers still using the Cargo IMP standard; and
Descartes Call-Out Service: An automated service that allows Descartes customers to send delivery status messages via voice, text and email to their customers.
Customs & Regulatory Compliance
Security Filing Extensions: Security filing capability added for Mexico, Poland, Czech Republic and Luxembourg;
Advance Commercial Information (ACI) for Carriers: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) compliant northbound security filing solution for over-the-road carriers;
Ocean Automated Commercial Environment (ACE): US CBP M1 compliant advanced manifest filing solution for ocean carriers and non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs); and
Denied Party Screening (DPS) and Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs): Integration of DPS and ECCN checks into the Descartes Customs & Regulatory Compliance suite.
Broker/Forwarder Back Office Systems
Distribution Center (DC) Bypass: A solution that allows forwarders or importers to work with their overseas manufacturers and logistics services providers to provide purchase order, shipping information and storeready labeling, enabling forwarders or importers to ship products directly from the deconsolidation point;
Integrated Canadian Broker & Forwarder Solution: Integration of Descartes’ ITMR4 system with Descartes’ ForwarderLogic system for a more comprehensive solution for Canadian brokers and forwarders;
Descartes IES Enterprise Applications: Support for Microsoft SQL Server for enhanced scalability and the ability to take advantage of Microsoft’s native database management solutions;
Descartes Ocean Ratebuilder Quick Search: Fast rate search and creation of quotes across all “buy” contracts for improved profitability;
Descartes Ocean Ratebuilder Request for Proposal (RFP) Management: Support for the creation of large RFP responses considering “buy” rates and optimized for profitability; and
GF-X Interline: Support for forwarders to book multi-leg air shipments across affiliated carriers.
Descartes also introduced Descartes’ OneView, a web-based graphical reporting and analysis tool designed to be application independent. In addition, Descartes OneView provides mobile dashboard support for Android and iPhone mobile phone users.
For more information on the enhancements and innovations unveiled at Evolution 2012 please go to www.descartes.com.
