SupplyChainBrain: Weekly Newsletters

Pacer Distribution Responds to Surge in Demand for Transloading With New Facility in Southern Calif.
Pacer Distribution Services, Inc., has opened a new 52-door transload center in Carson, Calif. The move is in answer to increased demand for transloading of international freight from the U.S. West Coast to inland points, the company said. Covering 5.4 acres, the facility is adjacent to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. While primarily dedicated to transloading services, it will also provide additional capacity to Pacer's existing warehouse operations, which occupy more than 800,000 square feet. The complex supports transloading, cross-docking and customized freight-distribution services in the Los Angeles area. The expanded facility allows Pacer to boost the volume of international import freight being transloaded from ocean containers into 53-foot domestic equipment. David Hoppens, vice president of marketing for Pacer International, Inc., the parent company of Pacer Distribution, said the company plans to roll out a fully integrated international freight transload service, including domestic door-to-door delivery, in the near future.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net

WhereNet Releases New Version of Marine Terminal Application
WhereNet Corp., a vendor of wireless systems for tracking and managing transportation equipment, has released version 4.0 of the WhereNet Marine Terminal Solution (MTS). The tool utilizes an ISO 24630 standards-based, active radio frequency identification (RFID) real-time locating system, with the option to add differential global positioning system technology. The single, integrated wireless system includes WhereNet's Visibility Software Server (VSS) middleware; container tracking application-specific software (MTS); a hardware infrastructure consisting of WhereLAN locating access points, and the new WhereTrack controller. The last integrates a WhereTag active RFID transmitter, GPS receiver, and Wi-Fi modem into a single ruggedized device for container-handling equipment tracking. The system tracks grounded, stacked containers via an interface between the WhereTags and sensor data provided by Paceco Corp.'s Position Tracking Interface Unit device for rubber-tire gantry cranes. WhereNet is a unit of Zebra Technologies.
http://www.wherenet.com

Southwest Airlines Acquires New Booking System for Cargo
Southwest Airlines Cargo has purchased the AdvancedCargo Suite from Lufthansa Systems. The technology will enable the airline to offer online booking and tracking capabilities. Shippers will be able to pre-book cargo shipments online, in the same manner that passengers book seats on Southwest's website. The AdvancedCargo Suite also allows for tracking via personal digital assistants and cell phones. Southwest has also purchased the CargoMax software of Sabre Airline Solutions, to boost operational efficiency and manage bin capacity more strategically. The system allows the airline to control its available bin capacity, making use of every inch of space for customer shipments. A year ago, Southwest opted out of its U.S. Mail contract, moving instead to focus on its mainstream cargo products and services, including NFG, Rush and Freight. Subsequently, the airline increased its per-piece weight limit to 200 pounds from 150 pounds for each service. Southwest Cargo customers will have access to the new booking and tracking capabilities as early as the fourth quarter of this year, the company said.
http://www.swacargo.com

DHL Opens New International Gateway in Hermosillo, Mexico
DHL has opened an international gateway in Hermosillo, Mexico, providing next-day service for shippers between Northwest Mexico and the U.S. The new facility operates daily flights between Hermosillo and Phoenix, AZ, with all northbound shipments routed through Phoenix to DHL's principal air and ground hub in Wilmington, OH. Customers can obtain next-day delivery for all shipments up to 150 pounds from Hermosillo to the entire DHL U.S. network. The company is also offering the option of second-day delivery to and from Guaymas, Ciudad Obregon, Navojoa, Empalme and surrounding communities, as well as later shipment cutoff times for international deliveries from the region. According to DHL, the new flight will particularly benefit customers shipping high-value automotive parts, electronics, textiles, medical devices and other products manufactured in Northwest Mexico. The announcement follows the recent launch of DHL's Merida, Mexico gateway, to meet demand for cross-border services from Southeast Mexico. The investments are part of DHL's North America Trade Lane initiative, launched in November, 2006 to boost the speed and efficiency of cross-border shipments across North America.
http://www.dhl-usa.com

PLM Trailer Leasing Teams With StarTrak for Reefer Tracking
PLM Trailer Leasing is partnering with StarTrak Systems to market its ReeferTrak capability for managing refrigerated trailer fleets. The deal adds wireless tracking to Cold Link, PLM's refrigerated service program. PLM will equip each newly purchased reefer with ReeferTrak, as an add-on service to customers. For existing customers, on a case-by-base basis, PLM will add the system to its existing fleet of reefer equipment, including trailers and storage containers. The company said it plans to add about 1,200 systems to its fleet in 2007. Customers will get wireless monitoring and control services for an additional monthly fee, for an installed base of reefers. In the process, PLM said, they will be relieved of the need to justify high capital investments and major project roll-outs. Cold Link gives PLM leasing customers GPS information as well as critical temperature and microprocessor sensor data. They can monitor products en-route, while mitigating potential hazards and breakdowns. Cold Link is the first tracking system for refrigerated fleets with the ability to monitor loads within trailers, PLM claimed.
http://www.startrak.com

SAP, Visiprise Partner on App for Discrete Manufacturers
SAP has entered into a global reseller agreement with Visiprise, a vendor of software for integrated manufacturing operations. Under the deal, SAP will resell and market the Visiprise Manufacturing product under the name SAP Manufacturing Execution by Visiprise. The Visiprise tool features capabilities for route enhancement, traceability and shop-floor quality management. It will now be combined with integration via the SAP composite application known as xApp Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence. The combined offering is a Java EE-based, turn-key manufacturing system that is intended to boost business-process efficiency, reduce the cost of quality and ensure compliance with government regulations, SAP said. Visiprise Manufacturing first won SAP's endorsement in January of this year. In February, the Visiprise packaged composite application known as ERP Shop Floor Integration 1.0 achieved "SAP xApps Certified--Powered by SAP NetWeaver" status.
http://www.sap.com

George Group Introduces Strategic Research Architecture
The Fast Innovation practice of George Group Consulting has introduced Strategic Research Architecture (SRA), a new tool for companies looking to boost the success rate of their product-innovation programs. The goal, said George Group, is to bridge the gap between the research agendas of consumer research and corporate strategy. SRA can generate market insights with strategic implications, leading to faster and more differentiated innovations, the company claimed. George Group senior vice president Dan Chow said the historical disconnect between consumer research and corporate strategy has been "the enemy of innovation, as organizations find themselves struggling against commoditization and facing a lack of meaningful differentiation within their product portfolios." SRA, he said, provides a framework whereby corporate research activities can better support strategic innovation and improve the success rate of new-product introductions.
http://www.georgegroup.com

Tunnell Consulting Opens Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tunnell Consulting, a firm dedicated to serving the life sciences industry, has opened an office in San Juan, Puerto Rico to serve the island's pharmaceutical and biotechnology community. Tunnell helps life-sciences companies with technical and development services, including manufacturing optimization, compliance support, risk mitigation and clinical and regulatory strategy. Heading up the San Juan office is Richard A. Winegar, a Tunnell principal with more than 20 years' experience in consulting and manufacturing operations management. The new Puerto Rico office follows the 2006 opening of a Tunnell office in San Diego, Calif., which services the West Coast's life sciences industry, especially biologic and biotechnology firms. Based in King of Prussia, Penn., Tunnell also has an office in Washington, D.C., to serve the U.S. government's life science-related initiatives.
http://www.tunnellconsulting.com

Skyway Software Inks Reseller Pact With Domain Technologies
Domain Technologies has been named an Ascend Alliance reseller of Skyway Software, a vendor of software applications based on service-oriented architecture (SOA). Domain is a business-technology consulting firm operating in Europe and the Far East. The agreement calls for Domain to sell and support Skyway customers in the United Kingdom and Malaysia. Traditionally a software implementer and consultant, Domain has made a strategic decision to market a limited number of products, including Skyway Visual Workspace. For its part, Skyway is relying on Domain to delivery J2EE applications to the U.K. and Malaysian markets. In addition, the partners said, Domain will draw on its expertise in Lotus Notes, creating new market opportunities for Skyway Visual Workspace.
http://www.skywaysoftware.com

IntelLogistix Issues LogiSite as Hosted App for Mid-Tier
IntelLogistix has developed LogiSite, an application to help logistics and supply-chain managers to model their operations and determine optimal distribution strategies, facility locations and sourcing alternatives. The tool will be available to users under a hosted, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, with monthly subscription fees starting at $750. Users can obtain solutions to various supply-chain problems related to offshore sourcing and entry-port locations, risks from supply-chain disruptions, the impact of in-transit delays on inventory buffers, and the best strategies for locating and sizing distribution centers. According to IntelLogistix, LogiSite was designed to handle complex supply-chain and distribution problems that used to require more expensive distribution-network modeling tools based on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, as well as time-consuming setup and customization. It is aimed primarily at mid-tier companies in the retail, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing and high-tech sectors.
http://www.intellogistix.com

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