Operations Analysis and Optimization

4SIGHT assists shippers with analyzing their transportation operation by conducting a three to four-week assessment of their ‘end to end’ processes, which typically includes the following:

1. Order Management – understand what is unique to orders from a transportation planning and execution standpoint
   • Product uniqueness – weight, cube, pallets, pieces, density
   • Order lead-times
   • Order changes
   • Calculation of order plan dates – shipment and delivery dates
2. Transportation Planning – determine how orders are built into optimal loads, scheduled, and routed
   • Mode/service level determination – based on routing guides, capacity commitments
   • Order/load optimization – logic for combining orders into loads based on defined criteria
   • Application of an audit quality rate – contract rates vs. spot rates
   • Tender process
3. Transportation Execution (includes 204/990/214 EDI processes)
   • Carrier tender and acceptance process
   • Rate review and modification process
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Exception Management
   • Capturing Arrival/Departure
4. Freight Payment (includes 210 EDI process)
   • Manual or match pay process
   • Discrepancy management
   • Freight accrual
   • Freight allocation methods
5. Business Intelligence
   • Operational reports
   • Performance metrics – operational, performance, financial
   • Process improvement areas

Beyond the review of the typical daily operational processes, other areas of potential focus could be: Transportation Procurement/Bid Events, Network Optimization Modeling, and Load Optimization Modeling.

Once an assessment is complete, and opportunities are identified, a Transportation Business Case is created as a next step. This aids in justifying either system or process related changes/upgrades.