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Americold brings positive customer experience to new heights
with real-time supply chain visibility
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New IT system creates competitive advantage for Americold;
further enhances Service Level Agreement (SLA) adherence·
Enhanced supply chain and order process capabilities based on
webMethods
Software
AG (Frankfurt TecDAX: SOW) today announced that Americold, the global
leader in temperature-controlled warehousing and supply chain solutions to the
food industry, has significantly enhanced its already robust supply chain
capabilities. It has given its customers
unprecedented visibility and access to their orders at every stage of the order
lifecycle, from time of customer creation to final delivery, through its
proprietary i-3PL
supply chain control system in conjunction with Software
AG’s webMethods portfolio. webMethods is used to capture and
integrate data from Americold’s B2B, warehouse, transportation and ERP systems
to produce advanced intelligence for its customers.
Thomas Musgrave, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, noted: “We want to provide our customers with breakthrough
improvements comprising the ability to easily find, review and change active
orders, as well as offer them order confirmations and alerts from any stage of
the order and delivery process. It is about offering a single portal with full
visibility of an order even when that order will have transited through a
number of different networks and system architectures, and the multitude of
programmed business logic that is required to deploy B2B communications. This
is more than simply meeting SLAs and updating the customer on the labor
activities of an order. We’ve expanded
capabilities to include ongoing updates to the customer on the virtual
activities of an order too, ultimately exceeding customer expectations and
garnering further trust.”
With more than 90,000 temperature-controlled truck moves annually, over 175 warehouses and a billion cubic feet of
storage around the world, Americold is committed to providing its customers
with the most competitive and complete supply chain solutions.
Thomas Musgrave continued: “The webMethods
product integrates information from multiple sources enabling Americold
management, partners, and customers access to live, accurate data, reports and
alerts enabling them to take action, reshape demand, and make critical
decisions more confidently.”
At the core of Americold’s digital
transformation is Software AG’s webMethods Integration Server, which connects
the company’s Warehouse Management System to its B2B Gateway. Software AG’s Optimize provides the
monitoring of customer orders and shipment processes to ensure that any issues
are noted and appropriate alerts are generated. Software AG’s MashZone serves as the user
interface from where information is gathered.
Kevin Niblock, COO, Software AG North America, commented: “Americold has embraced ‘digital first’ thinking to create
a competitive advantage for the company. It is already experiencing positive
customer satisfaction from the new systems.
Most importantly, Americold expects to continue to uphold its SLA
adherence metrics despite increases in complexity as greater visibility into
its extensive supply chain will enable it to effect change and ensure smooth
operations and on-time deliveries.”