22
Sun, Dec
3 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. IT Infrastructure
  4. Operating Systems
  5. IBM i (OS/400, i5/OS)
  6. Partner TechTip: Eight Ways to Boost Supply Chain Productivity...Using Your iSeries

Partner TechTip: Eight Ways to Boost Supply Chain Productivity...Using Your iSeries

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

According to the ARC Advisory Group, the leading research and advisory firm in manufacturing and supply chain solutions, "Transportation can no longer be viewed as a standalone function. Instead, it should be viewed from a more holistic perspective: as a critical component of the Procure-to-Pay and Order-to-Cash processes."

As companies have begun to see transportation as an essential element of the supply chain, manufacturing and distribution companies are driving the rapid expansion of the transportation management solutions space, growing that market at a much higher rate than predicted. Now, not only are warehouse, logistics, and IT management invested in the success of transportation management systems (TMS), but C-level executives have also joined in as stakeholders as they see the effects that their companies' supply chains have on the overall business.

It's clear that TMS—and how it affects the supply chain and the overall business—is on everyone's minds. But what many companies haven't yet realized is that using an inappropriate platform to run their TMS solutions can actually have adverse effects on supply chain productivity.

Many smart companies have chosen the iSeries to integrate all aspects of their businesses. The platform's reliability, superior processing power, flexibility, expandability, and lower cost of ownership make it the obvious choice to run mission-critical applications. But despite utilizing such a powerful platform, TMS is still being managed on a collection of PCs and servers. So why haven't companies made the switch?

  • "We got them for free from the carriers."
  • "Shipping doesn't get a lot of visibility in our organization."
  • "We've already invested in building an interface to the PC system."

Hundreds of iSeries users have replaced their PC transportation management systems, and the results have been exceptional. What benefits do companies realize when they start using their iSeries for shipping? Why should they make that move?

Reason 1: Improve Business Decisions Based on Accurate Data

An iSeries-based shipping system stores all the available data on every shipment in a single DB2 database. This information provides an incredible source of data on which to base business improvement. Ad hoc inquiries and "what if" modeling can provide answers to any number of business questions, including these:

  • What are our true shipping costs by product, by customer, by carrier?
  • How does this compare with our estimated costs and with how we are charging our customers?
  • Do our carrier discounts match our business?
  • How often and why are we expediting shipments using more costly services?

Here's a case in point: Greater insight into shipping data with the goal of improved customer profitability was one of the drivers behind a leading distributor of fluid-handling products' move from 22 standalone PC shipping systems to multi-carrier shipping software that runs on the iSeries.

By storing all the shipping data in a single DB2 database, the company gained insight into accessorial charges such as residential delivery, non-consignment, address correction, and oversize charges—many of which should have been passed along to customers or avoided altogether. These charges added up. When the company compared its estimated shipping charges against actual carrier bills, it found that it had paid over $100,000 a year in accessorial charges.

With greater insight into its shipping data, the company can evaluate customer profitability and manage the waiving of customers' freight expenses. Reports generated from the company's historical database provide its C-level executives with the business decision information required to evaluate customer profitability—after accounting for freight discounts.

To read all the critical reasons why using your iSeries can help improve supply chain efficiency, download the free white paper "Eight Reasons to Use Your iSeries for Shipping" and learn how eight companies, each with complex requirements and complex systems, leveraged the power of their iSeries and Varsity solutions to...

  • Provide better customer service
  • Improve operational efficiency
  • Optimize IT resources
  • And more

Check out Varsity's product offerings in the MC Showcase Buyer's Guide.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: