APL Logistics revolutionises shipment planning

Simultaneous optimisation of shipment time, space and cost an industry first

SINGAPORE, 15 FEBRUARY 2012: (Global Logistics Media) APL Logistics today said it has launched a shipment planning platform that could change the way large freight buyers coordinate their transportation activities.

Engineered by APL Logistics, ShipmentOptimizerTM is the industry’s first global shipment planning platform capable of automatically generating the best shipment plan against three key objectives concurrently:

 • cargoes arriving at final destination on the preferred date;

 • maximising space and load utilisation; and

•  minimising overall transportation costs on a door-to-door basis.

“This technology innovation allows global shippers to advance their allocation decisions,” said Jim McAdam, President of APL Logistics.  “They are now better empowered to ship more efficiently and accurately, meeting critical in-store or planned delivery requirements.”

Fresh from a global rollout of ShipmentOptimizerTM with a world-leading sportswear brand last November, APL Logistics has already begun to deploy the powerful automated planning and decision support platform for two other international apparel giants.

ShipmentOptimizerTM integrates a web-based shipment planning and optimisation tool with APL Logistics’ supply chain expertise and technology applications.  It uses algorithms specifically designed to handle complex and ever-changing real-world supply chain environments.  Given the shipper’s unique preferences, requirements and constraints, all possible combinations of shipment flows, modes, routes and cargoes are duly considered before the ideal plan is recommended.  The optimal plan is continually updated as assumptions or conditions change, relying on real-time data fed by other applications in APL Logistics’ technology suite.  

ShipmentOptimizerTM trimmed shipment planning process of a pilot customer from two days to just 90 minutes.  The process used to take the customer multiple iterations and human intervention.  With the platform, a single, fully automated run was all it needed to arrive at the optimal plan.

In addition to efficiency, ShipmentOptimizerTM gives the shipper greater control over its product flow.  This is because the platform has the ability to forecast shipment schedules, support collaboration among the shipper’s supply chain partners and automatically flag any deviation from plan.

“ShipmentOptimizerTM creates value by taking complexities out of shipment planning and reducing unnecessary airfreights,” said Raffy Cipriano, APL Logistics’ Vice President for Supply Chain Technology.  “The more complex your supply chain, the greater value the benefits.”

APL Logistics will introduce ShipmentOptimzerTM at its corporate booth at the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s Logistics 2012, Dallas, on February 20th and 21st.  More information on the platform is available at www.apllogistics.com/shipmentoptimizer.

About APL Logistics
APL Logistics provides international, integrated supply chain services in 53 countries, including both origin and destination services such as freight consolidation, warehousing and distribution management. It uses innovative IT for maximum supply chain visibility and control. APL Logistics is a unit of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), a global cargo transportation and logistics company. APL Logistics Web site: www.apllogistics.com