Supply Chain Integration Saves $2 Million

One of Australia’s most complex systems integration projects led by CSC Australia is streamlining and automating a major Australian manufacturing company’s supply chain, driving major efficiencies through its logistics network and transforming customer service. The mission-critical logistics system touches every one of the customer's applications and systems, and supports more than 100 interfaces, using multiple legacy systems and several different programming languages.

The Challenge

The Company planned to control and automate this extensive and complex logistics footprint with OTM, which supports road, rail and marine transport.

The new system would cover everything from planning transportation – including carrier tendering and load configuration – to execution – including real-time performance monitoring and product tracking. It would automate repetitive tasks such as load building and invoicing. Its track and trace capabilities could log and analyse the impact of supply chain ‘events’ such as traffic delays.

The Solution

CSC engaged strongly with business systems owners,integrating a rules engine to support increased business flexibility, and applied a rigorous process to data discovery, cleansing, and production level testing while replacing legacy functions in a controlled and gradual approach that maintained user confidence in data and systems.

CSC adopted a progressive integration strategy that allowed phased implementation. This created an almost continuous deployment schedule, requiring strong engagement with the Company’s business and the teams supporting the IT infrastructure and applications.

The Results

The new integrated solution delivered multiple business benefits including:

• Reduction in handling times
• Reduction in inventory
• Fewer returns and complaints
• Better match of delivery with customer orders.