TMW Systems Inc, Cleveland, Ohio, has announced that it has signed a license agreement to provide its TMWSuite client-server based enterprise solution to Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Green Bay, Wisconsin. The initial agreement covers approximately 1,000 tractors operating in the United States from a number of locations. Schneider Bulk plans to roll out TMWSuite on May 1, 2002, according to TMW.
“We reviewed the marketplace for third-party dispatch system providers and concluded that TMWSuite was the best candidate for dispatch systems in support of our bulk operations,” said Scott Kluesner, vice-president and general manager of Schneider Bulk.
A conference room pilot paper evaluation of TMWSuite assessed the enterprise solution as favorably meeting the carrier's functional requirements. Following the paper review, Schneider Bulk with assistance from TMW installed and ran a comprehensive two-month pilot test of TMWSuite using over 30 detailed test cases as acceptance criteria. Based on their evaluation and associated internal cost/benefit analyses the decision to purchase TMWSuite was made.
Beyond TMWSuite’s capabilities, it was also important for Schenider Bulk to select an application provider with an equally strong commitment and depth of experience in the bulk carriage industry, according to Paul Janco, Schneider project manager. “In addition, it was critical to select an application that provided ready-made paths to the world of e-Commerce via the Internet and EDI. In order to support current and future customers’ e-Commerce requirements, we also expect to be a big user of TMWSuite’s add-on modules for e-Link (Internet) and EDI (orders, order status and billing),” he said.
Driving the carrier to consider TMWSuite was the need to update its basic dispatch system from a legacy mainframe application to one with a user-friendly, work-saving, point and click functionality. Although the current legacy systems still provided Schneider Bulk with network-wide visibility and functionality with a high-degree of reliability and performance, it was critical to the company that a new application provider equal or better this environment.
“With its point and click capability, Schneider expects to make significant reductions in its current data entry requirements using TMWSuite,” Janco said. “In addition, by adding functionality around alignment of drivers and trailers to specific commodity hauling requirements, we expect to improve utilization of both resources as well as eliminate the potential risk of an erroneous assignment.”