The challenge The planning puzzle faced by Van den Bosch Transporten is one of the most complex in intermodal bulk transport . Every product comes with extremely stringent requirements regarding hygiene , temperature , previous loads , shelf life and more . These factors may require that some products only be transported using specialised skills , trucks or containers . For example , a particular product that requires heating during transport immediately limits the number of containers available for the job . This process of resource matching adds yet another layer of complexity to the planning process . Van den Bosch Transporten found it increasingly difficult to fulfill these requirements while trying to increase delivery performance and improve customer satisfaction . As its business grew , the bulk logistics provider found that the transport management system ( TMS ) and non-integrated supporting systems it used in its daily planning processes no longer met the new requirements . The use of multiple systems and increasingly complex rules meant that Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s planners struggled with numerous challenges .

Laborious planning methods Because the original TMS could not cope with the growing complexity and increasing customer demands , planners had to manually manage a multitude of constraints and requirements such as safeguarding product contamination and cleaning rules , matching resources to orders and deciding on optimal modes of transport .

Visibility challenge Because Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s planners worked with multiple non-integrated planning systems , they lacked end-to-end visibility of the activities taking place across the supply chain . This was further complicated as the accurate locations of all required resources were hard to obtain .

Consequences of planning decisions Lack of integration and real-time propagation meant that planners had limited visibility of the consequences of a single planning decision or the impact of collective decisions made by different planners across the supply chain .

Decentralised data entry Because its systems were not integrated , Van den Bosch Transporten was not able to incorporate critical data into its planning process . Updating pricing schemes and slot allocation used for intermodal connections , cleaning stations and charter companies drained precious time .

The solution Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s search for the ideal technology partner to solve its complex logistics puzzle ended with Quintiq . Logistics Planner , powered by Quintiq ’ s world record-breaking optimisation technology , is the answer to increased visibility and control for Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s planners . Configured for a 100 % fit to the bulk logistics provider ’ s business , the solution takes into account all of its unique and highly complex rules and constraints to create plans that advance its business KPIs . Logistics Planner matches customer orders against a profile of important planning variables . For each order , the solution generates optimised intermodal path suggestions for the planner ’ s selection . These paths take into account all customer requirements regarding quality standards , contamination rules , cleaning programmes and types of resources . Once the optimal path and load unit are determined , Logistics Planner creates intermodal bookings and applies optimised truck assignment suggestions . The solution ’ s real-time propagator ensures that all planner actions are automatically dispersed across the entire plan .

The results

Increased visibility and control Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s planners are now empowered to make smarter decisions that will advance business KPIs .

Logistics Planner ’ s ability to capture the changes to established plans in a closed feedback loop means that escalations are at an all-time low . Freed from the minutiae of manual planning , planners can now dedicate more of their time and attention to higher-level activities that will bring even greater benefit to Van den Bosch Transporten and its customers .

Decreased planning fulfillment costs Faster and more accurate planning has led to an overall reduction in Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s transportation costs . Logistics Planner optimises the allocation of orders to containers to trucks and trailers , and defines optimal paths for load units in the intermodal networks . By adhering to container safety stocks at all times , the solution ensures that containers are perfectly balanced throughout the network .

Increased customer service levels Quintiq ’ s superior planning and optimisation capabilities enable Van den Bosch Transporten to automatically adhere to customer cleaning requirements and deliver products within agreed time frames – consistently . As a result , it has seen an overall increase in service levels and strengthened relationships with its key , long-term customers .

The next step The successful implementation of Logistics Planner forms the basis of the next phase of Van den Bosch Transporten ’ s partnership with Quintiq . Quintiq will support Van den Bosch Transporten in strengthening its strategy on sustainability by integrating sustainability calculations into every aspect of its planning . By making these calculations an integral part of its process , planners will be able to measure the impact of their actions on the company ’ s carbon footprint – enabling Van den Bosch Transporten to meet its business goals and truly make a difference as a socially responsible company .

With its unique position at the heart of the European oil and chemical industry , the port of Antwerp offers continuity and sustainable innovation in a world of constant change . World-class logistics and storage facilities react with unsurpassed operational excellence and customer focus . A chemistry you can really feel .

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