Simple Customizations Effective Results Brian Hogue - MavenWire
This session will describe the effectiveness of small and simple customizations which can add enormous business value to an OTM implementation by: Improving User Experience Ease of performing operational tasks Reducing Freight Costs Enabling automation to improve accuracy 3
Simple Customization #1 - Change Service Provider Results Modification Modify the Results screen for the Shipment Action Change Service Provider Default format 101234 TL ECMT-0001 4,125.10 4,125.10 4,000.10 101305 TL JBHT-0001 4,550.00 4,550.00 4,450.00 4
Simple Customization - continued #1 - Change Service Provider Results Modification Opportunity: The Logistics Planner would like to see the Service Provider (Carrier) name and the Rate Record ID on the results page of the Change Service Provider action. Challenges: Requires modifying the XSL Benefits: With a few simple customizations, the Service Provider results page can provide effective results. The Planner can identify the Service Provider by name easier than by the ID The rate record ID s naming conventions often reveal how the rate record will be applied With the rate record ID being a hyperlink, the Planner can view the rate record quickly The Planner can make more informed selections when seeing the Service Provider name and rate record ID 5
Simple Customization - continued #1 - Change Service Provider Results Modification Before 110125 TL ECMT-0001 4,125.10 4,000.10 110315 TL JBHT-0001 4,550.00 4,450.00 After 110125 ECM TRANTSPORT TL ECMT-L0125-93901-15205 4,125.10 4,000.10 110315 JB HUNT TL JBHT-L0125-93901-15205 4,550.00 4,450.00 6
Simple Customization #2 Modify the Tender Email Notification Opportunity: The Tender Email notification default format does not provide enough information to the carriers for effective decision making during the tender response process. Challenges: Requires modify XSL Benefits: This simple customization will result in providing additional information about the load and improved Tender Offer & Acceptance with the Carriers. 7
Simple Customization #3 Tender by Text Notification Opportunity: To enable Tender Offers and Withdrawals to be sent by Text Messages. OTM Planner Challenges: Requires modifying the XSL Benefits: With this simple customization, the Tender Offer is sent via a simple text message to a smartphone. Small Owner/Operators can receive tender offers and respond easily. 8
Simple Customization #4 Automated Fuel Surcharge Update Opportunity: To automate the process of extracting the weekly Fuel Surcharge (FSC) from the Department of Energy (DoE) website, inserting in OTM, and processing as rate factors. Challenges: The FSC records must be updated in such a way that the client will be able to research past FSC settings in order to validate invoice disputes, etc Benefits: Increased efficiency of the FSC update by automating weekly with no manual entry Increased accuracy of the FSC with automated processing of rate factors and ensuring the updated fuel accessorial is applied to all shipments Eliminated freight invoicing errors due to inaccurate FSC updates. 9
Simple Customization - continued #4 Automated Fuel Surcharge Update Example of OTM Screenshot for Automatic FSC update 10
Simple Customization #5 Modify XSL for different user roles Opportunity: The business required the setting of custom stylesheets for different users at different levels/roles combination Challenges: May require XSL modifications. General belief is that if the XSL is modified it is for all users in OTM Benefits: Custom stylesheets can be implemented using User Preferences and still the default will stay untouched Different users have different data visibility as decided by the stylesheet Increases processing control Increases the efficiency in processing by only showing relevant information 11
Simple Customization #6 Auto Manifest Creation Opportunity: Many shipments are grouped together to create a manifest, a solution was needed to create a shipment group automatically based on source and destination and then add other shipments to the manifest if it meets certain criteria. Challenges: Needed to create custom logic with PL/SQL Benefits: Decreased the missed consolidation opportunities, if certain business rules are met, shipment will always go into an existing shipment group If business rule is not met, then new shipment group is created automatically so that it can be utilized for further shipments Decreased the workload of creating manifest manually Only workload at user end is to verify and send the tender to carrier 12
Simple Customization #7 Large Number of Invoice Processing Opportunity: For a 3PL every week for each of the customer, carrier used to send the invoices for settlement Since there is no EDI, carrier used to send the invoices in Excel format Number of invoices received in one file varies from 6,000 to 12,000 The invoice file contains both actual ship units (rates) and actual invoice How will these shipment actuals be processed from excel file carrier format to OTM format? How will the invoices be loaded in system from excel file carrier format to OTM format? Challenges: Needed to create process to load data from Excel files and convert to XML files for uploading. 13
Simple Customization - continued #7 Large Number of Invoice Processing Benefits: Removed the need for manually entering the actuals and invoices Automatic processing tuned to 2:30 hours for nearly 10,000 invoices which did all of it, updated shipment actuals to represent actual number of ship units shipped, rerating, invoice matching and approval. Shipments actuals are processed Invoices are matched and approved for payment Invoices which are not approved are tagged for further actions Saved hours of work for users/support File is loaded by support during off peak hours to avoid congestion of orders coming via integration and users during business hours. The only thing end user has to do is verify the sum total of invoices. 14
Simple Customization #8 Customer Onboarding Parameterized Solution Opportunity: Develop a standardized approach for onboarding new customers based on commonly used processes across all costumers with the control to enable and disable features. The New Onboarding process needed to be capable of extending capabilities if required and allow for rapid deployment. Challenges: Needed to address the different needs of the customers, all were not the same. Benefits: Customer onboarding time reduced to from months to weeks. Base setup for new customers is ready in few hours and OTM domain is ready for processing transactions for customer with just parameters enabling/disabling Standardized the process of adding new features, which can be enabled/disabled The master domain is kept consistent with the new modification so that new customer onboarding includes the changes There is no change required in the code if only the functionalities get enabled/disabled as it was controlled by parameters 15
Simple Customization #9 Create Order Release via UI from SAW Shipment Opportunity: Requirement to create transport shipment directly from OTM screen where, it can be later reassigned to a proper carrier and executed. An OTM Order release should also be attached to the shipment so that it can be tracked very similar to the other Orders from the customer s order source system. Challenges: Requires PL SQL for creating Order Release out of Shipment Benefits: No need to configure order planning scenario. Operations have flexibility to create the shipment with desired shipment stop. Order release gives visibility to customer where order is tracked. Shipment can be executed without any issue. 16
Summarizing Simple Customization Effective Results 1. Change Service Provider Results Modification 2. Modify the Tender Email Notification 3. Tender by Text Notification 4. Automated Fuel Surcharge Update 5. Modify XSL for different user roles 6. Auto Manifest Creation 7. Large Number of Invoice Processing 8. Customer Onboarding Parameterized 9. Create Order Release via UI from SAW Shipment Solution 17
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Brian Hogue Account Manager MavenWire Managed Services Brian.Hogue@mavenwire.com Simple Customization Ideas provided by: Anoop Jangamakote MavenWire Anoop.Jangamakote@mavenwire.com Anurag Saini MavenWire Anurag.Saini@mavenwire.com Shaswat Patel MavenWire Shaswat.Patel@mavenwire.com 19