Descartes Systems Group has developed new logistics-management software for retailers. The suite of applications is aimed at users from international suppliers and local distribution centers to retail stores and the customer's door. Logistics Solutions for Retail supports multiple modes of transportation, as well as cross-border shipment compliance for internationally manufactured products. It manages the flow of goods inbound to distribution centers, and outbound to stores and consumers. A Transportation Manager module plans, executes and audits shipments, allowing retailers to make choices between private or dedicated fleets and for-hire carriers. They can also deploy consolidation options, and generate multi-stop and pooled-shipment plans. Ocean Freight Audit helps to reduce overcharges and ensure carrier contractual compliance. Visibility tracks the progress of international and domestic shipments and their associated inventory across multiple modes. Customs Filing & Compliance Services help retailers to meet new cross-border filing requirements. Compliance Monitoring provides a collaborative workflow application to streamline the collection of documentation required by customs agencies. Other modules offer messaging services, supplier enablement, dock and delivery appointment scheduling, yard management, route planning and dispatch for store and home delivery, and pick, pack and ship for inbound merchandise and small-package operations. Descartes also announced that its latest intelligent Automated Vehicle Locator system is now available on the Motorola MC75 mobile device. The application for mobile resource management integrates the Motorola MC75 with delivery route planning execution, Web-based tracking of vehicles via global positioning satellites, scanning and signature capture.
