Optimizing transportation costs includes analyzing agreements, auditing invoices and assessing value-added processes, says John Haber, founder and CEO of Spend Management Experts. But it's also about identifying contract "gotchas" and "smoke-and-mirror" pricing.

Chainalytics LLC, a provider of supply-chain intelligence, analytics and advisory services, has introduced Integrated Freight Market Intelligence (iFMI).

In addition to professional programs, the Warehousing Education & Research Council now assesses members' processes so they know if they accord with industry best practices, says Michael Mikitka, CEO of WERC.

Zepol Corp. has introduced a pair of enhancements to its flagship trade-intelligence tool, TradeIQ. The changes make it easier to search for and extract precise trade data for U.S. importers and shippers, and to notify parties.

With sales of roughly half a billion dollars, Dorman Products is one of the world's leading manufacturers of automotive parts for the aftermarket, selling more than 100,000 distinct products. The company has experienced sharp growth over the past four years, says director of corporate forecasting Donald H. Mitchell. Recently, it saw the need to transform its demand-planning process, in order to create "a more transparent environment."

Livingston International has completed the acquisition of the customs and trade-compliance services of the Global Trade business of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Damco, the freight-forwarding and supply-chain management division of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, has joined the Cargo 2000 quality-management system for international air cargo.