DHL Supply Chain (DHL) has advanced its transportation digitization strategy through new partnerships with Convoy and Turvo, as well as implementing robotic process automation (RPA) – all of which will enable DHL to provide higher levels of service for its customers.
Convoy’s digital freight network and the Turvo platform will integrate with MySupplyChain – DHL’s proprietary end-to-end visibility and business intelligence solution.
DHL is the first third-party logistics provider to partner with Convoy, a digital freight network that is focused on solving problems in the $800B trucking industry by connecting the best trucking companies and shippers to move millions of truckloads. DHL has directly integrated Convoy’s network of high-quality carriers into their supply chain application providing access to Convoy’s automated real-time pricing allowing shippers to benefit from increased capacity with guaranteed coverage.
“Convoy and DHL have a shared emphasis on moving freight more efficiently, and that focus forms the backbone of our relationship,” said Brooks McMahon, Convoy VP of partnerships. “Now DHL can easily access Convoy’s automated real-time pricing and secure capacity that can flex with their customers’ needs.”
DHL is also partnering with Turvo, a real-time collaborative logistics platform, to drive contextual visibility and collaboration across the end-to-end lifecycle of a shipment. This will allow all parties the ability to view and act on the same information at the same time.
DHL is expanding its integration of robotic process automation (RPA) into everyday operations. RPA leverages software to automate repetitive tasks such as collecting documents for proof of delivery, scheduling loads, event tracking and others, reducing manual error and increasing speed. DHL Supply Chain in North America has offset over 5,000 hours of manual work with RPA, and globally there are over 30,000 hours saved per year during the pilots.
“Before RPA many basic, day-to-day tasks would need to wait to be completed until capacity allowed. Now they are done quickly and with a high level of accuracy, freeing our employees to spend less time doing busy work and more time doing the strategic value-added work they enjoy,” said Jim Monkmeyer, president, transportation, DHL Supply Chain, North America. “Turvo is another critical complement to our digitization efforts. It enables easier collaboration and transparency for shippers and carriers. By improving the way we work together across the entire supply chain we can improve efficiency and customer service simultaneously.”
According to a recent DHL report, companies are increasingly viewing transportation as more than a tactical commodity, with 71 percent now considering it to be a strategic component of their business. Three quarters (75 percent) of companies believe investing time and resources in transportation will directly help their company sales, and 63 percent believe big data and artificial intelligence, which power tools such as digital freight marketplaces, will enable smarter transportation operations.
“We are always thinking beyond today’s shipment, so as we continue to aggressively pursue our supply chain digitization strategy and increase our breadth of transport capabilities, partnerships with Convoy and Turvo allow us to accelerate our plans,” said Mark Kunar, executive vice president, strategy, transportation and automotive, engineering and manufacturing, chemical and energy at DHL Supply Chain, North America. “Both have a high-level of technical expertise and their ongoing efforts to remain ahead of the market through their use of cutting-edge technology means we are able to help our customers maximize their supply chain value by enabling greater predictability, visibility and agility. Through these partnerships, we will also enable our customers to continue to expand the freight options available to them while streamlining processes to improve efficiency.”
