Event
Summary
SCT (www.sct.com/manufacturing) and G-Log (www.g-log.com),
both leaders in their respective fields have announced a partnership that
brings together SCT's process industry manufacturing execution, planning,
and optimization with G-Log's global logistics platform. The partnership
is aimed at process manufacturers and distributors in the food, beverage,
chemical, CPG, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and related process industries
worldwide. Both companies currently have impressive lists of customers
in these industries using their solutions. G-Log's customers include Eastman
Chemical, Dupont, and Kimball International.
SCT's customers include Coca Cola, Kroger, Cargill,
and Basic American Foods.
Typically,
the process industries have robust logistics needs due to the nature of
the materials transported. These materials tend to be bulky, heavy and
often have special requirements like environmental demands, shelf life
or regulatory issues. Many process companies are global in nature and
ship using a variety of modes (truck, barge, ocean freight, etc.) further
complicating their logistics management needs. This partnership addresses
those needs by the expansion of SCT's iProcess.sct solution
by improving distribution service and efficiency, while considering real-world
transportation constraints.
The
G-Log logistics platform supports the mission-critical process of managing
all freight, all over the world, in a multi-client environment, by incorporating
traditional domestic and international transportation components into
a single system. It provides planning, optimization, visibility, control,
and settlement of shipments and orders. SCT's iProcess.sct, is a process
industry-specific solution that provides supply chain planning, Internet
commerce, relationship network management, and supply chain execution/ERP
capabilities. The SCT products provide collaborative supply chain distribution
and network optimization capabilities. Together, these products will help
process enterprises optimize manufacturing, distribution and transportation
decisions based on accurate real-time information from their logistics
networks.
Darcy
MacClaren, senior vice president, business development, of G-Log states,
"We believe the combined solution will enable companies to collaborate
more effectively with their suppliers, improve customer service, and respond
more quickly to market opportunities."
"With
the addition of the G-Log solutions, SCT is able to bring a full suite
of supply chain planning and execution solutions to the process industries,
ranging from network planning and design and enterprise planning all the
way down to plant scheduling and transportation execution" states Jim
Brown, VP Solutions Strategy and Marketing.
Market
Impact
The
growth of industry specific or vertical solutions continues with internal
development, acquisitions and partnerships. The definition of a "complete
solution" continues to evolve. With this partnership, the process industries
have a broadened definition of what is possible.
Many
vendors continue to pursue the process industries with mixed results.
Those vendors focused exclusively on the process industries appear to
be growing their solutions towards a greater industry fit. More generalized
solutions, those sold to many industries including process, will find
the industry specific needs difficult to satisfy within the constraints
of their general purpose applications.
User
Recommendations
Key to process companies is that this partnership addresses major components
of operational efficiency, cost, and customer service. The combination
allows process companies to address the extended supply chain with the
added plus of industry specific functions.
Existing
SCT iProcess.sct customers should evaluate the G-Log logistics platform
as a way to both add value to their existing iProcess.sct applications
and attack their logistics requirements.
Existing
process industry G-Log customers looking for added functionality of the
related areas of supply chain management, e-business, CRM or ERP should
place SCT on their short list regardless of their existing vendor relationships.
SCT's strategy of offering industry specific products complementing alternative
ERP systems should prove interesting to these companies.
Process
companies considering new solutions in the supply chain, e-business, or
ERP areas should place SCT on their short list. These companies should
consider the added functionality from this partnership for an addition
to their requirements list. Most companies will find this combination
as one holding significant value in terms of both cost savings and increased
efficiency.