Courtesy of Progress, the global technology partner of CMS Transport Systems, delegates arriving in Melbourne to attend the Freight2020 VISION 2017 conference were treated to pre-event welcome drinks and canapés at Rydges Melbourne, followed by a teppanyaki dinner banquet just a short stroll away in Melbourne’s Chinatown.

With scores of company delegates attending Freight2020 VISION from all corners of mainland Australia, across Bass Strait (Tasmania) and the Tasman (New Zealand), as well as some guest speakers and specialists visiting from the UK and USA, the Progress-sponsored hospitality provided a relaxed opportunity for transport industry executives to network with peers and meet some of the people behind the Freight2020 system which powers their businesses.

Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems, welcomes delegates to the Freight2020 VISION 2017 pre-event welcome function sponsored by Progress

“We had our video producer flying into Melbourne directly from another assignment, in plenty of time for the conference the next day. Our intention was for one camera to capture the pre-event teppanyaki function. It turned out that some flights into Melbourne that evening were delayed due to bad weather in other regions, which meant our crew couldn’t arrive early enough for the informal activities,” said Melanie Williamson, the external manager of marketing and engagement for CMS Transport Systems responsible for the overall production and promotion of the Freight2020 VISION 2017 event. “I hadn’t brought my pro-camera along but decided to improvise with my iPhone. There were so many entertaining vignettes while the visiting delegates were unwinding from long flights or road-trips in preparation for what would be a very big day work-wise tomorrow.”

“Playing paparazzi gave me an excuse to get around the whole room and see how everyone was getting along over dinner, without being overly intrusive. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves and finding common ground in a social setting, thanks to the generosity of Progress.”

“As a NASDAQ-listed enterprise with a predominantly global focus, Progress demonstrates its commitment to developer-partners like CMS Transport Systems in Australia and New Zealand by sending their international executives to spend time with end-users at events like Freight2020 VISION 2017. It makes it easier for Progress to disseminate important information about forthcoming developments, and it helps keep the organisation on-pulse with the needs and experiences of each industry sector in each global region,” said Mel.

Joe Genovese [left] and Mike Marriage [centre] of Progress met delegates including Jolene du Plessis from Australian Bay Lobster Producers at the Freight2020 VISION 2017 pre-event welcome function sponsored by Progress [Anita Latarche of Cahill Transport in background]

Joe Rozenberg [left], Mike Marriage [centre], and Joe Genovese [right] of Progress at the Freight2020 VISION 2017 pre-event dinner with Allan Thornley from Shaw’s Darwin Transport [far left]

John Bryant, CFO of Australian Bay Lobster Producers, showed safe hands in one of the teppanyaki challenges with Grant Walmsley of CMS Transport Systems [standing], Jim Morgan of Morgan Transport Insurance [centre], and Neville Aganoff, Freight2020 implementation consultant [right]

Freight2020 VISION 2017 was a “pinnacle” event for Rob Mullins, managing director and founder of CMS Transport Systems, who was able to enjoy spending time with users of Freight2020 in the relaxed pre-event setting at Rydges Melbourne [pictured with Angela Catford, John L Pierce Transport]

The large dining room of Ginza Teppanyaki in Melbourne’s famed Chinatown was totally filled with delegates enjoying the hospitality of Progress in preparation for the Freight2020 VISION 2017 conference the next day

Delegates attending the Progress-sponsored Freight2020 VISION 2017 pre-event teppanyaki banquet were either dodging the momentary flashes of flame or whipping out phones to take home colourful memories of a very enjoyable business networking function provided by Progress

While many delegates at the Progress-sponsored teppanyaki dinner were able to catch the flying pieces of omelette and rice-filled bowls with few casualties and occasional demonstrations of brilliant coordination, Emerson Pierce of John L Pierce Transport was simply unlucky to land his bowlful of rice on his lap – but it was all in good fun (and a replacement bowl of rice was swiftly provided)

Progress was the principal partner in the Freight2020 VISION 2017 event

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CMS Transport Systems, the Australian-based developer of the Freight2020 transport management system, has won the ‘Fastest-Growing Partner’ award for the APJ (Asia/Pacific/Japan) region, as announced at the Progress 2015 Global Partner Awards held in February 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Progress recognised CMS for its ‘excellence in adopting OpenEdge (by Progress) as its core development platform for the Freight2020 management system’.

Freight2020 is the market-leading transport software solution in Australia, having set the pace for competitors with advanced features such as full integration, online customer portal, driver mobility using a free-to-download iOS/Android-compatible app, item-level tracking via DIY bar-coded labels, and system-wide management of OHS/WHS/heavy-vehicle compliance.

Craig Law, managing director of Progress Software ANZ (left), with Rob Mullins, managing director of CMS Transport Systems (centre, holding the award), and Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS (right).

“The decision we made to develop Freight2020 in the Progress OpenEdge environment is partly what has given the Freight2020 system its great strengths,” said Rob Mullins, founder and managing director of CMS Transport Systems, and the original architect of Freight2020.

Progress OpenEdge provides Freight2020 users with a database that is very fast, extremely robust, and infinitely scalable. Freight2020 was also one of the first transport management systems in the world to be made available either as a cloud-based, SaaS solution, or on-premise installation.

“With OpenEdge we can rapidly develop and implement new features and enhancements, and make updates whenever needed to reflect any changes in Australian legislation and compliance requirements for OHS/WHS, superannuation, levies, taxation, etc,” Rob said.

While both 2014 and 2015 were record years of growth for CMS Transport Systems with Freight2020, 2016 is already set to exceed all previous years. Many of the largest and most successful organisations in the Australian road freight transport industry in Australia and New Zealand are now using the fully-integrated Freight2020 transport management system.

The “Year over Year Growth APJ 2015” award presented to CMS Transport Systems, Australia, by the global technology company Progress Software.

“Freight2020 combines one of the world’s most advanced technological environments, OpenEdge by Progress Software, with the responsiveness and dependability of localised system development, implementation, training and support by CMS,” said Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems.

“The Australian road freight transport industry is an extremely demanding market for technology solutions due to its extreme business complexity,” Grant said. “Freight2020 streamlines all aspects of operations, maintenance, compliance, administration, and customer service for trucking companies of all sizes, in all freight markets.”

Read the ATN Fully Loaded article on CMS Transport Systems being awarded ‘Fastest-Growing Partner’ by Progress Software 25.02.2016. Click thumbnail to view.

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Neil Foley, Operations Manager, CMS Transport Systems

Qualified CPAs and experienced transport business managers

“Among the qualified CPAs now working on Freight2020 implementations we have Keith Robertson, who has been assisting with Freight2020 implementations and business transitions for a number of years; Linda Rosendale, who is also a qualified trainer and expert in accounting system transitions; and Neville Aganoff, based in our new Brisbane office. Neville was a CFO in the transport industry and has more than five years’ experience as a day-to-day Freight2020 user,” said Neil.

Melissa Fonteneau, Freight2020 Implementation Consultant

“Melissa Fonteneau joined CMS in Melbourne after 20 years as a manager in warehousing and logistics. Melissa brings this wealth of front-line operational knowledge into streamlining processes for users of Freight2020,” Neil said.

“Glenn Ozanne has more than 16 years’ experience working on business systems design and implementation in the mining, utilities, defence, and transport industries, with some of this time spent on offshore projects in Thailand, Russia and Kazakhstan.”

Based in Sydney to support Freight2020 implementations in New South Wales is now Peter Chaing, an accomplished commercial manager with over 25 years’ experience in financial and management accounting and more than two years using Freight2020 hands-on while working at 1^st Fleet.

National growth of Freight2020 implementation team ‘inevitable’

Glenn Ozanne, Freight2020 Implementation Consultant

With hundreds of Freight2020 users distributed across every state in Australia, the establishment of satellite implementation bases in New South Wales and Queensland was inevitable, according to Rob Mullins, managing director of CMS Transport Systems.

“We often have Queensland-based transport businesses making the transition to Freight2020, so it makes sense for CMS to locate an implementation specialist in Brisbane, as well as in Sydney, where companies are wanting to start using Freight2020 with increasing frequency,” Rob said. “New Freight2020 users in Victoria, Tasmania, ACT, South Australia and Western Australia will continue to have their implementations handled by our national implementation team from Melbourne.”

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For company founder and the original architect of Freight2020, Rob Mullins, it has been a long and satisfying journey in responsive solutions development, aligned with increasing complexity in the Australian transport industry, and progressive improvements in the capability and affordability of technology for business.

“There was nothing tentative about my intention in founding CMS,” Rob said in a recent interview. “Technology was relatively new in the 1980s, and rudimentary by today’s standards. The uptake of technology by the transport industry was slow, at least to begin with, but it was obvious that technology would become smarter and more affordable. Freight operations were always complex to manage on the administration side. With the continuing development of Freight2020, anyone could see it would be a matter of time before all transport operations would be technology-driven.”

Company always a team says founder Rob Mullins

As the managing director of CMS, Rob Mullins remains on the company’s senior management team. “We have been a team since the earliest days,” Rob said to the interviewer. “Grant Walmsley joined CMS straight from university more than 20 years ago. Today Grant is the general manager of CMS, and a director. Andrew has been with CMS for more than 20 years, and he’s now the head of research and development, as well as a shareholder. We have several other senior staff members who have been working with CMS for more than 10 years, and there are many long-standing team members in our administration and support departments. Dedicated people have given this company great stability, and consistency in product support and customer service,” said Rob.

During the interview, Rob was asked about how he saw the future of the Australian road transport industry. “The future is bright,” Rob responded. “With Australia’s geography, and the wide spread of our population, produce, and resources – our high dependence as a nation on both imports and exports – the Australian economy and our communities will always rely on having an efficient freight transport and distribution network. Road transport itself will continue to become safer and more efficient, and cleaner for the environment as time goes on.”

Responding to growth and change

“Our development of Freight2020 will continue responding to industry growth and change,” Rob continued. “Freight2020 delivers an expansive suite of modules for operations management and administration – configurable to fit any mode or mix of modes in freight services provision.”

“Already Freight2020 users can do away with printed consignment notes, have POD notifications sent automatically to their customers, offer online consignment track-and-trace, and allow drivers to interact with live bookings via our new mobile app,” Rob said. “I’ll be excited to see how future advances in technology – some that we can’t even imagine yet – will allow CMS to make the Freight2020 transport management system even more powerful and sophisticated.”

Celebrating 35 years in 2015

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This new position carries responsibility for the project management of Freight2020 system development, support, and implementation, and is centred around the technical development and help-desk departments of the firm’s Australian headquarters in Melbourne, Victoria.

Neil joined CMS following more than six years working with Australian mobility solutions company Interdev, the last three-and-a-half years being served as Interdev’s general manager.

“Over the course of my time at Interdev I was able to work closely with CMS on a number of projects. It was always a pleasure to work with senior CMS people, and trusting relationships were established. On the technical side, I became impressed by the firm’s capabilities, and the cleverness of the Freight2020 system. It meant no insult to Interdev when I agreed to accept the offer of a new, more technically-oriented role at CMS. Interdev are a great company with great products. I just felt it was the right time for me to extend my own focus beyond one niche of development in transport industry technology, to the breadth of Freight2020 as a fully-integrated, end-to-end solution,” Neil said.

Australia’s transport operations technology very advanced

“I’m originally from the UK, although I’ve been in Australia for more than eight years now. For nine years I worked with the most successful fleet management system in the UK. Like Freight2020, this solution is developed in a Progress environment. I was the product manager before I moved here. Based on my UK experience, I can say that Australia’s ability to develop technology for transport operations and fleet maintenance management is very advanced. That’s one reason why I chose to further my career in this field in Australia.”

Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems, welcomed Neil to the organisation with surrender of his centrally-positioned office for a new workspace, on the same floor of the building, but further away from the technical area where Neil needed to be more accessible. “The record number of new Freight2020 users in 2014 has meant a record number of system implementations for our technical people. Neil has joined CMS in time for the growing number of new-user implementations to be handled smoothly, and ongoing development deadlines to be comfortably met,” Grant said.

“The creation of this new technical operations management position, and acceptance of this role by Neil Foley with his industry-specific experience, means that Rob Mullins can concentrate on working with senior technicians on the roadmap for future Freight2020 development, and I can spend more time with our customers and prospective new customers,” said Grant. “I think it was a very astute decision for CMS, and it has positioned the company very well for future growth.”

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“It would not have been sustainable in the long-term for our company to continue managing a growing national transport business through the largely manual administrative processes we’d traditionally used. We needed a transport management system that would set us up properly for the future, and we found that in Freight2020,” Peter said.

Widely recognised for their high-profile carrying of iconic frozen-food lines like Sara Lee desserts and Sargents-brand pies, PRT decided it was time to revamp their entire web presence with a matching customer login page and interface environment for Freight2020 Online.

“We think our new website is really cool,” joked Mark Smith, national operations manager for Prospect Refrigerated Transport. “Seriously though, in so many ways, particularly with our new ability to offer real-time online services to our customers, PRT has reinvented itself.”

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“The technology and types of expertise involved in the development of transport management systems and mobility solutions are vastly different,” said Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems. “No single provider can specialise in both fields, but one of Freight2020’s many strengths is our ability to integrate the system to any of the leading mobility solutions currently available.”

Mt Noorat Freighters was established in 1996 to deliver stockfeed, grain, fertiliser, and other bulk products throughout Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and southern Queensland. The company now runs a fleet of 20 Western Star and Kenworth trucks. Dissatisfaction with its former transport management technology provider led to its second-time-around evaluation of no less than 10 different providers against a very specific selection criteria.

“Mt Noorat Freighters wanted their new system to reduce the administrative workload for back-office staff, and help meet legal requirements regarding NHVAS compliance along with fatigue and speed management. They were also definite about wanting to work with experienced people who were dedicated to the transport industry, and had a strong cultural fit with their organisation,” Grant said. After a series of in-depth product evaluations, and assessing the potential of various technology-partner relationship combinations from those represented, Mt Noorat Freighters finally decided upon Freight2020 as its billing and operational ERP, with Transtech’s mobility offerings completing their requirement for round-the-clock, ‘everywhere’ control of their business.

Implementation of the new solution across administrative functions prompted Scott Guthrie, systems manager of Mt Noorat Freighters, to comment, “The administration side of the business has improved by 100%. The reporting capabilities we now have with Freight2020 are excellent too. For example, it’s now very easy for management to review profit and loss reports on each individual asset.” Of Freight2020 being coupled with Transtech’s in-cab system, Scott said, “Previously we were doing double the data entry, as drivers would compile their own information, and back-office staff would have to enter it into our systems. This no longer has to be done twice, and staff have more time to concentrate on what they are supposed to be working on,” said Scott.

Reported gains in administrative productivity and efficiency were just the start of whole-of-organisation improvements realised following implementation of Freight2020 with mobile integration. The chosen in-cab touchscreen devices allow drivers to receive their jobs and communicate with the office via on-screen messaging. Drivers can easily and quickly enter pre-trip checklists, declare vehicle mass, and view when their next rest break is required.  Back-office staff can track all vehicles and produce on-demand trip and driver efficiency reports. The real-time monitoring of speed and fatigue levels has resulted in fewer driver violations. Delivery performance has benefited immensely too. Jobs are dispatched directly from Freight2020 to the driver – and when the driver completes the job, all the accounting and billing information is transferred from the truck back into Freight2020.

“Mt Noorat Freighters is a relatively small yet successful company that continues its growth in a crowded market,” Grant said. “Their management team is to be congratulated for their diligence and foresight in selecting technology partners this time. Not only have they achieved real-time control over every aspect of their business, and gained efficiencies in billing and operational administration, they are definitely future-ready with the scalability and competitive edge to maintain the expansion of their market share.”

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“Our customers no longer need to deal with the hassle of traditional carbon-copy consignment notes,” said Michael Wilden, the general manager of Coastal Midwest Transport, about the company’s smart-looking, web-based booking system powered by Freight2020 Online. “Freedom from manual completion of paperwork is of great benefit to our customers. So is the ability to monitor the progress of bookings and deliveries in real-time, without needing to make phone calls.”

“We wanted to encourage all of our customers and suppliers to register as online users and start taking advantage of our real-time services. To ensure we were getting the news out to everyone who would benefit, we sent a mail-out to all stakeholders in our network, and every inbound phone-caller received an announcement. We added the promotional message to all email signatures, and our drivers distributed flyers when doing pick-ups or deliveries. We are promoting the new online services on our website, and to add further momentum we’ve been running a competition that’s open to anyone who creates an online booking, the prize being the opportunity to go to a box at the footy,” Michael continued.

“The response to our promotional efforts has been very enthusiastic. Once customers are registered for access to our new online booking system they can make their own freight bookings, and print their own connote and freight labels from any desktop or mobile browser. Customers can track and trace their deliveries, search for historical connotes, and access proof-of-delivery details in real-time, as our entire online booking system is fully integrated within Freight2020, including our POD management system,” Michael said.

With the Freight2020 Online interface skinned to match the look and feel of Coastal Midwest Transport’s website, customers can move seamlessly between their website and online booking system.

Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems, the Australian developers of Freight2020, said, “A growing number of transport operators are taking advantage of Freight2020’s ability to deliver their customers with greater convenience and efficiency via live web-based interaction and integration with Freight2020 data.”

“Freight2020 has long had the ability to deliver customer-accessible, real-time web services. This feature is a key factor for some transport operators in their choice of Freight2020 as their TMS. Other firms choose Freight2020 for immediately-needed gains in administration and operational efficiencies, with the customer-friendly Freight2020 Online features to be implemented further down the road.”

“From all feedback we’ve been receiving from user-organisations that already deliver Freight2020 Online via a self-branded portal, this is one service enhancement which can give even smaller operators a more competitive edge in any freight market, and greater parity with the service offerings of much larger operators,” Grant said.

“Coastal Midwest Transport has joined many larger, higher-profile carriers like McAleese Transport, McColl’s Transport, Asixa Logical Outcomes, John L Pierce Transport, and Greyhound Freight in offering online customer services powered by Freight2020,” said Grant. “There are so many advantages to be gained by transport operators from a Freight2020 Online booking system, including the huge savings in time and paperwork for users and customers – and the prevention of errors that are inevitably caused by manual information-handling and data-entry procedures.”

CMS Transport Systems are keen to see other Freight2020 user-organisations taking their businesses to the next level of interactive efficiency with Freight2020 Online. “It’s never too soon to implement Freight2020 with self-branded online services,” continued Grant Walmsley. “Today’s freight customers are expecting online booking and track-and-trace features as the norm in their day-to-day freight service experience, rather than the exception.”

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“Australia is one of the world’s most sophisticated nations in terms of its road transport industry,” said Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems. “The need for more powerful, scalable, user-friendly systems to support this very high degree of operational complexity and accountability has driven CMS, as the developers of Freight2020, to effectively lead the world in transport administration, compliance and logistics technology,” Grant said.

The case study produced by Progress Software is helpful in detailing the journey of SRT Logistics towards greater operational efficiency and business scalability, as well as real-time access to freight and logistics information, following the company’s decision to abandon their legacy enterprise system in favour of Freight2020.

“In evaluating the various options for replacing their legacy system, SRT Logistics wanted a solution that would configure to reflect the way they ran their business, not the other way around,” Grant said. “The majority of transport management solutions demand the adaption of business processes to fit the software. But in developing Freight2020, we always acknowledged that each transport business is somewhat unique in the way it operates. That’s why Freight2020 is modular, designed to handle the specifics of many different freight markets, and almost infinitely configurable to suit any preferred style of operational procedure and administrative processing. Expansion into a whole new freight market, for example, is as simple as configuring the preferences within Freight2020. Full integration with the rest of the Freight2020 system is already built-in.”

For SRT Logistics, the release of a case study on their business by an international software corporation is another milestone in their accelerated growth from local refrigerated transport operators to a more nationally-oriented organisation offering services including transport, distribution, warehousing and supply chain management to the broader Australian wholesale and retail food industry.

“To be selected as technology partners by a dynamic firm like SRT Logistics, and for Freight2020 to be chosen to facilitate their further growth and expansion – it brings credit to Progress Software as much as CMS,” said Grant. “It would not have been possible for us to have developed Freight2020 to world-beating standard without OpenEdge from Progress Software as its environment.”

SRT Logistics first went live with Freight2020 more than two years ago, deploying many of the modules within the Freight2020 solution suite including Accounting, Payroll, Human Asset Management, Fleet Maintenance, Freight Management, and Warehouse Management. In progressive roll-out is the transition to a cloud-based utilisation of Freight2020 with added mobility features to enable real-time in-cab exchange of data between drivers and system, as well as integrated sign-on-glass receipt of delivery, and also in-warehouse barcode scanning, further showcasing the capabilities of Freight2020 as the master end-to-end business solution for more competitive Australian transport companies like SRT Logistics.

Read more: Case Study on SRT Logistics by Progress Software.

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Being awarded the scholarship is not only a major feat for Bliesner but is also a significant boost for Secon. For the past four years, Secon has been taking bold initiatives aimed at enhancing the skills of its workforce. Secon has rolled out a series of training sessions and education programs for all of its employees – from the administration to management departments.

The opportunity for Bliesner to expand his knowledge and skills in the supply chain, transport, and logistic industry can lead to greater things and can make him an even greater asset for Secon, a company investing in success by developing the capability of its workforce. “Nick’s achievement in attaining this highly competitive scholarship has made Secon truly proud,” said Brendon Considine, director of operations at Secon, himself the recipient of the WF Chalmers Award from the VTA this year.

VTA chief executive officer Neil Chambers said earlier that judging the winners at the awards night was not easy because of the calibre and qualifications of the nominees. He congratulated Bliesner and everyone else who received awards at the event, which is one of the most highly anticipated happenings in the supply chain and logistics industry in Australia.

The David Hay Scholarship Award

David Hay was one of the most influential and recognised figures in the Australian supply chain industry. He had an extraordinary career for more than 50 years before cancer took his life in 2011. David’s passing was a blow to the industry and his wife, Christine, wished for his legacy to continue. The result of Christine’s commitment to this legacy is the David Hay Scholarship Award.

The award aims to help people who did not manage to finish their studies but are willing and capable to greatly contribute to the industry. Offered to individuals every year, the scholarship gives the winner a chance to take courses from diploma to PhD level in Freight, Logistics, Transport, and Supply Chain streams.

The scholarship program assists successful candidates who truly aspire and commit themselves to furthering their career in the supply chain, logistics and transport industry. They, however, must comply with all the requirements once accepted.

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