Global logistics software group, WiseTech Global acquires Australasian land transport solution provider, CMS

14 August 2017 WiseTech Global today announced the acquisition of CMS Transport Systems (CMS), a leading provider of integrated road transport and logistics management systems across Australia and New Zealand.

CMS provides its flagship Transport Management System (TMS), Freight 2020, to over 130 corporations including ABC Transport, SRT Logistics, McColls Transport, Richers Transport, Cahill Transport, Secon Freight Logistics, K&S Group, Greyhound Freight, John L Pierce Transport and many large road and freight transport houses in Australia and New Zealand.

WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White, said: “With the explosion in e-commerce driving exponential growth in ‘fast mile’ transport volumes, speed and complexity, the mounting margin pressures, regulatory burden and demand for land transport logistics services requires deep integration, automation and order-of-magnitude increases in productivity to address the challenges.”

“WiseTech Global has been investing research and development resources into machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation and guided decision tools. We will be working with the talented CMS team and our customers as we progress our Land Transport and integrated Telematics development pipeline for the next generation of road and freight solutions.”

New corporate branding for the company behind Freight2020

CMS Managing Director, Robert Mullins, said: “Joining WiseTech, the market leader with scale and capacity to accelerate innovation, allows us to combine our vision and deliver on a product roadmap utilising CMS’ decades of road freight industry knowledge. Their resources and technology will enable us to take integrated land transport solutions to a new level resulting in a profound and positive impact on our customer base, the Australian road freight industry, and ultimately road freight logistics internationally.”

Remaining under the leadership of Managing Director, Robert Mullins, and General Manager, Grant Walmsley, CMS operations will be integrated within the WiseTech Global group. The CMS team will continue to deliver its flagship product, Freight 2020 in Australia and New Zealand and, over time, WiseTech’s global logistics execution platform, CargoWise One.

WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White said: “As with our targeted acquisitions in Germany, Italy, Brazil and Taiwan earlier this year, and our recent Digerati transaction, bringing CMS into the WiseTech group accelerates our ability to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of logistics solutions for our customers to better manage complexity, growth, costs and regulatory burden. Each new geography and adjacency we acquire adds a valuable point on our strategic map, accelerates the network effects and makes CargoWise One even more compelling to local and global logistics providers and their customers.”

Across 125 countries, CargoWise One enables the execution of highly complex transactions in areas such as freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, shipping, land transport and cross-border compliance and for logistics service providers to manage their operations on one database across multiple users, functions, countries, languages, and currencies.

About WiseTech Global

WiseTech Global is a leading developer and provider of software solutions to the logistics execution industry globally. Our customers include over 6,000 of the world’s logistics companies across more than 125 countries. Our flagship product, CargoWise One, forms an integral link in the global supply chain and executes over 34 billion data transactions annually. Our breakthrough software solutions are renowned for their powerful productivity, extensive functionality, comprehensive integration, deep compliance capabilities, and truly global reach.

For more information on WiseTech Global and CargoWise One, please visit:

Company website www.wisetechglobal.com
Investor centre www.wisetechglobal.com/investors

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Close to 150 transport business owners, managers, administrators, and specialist consultants attended the inaugural Freight2020 Australia and New Zealand user group conference in March 2017. The enthusiastic response from participants confirmed the arrival of Freight2020 VISION as a major annual transport industry technology event.

Richers Transport, headquartered in Maryborough, Queensland, sent a team of four delegates including Matthew Richers [above] to the inaugural Freight2020 VISION conference in Melbourne

“This has been a great day,” said Sydney-based Allan Thornley, managing director of Shaw’s Darwin Transport, during the lunch break at Freight2020 VISION. Shaw’s are the market-leading freight carriers operating in and out of Darwin and were long-term users of a competitive transport management system until switching to Freight2020. “It’s enlightened us to some of the greater aspects of the [Freight2020] system and taught us a few things we didn’t know.”

Matthew Richers of Richers Transport, Maryborough-headquartered eastern seaboard carriers with more than 200 employees, said, “There are four of us from the company here today and I guess the most exciting thing for us is reconfirming Freight2020 as the right fit for our business. We use Freight2020 in its entire capacity throughout our operations, repairs and maintenance workshop, accounts… It’s been good for myself and the rest of our team to look at Freight2020 Mobility, which we’re implementing in the coming months, as well as the business analytics [Freight2020 BI360 real-time business analytics dashboard], which will be really great for our financial team and director.”

Peter Evenden, managing director of Prospect Refrigerated Transport, the Sydney-based company which carries temperature-sensitive freight for some of Australia’s iconic grocery brands said, “I’m down here in Melbourne having a great time and learning lots.”

Another Sydney-based delegate was Emerson Pierce from John L Pierce Transport (“JLP”), the bulk tanker specialists with 150 trucks and more than 330 employees. “It’s been a very interesting day, learned a lot,” said Emerson. “We’ve taken away a fair bit, so really happy to be here.”

“This is a very exciting time for us”

Siobhan Clifford was one of the delegates representing Mount Noorat Freighters at Freight2020 VISION 2017

Siobhan Clifford, one of a team representing the Victorian-based bulk haulage specialists Mount Noorat Freighters at VISION said, “We’ve had a great day today at the first Freight2020 conference. We’re looking forward to using Freight2020 Mobility in the near future.”

With Freight2020 now one of the fastest-growing Progress OpenEdge-based ERP solutions in the APJ (Australia, Pacific, Japan) region, many delegates attending VISION on behalf of their respective companies were relatively new to the system. Mark Battersby of PK Logistics said, “We are just about to go live with Freight2020 so this is a very exciting time for us. It gives us lots of new opportunities to explore with compliance and safety, possibly mobility, and also our warehouse and transport is going to be integrated, which is very important for us.”

More than 130 transport and logistics companies based in Australia and New Zealand are now using Freight2020 to drive their businesses more efficiently and competitively, a good number of these being represented by delegates making the journey to attend Freight2020 VISION 2017.

Peter Evenden, Emerson Pierce, Allan Thornley, Matthew Richers, Siobhan Clifford, and Mark Battersby were interviewed at Freight2020 VISION for the 2-minute “Freight2020 VISION 2017 Delegate Reviews” video which is now available for viewing on YouTube.

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Keynote speaker at Freight2020 VISION 2017, Tim Suffield, Associate Director, ANZ, the expert transport industry analyst and commentator, presented a picture of business performance so compelling that delegates rushed to request a takeaway copy of his presentation before he left for another important engagement. How does your company compare?

Tim Suffield, Associate Director, ANZ, speaking at Freight2020 VISION 2017

The mood in the plenary conference room at Rydges Melbourne was buoyant while Tim reported on how the Australian economy remains robust in light of the slowdown in mining, and that growth in demand for trucking services would remain strong. According to Tim’s report, road transport still dominates with 52% share of the national transportation segment, worth approximately $40bn/year.

It wasn’t long before one sobering question was verbalised by Tim, and left momentarily hanging…

“So, why aren’t we making more money?”

Clarity was soon delivered in what Tim called a ‘deep-dive’ – the summary of results found by ANZ through detailed analysis of a sample of 30 Australian trucking companies generating combined sales over $11bn, representing approximately 27% of the industry.

For meaningful comparison, companies in the sample group were categorised by ANZ along the following lines:

General freight carriers

VERSUS

Specialist freight carriers

Companies that own trucks

VERSUS

Companies that use subcontractors

Privately-owned companies

VERSUS

Public (listed) companies

And the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ are…

More than 100 trucking business owners, managers, and administrators from Australia and New Zealand attended Tim Suffield’s talk at Freight2020 VISION 2017

Concentrated competition is hurting revenue and returns across the industry with increasing price competition causing revenue and margin compression, according to Tim’s presentation, “The Road Once Travelled”, the title implying the changing landscape described by Tim from the lectern.

For more of the ANZ detail on how specialised freight carriers are tending to outperform general freight carriers; how general freight carriers have seen a drop in margins and returns; how in general, businesses that largely employ sub-contractors are beginning to increase market share by undercutting the market; why worrying trends will drive further separation between successful companies and stragglers; and why ANZ analysis indicates the trucking industry will be needing more than $3.5bn over the coming 5 years to meet expected demand – get your own free PDF copy of Tim’s “The Road Once Travelled” presentation by clicking the button below.

DOWNLOAD ANZ PRESENTATION FROM FREIGHT2020 VISION 2017

New Freight2020 BI360 set to revolutionise the management of business performance

“With 36 years of experience developing solutions for the road freight transport and logistics industry, our company has seen our customers through changing economic conditions, and trends which come and go,” said Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems, Australian developers of the Freight2020 transport management system, at Freight2020 VISION 2017.

“What never changes is the need for managers to see the key performance indicators of the business in real-time. Where margins are tight and the profitability of assets and human resources essential to business growth and survival, our new Freight2020 BI360 business intelligence dashboard allows managers to make prudent decisions for the business based on actual information that is easy to interpret and totally up-to-date,” Grant said.

“It’s not just data from Freight2020 that we can pull into the BI360 dashboard. The system can also draw relevant data from external sources. Whatever the essential KPI information that’s needed by managers of the business, financial or operations-related, it’s all displayed in colourful, easy-to-read graphical formats with customisable styling and branding.”

For more information about Freight2020 BI360 click below to book a demonstration. Current users of Freight2020 can enquire via the HelpDesk.

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Mark Armstrong of Progress, newly appointed as the vice-president and managing director of international operations for the APJ region, in addition to EMEA, wowed delegates at the Freight2020 VISION 2017 AU/NZ user group conference in Melbourne by contextualising the impact of revolutionary developments in technology for the Australian road freight transport industry.

Mark Armstrong, Vice President and Managing Director International, (EMEA & APJ), Progress

Introduced by Rob Mullins, managing director of CMS Transport Systems, who spoke of the long-established partnership between CMS and Progress as the global giant behind Freight2020’s OpenEdge development environment, the charismatic and articulate Mark Armstrong soon filled the room with a sense of excitement as the future of everyday technology in the transport industry was revealed through Mark’s presentation.

Concepts like artificial intelligence are no longer far-fetched with technology developing at an ever-increasing rate. The explosion of user interactivity with billions of smart devices being used around the world, massive increases in computing power and the amount of data being generated, rapidly-escalating cloud adoption, digital automation, connectivity, and the dawning reality of what is now called the “Internet of Things” (IoT) – such was the mind-stretching sweep of topics that were explained and put into day-to-day business context for the owners and managers of transport and logistics businesses in Australia and New Zealand who were present at VISION.

Progress is known as a breakthrough technology company and with the recent acquisition of DataRPM, which focuses on predictive maintenance solutions for the industrial IoT, Progress has added to its technology arsenal the capability to apply “machine learning” – delivering improved prediction quality and accuracy in significantly less time.

Example: moving beyond preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance

“CMS Transport Systems will be able to apply this technology to the growing amount of data collected by sensors so their customers can move beyond preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance. That involves using machine learning to reveal early signs of impending failure so repairs can be made before a breakdown,” said Mark during a recent interview with Stephen Withers for an article published in ITWire magazine.

“In the transport industry, that can make the difference between replacing a part before a vehicle sets out on a long trip, and a breakdown on the road, which makes on-time delivery less likely, and in some cases can result in the loss of a perishable load,” Mark told ITWire.

Strength of partnership between CMS Transport Systems and Progress

While Freight2020 VISION conference delegates were absorbing the profound implications of SciFi-type advancements which would impact their businesses sooner rather than later, Rob Mullins reflected on the strength and longevity of the partnership between CMS Transport Systems and Progress.

“I couldn’t be happier with our original decision to partner with Progress by developing Freight2020 in Progress OpenEdge. Progress invests at the leading edge of technology on a global scale, which enables CMS to empower Freight2020 users with capabilities and efficiencies that only the very largest companies could previously afford. For smaller companies, such as the typical mid-sized transport business, Progress helps us to help them equalise the playing field and contend along with their larger competitors,” Rob said.

CLICK IMAGES TO ZOOM: sample slides from the presentation at Freight2020 VISION 2017 by Mark Armstrong, Progress

FREIGHT2020 FLEET MANAGEMENT

FREIGHT2020 BI360

Progress was the principal partner in the Freight2020 VISION 2017 event

The post Mark Armstrong of Progress explains how the IoT and predictive analytics will impact Australian trucking industry appeared first on Freight2020 TMS.

Mark Battersby of PK Logistics, new to the Freight2020 community, attended VISION 2017

36 years strong, and the leading Australian-developed transport management system, Freight2020 is now used by more than 130 transport and logistics organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

There are more than 2,000 day-to-day users of the Freight2020 system (managers and administrative staff), and an exponential number interacting with the system through the Online Customer Portal and driver/warehouse Mobility interactivity. In 2016-2017 Freight2020 is processing almost 3,000,000 of the industry’s freight bookings and around $4bn of its combined revenue.

A user community of this size and intensity of engagement called for the advent of the annual Freight2020 VISION User Group Conference and the establishment of an online WIKI, where users can easily access system documentation and share knowledge with other users in the community.

Jane Altass previews the new development and community platforms for Freight2020

Long-time users of Freight2020 on-premise were quick to request upgrades to the latest version of Freight2020 when the new UI with new Google-like menu icons and user-friendly features such as drag-and-drop functionality were unveiled and demonstrated in action.

Users of Freight2020 SaaS (in the cloud) are automatically updated with latest version releases but if you’ve been running the same version of Freight2020 on-premise for quite a while, you should enquire about booking your system update to the new UI (via the Freight2020 HelpDesk).

Get Your Freight2020 Upgrade

Terry Bingham describes Coastal Midwest Transport’s advanced deployment of Freight2020 in some of the world’s most remote locations

While some companies are still only contemplating the integrated digital automation of their transport, depot, and warehousing operations via Freight2020, Terry Bingham (consultant to Coastal Midwest Transport) showed everyone at VISION 2017 how it’s really done by explaining their advanced deployment of Freight2020 (online customer bookings, driver/depot mobility with RF-scanning, etc), servicing outback locations in Western Australia with astonishing efficiency.

Sharing this fascinating story of technological triumph greatly impressed visiting Progress executives at the inaugural Freight2020 conference. Terry soon found himself interviewed on video and asked to feature in a case study for promotion to the international tech-community by Progress. Watch for the next Freight2020 newsletter and release of the video and Progress case study on Coastal Midwest Transport and Freight2020.

Download presentation

One click on a legit-looking email and a cryptovirus disabled SRT’s business systems – never again!

When SRT Logistics suffered a cryptovirus attack which brought down all its business systems – including Freight2020 – the urgent rescue orchestrated by CMS Transport Systems through the USA headquarters of technology partner, Progress, led to a world-first services package now available to all Freight2020 users: Freight2020 MDBA.

Leigh Cripps, manager of finance and IT at SRT Logistics, shared the story of SRT’s data disaster and recovery at Freight2020 VISION 2017. There were plenty of laughs but the risks were made clear. Of course, SRT became the first customers of Freight2020 MDBA. Three international MDBA experts from Progress were at VISION to meet Freight2020 users in person and answer questions about MDBA. Freight2020 MDBA offers businesses 24/7 data protection and assurance of business continuity no matter what happens (cyber attack, hardware failure, fire, theft, calamity, etc).

More about Freight2020 MDBA

Sample screens from the launch presentation of Freight2020 BI360, the new real-time business intelligence dashboard for managers

Most business owners and managers can only dream of being able to easily analyse business performance in real-time – no waiting for data to be updated, reports to be generated, and comparisons to be interpreted (by which time it might be too late for timely decision-making).

So, it was understandable when the launch of Freight2020 BI360 – the new real-time business intelligence and data analytics dashboard – caused a great deal of excitement for manager-types at the 2017 Freight2020 user group conference. It’s “awesome” to use, and fully customisable.

More about Freight2020 BI360

At Freight2020 VISION, Denise Zumpe shared real-life case studies of heavy-vehicle accidents

Denise Zumpe, SafeSense Workplace Safety, joined with Grant Walmsley of CMS Transport Systems to walk through the forthcoming changes in CoR for heavy vehicle safety, and together suggest ways for companies to manage compliance more easily and effectively with Freight2020.

Using real-life accidents, investigations, and outcomes as recent examples, Denise was able to answer questions and offer clarification on requirements, “compliance” being a hot topic of interest for most of the transport company management representatives attending the conference.

Ask about Freight2020 Compliance

Attendance was strong for both Transtech breakout sessions at the Freight2020 user group conference

Veteran specialist suppliers to the Australian trucking industry, renowned for state-of-the-art driver fatigue management solutions, and backed by the might of TeletracNavman, Transtech partnered with CMS Transport Systems at Freight2020 VISION 2017 to showcase their latest ruggedised devices and software solutions running fully integrated with Freight2020.

With safety and compliance the over-arching priority throughout the trucking industry, particularly where long-haul drivers are concerned, there was strong attendance for each of the Transtech breakout sessions at Freight2020 VISION 2017.

Transtech and CMS Transport Systems have maintained a strong spirit of ‘mission partnership’ for many years, helping numerous trucking companies to raise their in-vehicle and system-integrated safety and compliance management standards to the highest level available in the industry.

Download presentation

More on integrated Telematics

Upstream gave breakout presentations on digital document management

Achieving paper-free administration is an exciting, cost-saving, and environmentally-friendly idea that many transport and logistics organisations are keen to explore and start implementing. Jelena Quinlan and Steve Maxwell from Upstream were at VISION 2017 to run breakout sessions on digital document management in the transport and logistics industry. Some Freight2020 users are already enjoying the benefits of Upstream solutions combined with Freight2020 – taking their businesses into the future of document management, streamlining processes, and increasing efficiencies.

The Upstream sessions were very well attended. Afterward, there were incoming enquiries from delegates wanting to find out more about joining the paper-free revolution and simplifying cumbersome, labour-intensive activities.  

More on digital documents

Jim Morgan [right] talking with Freight2020 implementation consultant, Glenn Ozanne

Jim Morgan, Morgan Transport Insurance, the broker who enjoys going in to bat with insurers for companies challenged by complex claim histories and risk-management scenarios, chatted with delegates in the foyer at VISION 2017 and suggested that Freight2020 users could get claims paid much faster than companies without a fully-integrated compliance management system.

Everyone at Freight2020 VISION 2017 took home a conference bag stuffed with goodies, and one of the most welcome giveaway items was Jim Morgan’s “Championing Your Claims When Things Go Wrong” stubby cooler. It was carefully pre-tested and proven reliable for long-haul off-road drinking.

The conference bags themselves were a handy drawstring style that could be carried or worn as a super-light backpack, the reflective stripes making them ideal for cyclists. Other branded gifts in the bag for delegates included a charcoal-grey baseball cap embroidered with “Freight2020”. 

Transport depot RF scanning with Freight2020 integration at Coastal Midwest Transport

Also exhibiting in the foyer at Freight2020 VISION 2017 was Gamma Solutions, the specialist suppliers of integrated data-gathering devices and associated solutions.

Delegates were able to examine various hand-held devices over coffee and discuss with Gamma representative, Paul Pleming, the potential for integrating their Freight2020 depot/warehouse mobility with RF-scanning capabilities.

The phenomenal benefits of automating and integrating transport and depot operations by barcoding and RF-scanning were illustrated by the presentation of Coastal Midwest Transport, inspiring plenty of interest in Gamma offering the latest devices and related gear for making it happen. 

The charming streets of Melbourne CBD welcomed visiting delegates to Freight2020 VISION 2017

Several delegates attending Freight2020 VISION 2017 opted to stay around in Melbourne for an extra day or so for business meetings and the chance to see a major theatre production or footy game.

Rydges Melbourne, the venue for Freight2020 VISION 2017, is just around the corner from Melbourne’s Chinatown, in the centre of the theatre district. Musical productions in the neighbourhood at the time included the smash-hits “Book of Mormon” and “Kinky Boots”.

The timing of VISION was also intentionally close to the Australian Grand Prix which ran in Melbourne, around Albert Park Lake, on 26 March 2017.

With the dates for VISION 2017 proving to be popular and convenient for just about everyone, the VISION 2018 event will be staged at the same time of year.

The post Exciting new releases, customer stories, and partner solutions at Freight2020 VISION 2017 [downloads] appeared first on Freight2020 TMS.

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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Each and every day in Australia and New Zealand there are hundreds of transport industry professionals using Freight2020 to manage operations, fleet, warehousing, HR, financials, and compliance, while many thousands of truck drivers and freight customers are interacting with live system data through the Freight2020 Driver Mobility app and Online Customer Portal respectively.

With feedback from business managers and everyday users contributing towards Freight2020 development, and the roadmap for Freight2020 development continually evolving, the VISION conference will focus on the alignment between user experience, business imperatives, regulatory requirements, and technological advancement.

Unveiling new user interface for Freight2020

Andrew Power, Software Development Manager, CMS Transport Systems

Throughout 2016 the CMS Transport Systems development team has been working on the creation of a new user interface (“UI”) for Freight2020. The digital transformation project is led by CMS’ Software Development Manager, Andrew Power.

“I’m a Mac user at work by preference, so the flat design style of iOS really appeals to me,” Andrew said. “We are incorporating both material design and flat design philosophies with our approach to the new Freight2020 UI. It’s exciting to start unveiling it progressively.”

At Freight2020 VISION, Andrew Power will be presenting what’s new, and previewing what’s next in Freight2020 system development. The entire CMS software development team will be available on the day to field technical questions from IT managers, consultants, and administrators.

Optimising all aspects of transport and logistics business management

The Freight2020 national implementation team includes CPAs and other highly-qualified specialists with immense experience in optimising business processes for transport and logistics businesses of all kinds and sizes. Many of CMS Transport Systems’ implementation and help-desk experts will be accessible to users at Freight2020 VISION.

Neil Foley, Operations Manager, CMS Transport Systems

Workshop sessions will concentrate on various aspects of the business from operations management to payroll and financial accounting, warehouse management, human resources management, subcontractor management, workshop and fleet maintenance management, heavy vehicle and driver compliance management, mobility and fatigue management system integration, and customer service. Expert tips will benefit all users of Freight2020 from ‘beginner’ to ‘advanced’.

“A forum like Freight2020 VISION is a great way for experts and users to share knowledge,” said Neil Foley, Operations Manager of CMS Transport Systems. “Our department’s mission is to see everyone in the Freight2020 user community getting the most out of their Freight2020 systems, and running their businesses as efficiently and profitably as possible.”

Beyond Freight2020 with advanced service offerings and integrations

Also presenting focus sessions at Freight2020 VISION will be senior technical support personnel from Progress, the global company behind OpenEdge, Freight2020’s development environment, and several Australian technology partners offering integrated products and services such as advanced driver fatigue management and geo-tracking systems integrated with Freight2020.

Grant Walmsley, General Manager, CMS Transport Systems

“Technology will continue to drive the road freight transport industry in Australia,” said Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems. “Larger companies are generally using the full suite of Freight2020 solutions with advanced integrations. Smaller companies are finding Freight2020 more accessible with SaaS and BYOD helping to even-out the playing field. Compliance and safety are overriding concerns for the entire industry, so it’s important to understand how our technology partners are continually working on new ways of managing these vital issues.”

Freight2020 user case studies from Australia and New Zealand

CMS Transport Systems has a long history of development in direct response to the needs and ideas of user organisations. For example, the development of the mobile app for Freight2020 Driver Mobility was a world-first breakthrough inspired by Victorian freight carriers, Asixa. The recent launch of Freight2020 MDBA came about through the need to assist larger customers with data protection.

“The Freight2020 VISION conference is not just an opportunity for CMS to showcase what’s in store for users going forward. Some of our customers will be presenting their own case studies involving deployment of Freight2020 systems in Australia, and also in New Zealand. It’s an opportunity for everyone to learn through the demonstration and sharing of current industry best-practices by some of the most successful companies in the business,” Grant said.

Road transport industry analysis presented by special guest speaker

Tim Suffield, Associate Director, ANZ – Client Insights & Solutions

Tim is an Associate Director within ANZ’s Client Insights and Solutions Team and has authored and presented numerous Road Transport related analytical reports.

Tim’s responsibilities include financial analysis across industry segments to evaluate and examine trends and provide commercial insights and funding solutions to clients. In addition to peer and industry analysis, Tim supports new to bank relationships through corporate finance analysis.

Prior to working at ANZ, Tim spent over five years with KPMG’s Corporate Finance and Debt Advisory team where he assisted many corporates to raise and re-structure debt. Tim has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Engineering (1st Class Honours) also from Monash.

You can read recent articles quoting Tim as published in the online magazines ATN FullyLoaded and OwnerDriver.

Invitations to Freight2020 VISION in Melbourne 2017

Introducing VISION – the Freight2020 user group conference to be held in Melbourne, Australia

CMS’ customer contacts and regular newsletter subscribers will automatically receive an invitation to Freight2020 VISION via email, with reminders leading up to the conference date. Early-bird discount accommodation will be available for interstate and overseas participants.

If you’re not on any CMS mailing list and would like to receive an invitation to Freight2020 VISION, you can register here (the subscription box in the right-hand column of this page) or email info@transportsystems.com.au.

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While many Australian transport and logistics companies using the Freight2020 transport management system have already adopted the Freight2020 Online Customer Portal for efficient customer self-service with real-time booking requests, track-and-trace, PODs, and accounts-related information, not all have had their portals fully customised and integrated with their company’s website.

Portal interfaces almost infinitely customisable

Demo example of customised Freight2020 Online Customer Portal login screen with Freight2020 branding as generic placeholder (by Ginormous)

The Freight2020 Online Customer Portal interface can be skinned and configured to suit the corporate image and layout requirements of any Freight2020 user organisation, explained Melanie Williamson, CEO of the Ginormous B2B Marketing agency. Ginormous has completed numerous portal customisations and can work directly with the Melbourne-based CMS development team on advanced layout modifications which are increasingly required by Freight2020 user organisations as online access to freight and warehousing services becomes more common.

“Although the Freight2020 Online Customer Portal is hosted separately to the company’s main website, facilitating live access into a cloud-based self-service system, there is no need for the transport company’s customers to experience any major change in branding or environment between the company’s main website and online customer portal for Freight2020,” Mel said.

Compared to the overall cost of full website development, recently quoted in MyBusiness magazine as typically between $5,000 and $40,000, it can cost very little to have the Freight2020 Online Customer Portal customised with a company’s own branding with the same kind of online look-and-feel that their customers are used to experiencing.

Customisation can cost very little

Actual Freight2020 Online Customer Portal inner-page/menu customised to match website of Mid West Transport Services (by Ginormous)

“We can customise the main Freight2020 Online Customer Portal login page from as little as about $600, and include customisation of the inner screens and menu layouts from about $1,000 as a starting point, depending on the complexity needed to meet the company’s requirements.”

“When we’ve been asked to customise a Freight2020 Online Customer Portal it has quite often led to full website redevelopment. However, this is definitely not a pre-requesite as far as our team is concerned. We’re always happy to customise Freight2020 system screens to match with an existing website design, which the company’s regular website designer can then simply integrate by adding a menu link. We can also assist with interpreting technical requirements for any web developers undertaking this kind of work for the first time. As Freight2020 front-end specialists just through our years of association with the system, we’re here to help anyone if needed,” said Mel.

The options for customised branding, colour schemes, and backgrounds are almost limitless with the Freight2020 Online Customer Portal. As with most web-accessible databases, including the popular WordPress platform for content-based websites, the Freight2020 Online Customer Portal without a cosmetic ‘skin’ will display the company’s logo by pre-set default but otherwise appears extremely plain and generic.

Impetus for long-postponed website update

Mid-page screenshot of simple but very effective new website for MWT with branded customer login page integration on main menu (by Ginormous)

“Some transport companies are finding that the deployment of an online customer portal gives impetus to a long-postponed website update. This could be due to changes in the business since the existing website was produced, the existing website not being responsive on mobile devices, or the business needing to step-up and become more competitive in a marketing sense.”

“We’ve been working with companies in the Australian transport and logistics sector for more than five years, so we understand the nature of the industry and how businesses depend on growth, no matter what size they are. We also understand how each business can differentiate its service offerings and values to help win and retain more customers, no matter how crowded the market.”

To enquire about deployment of the Freight2020 Online Customer Portal, or to arrange an initial discussion about the customisation of your portal, contact Peter Romana at CMS Transport Systems on 03 9018 7080 (direct) or email info@transportsystems.com.au.

Freight2020 Online Customer Portal login page for Coastal Midwest Transport (by their own designer)

Customised Freight2020 Online Customer Portal login page for Morrows Freightlines (by Ginormous as per specific design brief)

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Any transport company using a sophisticated ERP system like Freight2020 is essentially ‘data-driven’. When an organisation is highly dependent on data, MDBA can provide reassurance to the organisation and its customers through effective data maintenance, data-loss disaster prevention, and data recovery capabilities.

SRT Logistics, the super-efficient FMCG carriers based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Data can become lost or corrupted for many different reasons – some of the more common reasons including a building fire, hardware failure, or cyber attack. The potential for disaster cannot be avoided completely but with MDBA, the organisation’s data is safeguarded. Recovery of business systems is more rapidly achievable. Any impact on customer service and continuity of operations is minimised. For a relatively small monthly subscription, MDBA can ultimately protect the company’s reputation and revenue from the consequences of data-loss disaster.

Major freight carrier impacted by ‘black swan’ event

Freight2020 MDBA was developed following a request from the very successful Tasmania-based FMCG carrier, SRT Logistics. What happened to prompt this request from SRT to CMS serves to demonstrate how even the most well-managed and efficient businesses can become threatened at any moment in time by a serious, unpredictable (‘black swan’) event.

Leigh Cripps, manager of finance and IT at SRT Logistics, spoke about the incident at the launch of Freight2020 MDBA during Progress Exchange Asia Pacific 2016.

“The data-related horror story I can share with you today, as a case study, began very simply,” said Leigh. “One of our staff received a legitimate-looking email advising that our company was being investigated by the Australian Taxation Office. The email instructed the reader to click a link. Once the link was clicked, it was too late for anyone to have second thoughts about the legitimacy of the email. A cryptovirus attack had been unleashed.”

Leigh Cripps, Manager Finance & IT, SRT Logistics, at the Progress Exchange Asia Pacific conference, Hilton Sydney, 13 July 2016

“The effects were immediate and devastating. All of our business systems, including our transport management system, Freight2020, were compromised. We didn’t know where trucks were located, what drivers were doing, the status of consignments… the situation was potentially disastrous for a logistics-based organisation like SRT and in turn, our valued freight customers,” Leigh said.

“The system downtime was extremely inconvenient and stressful for everyone concerned. Emergency assistance from data recovery specialists wasn’t something we’d budgeted for either,” said Leigh. “Once we’d finally regained control of our systems, and everything returned to running smoothly, we were determined to protect SRT from the risk of anything like this ever happening again.”

Freight2020 MDBA offering formulated with Progress

Grant Walmsley, general manager of CMS Transport Systems, Australian developers of the Freight2020 transport management system, explained to the Australian OpenEdge developer community how the new Freight2020 MDBA service offering was formulated in consultation with Progress.

“When SRT was looking for a fail-safe data-loss prevention strategy, I recalled how Progress, the global company behind Freight2020’s development environment, OpenEdge, had been able to rescue another Aussie freight company from near-disaster just a year or so prior to the cryptovirus incident at SRT.”

“On this occasion, in late 2014, the other transport company suffered a major on-premise infrastructure failure which rendered their data inaccessible. As a 24/7 business, they needed urgent data-recovery assistance, but it was after-hours on a Friday night in Australia. Because of our close relationship with Progress, and the Australia to USA time difference, we were able to connect our stricken Freight2020 customer with Mike Furgal, principal lead software engineer at Progress in Boston, Massachusetts. Mike was able to rescue our customer’s operations in Australia overnight, during his working day.”

Mike Furgal, Principal Lead Software Engineer at Progress, Boston, USA, was in Sydney to speak about Freight2020 MDBA at Progress Exchange

“With SRT’s needs in mind, and our previous experience with this other customer being helped so successfully by Mike Furgal, we entered into collaborative discussions with Joe Genovese, Progress consulting manager for the Asia Pacific region. Our discussions led to the idea of an MDBA option for Freight2020 users, with the world’s best technical services provided by Progress,” Grant said.

“The scale and reach of Progress, and efficient packaging of services by CMS to suit Freight2020 users, would make Freight2020 MDBA not just extremely effective but also very affordable.”

SRT Logistics first to sign-on for Freight2020 MDBA

SRT Logistics recently became the first Australian transport company to sign-on for Freight2020 MDBA with CMS, representing a world-first for Progress as a white-label MDBA service offering through a developer partner.

Freight2020 MDBA is now available to users of the Freight2020 transport management system throughout Australia and New Zealand.

CMS and SRT become newsmakers at Progress Exchange Asia Pacific

Colleen Reidy, Client Success Marketing, Progress

Freight2020 MBDA was launched on Day 2 of Progress Exchange during a group presentation led by Grant Walmsley of CMS Transport Systems with special guest, Leigh Cripps of SRT Logistics, and Joe Genovese and Mike Furgal representing Progress. Attendance at this year’s Progress Exchange event was strong, and the atmosphere vibrant with new technology unveiled by Progress to reflect the theme, ‘Empowering Digital Transformation’.

“By attending Progress Exchange as a guest of CMS, and participating as a speaker, I got a very real sense of SRT’s day-to-day operations being backed by some of the world’s most responsive and capable technology experts through CMS,” Leigh Cripps said. “It’s hard to put a value on peace-of-mind for people managing a data-driven, 24/7 business like SRT Logistics. For us, and our customers, the value of data dependability is priceless. The surprisingly low cost of ongoing MDBA is definitely worth every cent.”

Tucked away in a breakout room at Progress Exchange was a video production studio set up and managed by Colleen Reidy, the Boston-based client success marketing manager for Progress. Colleen interviewed Leigh Cripps, Grant Walmsley, Mike Furgal and Joe Genovese for the global roll-out of Progress white-label MDBA services following the world-first launch in Australia by CMS. When released, the video will be featured on the Progress website and promoted throughout the Freight2020 user group in Australia and New Zealand.

Ask about 24/7 MDBA for Freight2020

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The “underpayments” described by an industrial magistrate as “substantial” involved: “meal, travel and shift allowances; overtime, leave, and public holiday entitlements; minimum hourly rates; and expense payments to cover overnight stays away from home,” as reported in Fully Loaded. It was stated the company: “…broke workplace laws by withholding $244,221 in payments from 10 fuel tanker drivers, seven of whom are no longer with the company…”

The losses for individual drivers were found to have ranged from $7,355 to $59,993. The Court’s decision is being appealed by the company concerned. According to the article in Fully Loaded, the Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James, said, “The Court’s decision should send a message to transport sector employers about the importance of ensuring they pay all minimum entitlements.”

Freight2020 Payroll Management protecting against employee underpayment

(Stock photo using model)

“Employee entitlements in the Australian road freight transport industry, as within any industry sector, are a very serious matter,” said Rob Mullins of CMS Transport Systems. “Compliance with all regulatory aspects of human resources management, including payroll calculations, has always been integral to Freight2020 development. Heavy vehicle compliance and all-round HR compliance is safeguarded throughout the Freight2020 system.”

“There is no point running a profitable transport business without absolute compliance in operations, fleet management, human resources, and administration. Not having the right system to manage compliance throughout the organisation would only expose the business to great risk.”

Developed specifically for the Australian road freight transport industry

Freight2020 Payroll Management is the payroll solution that is purpose-built for managing the intricacies of employer obligations and regulatory requirements for trucking companies of all sizes, operating in any mode of freight carriage.

Not only does Freight2020 Payroll easily manage all complex factors bearing on driver pay calculations – including the accurate calculation of trips and associated allowances, and tricky superannuation calculations for long-haul drivers – it is fully integrated with the entire Freight2020 suite including Subcontractor Management, Operations Management with Driver Mobility for tracking shifts and journeys in real-time, Financial Management, and Human Resources Management incorporating OHS/WHS/WorkSafe/WorkCover compliance.

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