The road to growth

To ensure the selection process was successful, a team from the company's operations and IT departments were brought together to identify the business needs and best practices from a regional and international point of view. Together, the group used the Six Sigma theory to produce a comprehensive User Requirement Specification (URS) sheet, which included 839 key attributes for the proposed system. "Once this was approved, we embarked on a Request for Proposal (RFP) with several leading brands," says Thavarajah.

Following a three-month evaluation period on technical and commercial aspects, the Dubai-based software specialist Business Systems Group (BSG) was selected to provide a system that met 98% of AMLS's specifications.

It beat the competition with a two-stage approach, which included the implementation of Aware's transport management system (TMS) integrated with the Trackon fleet management system at phase one, followed by modules for freight management, finance, human resources, warehouse management and business intelligence at phase two. "BSG displayed high-levels of professionalism and know-how about our required specifications. Most importantly, they were solution providers and not just vendors that wanted to sell their products off-shelf for quick sales," says Thavarajah.

"We wanted to start with the TMS because this area of our operations is expanding so rapidly. We serve a growing number of FMCG, petrochemical and construction companies in Oman and needed to maintain control of our network and confidently make the right transportation decisions based on costs, service needs, locations and carrier commitments. "

Prior to implementation, AMLS's truck utilisation was stuck at 35% and the firm struggled to effectively perform its route planning with load maximisation. Even customers were plagued with a lack of visibility, mainly stemming from the lack of real-time information on truck location and estimated time-of-arrival.

This was addressed by a number of features from the Exactus TMS, including route management, GPRS tracking and email alert notifications. In addition, vehicle tracking units (VTUs) were installed into the relevant vehicles to locate and track their movements, with details being transmitted using GPS capability.

"As a result, our fleet utilisation has increased to 65% and the target of 90% should be achieved within the next few months. Our driver productivity has also reached a company record of 75%," states Muzammil Dato Noordin, senior manager of AMLS's logistics division. "We now receive fewer calls from clients about the delivery status of their goods, since they have direct access to our web-based delivery monitoring system. This has resulted in improved customer service levels with accurate and on-time deliveries."

With the first stage of implementation proving a success, the company is preparing itself for stage two later this year, which involves the implementation of modules for freight management, finance, human resources, warehouse management and business intelligence.

"We're really pleased with the end result and hope to differentiate ourselves in the regional logistics industry with cutting-edge technology," concludes Noordin. "The second stage of implementation should be completed by the end of 2009. We're confident it will support the next chapter of our development and meet the expectations of our company and customers."

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