Increased globalization, more demanding customers and more complex global supply chains are spurring the need for innovation in managing how fresh foods get from the farm to the table.

How can food suppliers go real-time to make sure produce arrives “fresh” at consumers? Who will be held accountable for cargo delays? How can fleet utilization be improved?

Tech Mahindra, a Dallas, Texas-based provider of IT services consulting and outsourcing, outlined how a perishable food supplier can supply fruits worldwide through ship/rail/road with transport duration of 14-45 days with fewer cost and minimal waste. The entire system is based on the networks, mobility, analytics, cloud, sensors, security and social (NMACS) technology through which very single step is fully integrated and trackable, allowing for seamless surveillance and documentation of the delivery and storage process.

Business challenge
The customer wanted to explore innovative ways to optimize costs and build an agile supply chain. Transportation management was identified as an area of focus due to tightening freight capacity in North America and low fleet utilization levels.

Reaching a solution
A “farm to fork” solution can help this perishable goods supplier in effective and seamless fruit transport monitoring from source to destination. Tech Mahindra analyzed and developed an innovative solution that provides:

• Agility to support dynamic shipment changes

• Visibility of shipment in the entire life cycle

• Proactive alerting to take corrective actions in case of delays

• Large savings in transportation spend from continuous move discounts

• Ability to secure capacity from outside market by making commitments and adhering to the same guidelines.

Benefits
Benefits to the customer from the solution include:

Process automation.

• 90% of loads rated by system

• Increased accuracy while eliminating human errors

Visibility

• Visibility for all shipment in one system

• Alerting in case of delays

Fleet utilization and lower deadhead mileage

• Higher capacity utilization for fleet

• Savings from continuous move discounts

Total savings

• Over $ 5 million per year in savings.