performing and adjust the routing guide based on the results of the analysis. However, be careful not to implement predictive analytics without the proper expertise behind it, cautions Deanna Kaufman, vice president of sales at enVista, a software and consulting rm headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. “There’s an opportunity for companies to use predictive analytics,” she
anticipate future events or patterns. “Predictive analytics is the culmination of historical data around certain data points in combination with some form of machine learning model,” explains Azad Ratzki, chief technology of cer at BlueGrace Logistics, a third-party logistics provider in Tampa, Florida. “For example, you can look at your shipments and determine when they will get from point A to
To help shippers manage supply chain volatility, Odyssey Logistics & Technology released an interactive technology that provides visibility into shipments that overlay with geography profiles that present risk, including COVID-19 hotspots and transportation embargoes.
says. “But data science roles are hard to ll right now. There are tool packages out there that will provide insights, but unless a company can understand, interpret, and do something with that information, it won’t help.” A PUREE OF DISRUPTIONS Trucking sector disruptions have been a near constant since the start of the pandemic. Meanwhile, demand for consumer goods has driven up the need for transportation services, says Gregg Lanyard, senior director of product management at Manhattan Associates, a supply chain software provider based in Atlanta.
vice president of global managed logistics services. “We capture so much data with our clients,” says Midkiff. “We work with our shippers to create robust forecasts. If you can provide a forecast, then you will get in line for carrier capacity.” One way Odyssey does that is by using analytics to assess order patterns and carrier acceptance rates. The results of a forecast can help to identify potential bottlenecks in getting materials to clients. From there, Odyssey creates “mini-RFPs” to make routing guide enhancements based on data from a particular set of lanes. Shippers can see whether particular carriers are
point B by incorporating traf c, weather patterns, or previous data into a model.” A consequence of the pandemic has been lingering materials shortages. Odyssey Logistics & Technology, a third- party logistics provider based in Danbury, Connecticut, says its shipper customers deal with raw materials shortages from metals to cooking oil. The shortages inevitably lead to an increase in urgent and short lead time orders, which is exacerbated when there’s limited carrier availability. Analytics can help identify chokepoints and nd transportation capacity to keep materials owing, notes Charlie Midkiff, Odyssey’s senior
Odyssey Logistics & Technology captures data for its shipper customers and then uses predictive analytics to identify chokepoints and find transportation capacity to keep shipments moving.
April 2022 • Inbound Logistics 63
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