ITTOOLKIT [ IN PRACTICE ]
Cream of the Crops
With several hundred locations in more than 70 countries, management at Bayer Crop Science needed greater visibility and access to the information that could help it make fact-based logistics decisions, boost asset utilization, and enhance on-time delivery.
THE CUSTOMER Bayer Crop Science is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. THE PROVIDER Blue Yonder is a supply chain management company operating as an independent subsidiary of Panasonic. Founded in 1985, the company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with oces globally.
digitalizing and standardizing its logistics operations globally. As part of this effort, it started to leverage more of the functionality available through Blue Yonder’s transportation management solution in its locations around the world. As of 2023, Bayer Crop Science had implemented the Blue Yonder transportation management solution in about 65 countries. Installations are in place across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Most locations can leverage the standard Blue Yonder TMS solution for about 80% of transactions, with 20% requiring some con guring for exceptions. Typically, the customizations are regional. For instance, legal requirements differ between Europe and North America, necessitating some customization. SETTING GOALS Three elements were most important in the implementation, Ivanyi says. First was the customer experience and ensuring on-time delivery; second was simplifying the transportation function to achieve cost savings; and third was furthering sustainability efforts.
To reach these goals, the company partnered with Ernst & Young (EY) to implement Blue Yonder’s transportation management solutions. It has since improved asset utilization, eliminated millions of miles traveled along with the emissions they would generate, and improved operational ef ciency. Bayer Crop Science develops solutions that help growers maximize yields, secure harvests, and sustainably grow nutritious food and feed. Its two main business lines are chemicals and seeds. The chemicals business tends to have more of a local focus, while the seed business is international, with more shipments moving between different countries, says Johnny Ivanyi, global head of distribution excellence. ROLLING OUT A TMS When it began its partnership with Blue Yonder, Bayer Crop Science started with domestic over-the-road and rail shipments. About one year later, it started to deploy the Blue Yonder transportation management system (TMS) in some regions, says Terence Leung, senior director, product marketing with Blue Yonder. In 2020, Bayer Crop Science began
by Karen Kroll
July 2023 • Inbound Logistics 191
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