-Homedirectusa dramatically improves shipping and order fulfillment processes with advanced, web-based order management system.

Furniture World Magazine

Over the past 10 years, the distribution industry has experienced a rapid evolution. A dynamic economy and increased competition has made it impossible for all but a few retailers to maintain their own delivery services. Distributors have also felt the economic crunch and are under constant pressure to streamline operations, cut supply chain costs and find new ways to reach the consumer directly. The most successful companies are turning to disintermediation – the elimination of links in the supply chain – to move products from their manufacturers directly to the consumer. HomeDirectUSA has capitalized on this trend to become the only critical link between manufacturer and consumer. HomeDirectUSA is a leading supply chain management company, specializing in the home delivery of large consumer products such as furniture, electronics, fitness equipment and appliances, as well as other high-end items that require specialized handling or a time-sensitive delivery. The company assists businesses in lowering operating costs and expanding into new markets by utilizing its nationwide network of distribution centers to provide comprehensive and seamless shipping, warehousing and home delivery solutions. This takes the burden of issues like worker compensation, fuel prices, fleet management and consumer service off of the manufacturer, enabling it to focus on its core competencies. HomeDirectUSA distinguishes itself from the competition with state-of-the-art technology that forms the backbone of its solutions. Its web-based, user friendly Order Management system enables customer service representatives to quickly and accurately process and manage shipments in real-time, while enabling customers to track consignee orders from any location throughout the world. The application improves upon the traditional shipping process by allowing HomeDirectUSA and its customers to view the same order information at all points in the shipping process. Since HomeDirectUSA and its customers are working from the same system, the consumer receives an accurate answer to all shipping inquiries, creating a powerful customer service organization that joins multiple corporate support teams through a shared data network powered by the Internet. HomeDirectUSA developed the Order Management system to meet the special requirements of the home delivery business, a contrast to many other systems that are based on third party tools and modified to support home delivery. These applications are limited by their generalized architecture and are therefore unable to offer a truly comprehensive solution. “Our Order Management technology offers a level of customer service that would be very costly for manufacturers or retailers to attempt to match,” said Brian Gallagher, general manager for HomeDirectUSA. “By utilizing our technology infrastructure to serve their customers, companies are able to offer better service than they would be able to provide themselves, at a significantly reduced cost in terms of overhead, technology development and other resources.” HomeDirectUSA’s system receives order status information directly from its TimeLok transportation system. Each TimeLok distribution center is equipped with a computer linking it to the Order Management system, which it uses to enter the status of received orders. This information allows HomeDirectUSA to track each shipment from the manufacturer to the distribution center. If a shipment is loaded and unloaded while in transit to or from multiple distribution centers, that information is also automatically logged into the system to create a trail from the origin to the consignee’s destination. The system can communicate with vendors, customers and consignees through different forms of electronic communications including fax, email and pager, allowing all shipment participants to communicate seamlessly using different electronic devices. In the event of a problem in the order fulfillment process, the Order Management system’s alerts component is automatically activated. The alerts component is designed to ensure on-time performance and hassle-free service by automatically anticipating and pro-actively addressing problems in the shipping process before they impact the consumer. Alerts are created by a synergy of shipment tracking information and proprietary computer algorithms that analyze hundreds of shipping events in seconds and generate a list of shipments that may encounter problems. For example, if an order has not been scheduled for delivery by the distribution center and is within two days of the consignee’s promised delivery date, the system automatically detects the problem and issues an alert for immediate delivery. “In order to be a successful customer service company, we must always detect and rectify problems before the consumer can notice them,” said Gallagher. “If the consumer ever has reason to contact us with a complaint, then we have not provided the level of customer service that our reputation was built on. The alerts system eliminates human error from the equation and enables us to provide the level of service that our customers and their customers should expect from a delivery company.” The final critical components in HomeDirectUSA’s Order Management system are its dynamic report generator and waybill printing modules. The report generator application allows customers to design and generate their own reports in seconds, providing a flexible and fast means of supporting their management when making supply chain, inventory and financial planning decisions. This provides the user with a powerful, user-friendly database query builder that requires no knowledge of database programming. HomeDirectUSA also enables customers to print waybills for proof-of-delivery directly from the Order Management system. The system stores an image of the signed waybill in its document management system, which may be accessed through a standard web browser. The user simply enters the waybill number and prints the signed document from any computer, anywhere in the world. “Our dedication to providing advanced technology to the distribution industry is clearly evident in the care we have taken to develop the Order Management system,” said Gallagher. “Our technology gives customers visibility to their orders and enables them to better manage their consumer’s shipment expectations.” About HomeDirectUSA: HomeDirectUSA, a majority-owned subsidiary of The Bekins Company, is one of the country’s premier providers of advanced delivery services for large consumer durables. The company operates from 61 distribution centers, four crossdock operations and a fleet of more than 1,200 Air Ride tractor-trailer units. Headquartered in Hillside, Ill. HomeDirectUSA, through its parent The Bekins Company, is an ISO-9002 registered company. More information on HomeDirectUSA can be found on the company website: www.homedirectusa.com. -