Kuebix, creator of a transportation management system that delivers freight intelligence, introduces SupplierMAX, a comprehensive inbound program to increase the efficiency of inbound freight operations.

Inbound freight management has been an often overlooked area in the supply chain, despite the fact that successful inbound management can reap huge benefits for shippers. That’s because inbound shipping is extremely complex, and many companies lack the internal resources and technology to put a comprehensive inbound strategy in place. SupplierMAX leverages Kuebix’s technology and the Kuebix team of freight experts to rapidly implement an inbound freight management program proven to increase efficiencies and lower costs.

“Managing inbound freight operations with hundreds or even thousands of suppliers can be a terribly inefficient process that eats into a company’s cost of goods,” said Dan Clark, founder and president of Kuebix. “Because companies have not optimized the way they collaborate with their suppliers and carriers from a freight perspective, inbound is often left as the last area for automation and process improvements despite the fact that it holds the potential for tremendous savings.”

Without an inbound freight management program, companies are not getting the lowest freight cost per shipment, consolidating shipments to minimize unloading expenses at the distribution center, or enforcing compliance standards to improve the behavior of suppliers. As a result, an excessive number of inbound deliveries and carriers wreak havoc at the warehouse and distribution center. Without a standard routing guide and set of compliance procedures in place, the customer is absorbing the cost of their suppliers’ inefficiencies.

With SupplierMAX, companies leverage Kuebix’s technology and logistics experts to manage all or a portion of their inbound freight program. SupplierMAX improves supplier behavior and increases the efficiency of warehouses and distribution centers by incorporating a series of comprehensive strategies to improve inbound operations. Some of these strategies include building a plan with suppliers to reduce the number of inbound carrier deliveries and associated costs by consolidating less-than-truckload shipments into full truckload. Kuebix’s powerful scheduling tool and collaboration portals enable suppliers, customers and carriers to have full shipment visibility resulting in better order planning and more efficient docks. SupplierMAX delivers the administration of dynamic allowance programs with suppliers to take advantage of these savings. Additionally, the program improves supplier behavior by managing Vendor Inbound Compliance procedures and Routing Guides. Finally, detailed analytics empower logistics teams to measure the results of the program and take action to improve service with suppliers and carriers.

“Taking control of inbound freight requires significant changes for suppliers and carriers. Many businesses overlook the fact that inbound freight management can lead to greater cost savings and significant supply chain improvements,” said Adrian Gonzalez, president of Adelante SCM, a leading analyst firm focusing on supply chain processes. “The Kuebix SupplierMAX offering addresses the many challenges of this complex process and can make significant improvements in transportation spend for many businesses.”