DDC Sync Q&A: Supply Chain Efficiency Through Smart In-Cab BOL Capture
Q. DDC FPO just launched DDC Sync, which leverages intelligent automated capture. Why? How can companies gain supply chain efficiencies by automating data capture?
A. We’ve been in this industry working with a large portion of leading motor carriers for a long time. One of the common, recurring challenges that we are always helping our partners overcome is finding new ways to boost efficiencies in their operation. An example is capturing BOL data earlier in order to reduce turn around time.
Yet most applications on the market—until now—don’t adequately do this, because they aren’t truly automated. They require drivers to capture an image of the BOL for historical record and then key the relevant data.
By automating this process with an intelligent capture engine, you’ll benefit in both accuracy rates and speed of processing.
Not only will you ensure your data is correct due to the reduction in human error caused by manual entry, but you’ll get a hold of the quality data faster. You no longer have to wait for the manual entry to happen, and you don’t have to worry about days caused by rejects or snags in QA.
Now, take that automated, smart OCR engine and put it in a mobile device so that it can be taken care of at the time of pick up? It’s a game changer.
Q. How are freight operations optimized by empowering drivers to capture data?
A. Initial results of DDC Sync show that LTL carriers experience a near six-hour gain in visibility and access to their freight data. To quote one of our integration partners, Ben Wiesen from CLI, "This is huge."
When drivers are empowered to capture this data at the time of pick up, transportation providers can see it in real-time, review, and make logistics and workforce planning decisions immediately.
The competitive advantage they have to optimize their load planning and scheduling is significant.
Q. DDC Sync is positioned as an enterprise application. Besides the in-cab BOL capture, what are other noteworthy features?
A. With the web portal of the DDC Sync solution, dock operations and terminal management are no longer limited to zip code and tonnage. They can now make strategic routing moves based on all the consignee details that come to them in real-time or near-real time.
The end-to-end visibility comes full circle with GPS tagging, real-time reporting, and driver-terminal chat. And, to increase adoption, we have an engaging gamification program to reward drivers as well as interest groups for drivers to connect.
The primary trigger to synchronizing your operation, though, and getting your people, processes and data all working in harmony, is the smart mobile capture functionality to obtain accurate BOL data from inside the truck cab.
To learn more, visit: www.ddcfpo.com/ddcsync