The last mile comes into focus

Thanks to digital technology, OEMs today are using advanced shipping notices (ASNs) and electronic data interchange (EDI) communications with third-party logistics providers, or 3PLs, and ports to track goods using unique identifiers. This is driving the emergence of fourth-party logistics providers, or 4PLs, to manage their clients’ transportation and freight in a global supply chain reaching down to the “last mile.”

At Cognizant, we understand these industry changes and provide proven solutions around them. Our expertise includes RFID-enabled inventory tracking, along with mobility solutions, transportation strategy consulting and implementation.

Boost your company performance

Rail and road transporters play a major role in moving finished goods from manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe to their destinations. Cognizant’s digital solutions for these service providers focus on core processes using the latest digital technologies.

We work with two of the top five U.S.-based truckload and intermodal service providers and two of the top 10 U.S.-based Class 1 railroad companies. Our work includes transportation planning and strategy consulting, customer relationship management (CRM), business intelligence (BI) and asset management.

Smart and scalable

Yard management today is a core focus within outbound logistics for the automotive industry. Besides providing operational efficiency, yard management is key to the successful execution of postponement strategy for automotive OEMs.

Yardelligent, Cognizant’s yard and port management digital solution, is purpose-built to automate and optimize the operations of finished vehicle yards and seaports. With Yardelligent, yard operators gain real-time visibility and control of vehicles in the yard—and make their automotive distribution chain streamlined and efficient.

Track, monitor and report

Cognizant’s Connected Fleet program provides advanced telematics and geographic information system (GIS) solutions for fleet managers and vehicle owners worldwide. We use GPS and other asset tracking methods to monitor the movement of vehicles, trailers and containers anywhere in the world. Benefits include:

• Enable geo-fencing and geo-tagging of vehicles for passenger transportation
• Driver scorecards to indicate driver behavior
• Predict the value of commercial vehicles using remote monitoring and vehicle diagnostics data

New direction for ocean freight

The importance of roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) and pure car carriers (PCCs) in finished vehicle logistics has grown significantly in recent years. Cognizant works with leading Ro-Ro ocean carriers of finished vehicles from the U.S. and Europe by helping support their core ocean transport management systems. We also work with leaders in container and supply vessel operations in the areas of CRM and master data management (MDM).

Our range of services spans transportation strategy consulting, application development, and maintenance and digital infrastructure services.

Simplify distribution challenges

Cognizant provides specialized services to run back-office processes in vehicle logistics. Our service offerings include documentation management at ports and processing of the custom clearance of vehicles. We help clients focus on their core business while our teams manage day-to-day services such as:

• Timely and accurate completion of custom documents required by countries for import and export of goods
• Documentation required for region-specific agreements like NAFTA and EU
• Handling trade and industry-specific compliance documentation requirements
• Monitoring of vehicle deliveries
• Generating freight and vehicle invoice triggers

Transforming the supply chain

Areas where predictive analytics make a significant difference include:

• Outbound logistics cost optimization
• On-time delivery performance management
• Finished vehicles transportation planning
• Vehicle telematics analysis
• Remote diagnostics and maintenance

New insights from user behavior

Manufacturers stand to benefit from the analysis and understanding that social media behavior provides about their customers. For example, insight gained from social media can lead to better decisions related to product design and to improved tracking of supply chain disruptions around the world.

Cognizant offers on-demand services for regular and event-based social media monitoring. We help you leverage social media data for competitor intelligence, lead generation, product performance feedback and more.