Del Monte names GT Nexus visibility, transportation software provider

Del Monte names GT Nexus visibility, transportation software provider Alameda, Calif.-based GT Nexus said Wednesday that Del Monte Foods has signed on as the latest client of the logistics software firm's Trade and Logistics Portal.
   Del Monte selected the GT Nexus system to serve as the produce giant's international transportation management and shipment visibility platform. Financial details of the deal were not released.
   Officials from Del Monte noted increases in supply chain efficiency and cost savings as primary reasons for opting for the GT Nexus system.
   'We didn't have to pay upfront and install a huge system before knowing if it was the right thing for us,' said Bill Pollard, vice president of customer service and transportation at Del Monte. 'We already have results that have exceeded our expectations. We are expecting to see a significant reduction in our ocean transportation spend for 2007.'
   The new Del Monte transportation management system works in two stages. First, during the bidding process, the GT Nexus software is used to compare thousands of different service and price scenarios. All of the data, including rates and service terms are captured online in standardized formats. The options are then evaluated to determine an allocation plan that optimizes transportation spend while preserving key business rules.
   Once contracts have been awarded, the GT Nexus system serves as a transportation contract management system of record that supports ongoing amendments and updates as services are delivered. The ocean contract information also acts a logistics data hub that can support future procurement cycles and other add-on capabilities, such as freight audit and document exchange.
   GT Nexus said the platform is also being expanded to support global shipment visibility, allowing Del Monte to track global shipments as they move from origin to final destination.
   The entire platform, offered online and on-demand, eliminates the need for Del Monte to install local software or maintain system-related equipment. It also will allow Del Monte to interface directly with the other 15,000 organizations that use the GT Nexus system.
   Based in San Francisco, the $3.4 billion-a-year Del Monte is one of the nation's largest manufacturers of branded canned fruit, vegetables, pet foods and snacks, tuna, and broths.