Logistics firms continue to expand their use of technology to meet the demands of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cloud-based solutions from logistics technology provider Descartes Systems Group are helping firms better navigate work-from-home challenges during the pandemic, as one example. Unit load device (ULD) leasing and services provider innoAviation Limited said it’s using Descartes CORE ULD Tracking solutions as part of its service to help air carriers track critical Covid-19-related PPE shipments. The firm is leasing air carriers ULDs with Descartes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags and using CORE ULD Tracking to track shipments and better manage the ULDs. The cloud-based tracking solution supports social distancing because it provides air carriers with shipment visibility while working from home, the companies said.

Similarly, freight forwarders such as California’s Aqualine International and Puerto Rico’s E.T.H. Cargo Services, say they haven’t missed a beat while transitioning to work-from-home thanks to similar solutions that allow the company to streamline back office operations, regulatory compliance, security filings, and global trade flow analysis. 

“We provide freight forwarding services that cover all of the major ports in the world and have always done so as an office-based business,” Makiko Yamamoto, managing director at Aqualine International, said. “Thanks to Descartes’ cloud-based forwarding solution with role-based access and document sharing capabilities, we transitioned the full organization to work-from-home in less than 24 hours with absolutely no disruption to customer shipments and taking into account an increase in essential products and medical supply shipments.”

In yet another example, one software provider is aiming to help warehouses get a better handle on costs so they can keep people employed. Earlier this month, productivity and analytics software provider Easy Metrics, Inc., said it is offering its Easy Metrics OpsFM Analytics and Assessment free of charge to qualified businesses that have had severe Covid-related disruptions in their distribution network. The analytics will help companies with large distribution networks gain network-wide visibility into their workflow costs so they can respond with solutions that help save jobs. The assessment stack-ranks a company’s savings opportunities in order of magnitude, making it easier for managers to prioritize issues and make improvements that create the fastest bottom-line impact, according to EasyMetrics.

“Warehouse operators are considered ‘essential workers’ for a reason,” said Jill Keto, chief marketing officer for Easy Metrics. “They ensure all of us have access to essentials like food, household goods, and pharmaceuticals. Warehouse teams with cutting edge analytics will be best positioned to meet customer demands and have a future-proofed plan that supports a healthy, stable workforce.”

Companies with distribution network disruptions from Covid-19 can apply at go.easymetrics.com/covid-19.

In related news: 

• Supply chain companies continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic by delivering crucial personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers. Illinois-based supply chain management firm SupplyCore, Inc. joined the fight with the delivery of 750,000 masks and 100,000 safety glasses to the State of Illinois this month. SupplyCore is a logistics and supply chain integrator for the U.S. military and Department of Defense; the company secured the supplies for the state from U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved suppliers over the course of several weeks, company leaders said. In addition to supporting state government needs, SupplyCore is also delivering PPE for organizations and municipalities across the country. “Our mission to support our nation’s warfighters uniquely positions us to help our country in times of peace and crisis,” said Peter Provenzano, SupplyCore President and CEO.
• Transportation industry tax, consulting, and bookkeeping firm American Truck Business Services (ATBS) says it has helped more than 900 owner-operators gain access to pandemic-related funding through the government’s Paycheck Protection Program. Working with small businesses, the firm says it has assisted with loan requests totaling more than $10 million. ATBS said the March publication of its eBook outlining the ways in which the CARES Act can assist owner-operators helped spur the process. The eBook has been downloaded by more than 10,000 truckers, according to ATBS.

For more coverage of the coronavirus crisis and how it's affecting the logistics industry, check out our Covid-19 landing page. And click here for our compilation of virus-focused websites and resource pages from around the supply chain sector.