We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Ryder streamlines transportation management tasks with work bots
APPLICATION

Ryder streamlines transportation management tasks with work bots

Robotic process automation (RPA) system from Kofax reduces the labor needed for daily transportation planning.

May 4, 2022
Ben Ames
No Comments

Even before the Covid pandemic hit, workers at Ryder System Inc.’s transportation management division had their hands full each day managing transportation networks for their clients. The division says its goal is to put goods into the hands of the people that need them and give customers real-time visibility of all of that inventory, from fulfillment to final delivery.

At the end of 2017, the unit decided to add a new tool to its toolkit, streamlining its workflow with RPA (robotic process automation) technology provided by Irvine, California-based Kofax, a developer of intelligent automation platforms. RPA software is used to automate high-volume, repeatable tasks to help eliminate unnecessary keystrokes, according to the analyst group ARC Advisory Group.

By the beginning of 2018, Ryder had launched a handful of Kofax RPA “bots”—software programs that perform predefined tasks—using them to retrieve information from databases in response to customer queries about, say, the whereaouts of their load or to confirm that a pickup had been made or a load delivered on time.

More recently, Ryder has deployed additional Kofax bots to eliminate its nightly “optimization sessions,” overnight shifts in which Ryder employees would plan the next day’s loads using the company’s transportation management system (TMS). Both managers and employees were frustrated that the skilled analysts were essentially solving the same problem each night. But by applying bots to the task, the company has been able to end those sessions and redeploy its analysts to higher-level tasks during daytime shifts.

A BIG PAYBACK

Encouraged by that success, Ryder has since gone on to create more than 500 bots to automate transportation-focused tasks, according to Leslie Mandrell, a group logistics manager for Ryder. She notes that Ryder is able to create the new bots in-house without having to hire information technology (IT) experts—all that’s required is a familiarity with common programming tools like application programming interfaces (APIs) or structured query language (SQL). Today, the bots automatically answer queries in a range of business areas, such as planning and control, freight auditing and payment, and freight brokerage operations.

“When we started our journey with Kofax in 2017, we had a lot of manual work. We had brilliant transportation minds doing the same thing every day, and it was non-value–added work,” Mandrell said in an interview. “Today, it’s fantastic. We have improved our efficiency. But what’s also really important to us is that [the bots] are doing the exact same thing every time, so it also improves our accuracy.”

On top of that, the process is fully transparent to clients, Mandrell added. “From a customer experience perspective, they can’t tell if a bot did it or a human did it. So it’s invisible to the clients, but they’re comfortable with the fact that there are bots involved.”

In the four years that Ryder has been using its Kofax bots, the company has been able to eliminate over 55 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. But Mandrell says Ryder hasn’t laid off any workers; instead, it has redeployed them elsewhere in its growing operation. 

Looking ahead, Ryder plans to expand the approach to additional departments, adding bots for tasks in overall corporate operations, engineering, and finance, she added.

Technology Transportation IT
KEYWORDS Kofax Ryder System Inc.
  • Related Articles

    Konexial's 2019 Release of My20 Tower Streamlines Fleet Management with Dynamic Load Matching

    National Airlines Streamlines Worldwide Mail Transportation with Descartes Velocity Mail Solution

    Axle Announces New Integration With Tai Transportation Management Software

Benames
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.

Recent Articles by Ben Ames

Jungheinrich buys Indiana warehouse automation vendor for $375 million

Shipping groups back bipartisan trucking overhaul bill

Walmart boosts investment in GoLocal delivery-as-a-service platform

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

  • Ports, maritime operators see tide turning as ocean freight tsunami subsides

  • In Person: Steve Beverly of Penske

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • InPerson interview: Rob McKeel of Fortna

Now Playing on DCV-TV

89cfed30 8aac 4284 960d c8c8c1886e16

Have you checked your read rate lately?

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
No reads. Unaccounted for boxes. Boxes sent to the wrong place. A logistics nightmare! But this nightmare doesn’t have to come true. SICK’s linear line scan camera is what dreams are made of for your logistics operations. And if you’re worried about motion and vibration from conveyor belts...well, there’s no reason...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing