Exel streamlines freight system with Wipro

Indian firm helps logistics specialist improve customer service levels

Supply chain and logistics specialist Exel has re-engineered its core freight management system and reduced by a fifth the number of customer service calls coming into the division.

Indian software firm Wipro was given the task of re-developing the system, used to manage core business processes such as freight tracking, finance and operations.

The system consists of a complex application portfolio comprising 12,000 bespoke and off-the-shelf programs, used by 9,000 staff in 47 countries.

Wipro, which has been working with Exel on the system in various forms since 2002, has also provided support and development services for the system, allowing Exel to improve its efficiency and management.

The technology runs on an IBM AS 400 infrastructure.

The overhaul has made call-handling and logging more flexible, as well as reducing calls to Exel's customer contact centres by 20 per cent.

'We needed to manage a global set of applications used by both the back- and front-office functions,' said Phil Stubbington, service delivery head of Exel's global freight management business.

'That covers everything from internal people or external customers booking a shipment to finance tracking an invoice. 'Wipro is reducing the time it takes to carry out a transaction, for example, or optimising our supply chain so we can consolidate different customers' shipments into one.'

The wide mix of application enhancement, development and support provided has generally increased service and IT management levels as well as cutting call volumes, says Stubbington.