Al Madina Logistics strives for supply chain excellence with Exactus Solutions

The solution will help streamline business operations and improve performance to support AMLS' rapid growth and diversification plans.

The Omani provider of third-party logistics (3PL) and express road and airfreight transport plans to use the system in warehousing operations across the country to increase productivity through greater automation and improved fulfillment capabilities.

AMLS has a fleet with state-of-the-art vehicles with various configurations to meet the demanding needs of their customers. Aware GPS-enabled Transport Management System (TMS) will help dynamically optimize AMLS' logistics operations to maximize transportation efficiency and reduce cycle times and transportation costs. Aware TMS enables customers to maintain complete control of its network and confidently make the right transportation decisions based on costs, service needs, locations and carrier commitments.

AMLS's freight operation focuses on key mode of transportations i.e. maritime, aviation, and x-border land transportation.

The services comprise of transportation, custom clearance, documentation activities, live-update of information (data exchange) and value-added services such as manpower supply, escort requirements, load consolidation and others. Exactus' comprehensive multi-modal Freight Management system (FMS) will help AMLS efficiently manage the complex transport operations, from loading and manifest creation through to the delivery sequences.

Once ready, AMLS's Warehouses and Distribution Centre will consist of several multi-purpose built facilities totaling more than 275,000 Square Meter in size comprising of more than 180,000 pallet locations strategically located throughout Oman. The Warehouse will be fully equipped with storage conditions of ambient, frozen, chilled handling systems. Products that require cold-chain management will be managed fully according to International Standards such as ISO 22000 (Food Storage & Handling) where temperature and humidity loggers will all carry certified calibration certificates to ensure record accuracy.

With customers across diverse industries such as Oil and Gas & FMCG, AMLS was motivated to find a flexible, scalable solution that would allow its warehousing operations to meet a range of customer needs quickly. Aware Warehouse Management System (WMS) is an integrated Solution and will facilitate the flow of real-time inventory information across the various departments. The solution will enable AMLS' customers to access shipment status and other key inventory and account information through a secure Web portal.

In the first phase, BSG is implementing Freight Management and GPS-based Transportation Management systems, followed by Finance, HR and Payroll. The second phase will be the Warehouse Management system with RF/RFID solutions along with Business Intelligence solution.

"We selected BSG over the competition because Exactus' solution provided the best fit in functional capabilities that were critical to our integrated logistics business. BSG went out of their way on the initial proposal, and we felt that they understood what we wanted to achieve from the project. They were also competitive on price and the functionality that the solution offers represented excellent value for money. We wanted a solution that could be rolled out in phases across multi-sites," said Sanjeeve Thavarajah, Senior Manager - Supply Chain Division at AMLS.

"We wanted to control the ownership, and be able to de-centralize skills across IT, so that expertise could be spread across the enterprise. We were looking to drive down the initial cost of ownership, and importantly, offer improved service and more flexibility to our customers in terms of being able to interface data in and out of the system," he added.

"We've been delighted with results so far and believe that the key to BSG's success as the implementer of Exactus solutions lies in the product and domain knowledge, approach and attitude of its staff. The solution will help us achieve our goal of providing our customers with an unrivalled service experience," Sanjeeve added.

"Our goal is to provide our customers with better, more efficient and more cost-effective services," said Muzammil Dato' Noordin, Senior Manager - Logistics at AMLS. "The Exactus Aware suite will be an integral part of helping us achieve that goal by offering customers a seamless domestic supply chain solution with real-time visibility from order pick to proof of delivery."

"We were looking for an advanced solution to support and fulfill our growing operations and customer requirements. As an integrated logistics services company, we were looking for a single-platform solution and the functionality of Exactus' Aware solutions made our decision easy. Exactus was clearly our top choice for delivering an outstanding set of solutions that are aligned with our long-term growth initiative," said Mahmood Sakhi Al Balushi, CEO of AMLS.

Raheel Khan, regional director of BSG said, "Al Madina Logistics' selection of Exactus Aware solution as a strategic supply chain tool to support its clients is testament to the confidence they have in Exactus' firm commitment to the logistics services industry in the middle-east. We're delighted to have had the opportunity to support AMLS on this project and look forward to continuing to work alongside their team as they seek to further optimize their supply chain operations throughout the region."