The Eminent Group launches new supply chain forecasting service

An innovative supply chain solution for midsize businesses was unveiled this week, promising to provide new forecasting tools for the age of shipper/carrier collaboration.

The Eminent Group said that its new product – RapidOTM – will enable shippers to take advantage of the powerful Oracle Transportation Management software at a more forgiving price. Coinciding with the massive technology confab, Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco, the announcement was made in Philadelphia at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals in Philadelphia.

“RapidOTM will allow more companies to better manage their transportation and logistical operations more quickly, more cost effectively, and more efficiently than before,” said Kathy Moore, CEO of Eminent Group. “Now, smaller companies have access to the same powerful software as the big boys.”

The timing for such an announcement may be right, too, she added. In an interview with SCMR, Moore noted that many economists are saying that small to midsized businesses have not been mired in the aftermath of the recession.

“We see companies ready to grow again,” she said. “But they will have to do it in a measured way, and be prepared for an escalation of transportation rates.”

Eminent can implement templates, default parameters, data loading and business practices, provided by Oracle Transportation Management in a matter of weeks, said Moore.

“That means companies can start saving money and improving services in their transportation and logistics structure almost immediately,” she added.

Moore said that her consulting group will be targeting shippers in North America using domestic trucking and intermodal carriers.

“We see a 10-15 percent increase in costs there,” she said, “due mostly to labor. With this tool, we can help shippers unbundle their distribution channels and collaborate with carriers more effectively.”

According to Eminent, a large company that is using OTM to its full capacity could spend several million dollars or more to get OTM installed and running. A smaller organization that purchases RapidOTM could see immediate benefits with a spend of approximately $350,000.

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