Transportation
Business Wire | October 30, 2023
UPS announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Happy Returns from PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL). Happy Returns is a U.S.-based software and reverse logistics company that enables frictionless, no-box, no-label returns for merchants and consumers.
“We know that returns have long frustrated shoppers and retailers looking for quick and easy solutions,” UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé said. “By combining Happy Returns’ easy digital experience and established drop-off points with UPS’s small package network and footprint of close to 5,200 The UPS Store locations, box-free, label-free returns will soon be available at more than 12,000 convenient locations in the U.S.”
“Joining the UPS team is a win for both our employees and our customers,” said Happy Returns CEO and co-founder David Sobie, who will continue to lead the business for UPS after the deal closes. “In recent years, the growth of Happy Returns has accelerated, and we’ve built an enterprise-grade solution. This new chapter is a natural next step for Happy Returns and allows us to harness the power of the UPS network to transform the returns industry.”
Happy Returns offers a full stack of returns solutions, powered by software and fully scaled reverse logistics operations that facilitate frictionless returns. In a few simple steps, users can access a returns portal, make a box-free return at the most convenient location and have their item shipped, sorted and returned to the merchant. With more than 800 merchant customers, Happy Returns has a strong track record of providing hassle-free, no-box returns, reducing the cost of e-commerce for all players and creating a more efficient, sustainable supply chain.
The acquisition of Happy Returns is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
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Supply Chain
Business Wire | October 26, 2023
QAD Inc., a leading provider of next-generation manufacturing and supply chain solutions in the cloud, announced that Envista, a global family of more than 30 trusted dental brands operating in more than 120 countries, has selected QAD Global Trade and Transportation Execution (GTTE) for high volume parcel, heavy freight and white glove deliveries.
The deployment of QAD Transportation Execution in the cloud enables Envista to make time-critical deliveries, standardize shipping across global locations and reduce transportation costs. In addition, Envista has deployed QAD Delivery Exception Management, a centralized portal to track all deliveries, anywhere in the world, with alerts for potential in-transit disruptions.
“Implementing a leading TMS system globally will enable us to further improve on our core strategic objective of running a highly customer centric operation,” said Hans Gernler van Marle, senior director transportation & logistics EMEA and APAC at Envista. “By continuous improvement, leveraging innovation where possible, we make sure we keep at the forefront of providing our customers with the best and most dependable transportation services available in a globally ever changing market.”
“Envista is a company with truly global operations, with manufacturing and distribution locations across EMEA, the Americas and Asia-Pacific region. Due to the time-critical nature of its products and services, the ability to connect to global and local carrier networks is critical for Envista’s customer success. As such, the company needed a global partner that could support its shipping needs everywhere in the world,” said Carter Lloyds, chief product and marketing officer at QAD. “No other solution comes close in terms of worldwide coverage and the ability to ensure critical shipments reach their destination on-time and in full.”
QAD Transportation Execution is a multi-carrier, multimodal, multilingual shipping solution. Industry leaders in every region of the world rely on QAD GTTE to leverage thousands of carrier services and manage millions of global trade and shipping transactions every day.
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Supply Chain
Trimble Inc | November 08, 2023
Ferguson joins Trimble Supplier Xchange, streamlining the construction supply chain.
Trimble's Supplier Xchange handles 10,000+ digital connections, 18B in monthly quotes.
This integration automates pricing info to purchase orders, reducing errors and streamlining workflows.
Trimble, a leading technology, software, and services solutions provider for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, and Ferguson have recently announced a significant development in the construction supply chain. Ferguson locations nationwide have officially joined the Trimble Supplier Xchange digital pricing and procurement network. This development marks a pivotal step and further digitalizes and streamlines construction supply chain operations, benefiting both mechanical and commercial customers. Furthermore, it enhances efficiency between construction teams and their most crucial business partners.
Trimble's Supplier Xchange network currently facilitates over 10,000 digital connections between specialty subcontractors and their preferred suppliers. It handles an impressive average of 130,000 quote requests every month, with an average total value of USD 18 billion per month.
The integration between Ferguson and Supplier Xchange enables contractors to access up-to-date, contracted pricing information and seamlessly convert it into a purchase order (PO). This PO flows directly into the contractor's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, ensuring that the order is placed and financially accounted for in the ERP system without delay. This streamlined process significantly reduces the time required and minimizes errors typically associated with manual data entry, thanks to the automatic synchronization of the purchase order.
By becoming a part of the Supplier Xchange network, Ferguson, a prominent commercial mechanical distributor in the United States, is proactively addressing the common pain points faced by contractors in their day-to-day workflows.
Tom Sullivan, Commercial Construction Services and Technology Director at Ferguson highlighted that prioritizing digital connections with their customers was of utmost importance. He explained that as their customers are increasingly looking for ways to cut costs and enhance efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness, Supplier Xchange would empower them to offer real-time customer-specific information. This would effectively reduce the manual processes and time needed in the workflows related to estimating, Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), purchasing, project management, and accounting.
The official announcement took place at Trimble Dimensions 2023, where both Ferguson and Trimble are showcasing the Supplier Xchange network.
Trimble Construction Management Solutions' Vice President and General Manager Lawrence Smith emphasized that it had never been more crucial to integrate technology solutions to enhance the speed, accuracy, and seamlessness of information sharing across the construction supply chain. He stated that the data collaboration between Ferguson and Trimble was delivering increased efficiency, precision, and swiftness in their customers' workflows, encompassing estimating, procurement, purchasing, accounting, and project management.
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