“The world stands still without logistics”— a famous quote that truly depicts the role of transportation in today’s world.
Logistics and transportation management play a critical role in business. Yet approximately only 30% of companies use a Transportation Management System (TMS). Although many companies understand the importance of logistics and supply chain management, a majority are still confused how to go about optimizing their supply chain. One leading transportation management technology solutions provider is MGN Logistics and according to President & CEO, Matthew Telesca, “Clients often struggle to gain control of their freight costs and get full spend visibility across all their modes of transportation with their GL management reporting tools. Not knowing where to turn, or mistakenly believing a TMS solution is too expensive or complicated to implement, they simply ignore the problem. MGN’s extensive suite of custom visualization tools provide comprehensive, yet easy to interpret data, designed to give clients real-time access to information and decision-making metrics.”
Telesca recalls the example of a custom packaging products and services company with over 22 different locations and each operating independently of each other. They found their lack of centralized transportation management was costing them substantially more than just a lack of visibility. With escalating freight costs across multiple modes of transportation and no central way to track expenses, the client found themselves with over 60 different carriers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, 3PLs, and brokers. Each location was operating with no unified structural process, other than to utilize “the best” options. Naturally, all locations thought they were doing just that.
Once partnered with MGN, an extensive study of historic shipping characteristics, product details and unique business challenges were evaluated for each location, including shipping documentation, tariffs and even photographs of the products for classification purposes. This extensive, yet rapid process, painlessly led to a comprehensive freight and parcel profile to conduct highly detailed carrier engagements. MGN’s TMS was quickly implemented for maximum efficiency and return. A short few weeks after starting the process, the client had successfully achieved over a 20% annual run-rate of savings, along with a fully managed and centralized transportation system. Today, after nearly 8 years of partnership, this client continues to see impressive savings, control and visibility.
Simplifying Logistics
The company’s suite of services includes price and service optimization, carrier routing, e-dispatching along with fully automated documentation creation, pre- and post-audits, freight payment, and an extensive suite of interactive business intelligence KPIs, charts and tools. Each client works with a dedicated group of seasoned logistics professionals to assist in fully coordinating, executing, and then tracking all shipments. The process continues with post-shipment invoices being audited and adjusted when necessary. The entire process from start to finish is simple, yet potently effective. For potential clients that are looking for a standalone or fully integrated solution, to either replace or support their existing logistics departments, MGN’s proprietary TMS has no equal.
MGN’s cloud based TMS supports all modes of transportation including Truckload, LTL, Ocean, Air, Rail, Intermodal, Parcel and International, providing clients with a powerful, yet easy-to-use, single platform for their entire supply chain. “Our state-of-the-art, best-of-breed platform offers seamless integration into existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) or it can be implemented as a stand-alone solution,” adds Telesca.
Optimization includes mode and carrier selection, rate comparisons, automated tracking and tracing, freight bill auditing and payment, along with business intelligence tools. The system is supported and enhanced by next generation technology, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and sophisticated analytical tools. MGN provides the highest level of Business Intelligence coupled with hands-on professionals to assist clients in implementing best practices, compliance, and auditing to maximize all available opportunities for improvement.
MGN’s extensive APIs and web services connect with hundreds of logistics and transportation partners to create one of the largest carrier networks in the industry. With real-time dynamic spot market rating in LTL, TL, Rail, and International, MGN Logistics alone provides the most advanced TMS in the space. Digital, GPS, ELD and cell-based technologies provide MGN clients with the most comprehensive tracking capabilities available. With a proprietary Rating Agreement Management System (RAMS), parcel pricing agreements can be analyzed with MGN’s exclusive AI and Machine Learning to discover a level of insight not previously available.
Automating the Freight Marketplace
As a pioneer of web-based technology, MGN Logistics was one of the first companies in the transportation space to launch a fully automated freight marketplace online called LogisticsQuote.com in 2000. By 2004, after exponential user growth, the website was sold to a group of private equity investors. Building on the company’s earlier success, in 2007, MGN acquired a brick-and-mortar freight management company and launched a radically new and adaptive TMS. With the focus on cutting-edge technology, the company continued to develop creative transportation modules, which included predictive pricing, extensive KPIs and visualization tools, along with intelligent transportation routing, which outpaced all major players in the space.
By 2009, the company had opened an additional office in Orlando to assist in the growth. And again in 2013, another office was opened internationally in the Dominican Republic to handle the growing international TMS users.
In 2014 the company continued its expansion by acquiring a truckload brokerage in New Jersey, and then, the following year, made another strategic acquisition of a tech-savvy Chicago-based digital brokerage with a unique proprietary truckload pricing app, along with two other smaller acquisitions. Rounding out its comprehensive TMS platform, the company acquired a leading parcel management and auditing firm based outside of Philadelphia in 2018.
Today, the company has offices in Boston, Philadelphia, Orlando, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Santiago, Dominican Republic. While the company can provide services as a traditional freight brokerage, their true focus and specialization is as a full-service freight management technology partner. Their proprietary TMS is powerful enough for large corporations, while remaining easy enough to use for small businesses.
The Future of Logistics
MGN Logistics has been the first to market a comprehensive, fully digital parcel rerating and auditing tool called “RAMS”, which stands for Rerating Agreement Management System. It is the first of its kind, a proprietary technology that provides on-demand parcel rerate comparisons based on the client’s actual shipment history across carrier agreements, pricing proposals, and year-to-year carrier base rate changes. This sophisticated tool took three years to develop and well over a million dollars of investment, but it eliminates guesswork and allows informed decision-making. “This technology was only available to our largest corporate clients, but we are now making it available to shippers of all sizes,” points out Telesca.
Along with advances in technology, comes challenges, and shippers today have more choices than ever. Unfortunately, the TMS marketplace is full of legacy software that has been rebranded as something new. All too often shippers purchase software or services that are using dated technology without realizing the significant limitations.
Under the leadership of Telesca, the company continues to achieve new heights. MGN Logistics was not only part of the industry’s original pioneers, but they have continued to disrupt the space. Today, they are the top freight management technology company in the country, with their award-winning TMS. MGN, along with their industry veteran CEO, Matthew Telesca, has launched a new start-up company in San Juan, Puerto Rico, called AI Logistics, utilizing Artificial Intelligence. This new partnership will explore opportunities and focus on integrating blockchain technology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, to ensure MGN stays ahead of the future of logistics.