LPT has partnered with ATMS to help to bring the ATMS GlobalTrack service to market.

LPT, the ground breaking Liverpool based fresh produce terminal has partnered with ATMS, its Warehouse Management System provider, to help to bring the ATMS GlobalTrack service to market.

The ATMS STP Warehouse Management System is a key part of LPT's operation, helping to optimise the receipting, warehousing and despatching operations. LPT's warehouse is a state of the art, brand new, temperature controlled facility with 5000  locations,  and caters for cross docking as well as added value services.  ATMS's system supports and optimises all of these processes, including dock, yard and vessel management.

LPT's operation is based at the Port Of Liverpool where a brand new facility has been constructed.  The operation allows fresh produce to be brought directly into the North West of the UK, rather than into southerly ports where it would need to be trucked by road many miles North at a considerable cost to the environment.

"LPT needed to go one step further to provide a level of service for its customers far ahead of anything in the market place", stated  Andy Rickard, Operations Director of LPT;  "one of the reasons we selected ATMS was because of their strategy of developing their WMS to become the core of a global tracking and supply chain visibility offering - in the form of GlobalTrack;  we're very pleased to be one of the first companies to work with them to prove the benefits of GlobalTrack in the real world".

Stephen Cross, Managing Director of ATMS plc said  "GlobalTrack is a hosted solution that provides improved control and visibility across the supply chain.  It is designed to be exceptionally easy to use exceptionally low cost; for instance users can pay for system usage on a per transaction pay as you go basis.  It is of course fully multi lingual and is supported by our offices in UK, Dubai, Singapore, China and Manila"

The system helps users improve the control of their import tracking process. Order and fulfilment requirements can be logged onto the system. The system then allows producers and manufacturers, wherever they are in the world, to log their production and productivity against these orders and call offs. A facility is then provided for remote labelling of cartons, pallets and unit load devices. Labelling is carried out to the global GS1 standard, the bar code on each label is unique and identifies the carton, pallet or other item and its contents; the system records quality, traceability and other conformance information.  Pack sizes, weights and dimensions can also be recorded. The system can then be used to generate and share packing lists, manifests and advanced shipping information.Information can also be provided to and from Customs authorities, freight forwarders and logistics providers.

Pre labelling and electronic advanced shipment notices help LPT receive stock accurately and swiftly.  Any errors are alerted automatically.

The system not only assists the upstream operation it can be used downstream as well, from the point of despatch from LPT, through re-warehousing and cross docking operations, to proof of delivery. Global Track supports proof of delivery and has a remote warehouse control module that allows warehouses to be controlled with the use of hand held terminals communicating over mobile phone GPRS networks.

The system is designed for in house and third party use - for instance the system is designed to allow clients of third party logistics providers to view their own stock and their own supply chain information - and only their own. Information visible across the web includes production information, receipt and despatch information, stock status,  quality control status. Documentation can be downloaded remotely. Stock call offs and other action requests can be entered remotely.

David Hughes, who heads up Business Development at ATMS, commented; "we are proud to be a strategic partner of LPT. They are a highly innovative operation with a superb management team, with the dedication and focus to deliver a first class service from a first class facility".

James  Woodward , Managing Director of LPT commented "LPT is in a unique position geographically to reduce customer costs whilst reducing their carbon footprint and now is in a unique position technologically to provide the highest levels of visibility, traceability and control".

He went on to say;  "ATMS is proving to be an ideal partner, they have extensive experience in the Ports sector, an extensive track record in the 3PL market and of course extensive warehouse management and distribution expertise, and now their GlobalTrack developments ensure we keep well ahead of the game. Their solutions are practical and cost-effective and incredibly quick and easy to implement.  The fact that STP is a true package that can be configured by ourselves as our needs change and expand is extremely valuable".