The introduction of Utordo middleware has allowed Stephen Sanderson Transport to link its Microlistics WMS with its ecommerce clients’ web-stores and other online marketplaces quickly, simply and highly cost-effectively
Established in 1973, Stephen Sanderson Transport is a family-owned third party logistics (3PL) services provider that delivers a range of supply chain solutions to a broad client base.
Based in the heart of the Midlands, the company runs a modern and diverse fleet of over 80 vehicles and operates in excess of 150,000 sq ft of secure warehousing space.
While the company’s success has been built on the general haulage of goods throughout the UK and Europe, in recent years warehousing and fulfillment has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and consequently Sandersons has adapted its warehousing environment and working practices to meet the growing demand for online fulfillment services.
Ed Sanderson, Stephen Sanderson Transport’s commercial director, comments: “Information flows are the lifeblood of our business. And, as e-fulfilment has become an ever more significant part of what we do, we realised that we needed to adapt our warehouse management system (WMS) to make it capable of integrating with our online retailer clients’ web-stores as well as any other internet marketplaces through which they trade, such as ebay and Amazon. But, we also wanted a solution that was ‘plug and play’ into our existing Microlistics WMS for any customer – without having to constantly reconfigure.”
After undertaking a comprehensive review of the options available, Stephen Sanderson opted to deploy Utordo – the cloud-hosted, multi-channel order management middleware system.
Utordo effectively links Stephen Sanderson’s WMS with its ecommerce customers’ trading platforms. This enables the clients’ stock levels and orders to be synchronised in real time and ensures that all relevant information relating to each online order received is instantly exported to Stephen Sanderson’s WMS without the need for any manual input – or keying-in – by the company’s administration staff.
Utordo converts and standardises order information and exports data relating to each order to the WMS using secure flat file, XML or API formats. This process allows Sanderson’s online retailer clients’ orders to appear on it’s Microlistics warehouse management system the instant an order is received and, in doing so, has upgraded the company’s existing WMS to deliver the functionality needed for fast and accurate fulfillment.
In addition, Utordo’s carrier integration capability allows easy consignment creation while label printing is a quick and simple process.
Compatible with all well-known WMS brands, Utordo is rapidly rolled-out thanks to its preconfigured connections and, furthermore, because it is cloud-hosted, all software installation procedures and regular updates are undertaken remotely.
Ed Sanderson comments: “Internet traders want to work with fulfillment partners that have systems in place that are capable of linking to their web-stores and any other online marketplaces where they are visible. Utordo has given us this ability without impacting upon the Microlistics WMS core functionality or, indeed, interfering with our day-to-day operational processes.”
Utordo offers a rapid return on investment and to minimise up-front costs and total CapEx commitment, the technology is offered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) package with a minimum 12-month contract agreement. This means that the full Utordo package is, in effect, ‘hired’ for a pre-agreed monthly fee.
Ed Sanderson adds: “Introducing Utordo has proved very successful. We are able to deliver integration solutions for our growing e-commerce fulfillment client base quickly and efficiently.
“In today’s market integration is a must and the hands on, can-do approach that Utordo has at its heart means that both companies are fully aligned with their outlook – which, ultimately, delivers happy customers.
“The low Cap-ex software as a Service option meant that the return on our investment was immediate and is ongoing.”
Visit www.utordo.com to arrange a demonstration of the benefits Utordo offers to the logistics industry.
