inTime Relies on Newtron for Process Optimization

Agile supply chains are a crucial success factor in manufacturing. Whenever there is a particular urgency, the special transports from inTime Express Logistics come into play. However, not only the transports of the European market leader, but also its inquiry processes must be fast and efficient. inTime relies on the EDI solutions from Newtron for their optimization and automation.

(Dresden/Isernhagen) inTime is the European market leader in the field of Agile Logistics. What this specifically means is explained by Holger Siegmann, Head of Project Management and Digitalization: “Our focus is on direct and special transports, meaning transports outside of regular shipments. This means inTime handles urgent and time-sensitive transports in the B2B sector.” Siegmann continues: “We are exceptionally agile and our processes are clearly different from those of a standard freight forwarder.” An urgent transport that needs to be picked up today and arrive at its destination the same evening? No problem for inTime.

This agility is especially appreciated and demanded by one of the most important customers in the automotive and machinery industries. The company processes daily tenders in the triple-digit range solely through the Newtron trading platform. This volume of inquiries is a cause for celebration, but it must also be handled in a timely and deadline-compliant manner.

Holger Siegmann reports: “Due to the high urgency, we have very short time windows for submitting offers. Since the tenders often come in simultaneously, there are sometimes only two to three minutes to respond.” Valuable minutes, considering that the inquiry had to be processed in this short time frame both in the in-house ERP system and in the Newtron trading platform. Steffen Roloff, Head of IT Software Development at inTime, adds: “As it became increasingly clear that inquiries through the Newtron platform were rising, we reacted quickly and said, we need an interface now and made contact with Newtron.”

Processes and Requirements Defined in Advance

Prior to the project start with Newtron, inTime already did important preparatory work: Processes were defined in advance, and requirements from the specialist departments as well as technical requirements for the interface and data transmission were recorded. The effort paid off, as just two months after the project start and subsequent testing phase, all tender processes were automated: “The inquiry data that previously came in through the Newtron platform is now directly transferred to the inTime ERP, and the reporting of the price proposal and the subsequent award of the supplier now also runs through our system,” explains Steffen Roloff. The vehicle data for each special transport is now also transmitted to the customer automatically and without media breaks.

The EDI team at Newtron is well-versed in interfaces. There is hardly a system that the Newtron in-house team cannot connect. Nevertheless, this project was special for the project-responsible Senior Consultant EDI, Christian Otten: “The task was to consolidate different forms for various inbound and outbound processes into a common map – all without loss of information.” Both sides praise the good collaboration in the project: Quick agreements, fast responses from both sides, and – if necessary – corrections ensured a successful implementation.

Inquiry Processes as Agile as the Special Transports

The inquiry process at inTime is now just as agile as the special transports themselves, and the success of the automation is not only noticeable but also measurable: Steffen Roloff estimates that five to ten minutes of manual processing time are now saved per order and adds: “As a result, we have actually been able to increase our order volume.” Holger Siegmann adds that with automation, the risk of errors due to manual processing is sustainably reduced. Additionally, the teams in the specialist departments now have resources for important and more significant tasks in their area. “An important aspect, also to counteract the skilled labor shortage in the industry,” says Siegmann.

Photo: © Kroesing Media Group // Dietrich Kühne