UPS unveils integrated supply chain platform

UPS Inc. (NYSE: UPS) on Wednesday unveiled its Supply Chain Symphony platform, which it said will integrate into one platform the visibility of multiple services that had previously been siloed.

The new tool will enable customers to monitor simultaneously and in real time every aspect of their global supply chains, UPS said. In the past, visibility could not be obtained without shifting to different platforms, according to a company spokesperson. The tool will also enable customers to generate real-time reports on service performance.

Many companies have trouble connecting their separate spreadsheets or databases, and most shippers find it difficult and time-consuming to turn supply chain data into useful information, UPS said in a statement. “An integrated logistics system can give companies a competitive advantage,” UPS said. Customers using the cloud-based software-as-a-service solution will benefit from improved customer service, collaboration, asset utilization and forecasting accuracy, according to the company.

The integrated tool supplants previously stand-alone UPS tools that cover shipping services, global logistics and distribution, global freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and supplier management. It also includes the company’s Express Critical urgent-delivery service, its Mail Innovations service for high-volume mailers, and its Coyote Logistics brokerage service.