Logistics Plus transforms operations with CargoWise, building a global warehouse system

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Pennsylvania, U.S., Logistics Plus, Inc. is a worldwide provider of transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence, technology, and supply chain solutions.

Since implementing CargoWise in 2008, the platform has become a pivotal part of their operations and they have expanded their usage to include various modules, including warehouse management (WMS).

“CargoWise has served as a foundation for what we offer. We know it very well, we know how to support it, we know how to build for it and integrate with it, and our customers seem to respond to that very well. This is probably part of the reason why we have had such an explosive growth in the last decade or so,” says Emile Zafirov, Chief Information Officer, Logistics Plus.

From initial deployment of CargoWise’s Forwarding and Accounting modules, the platform now facilitates everything from purchase order management and procurement to warehousing, customs brokerage, and international forwarding, across various modes of transportation.

A global warehouse solution

Today, their warehouse operations are their bread and butter, with the business managing over six million square feet of warehouse space in the US and an additional two million square feet of overseas warehouses. They oversee approximately 1,700 'warehouses' in the WMS module of CargoWise, including both their own and affiliated warehouses, as well as managed inventory sites.

The warehouse functionality seamlessly integrates with the platform’s forwarding and customs functionality in CargoWise, creating an ecosystem where data flows effortlessly between their warehouse, customs, and forwarding operations.

For Logistics Plus, CargoWise Warehouse has become more than just a technology tool – it's a strategic partner that has played a crucial role in adapting to the evolving needs of their clients.

“From what we were doing when I first started to what we're doing now, it's crazy,” says Tom Kelly, Regional Vice President, Logistics Plus.

“The beautiful thing with CargoWise is that it's grown with us, and that's what I tell people all the time. One of the things I love is that we’re always able to find ways to customize it, to get that extra level.”

End-to-end inventory visibility and management

Mr. Kelly adds that the biggest challenges in running a warehouse are receiving and managing the inventory. Thanks to CargoWise, they’re able to easily monitor inventory levels, oversee the movement of goods, and view order status in real-time. This allows for up-to-date and better-informed decisions with greater accuracy and confidence.

Importantly, their clients get a 360-degree view of their inventory regardless of where it's located. Clients can monitor milestones, from picking status to departure, providing transparency throughout the supply chain.

“Clients have full visibility of their inventory. Anytime something is received, they know exactly where it's at, which is super important for them. For them to have visibility of not only their procurement but their warehouse, their inventory, when it is received in the warehouse, it helps them significantly plan and execute their timeline with their customers beyond visibility,” says Molly Callan, Global Accounts Director, Logistics Plus.

Adding to the user experience is their eWorldPlus interface, a customer-facing version of CargoWise. The interface offers their clients a user-friendly platform to access their inventory, allowing them to view and manage their stock across different warehouses, strengthening the client-service provider relationship.

Remaining flexible to evolving client needs

With Logistics Plus boasting over eight million square feet of warehousing globally, the ability to swiftly onboard third-party partners worldwide is crucial. CargoWise Warehouse enables them to spin up a warehouse, provide training, and set up a partner's system within 48 to 72 hours.

Ms. Callan explains that the level of flexibility offered by CargoWise has been a game-changer for the business, allowing them to adapt to clients' evolving business strategies and open new locations seamlessly.

“There are many customers that have come to us and said, ‘this is our business strategy over the next couple of years and I want to open an X, Y and Z locations, do you have warehouses there?’ And if we don't have warehouses in those locations already, CargoWise allows us to open up a location and operate out of it fairly easy.”

Continued growth and expansion

As the logistics landscape continues to evolve, Logistics Plus stands ready, empowered by the transformative capabilities of CargoWise’s powerful workflow automation, real-time data visibility and comprehensive compliance capabilities. This positions the company to meet the dynamic needs of its clients and drive continued growth in the ever-changing world of logistics.

“Clients expect the ease, speed, and quality of an integration, and the transparency and the visibility over what we do for them and what's happening in their supply chain. That's really how we find ways to be more flexible and deliver more than a normal company of our size, and this is what sets us apart,”, says Mr. Zafirov.

He adds that he looks forward to the business rolling out CargoWise Transit Warehouse, which will enable them to further streamline processes and manage package movements with a barcode-based warehouse solution.

By prioritizing a warehouse management system that is highly global, adaptable, and easily managed, Logistics Plus can continue to scale their business and unlock opportunities for new value-added services, fostering stronger customer relationships now well into the future.