Logistics Partnership Success: Caliber.global & MercuryGate

This article examines the TMS buying process and the logistics partnership developing between Caliber.global and MercuryGate.

Caliber.global has been at the forefront of global construction materials and equipment logistics since 2004, offering a unique blend of project management and logistics expertise. The introduction of the Tract® platform in 2015 marked a significant evolution, providing unparalleled real-time visibility and control over logistics operations. However, as Caliber.global set its sights on international expansion, the need for an advanced Transportation Management System (TMS) became evident.

Let’s explore the TMS buying process and how the logistics partnership evolved.

Building vs. Buying a TMS

The quest for global growth brought Caliber.global face-to-face with operational challenges, particularly integrating a sophisticated TMS with its Tract platform. Strategic network changes underscored the need for a robust TMS solution to manage shipments across multiple modalities and geographies.
Caliber.global weighed the costs and complexities of developing a proprietary TMS against investing in an existing, market-proven solution. As a developer of transportation software and its proprietary control tower solution, Tract, the prospect of diverting focus from optimizing their current platform to embarking on a potentially costly and time-consuming software development project was not appealing. The risks associated with DIY software development include underestimating the cost of ownership and challenges in maintaining and upgrading software over time.

Pragmatic considerations drove the decision to buy rather than build. Opting for an existing TMS solution allowed Caliber.global to leverage industry expertise and avoid the pitfalls of internal software projects, which often face delays and budget overruns and can result in a product that falls short of evolving business needs.

Furthermore, the need for a solution that could deliver immediate business value was underscored by the required capabilities that included:

  • Integrate seamlessly with the operational control tower.
  • Handle multimodal bookings.
  • Offer dynamic route optimization.
  • Support international operations with compatibility across global offices, tax laws, regulations and currencies.
The decision-making process revealed the importance of focusing on core competencies and the strategic value of leveraging expert solutions in the market. By choosing to buy, Caliber.global expedited the path to enhancing its logistics operations, ensuring they could quickly adapt to the demands of global expansion without diverting resources and facing the myriad of challenges associated with building a TMS from scratch.
This decision not only streamlined their operational capabilities but also positioned them to rapidly scale and meet the evolving needs of their global clientele.

Narrowing the Field of Potential TMS Partnerships

Caliber.global set stringent criteria for TMS selection, prioritizing multimodal booking capabilities, dynamic route optimization, international compatibility, user-friendliness, and seamless integration. MercuryGate emerged as the optimal choice, fulfilling all requirements and promising a transformative impact on operations.

During the evaluation phase, Caliber.global participated in demonstrations that were pivotal in the selection process. These software demonstrations were instrumental in determining which logistics partnership could communicate value and demonstrate it effectively.

The Caliber.global team assessed whether the offerings matched their expectations in real-world applications. They also measured the responsiveness and willingness of the teams to support inquiries. Ultimately, demonstrations helped validate whether the cost justified the business value.
MercuryGate emerged as the only provider that showcased strong capabilities across all these categories. These capabilities were substantiated during the demo sessions, leading to the selection of the MercuryGate TMS for Caliber.global.

Caliber.global’s Strategic Integration with MercuryGate TMS

Integration of MercuryGate’s TMS with Caliber.global’s operations heralded a new era of efficiency and global service expansion. The logistics partnership allowed Caliber.global to streamline operations and venture into reselling MercuryGate’s TMS, amplifying its service offerings worldwide.

Caliber.global’s Tract operational control tower was enhanced by the influx of comprehensive data facilitated by MercuryGate’s TMS. The synergy between the two systems enabled a seamless exchange of crucial information, including milestones, documents, and financial data. This integration ensures that Caliber.global customers enjoy unparalleled access to real-time shipment status visibility directly from the source, courtesy of the freight rate index feature and the automated route optimization capabilities unique to MercuryGate. The Tract control tower system’s full integration with MercuryGate TMS elevates visibility and offers real-time data from initial purchase orders through shipment to final delivery.

Leveraging the power of MercuryGate’s TMS technology, companies streamline their processes, reduce costs, and significantly improve overall supply chain performance. At the same time, TMS implementation allows Caliber.global to expand into the 4PL and managed services space.
As a result, this comprehensive ROI demonstrates MercuryGate’s ability to deliver a total solutions platform for staff, customers, carriers, and end users by seamlessly integrating with Caliber.global’s existing technology stack.

Calculate your potential Saving While Using an enterprise TMS

A Logistics Partnership Delivering the Total Package

This logistics partnership between Caliber.global and MercuryGate underscores the pivotal role of technology in modern supply chain management. It highlights the broader implications for the logistics industry, suggesting how businesses can leverage TMS to enhance their operations and service offerings.

Collaboration between Caliber.global and MercuryGate is a testament to logistics innovation and excellence. Further, Caliber.global’s faith in the MercuryGate TMS and implementation motivated this new logistics partner to become a Certified Reseller.

Discover more about Caliber.global’s journey and the impact of MercuryGate’s TMS on their operations. Explore the detailed case study.

Learn more about the MercuryGate logistics partnership

MercuryGate
SCROLL TO TOP
SCROLL TO TOP

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *