Brad Hollister, CEO
Redefining TMS Functionality
Today leading Executives are looking for a solution that can offer visibility of global supply chains in real-time. To provide live and real-time visibility of inbound and outbound shipments takes a powerful system architecture and robust carrier integration platform, previously not possible without new technology options. Legacy providers in the transportation industry are unable to provide true visibility of supply chain events real time. SwanLeap—a transportation management system (TMS) shipping technology company and freight and parcel audit provider—developed a real-time, cloud based in both Amazon Web Services which monitors live analytics across all shipments including parcel, freight, and ocean containers.
“Our company was originally founded as a consulting company who focused on cost reduction strategies in freight and parcel shipments,” explains Brad Hollister, CEO of SwanLeap. Since then we have evolved to providing companies real-time tools to monitor exceptions as they occur in real time. Today, SwanLeap has gained momentum in the market and has been awarded the 55th fastest growing company on the Inc. 5000 list for 2017. “This is a big milestone for us since we have had a sole purpose of transforming the global transportation industry through our next generation solution,” adds Hollister.
SwanLeap has focused on delivering an all encompassing technology solution across all modes of transportation, utilizing the latest technology to ensure optimal performance. On the one hand, other technology firms in this space have legacy infrastructure which inhibits their ability be agile and responsive to each supply chain’s needs—SwanLeap’s commitment to both their clients success and enhancing their own standards is what sets the company apart from other shipping industry consulting or technology firms. “We follow a set of core rules: We represent our capabilities honestly. We protect confidentiality of client information. We do not misrepresent our purposes in seeking information. We only make promises we can keep. We consider our actions carefully, asking whether we can defend them openly today and in the future,” explains Hollister.
" We follow a set of core rules: We represent our capabilities honestly. We protect confidentiality of client information. We do not misrepresent our purposes in seeking information. We only make promises we can keep. We consider our actions carefully, asking whether we can defend them openly today and in the future. "
Next Generation TMS Technology
SwanLeap positions itself as a sole provider of a complete range of TMS Technology Cloud Web Integration SaaS customized shipping solutions, including: parcel auditing and freight auditing of shipping processes (including billing, pricing, and management); renegotiation of freight and parcel carrier shipping rate contracts; and a Transportation Management System (TMS) that operates in all three primary shipping modes (Parcel, LTL freight and Truckload freight), and includes freight optimization, inbound/dispatch, and accounting and auditing software. SwanLeap helps clients leverage their shipping volume, resources, and relationships with all carriers.
SwanLeap provides vendor portal for routing and control of inbound freight shipments, as well as dynamic decision making of outbound shipments to determine mode (parcel, freight, etc.), carrier, service, and ability to combine shipments for further cost savings efficiencies. The SwanLeap TMS system has ability to learn by leveraging Artificial Intelligence to ensure that the customer’s can provide better service to their clients and better manage vendors to ensure compliance with best practices.
“Many legacy technologies were created in the 1990’s with a rule-based infrastructure and static decision making. An example of this limited logic would be ‘Everything going to Florida ship via ABC Trucking Company’. Today’s technology should provide more dynamic decision making based on the shipment’s preference of lower price, better service, or faster transit time,” adds Hollister. Hundreds of other criteria should be considered such as whether an order can wait for another order as in a standard stock replenishment order, or whether a shipment should be shipped as a multi-stop truckload. The transportation industry is plagued by rule-based logic as the best practices, and SwanLeap is disrupting the industry by introducing dynamic (automated) decision making with live analytics to closely monitor supply chain performance. SwanLeap is redefining TMS Functionality.
SwanLeap’s proprietary cloud based platform allows a level of global control which is impossible with legacy and on-premise solutions. Simply put Fortune 50 companies who spend millions of dollars on legacy systems cannot get the analytics in real time that only the cloud provides. SwanLeap performs a tremendous amount of processing of data points for even the simplest transactions to ensure the optimal method of delivery was selected consistent with the customer’s expectations and for the best price.
The company was selected as the TMS of choice for North American Business units of a publicly traded multi-national. Tier One TMS solutions costing millions of dollars presented a roll out to 60 locations in 30 months. The world’s largest logistics company planned an 18 month roll-out. The power of the cloud and easy-to-use interface, allowed SwanLeap to deploy a full integration at 60 locations in 60 days. The timeline was aggressive but SwanLeap team rose to the challenge, streamlined the project plan and executed the rollout for our customer who was under a tight timeline due to multiple fragmented solutions which were not performing.
Surging Ahead towards the Future
From a competitive landscape in transportation technology, Hollister feels the market is wide open. “We know our competitors well and we know how limited their capabilities are. SwanLeap is the only company which truly is in the cloud despite many claims that limit a customer’s understanding of SaaS as being in the cloud,” adds Hollister. The steadfast CEO also sees major opportunity for SwanLeap in international growth as numerous multi-nationals have expanded to other continents and the costs of deploying a solution to remote regions being higher than domestically, while shipping volumes in each region tend to be lower. This correlation of lower transportation spends in global regions fits well for the flexibility of cutting edge technology hosted in the cloud. An example is a major electronics manufacturer may spend 1/10th of the transportation costs in another country that they do in the U.S. and will lean toward a flexible cloud based technology which can be deployed quickly for a fraction of the cost and maintenance a legacy, on-premise solution would require.
Imbibed with unique methodologies and techniques, SwanLeap aims towards transforming the future of supply chain by becoming a distinctive technology provider offering real-time auditing (and settlement) of freight invoices. And, integrating with ERP systems to automate decision making, monitor in real-time, and providing live analytics is powerful. The company is following a out-of-the-box approach by putting these tools along with reviewing the provider’s invoice (parcel, freight, or ocean) that can ensure the decisions at the dock level is consistent with what is hitting the bottom line of the company. Auditing along with shipment execution is vital to ensure service levels are optimized and freight costs minimized which SwanLeap is putting forth for the customers.
Creating the Difference
Hollister believes that the biggest secret of SwanLeap’s success is the people. “Most of our employees have very little experience in transportation when they come to SwanLeap. We’ve created an amazing culture where innovation is encouraged and a dedication to customers like no other company in our space,” he adds. Employees at SwanLeap are focused on the company’s mission: to bring clarity and control to all shipments. The move and expansion of SwanLeap represents its strengths and the work it puts into supplying the best shipping services and TMS software the industry has to offer.SwanLeap has grown nearly 6000 percent in 36 months by white labeling their technology to other transportation technology firms. Many technology companies have reached out to ensure they can remain competitive in the market by offering technology solutions in areas which are not in their core offering. SwanLeap has grown to 50 employees in Madison, WI and is currently planning global expansion with local support in several other global markets. “This latest office relocation is our third move in twenty four months. Growth of 2210 percent in year over year revenue is not an easy thing to accommodate,” says Hollister. SwanLeap is creating new departments and expanding current ones to facilitate theaddition of new employees and clients alike. SwanLeap is committed to creating value for their clients that returns many multiples on their investment. They have set their standard for value creation extremely high, requiring their work to deliver insight and help change the mindset of the clients.
Company
Management
Brad Hollister
CEO
Description
SwanLeap provides Freight Invoice Auditing, Billing Exceptions & Claim Processing, Carrier Performance Monitoring and Integrate with ERPs and APis.