PROJECT LOGISTICS / EVENT MANAGEMENT Module

The FDS Projects Logistics/Event Management system is used to plan, record, pro-actively monitor and control global, multi-modal transportation and distribution activities. The system is an on-line, interactive, state-of-the-art logistics information management and reporting system.

Projects Logistics/Event Management is a comprehensive logistics management system. Component and integrated functional capabilities include:

* Service Planning
* Financial Planning
* Shipment/Product Monitoring and Alerts
* Shipment/Product Tracing and Tracking
* Purchase Order Management/Vendor Production Scheduling
* Product Allocation and Distribution
* Warehousing/Inventory Control
* Operational and Financial Reporting
* Performance Measurements and Reporting
* Pipeline Management
* Supply Chain Management

The Pipeline Management capabilities incorporate product monitoring at the item or SKU level throughout the logistics channel or supply chain. SKU tracking and monitoring may begin with Purchase Order Management and supplier product delivery scheduling. Bill-of-lading (manifest) information is captured as the product flows throughout the logistics channel of various transportation and distribution activities.

The Shipment/Product Monitoring and Tracing and Tracking capabilities monitors schedules, ETA's documentation status, booking confirmations, shipment status, customs clearance status, weight, volume and commodity statistics, while maintaining visibility of consignment consists at the SKU level.

The Financial Planning and Control capabilities incorporate the planning of all transportation and distribution charges. Negotiated freight rates may be recorded for particular commodities per origin/destination and service provider (carrier). Actual invoices from service providers are recorded. Financial controls compare the actual invoiced amounts to planned fees for the services performed as well as prepare freight payment information. As the financial controls are integrated with the accounting system, freight payments may be processed and a consolidated invoice prepared consolidating all service provider fees (e.g. ocean freight, customs clearance, etc...) for the shipment.

Purchase Order Management
The on-line inquiry and reporting capabilities provide a window into the wealth of the Projects Logistics/Event Management's information for Pipeline Management, Shipment Monitoring, Purchase Order Tracking and Item Tracking.

Purchase Order information may be recorded. Vendor (supplier) production schedules and delivery schedules may also be recorded in this system. This system will maintain and report a comprehensive status of purchase order information, including order quantities (by SKU), delivered or received quantities, shipped quantities and quantities remaining on order. This system will also "alert" the appropriate parties of any potential delays in the supplier production or delivery status against planned schedules. Various purchase order reports will provide a comprehensive view of the complete life cycle of the purchase order: Product and quantities ordered, received from

supplier, shipped, remaining on order, in-transit product, and in-transit shipment information (current status, ETA's, mode).

Service Planning/Shipment Activation
As consignments are consolidated and shipments are made, the Projects Logistics/Events Management can record packing list, bill-of-lading, or manifest information from shipping or purchasing documents. A service plan, for the appropriate origin and destination, will be activated, thus generating a "shipment". Through Service Planning, shipment schedules may be ascertained to meet the deadlines or "latest delivery dates" to multiple destinations (e.g. master warehouses or distribution centers). Given the desired delivery dates, this system will determine the shipment schedule. If transit times for the particular mode do not permit expected delivery, the system will "alert" the planner, so that another mode of transportation may be selected, or delivery expectations (ETAs) communicated. If freight is assigned to multimodal movements, the system can track the freight throughout its shipment life cycle.

Shipment/Product Monitoring and Alerts
Once shipments are "activated", the system can record shipment status information from service providers (e.g. carriers) and track shipments. This system will maintain booking, carrier, and bill-of-lading information on shipments, as well as pro-actively "alert" the appropriate parties of impending problems with scheduled shipment events.

Product Allocation and Distribution
Freight may be allocated to multiple warehouses and distribution centers. Allocations may be made at various points within the supply chain or product distribution life cycle: product in inventory at the supplier, product in inventory at a consolidation center and product in-transit. The system will record product allocation and distribution requirements (destination, ETA, mode). It will also allow allocation of freight to multiple warehouses and support multidrop shipments.

Prior to arrival at final destination, this system can report pre-receiving information to the master warehouses or distribution centers.

Supply Chain Management
The Projects Logistics/Events Management system can provide a comprehensive view, including in-transit visibility of product throughout the "pipeline" of transportation and distribution activities. Users may inquire on product status. A purchase order inquiry, for example, will indicate:

* Purchase order quantities
* Received quantities
* Shipped quantities
* Quantities remaining on order
* In-transit shipments (for that P.O.)
* Current shipment status (ETAs, mode)
An item or SKU inquiry will indicate:
* Product purchase order status information
* Inventory quantities of the product at each facility (consolidation center hub, cross-dock facility, de-consolidation center) throughout the pipeline.
* In-transit quantities (current in-transit shipment information including all "whereabouts" of

the particular item: mode, carrier, ETA, last completed event, next planned event, etc...).

Pipeline Management
Another feature of this system, Pipeline Management, includes forecasting, or supply and demand analysis. Forecasts of future equipment requirements per destination may be recorded in this system, which would monitor the actual pipeline status including current whereabouts and projected delivery. An inquiry for a particular destination, for example, will show each transportation and distribution event and the current status of equipment whereabouts.

Another inquiry will indicate forecasted requirements, and based upon pipeline shipment status information, the anticipated delivery date. Allowing a view into the future, this feature supports managing the pipeline, by indicating pipeline product supply versus forecasted requirements so that product may be delivered.

Financial Planning and Control
The financial planning capabilities of this system, allow for the planning of each financial activity or event throughout the supply chain or logistics pipeline. Each activity that has a financial consequence (i.e. generates a vendor invoice) may be pre-planned by identifying:
* Service Provider (vendor)
* Planned Charge
* By unit (container, SKU, weight, volume)
* Flat Fee
* Tolerance of percentage that the actual invoice may differ from planned charge and be acceptable for payment.
* When payment may be made (upon completion of what event or activity).

Negotiated freight rates may be recorded in the appropriate financial plan and controlled against pre-set invoice variance standards.

Vendor invoice match-up allows for recording the actual receipt of a logistics service provider's invoice. The invoiced is matched with the appropriate service event in the system using pro-numbers, shipment identification numbers container numbers, etc.... The actual invoice amount and the vendor's invoice number is recorded in the system.

The system's financial controls reconciles planned financial events in accordance with actual performance of service activities or events (e.g. shipment delivery). Using the information obtained from the vendor's invoice and the controls established in the planning cycle, the system then determines the financial status. It reports vendor invoices that are "ready-to-pay" (service performed, invoice within planned tolerances and negotiated freight terms), along with vendor invoices that are "not-ready-to-pay" (service not performed, invoice not within planned tolerances and negotiated freight terms, vendor invoice not received). Ready to pay invoice information is integrated with the systems accounts payable processing to automatically produce vendor payment.

Performance Measurements and Reporting
The Projects Logistics/Events Management system maintains service and financial information and statistics for each shipment throughout the logistics pipeline. This system also produces an array of Management Performance Reports to summarize performance within a multimodal integrated logistics channel.

Supply Chain Service Performance reports for each shipment per origin/destination:
* Planned delivery date
* Actual delivery date
* Days late
* % on-time deliver
* Number of alerts
* Number of containers
* % of containers on-time delivery
* Planned charges (freight)
* Actual charges
* Variance (Planned versus actual)
* Variance percentage

Vendor performance reports for each service provider (or carrier):
* Number of shipments
* % on-time delivery
* Number of alerts
* Number of containers
* % of containers on-time delivery
* Planned charges (freight)
* Actual charges
* Variance (planned versus actual)
* Variance percentage

Vendor Mode Performance reports for each mode of transportation (e.g. ocean, in-land), for each service provider, the same information as above.