Descartes Systems Group announced New Trend International Logistics Technology Ltd. (NTI), a leading Chinese material handling technology provider and Descartes United by Design reseller, has signed its first customer, Jiangsu Tobacco.

Jiangsu Tobacco selected Descartes’ Routing and Scheduling solution, combined with a global positioning system (GPS) solution to provide real-time visibility and security for vehicles in the field. Descartes’ routing and scheduling solution streamlines delivery routes by maximizing Jiangsu Tobacco’s asset utilization and enables performance measurement against an actual plan. Descartes’ Routing and Scheduling solution re-optimizes deliveries in real-time, allocating resources to help maximize operating efficiencies; deliver priority service to the most profitable accounts and routes; and maintain overall customer service objectives.

Descartes’ Routing and Scheduling solution is designed to integrate easily with existing order management or transportation planning systems, and can help companies reduce costs as a result of shorter routes, reduced fuel consumption and enhanced fleet utilization.

Jiangsu Tobacco is the first project since the December 2009 announcement of Descartes’ alliance with NTI to combine its federated platform that unites hardware, software, networks and a community of logistics organizations, with NTI’s local business network to provide a comprehensive logistics information management system. This information management system includes logistics management information system (LMIS), warehouse management (WMS), transportation management (TMS) and GPS technologies. NTI provides project management, system integration as well as the LMIS platform for the project.

Descartes’ federated network combines the power of the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), a community of over 22,000 companies in over 165 countries exchanging logistics information, and value-added applications working together to standardize and streamline business processes.

“We are excited about signing Jiangsu Tobacco to use Descartes’ Routing and Scheduling solution,” said Raymond Cheung, Vice President of NTI. “Our alliance incorporates our local business network with Descartes' state-of-the-art distribution solution, to meet the requirement of the Chinese government to speed up the construction of information technology in the logistics industry. We look forward to continuing to work together with Descartes to improve the productivity and performance of logistics-intensive organizations across China.”

"Signing our first customer through our ‘United-by-Design’ alliance with NTI is proof that joining our networks to provide a comprehensive federated platform enables our customers to accelerate the time-to-value and results for organizations,” said Art Mesher, CEO of Descartes. “We look forward to continuing to work together with NTI to standardize and automate logistics processes for organizations in China.”

About Jiangsu Tobacco
Jiangsu Tobacco is one of the 33 provincial tobacco companies of China Tobacco.