ATLANTA, Aug. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Today, the Georgia Institute of Technology Executive Masters in International Logistics (EMIL) program and Ryder Systems, Inc. announced the creation of a new simulation solution designed to assist Ryder in transporting goods across international borders in a cost-effective manner while complying with stringent government regulations. The tool was developed by a global project team organized as a requirement for completion of Georgia Tech's EMIL Program. Ryder's Don Showell, senior director of Transportation and Network Solutions, led the team.
"EMIL allowed me to tap a powerhouse of information and resources," said Showell. "Probably the most significant benefit of EMIL was my contact with other participants and the experience and knowledge they brought to the classroom. The broader perspective allowed me to re-evaluate Ryder's cross-border efficiencies."
One of the largest complications in organizations transporting goods across international borders is finding a cost-effective transportation model that complies with government specifications. Showell faced this issue by building a rate structure for a leading consumer electronics manufacturer to transport televisions manufactured in Mexico to the United States.
Not satisfied with in-house transportation models, Showell raised the issue to the EMIL program where he worked with other participants from leading companies to develop a solution. Ryder was able to evaluate the situation from different angles and look outside of traditional models to create a simulation tool that incorporates customer-specific data and upstream/downstream variables that establish a competitive transportation rate structure.
"Ryder came to the program with a real-world problem that needed to be addressed," said Dr. John Vande Vate, executive director for EMIL. "Don Showell took advantage of the collective knowledge of his colleagues, applied best-practices learned in the program and developed an innovative solution that can be extended to other parts of the business."
The simulation tool developed during the EMIL program is currently being integrated with Ryder's other in-house planning tools. When similar transportation challenges are encountered, the program can be easily extended to analyze land, air and sea, and border crossing scenarios.
About EMIL
One of the first schools of its type, ISyE was established in 1924 and has produced outstanding leaders in industry, government, and academia. The EMIL program was instituted in 2000 and has become the premier international supply chain master's degree program in the world. Focused on creating value for program participants and company sponsors through real-world supply chain education and solutions; EMIL helps Fortune 500 companies, and their international equivalents, develop creative new solutions to improve supply chain efficiencies by grooming their supply chain executives. For more information on EMIL and how to become a participant, please e-mail emil@isye.gatech.edu or visit www.emil.gatech.edu