WATERLOO, Ontario, March 31, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), a global on-demand software-as-a-service (SaaS) logistics solutions provider, has contracted to roll-out its routing, dispatch and intelligent automated vehicle locator (AVL) services at AmeriGas, the largest retail propane marketer within the United States. Following the successful implementation of other Descartes solutions, AmeriGas is targeting additional operational savings and productivity improvements to help manage a segment of its national propane delivery operations of over 3,000 vehicles.
By combining route planning and delivery visibility between dispatchers and the field, Descartes' intelligent AVL service extends the traditional route planning process and provides real-time delivery status. This service helps improve customer responsiveness through real-time status updates, forward predictability and enhanced exception alerting. This information allows AmeriGas to reduce the need to track delivery schedules and identify potential service issues through exception reporting.
"Our organization is focused on improving customer service and operational efficiency as well as reducing our impact on the environment," said Eugene V. N. Bissell, CEO of AmeriGas. "With the extension of the Descartes solution to include intelligent AVL with routing and dispatch, we can modify our routes dynamically as changes occur during the day to optimize our performance and enhance our responsiveness to customers."
Descartes Routing, Dispatch and intelligent AVL solutions are an integral part of AmeriGas' current delivery technology strategy. The comprehensive Route Planning, Dispatch and AVL offering is hosted by Descartes, resulting in reduced implementation costs and shortened time-to-implementation to help AmeriGas impact its bottom-line quickly.
"Our solutions don't cost, they pay. Our customers have realized benefits and cost savings quickly, allowing them to focus on other areas of their business," said Adam Moore, Senior Vice President of Descartes. "We also help our customers leverage existing technology investments and extend their business processes further. This is the case with AmeriGas, with a planned integration to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, to help them extend their end-to-end delivery management operations."
About AmeriGas
Based in Valley Forge, PA, AmeriGas Partners is the nation's largest retail propane marketer, serving nearly 1.3 million customers from over 600 distribution locations in 46 states. UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI), through subsidiaries, owns 44% of the Partnership and individual unitholders own the remaining 56%.
About Descartes
Descartes (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes' offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world's most extensive multi-modal business applications network. As a federated software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, the Descartes GLN combines with component-based 'nano' sized applications to provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes' solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pick up and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility. Descartes' hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value. Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies. The company has more than 350 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Derby, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.
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This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom in general and by AmeriGas; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.