The Custom Companies: Receiving Data Faster with DDC Sync

Prior to DDC Sync, The Custom Companies’ BOL data was not being used in a timely manner. Drivers manually keyed BOL data, which then had to be transmitted to and validated by the back office. This meant that data could only be used for decision-making hours later.

“All it takes is one driver to miskey a zip, and that could cost you thousands,” explains Joseph Klikas, Chief Experience Officer at The Custom Companies, Inc. “You tend to overlook that information just because you don’t have the confidence level that you’d like.”

As a result, The Custom Companies couldn’t confidently provide their customers with the most up-to-date information on their shipments. They needed a technology solution to process BOL data in near real-time and make it available to their in-house analytics team faster.

DDC Sync expedited BOL processing and data transfer rates from the word “go.” The results speak for themselves. From 1,320 BOLs received in the proof of concept, just 41 images were rejected, a real-world success score of 97%. DDC has since corrected glitches in the early versions of the system, increasing the success rate to 98%.

DDC Sync is also easily integrated with The Custom Companies’ transportation management system (TMS), which Carrier Logistics, Inc. manages (CLI). “Because we have our hands on the data earlier, the ability for the labor force to execute — and execute flawlessly — is directly impacted,” says CLI President Ben Weisen.

The Custom Companies was also able to allocate resources in their back office more efficiently. Thanks to DDC Sync, they received fewer calls to customer service looking for updates because up-to-date information was promptly available to end-users in the system.

Most importantly, leveraging DDC Sync resulted in an average six-hour gain in visibility and access to freight data per shipment.

“Prior to DDC Sync, our operations team would create a load optimization plan based only on destination zip code and tonnage from the driver at the time of pickup,” Klinkas says. “Now we can make more efficient and profitable routing decisions.”

The Custom Companies, Inc. looked for a flexible solution to expedite and streamline their freight data processes and turned to DDC FPO to build on their already-successful relationship.

Thanks to DDC Sync, they got the solution they needed — and more. Leveraging DDC Sync has improved internal decision-making, better back-of-house resource allocation, and improved customer experience.