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IBM > Case Studies > WWL extends its horizons: Enhancing long-term planning with IBM Business Analytics software

WWL extends its horizons: Enhancing long-term planning with IBM Business Analytics software

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Applicable Industries

Marine & Shipping

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Data Science Services
System Integration

The Challenge

Transporting valuable cargos around the globe is a complex business: it can take weeks and cost millions of dollars to move a vessel across the world, so it is critical to ensure that available shipping capacity is utilised efficiently. To support effective operational planning, WWL needed an accurate long-term forecasting solution. The company has 3,500 employees and a fleet of more than 60 vessels that serve 18 different trade routes on a fixed schedule. It also operates 11 terminals, 50 processing centres, and an inland transportation network that helps to transport more than three million vehicles per year from factories to point of sale. The company needed to plan its routes meticulously to ensure that it was getting the best possible utilization out of its vessels and maintaining profitability on each voyage.

About The Customer

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) is a leading independent provider of global logistics solutions for the automotive, agricultural and construction equipment industries. With offices throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, WWL’s core business revolves around the ocean transportation of vehicles, equipment and break bulk cargo. The company has 3,500 employees and a fleet of more than 60 vessels that serve 18 different trade routes on a fixed schedule. It also operates 11 terminals, 50 processing centres, and an inland transportation network that helps to transport more than three million vehicles per year from factories to point of sale.

The Solution

WWL implemented IBM® Cognos® Planning, which captures data from the company’s data warehouse and integrates it with information gathered from local experts throughout the business to create six-week and six-month forecasts each month. The company subsequently expanded the solution with IBM Cognos TM1®, which enables the company to plan for different scenarios and extends the horizon with rolling 12-month and five-year forecasts. The addition of IBM Cognos TM1 brings two major advantages to WWL. First, it enables the company to analyse multiple scenarios very rapidly; second, it enables the creation of longer-range forecasts, extending the company’s horizon to one year or even five years in the future.

Operational Impact

Enables planning for best- and worst-case scenarios as well as the standard forecast, enabling the company to respond more effectively to normal demand fluctuation as well as emerging situations such as the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
Provides support for different types of business decisions: the six-month forecast helps to plan routes for individual vessels, while the 12-month and five-year forecasts help with capacity planning (for example, whether to charter or build new vessels).
Increases flexibility for meeting new business requirements: for example, the company was recently able to move to a rolling forecast with minimal effort.