CTSI-Global
CTSI-Global Seamless Optimization of Shipments

James Hanauer, the technology head of CTSI-Global, lives by the five tenets of Taekwon-Do: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-control, and Indomitable spirit. Having practiced martial arts since the age of five, he makes full use of the skills he attained over many years of training to keep calm in the face of diversity, drive technological innovation, and make key business decisions at CTSI-Global. Founded in 1955, the company tackles obstacles throughout the supply chain from inefficient freight bill processing and high shipping costs to the lack of shipment visibility with inventive technology and professional services. When a client tries to locate the source of pain points, such as high costs or delayed shipments, Hanauer says, “We provide the business intelligence solutions to uncover how to address these pain points.” For instance, the company provides a Carrier Report Card application that rates the performance of carriers pertaining to the shipper’s preferred metrics.

Leveraging their more than five decades of experience, CTSI-Global architected an end-to-end Transportation Management System (TMS)—an array of integrated applications that can be designed to meet a client’s logistics needs. “By offering individual applications rather than an off-the-shelf suite, we provide a streamlined, customizable, and cost-effective approach,” states Hanauer. Some of the key TMS applications include, Order Management, Load Optimization, Carrier Selection, Shipment Execution, and Parcel Manifesting. This Software as a Service (SaaS) offers security, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness to optimize shipping transactions, while being scalable for even third-party logistics providers. The company also provides one of the world’s leading freight bill audit and payment services for both domestic and international businesses. It processes carrier data via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), as well as less common methods such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), manual data entry, and its online data entry system.

With a management team that has been with the company for decades, CTSI-Global taps into its wealth of industry knowledge to provide technology that stays two years ahead than that of its competitions. The company introduced its TMS in 2004, making it an early innovator in the field.

“We did not find ourselves trying to finagle existing software to suit a new industry,” describes Hanauer. “Instead, we translated our knowledge of shippers into developing robust technologies best suited to their needs.” Rather than trying to develop a piecemeal system across multiple providers, CTSI-Global offers clients access to an integrated configuration of TMS applications, business intelligence solutions, freight bill audit and payment, and consulting services.

Every day, CTSI-Global processes nearly 3 million transactions for the likes of Applied Materials, IBM, and Technicolor. One of their clients, American Electric Power (AEP) ships materials and equipments involved in generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity. During extreme weather conditions, or when a natural disaster strikes, expedited shipping becomes a necessity to get “the right material to the right place at the right time.” To be better prepared for such circumstances, AEP now uses CTSI-Global’s freight pay data and TMS tools to analyze shipping patterns, lanes, carrier compliance, and cost-savings opportunities. The simple logic embedded into AEP’s online routing guide and load posting software, helps optimize transportation, making shipments as simple and seamless as possible.

By offering individual applications rather than an off-the-shelf suite, we provide a streamlined, customizable, and cost-effective approach

“We monitor the market trends and evolve with it to better address the customer needs and stay ahead of the curve,” remarks Hanauer. The company describes its global expansion as “global vision with a local approach.” They not only provide strategic regional offices, currency conversions, and language translations, but also bring to the table a range of services and solutions designed specifically to meet the needs of clients in a particular country. Tomorrow, Hanauer affirms, “CTSI-Global would certainly cross international borders.”