CEVA's Control Tower recognized for excellence at Smau 2011

Milan, Italy, 25 October 2011 – CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading supply chain companies, has been presented with the Award for ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Innovation in the Logistics, Operations and Supply Chain functions, during the closing day of the Smau 2011 Fair. The prize, presented on Friday 21 October, recognizes the excellence of the Control Tower in Milan, an innovative and integrated information hub that allows CEVA to control and plan all logistics activities at both national and international levels from a single central point. The award is given to companies and public administrations which have stood out for developing innovative projects based on the application of ICT solutions within the Logistics, Operations and Supply Chain functions.

The award for ICT Innovation was created by the Smau Observatory - School of Management Politecnico of Milan – and is the result of the increasingly crucial role ICT plays in innovation for organizational processes and functional areas. This role can only be successful in the presence of a full understanding of the potential opportunities offered by these technologies and the ability to transform this understanding into successful projects and initiatives.

Vittorio Aronica, Senior Vice President, Information Services and Solutions for CEVA, Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said. “We are extremely proud that the Control Tower, an innovative solution in which we have made significant financial and talent investments, has received this prestigious recognition. This award further confirms the quality and appropriateness of CEVA’s investment choices, which all aim to offer a truly distinctive service from which customers can benefit day after day. The technological and IT components of the Control Tower, along with the operations area, are a core element of its success. Through the in depth understanding of our customers’ needs and our competence in developing the best services, we have been able to deliver an innovative solution which perfectly balances operational processes and customer service.”

The Control Tower in Assago is structured into three areas, each performing specific functions. The Red Area is dedicated to monitoring and optimizing overall transport, including the network of national and international transports and financial targets. The Blue Area is dedicated to the planning and optimization of logistics flows, as well as the handling of national and international transport. Lastly, the Grey Area is focused on monitoring alarms during the transport phases, including real-time CCTV monitoring of high value transports and scrutiny of warehouses.

Through the Control Tower, CEVA can offer its customers important benefits, such as close monitoring of each operation, therefore ensuring the maximization of all transportation, and 24/7 full coverage of CEVA’s Italian locations, with the possibility to act quickly in case of anomalies with reduced reaction times and advanced reporting in real-time. By the end of 2011, CEVA will provide similar Control Towers in other European locations, each operating together in a network forming a single virtual system.

Alessandro Perego, Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the Politecnico of Milan and Scientific Director at the Observatory on Contract Logistics, said: “For many companies, the outsourcing of logistics activities is a crucial and strategic choice, since it has impact on key business performance such as: operational costs, level of customer service and turnover, fixed capital and working capital. It is therefore fundamental that the logistics operator is reliable and makes its, and its business partners’, operations and activities transparent. Ideally, logistics activities – even if outsourced, and so generating economies of scale and scope – should be embedded in the customer’s strategic planning process, and the logistics provider’s objectives and operations management should be shared between the parties. Solutions such as the Control Tower enable the reduction, and possible elimination, of the information gap that often separates logistics operators and their customers.”

The awards ceremony took place during a congress organized by the School of Management of the Politecnico of Milan and AILOG, the Italian Association of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and followed presentations by each of the finalists highlighting the business benefits of their project. CEVA competed against 19 other companies in this category.