Convey and MercuryGate tout new last mile-focused partnership

Austin, Texas-based Convey, a provider of delivery experience management software that helps shippers connect disparate data and processes from parcel to freight in the last mile, and Cary, N.C.-based SaaS-based transportation management system (TMS) provider MercuryGate International Inc. said this week they are formally collaborating on what they called a partnership and technology integration expected to be made available in June.

Convey and MercuryGate officials said that this partnership integrates Convey’s Delivery Exception Management (DEM) technology into MercuryGate’s TMS offerings, with shippers able to deliver customer orders how and when they expect. And they added that teaming up provides each company with new opportunities to improve service, relationships, and over all NPS (net promoter score, a metric for measuring customer loyalty and predicting potential business growth).

Convey Vice President, Channel and Alliances Michael Miller told LM that this partnership has been in the works for around six months.

“True last mile proficiency— especially the connection between supply chain operations and customer experience—is a gap in TMS suites today,” he said. “MercuryGate takes a very customer value-centric approach to its partnerships, and saw an opportunity to integrate Delivery Experience Management to 1) extend its capabilities in this critical space and 2) create significant value for its customers.”

While the advanced planning and optimization capabilities of MercuryGate allow shippers to make promises to their customers, Miller explained that the integration with Convey gives them the critical tools and capabilities to keep those promises.

“When fed back into the TMS, Convey’s rich data can actually enhance decisions such as carrier selection, and routing,” he said. “For supply chain executives increasingly on the hook for customer experience, customer satisfaction, and NPS, these tools and insights can make a measurable difference on business outcomes. For example, a shipment is planned, optimized and executed in the TMS. That shipment is automatically populated in the Convey platform along with customer and other critical data. Convey will then monitor the shipments for any delivery issues, power the customer-facing experience, and help resolve any issues that arise.

Looking ahead, Miller said Convey and MercuryGate will be launching aggressive go-to-market efforts and continue to add new product features and capabilities that increase convenience and outcomes for shippers, such as single sign-on (SSO).

“It is critical that one have full control tower visibility throughout the supply chain, especially at the last mile,” said Joe Juliano, President and CEO of MercuryGate International Inc., in a statement “Integrating the Convey functionality to the MercuryGate TMS will allow the shipper to take proactive steps to address a potential disruption before it becomes a service failure by communicating with the customer. With exception management workflows, you may be able to get an order back on schedule or make alternate plans, such as sourcing the product from another location close to the end consumer.”