Con-way Inc. today, Dec. 2, announced that it has been named among the top 10 companies on the InfoWorld 100, an annual ranking of the most creative and intelligent uses of technology to meet business goals. Companies were nominated last summer by end users, technology partners and InfoWorld readers. Winners were selected based on the most effective use of multiple technologies to help organizations achieve specific business objectives.
The company was honored for its Step Saver Web-based interactive software application. The management tool was designed to minimize the time spent by Con-way Freight’s dock coordinators planning daily workflow. The company says the tool improved operational efficiency through more effective dock planning, freeing up the coordinators for higher-value tasks, and shaving costs by reducing the distance traveled by forklifts loading and unloading freight. Con-way was the only company recognized in the Distribution category.
“This award recognizes the achievements of the dozens of team members who not only developed Step Saver, but also successfully tested and integrated it into Con-way Freight’s business processes,” says Jacquelyn Barretta, chief information officer for San Mateo, Calif.-based Con-way. “To create a solution that saves the company 38 percent in planning time and millions of dollars a year is a tremendous accomplishment.”
Before Step Saver was introduced, dock coordinators would spend hours manually creating dock workflow plans and determining the most efficient dock door assignments for every arriving trailer. The company says the many efficiencies created by Step Saver’s automation of the process are helping Con-way Freight continue to deliver on-time delivery, exception-free service and fast transit times.
