U.S. shippers who have relied on Rand McNally’s mileage and routing information soon will be able to ship internationally, as the company’s MileMaker software goes global. This month, Rand McNally will introduce MileMaker Global, which the company describes as a single-source solution for accurately calculating routes and miles in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
“As businesses have expanded globally, they report mileage platforms are inconsistent and not standardized in a manner suitable for freight rating,” says Donna Koppensteiner, vice president of Global Enterprise Solutions for Rand McNally, based in Skokie, Ill. “Many have asked us to develop a global distance solution that addresses their major need for global shipping — accurate, standardized distances to streamline their global IT and business processes.”
Rand McNally says MileMaker Global combines the richness of its World Digital Database with the comprehensiveness of Navteq maps, which provides map data spanning 78 countries and territories, collected and based on a single global specification. MileMaker Global is designed to bring global standardization to multimarket logistic applications such as freight contract negotiation, freight rate setting, freight bill auditing, fuel tax reporting and intercontinent routing.
According to the company, the product utilizes:
“Leveraging the Navteq map database along with Rand McNally’s World Digital Database of mileage and routes provides a significant solution for the market,” says Roy Kolstad, vice president and general manager of Enterprise Americas for Navteq. “We value the opportunity to work with Rand McNally to deliver what we all agree is an immensely valuable product for the transportation industry.”
Using MileMaker’s single, operationally consistent source of mileage information worldwide, companies can streamline business processes and minimize multiple software license costs, according to Rand McNally. “A large manufacturer can use MileMaker Global as a one-source replacement for multiple market-specific mileage platforms, allowing them convenience and consistency in mileage calculation, as well as cost savings from using one single product,” says Mason Meadows, the company’s director of Global Sales.
According to Rand McNally, the mapping and routing tool provides a robust graphical user interface that operates on a Windows/PC-based system; the product is modularized by World Regions, allowing users to purchase specific data sets. To enable enterprisewide usages and integration in existing logistics systems, the company says it offers a comprehensive API software developer’s tool kit at an additional cost.
MileMaker Global features updated versions of the same mapping functions found in the North American version designed to reduce manual errors, analyze results and remain current, according to Rand McNally; these include:
