IBM Sterling Commerce Software Review

An Independent Supply Chain Planning Software Review

Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Sterling Commerce acquired their Transportation Management Software with the acquisition of Nistevo, which is a SaaS only deployment solution. Sterling provides standard transportation processes across their network of 10,000 carriers with collaborative relationships that address planning, execution, settlements and visibility into available capacity.

IBM Sterling Commerce is best suited for North American centric shippers with modest complexity. Sterling covers the standard Transportation Management System processes:

• Centralized Planning and Local Execution
• Multi-Modal
• Rating Engine (with support external rating engines for off shore carriers)
• Load Optimization
• Load Tendering
• Carrier Selection (based on least cost or best service)
• Yard Management
• Contract Management
• Dedicated Fleet Management
• Settlement and Add-On Fee Management
• Performance Analysis

Other Sterling features include alert status to help manage exceptions, collaboration with trading partners, shipment tracking and mobile device support. IBM’s WebSphere ILOG business rules engine is used to optimize shipments across all modes of transportation including routing and load consolidation.

Selling and Order Management

Sterling Commerce provides a selling solution that goes beyond standard ERP software functionality. Sterling addresses configuring (using configuration rules), pricing and quoting for unique one off products and products with a complex dynamic bill of materials. For web based selling, the Sterling solution facilitates a quick setup of web storefronts for new products. Online customers can place their own orders, get personalized workspaces to manage their orders, invoices and returns, and retrieve up to the minute status, history and activity reports. Sterling integrates with ERP software and fulfillment systems to support online, catalog and downstream channel partners. Other features allow for customer specific product bundles and support for spare parts business.

Sterling’s Order Management solution combines multi-channel order aggregation, global visibility to inventory (enabling order promising for the complete order), and the ability to order from anywhere, fulfill from anywhere and return to anywhere. A rule based order promising and scheduling engine optimizes inventory and resources to meet orders and business requirements. Sterling’s Order Management handles complex ordering for unique products, complex dynamic bill of materials and build to order.

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