RedStone Logistics, a third-party logistics company specializing in logistics management services, has begun offering a new diagnostic transportation assessment service, StoneBench. The new service, provided at no cost for a limited time, provides companies with an objective evaluation of transportation processes and operational performance across several disciplines, and then benchmarks those results against similar size companies.

StoneBench is available to any interested company with no obligation, regardless of whether it is a current RedStone Logistics client.

The process will gather essential information on five functional areas of the business:

' Transportation planning: Evaluating inbound and outbound processes, routing guides, use of ad hoc and spot market options, optimization tools, and technology

' Transportation execution: Gauging key processes such as shipment tendering, event management, and exception management processes used in daily operation

' Sourcing and cost management: Reviewing carrier qualification processes, bid process management, selection and qualification processes, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance and performance monitoring

' Financial Management and Impact: Assessing current costs versus alternative methodologies, carrier payment terms, audit methodology, cost allocations, claims management, and identifying summary level cash-to-cash cycles

' Logistics Network: Assessing current service alignment with sales channels, overall network design, pool point decision processes, static routing design, and overall strategic decision support tools.

'StoneBench is a simple way to determine what's working and what's not for your business' transportation needs,' Jim Ritchie, RedStone Logistics president and CEO, said. 'We've decided to offer this service at no cost and with no obligation because we believe in helping companies streamline their supply chain processes and reduce their expenses. There may be an opportunity for our services to help down the line, but that's not our call. We want to give these companies the facts, a roadmap of improvement options, and then let them choose what to do with that information.'

Once all the information is gathered and the analysis is complete, the company will receive its comprehensive StoneBench assessment, which will identify short-term and long-term improvement opportunities for their business:

' A better understanding of data quality, and the availability essential to making the best decisions for the business' transportation function

' Process maturity assessment and recommended enhancements, and the estimated impact to the company's bottom line

' Line-of-sight plan to implement short-term, quick-hit opportunities for immediate cost impact

' Carrier rate benchmarking that displays current levels versus other, similar companies

' Cash-to-cash impact and the overall value stream opportunity

'With all of this detailed information on-hand, each company we work with will have the tools needed to plan, prioritize and tackle major challenges facing their organization,' Ritchie said. 'The assessments we've already completed have proved to result in significant cost savings, increased opportunities and improved operational efficiencies. We're in the business of helping companies run more smoothly, and that's exactly what StoneBench is doing.'