Providing Unique Value to Key Industries 

Third Party Logistics (3PL)

3PLBilling, Distribution & Transportation: On-Demand

Third Party Logistics (3PL) providers are faced with the daunting challenge of managing inventory and processes for multiple customers within the same facility.  To maintain economics-of-scale, this inventory is frequently intermingled, yet ownership must be kept distinct - along with the many distinct billing methodologies associated with the receipt, management, and fulfillment of the inventory. 3PLs are frequently faced with the challenge of providing unique value added services for their customer's customer - kitting, providing specialized packaging, labeling, assembling, or running a return & repair operation.

7Hills addresses this challenge with our software solution, eBizNET-SC.  eBizNET offers a highly componentized and scalable architecture allowing 3PL companies to deploy specific modules over time as their business grows.  With eBizNET, 7Hills 3PL customers frequently place new customers into their operations in a matter of days, creating a competitive selling edge for the 3PL and a valuable and rapid operational transition for the customer.

While eBizNET-SC supports a diversity of industries, it encompasses a core set of features that provide unique value to 3PLs and Logistics Service Providers (LSP).  These features include:

  • True multi-company, multi-site operations
  • Concurrent support for differing business processes across multiple verticals
  • 3PL activity based billing
  • Transportation carrier selections & routing
  • Global real-time visibility of inventory
  • Shipment track & trace
  • Value added services
  • Labor productivity tracking
  • Reverse logistics
  • Cargo management
  • RFID commissioning & EPC-IS tracking
  • Configurable standards-compliant electronic interfaces
  • Extensive analytics & reporting

7Hills also maintains a team of dedicated professionals that, on average, have over 10 years of hands-on experience dealing directly in the 3PL industry.  This team helps our customers start-up efficiently and provides ongoing services to assure that operational processes are continuously tuned, data is accurate and complete, reporting is meaningful, and software is reliable and responsive - an approach we call Software-Enabled-Services (SES).

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Retail

RetailFrom Demand Synchronization to Store Delivery

The retail industry is undergoing a logistics transformation, migrating from a traditional "push" methodology (pushing inventory into the store from the manufacturer), to a "pull" or "demand-driven" methodology (pulling inventory based on consumer demand).  This shift affects all aspects of the supply chain, changing business processes, order profiles, service levels, and costs.  Those who do not address this shift will be faced with unresponsive networks that cut deeply into the margin of their products.  However, rewards await those who embrace this shift with lower network inventories, higher fill rates, reduced shelf stock outs, higher retail customer loyalty, and improved supplier relations.

The key to this transition is "demand synchronization," a collaborative effort between the retailer and suppliers to manage inventory levels commensurate with store demand and to maintain a supply chain that can rapidly respond to changes in demand.  Enter SCM 2.0.  Our SCM 2.0 approach is the perfect strategy for the retail supply chain, employing technologies which facilitate the exchange of information in real time.  The inherent flexibility and configurability of distribution and transportation solutions in eBizNET-SC allow the retail distribution center to adapt quickly to changing order profiles and store distributions. Whether you are running a cross dock/put-to-store distribution operation or a replenishment center, eBizNET-SC provides you the tools make your operation responsive to a "demand-driven" world.  [maybe mention how our (current & future) partners can extend this solution set footprint]

7Hills understands that the retail distribution performs many unique value-added processes; thus, in addition to our comprehensive foundation of best-in-class features, we have composed a set of unique capabilities that address the specific needs of the retail supply chain. These features include:

  • Managing style-color-size attributes
  • Cross docking & put-to-store operations
  • Garment on hanger
  • Value added services for price ticketing & labeling
  • Value added services for re-packaging
  • Prepack (kitting) and assortment composition
  • Integrated MHE interfaces for sortation, weighing,labeling, & packaging
  • Yard management
  • Carton-level UCC 128 tracking
  • UPC support
  • RFID EPC support
  • Integrated reverse logistics

7Hills has extensive experience with retail, retail supply, and direct-to-consumer operations across the globe and maintains a team of experienced professionals that help our customers start-up efficiently and also provides ongoing services to assure that operational processes are continuously tuned, data is accurate and complete, reporting is meaningful, and software is reliable and responsive - an approach we call Software-Enabled-Services (SES).

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Pharmaceutical & Healthcare

PharmaceuticalComprehensive Support for GMP CFR 21 Validation

The pharmaceutical  industry is one of the most regulated industries and has stringent quality standards. The safety and integrity of goods passing through the supply chain is of paramount importance. In addition to the rigors of maintaining continuous FDA GMP validation across all operations at all time, new federal and state standards are emerging for tracking & tracing of shipment pedigrees through the supply chain - further affecting documentation and electronic records. On top of these regulations, unique business processes associated with the varying pharmaceutical channels such as scheduled narcotics, biotechnology products, trade products, consumer products, and samples & literature present challenges to maintain operational efficiency across the supply chain.

7Hills provides support to many of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and understands these challenges  With decades of staff experience, we truly understand the processes involved in establishing and maintaining full compliance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines for the supply chain.  In fact, our staff has led dozens of such validation processes over the years and is frequently called upon my leading pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide assistance.  

No other industry places such an essential emphasis on lot control and expiration date management.  From ensuring an initial receipt from manufacturing or a sufficient expiration window from a supplier, to continuously tracking the quality status of a lot with interfaces to laboratory information systems, to ensuring that the customer is being shipped a proper lot (and status) is all in a day’s work in a pharmaceutical operation.  Some of the unique features of our eBizNET-SC solutions are listed below:

  • True batch/lot control
  • Expiration date tracking and alerts
  • Supports FEFO, FIFO, and LIFO fulfillment strategies
  • Stringent auditing and accountability methods (compliant GMP electronic records & signatures)
  • Returns and claims processing
  • Interfaces to lot quality management systems
  • Recall management

Our staff experience magnifies this value of our software with decades of hands-on GMP leadership expertise.  Whether you are deploying a new site or wish to gain support during an on-going GMP audit, 7Hills stands ready with a highly qualified team to support your unique needs - a program we call Software-Enabled-Services (SES).

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High Technology & Telecommunications

High TechnologyUnique Assembly Postponement & Traceability

The Technology industries faces complex challenges in a highly competitive, cost-sensitive, and ever-changing marketplace.  Global sourcing & manufacturing, customized assembly and rapid personalization, security of high value commodities, promotional launch synchronization, and serialization & tracking are just a few of the highly demanding attributes associated with this industry. Globalization is a given and management of added-value content by country has become critical for efficient tax treatment and streamlined customs processing.  In addition, few other industry supply chains deal with the volume and complexity of the ‘return and repair’ operation as  technology industries – driving the need to integrate customer service across every status change in such an operation.
7Hills has been providing support to these industries for over a decade, with some of our first customers running operations in AsiaPac manufacturing plants and distribution centers – and controlling the flow and movement of goods throughout the entire supply chain directly to their retail outlets.  eBizNET-SC inherently manages a multi-level bill of material, substitution, value-added inspection and assembly (and disassembly) processes, serial number management & tracking, and activity based billing (for profit center management). eBizNET-SC can also manage a bonded operation and has been integrated with many International Trade & Logistics (ITL) applications to expedite customs, duty management, and cross border transfer of materials.

Specific attributes of eBizNET-SC that add value to High Technology industries include:

  • Integrated value added services processing
  • Integrated assembly/disassembly control
  • Multi-Level Bill of Material (BOM) with substitution
  • Multi-level Serial Number management & tracking
  • International carrier manifesting
  • Return & Repair operations
  • Activity Based Billing
  • Cargo & Terminal Management

Having a powerful software solution to facilitate these processes is essential, but nothing replaces the value of what experience in this industry brings.  At 7Hills, our staff have deployed solutions for semiconductor, telecommunications, computer, and consumer electronics manufacturers across the globe. Using our Software-Enabled-Services (SES) methodology, this team will help you gain the most value possible out of your implementation.

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Automotive

AutomotiveAftermarket Parts Distribution and Manufacturing Support

More than any other industry, Automotive manages distinct supply chains processes for its manufacturing and aftermarket operations.  Manufacturers are now beginning to rely more and more on just-in-sequence (JIS) operations requiring suppliers to not only ship products in a timely manner, but also to sequence their arrival and part organization according to production assembly line plans for the day or week.  Equally complex aftermarket channels continue to expand with the proliferation of parts and assemblies. When these attributes are combined with more responsive service levels to the dealers,  some of the most complex fulfillment challenges in the world are created.  Both manufacturing and aftermarket operation deal with extreme variations of part size & weight, unmatched by any other industry – create very unique supply chain challenges.  And, like so many other industries, globalization has dominated Automotive, with vast quantities of goods crossing borders in all directions - mandating efficient export shipment consolidation and optimized transportation planning synchronized with International Trade Logistics (ITL).    

In a single distribution center, an Automotive OEM may manage up to 500,000 distinct SKUs across a diversity of categories including sheet metal, bin parts, molding, glass, heavily & awkward, high value security, hazardous, and more. On any given day, a large OEM site might ship 10,000’s of rush order lines in a matter of hours, rivaled in volume only by a few of the largest large DTC operations.  Efficiency and workforce management are of paramount importance and the use of Engineering Labor Standards is the desired norm. 7Hills understands these challenges and has engineered solutions that can withstand (and exceed) the rigorous demands of this industry – including features such as:

  • Efficient ASN receipt and breakdown according to putaway zone
  • Optimized directed putaway
  • Optimized bin storage utilization
  • Support to track inventory & containers
  • Pick wave planning & optimization
  • Multi-order optimized picking fulfillment
  • Multi-strategy fulfillment to manage profile variations of stock orders, daily orders, and rush orders/IVOs.
  • Material handling system integration include carousels, AGVs, ASRS, & sortation systems.
  • Route/stop consolidation marshaling & staging
  • Proof of delivery tracking
  • Serial number management & tracking
  • Workforce management Engineering Labor Standards
  • Yard Management

The Automotive supply chain has many participants, from mega-sized OEM companies, to tier 1, 2, 3 suppliers, to small co-located 3PLs supporting just-in-sequence operations. Our solutions provide support to each of these participants, on-demand, to help you move toward the unique value SCM 2.0. Along with our software, 7Hills maintains a team of highly skilled and experienced personnel who have deployed supply chain solutions across all tiers of the automotive business. 

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Food & Beverage

FoodPromoting Safety & Freshness Across the Food Supply

Not a day goes by when food safety is not mentioned in the headlines.  Whether you are manufacturing, distributing, or retailing in the Food & Beverage industry, your focus on safety must now be unwavering.  The integrity of global and local sourced products, bio-engineered products, lot traceability, and use by date controls have begun to make the Food & Beverage supply chain begin to look a bit like a pharmaceutical supply chain.  On top of this, consumers are demanding improved freshness and vast choice – as these attributes have become key discriminators across the industry.  Of course, such added value rarely translates into higher margin, hence, the industry is faced with creating a high integrity supply chain without cutting into already low margins on the products. To do this will require high integrity supply chain solutions, something 7Hills has mastered over the years.

With vast experience in Pharmaceutical, we have taken the foundations of these controls and applied them to high volume, high throughput business practices of the Food & Beverage industry. Whether you are a grower, manufacturer, distributor, or retailer, you can feel confident that 7Hills on-demand solutions will need your current and future needs of this changing business. Some of these features are:

  • Use-by date management (FEFO) including shipping & receiving window controls
  • Catch weight controls
  • Cross docking for fresh produce operations
  • Load and Lot level status tracking
  • Recall management
  • Pallet building by weight fulfillment
  • Workforce Management supporting Engineering Labor Standards
  • Yard Management

7Hills staff has deployed solutions for retail grocery chains, restaurant distributors, major food manufacturers, global beverage brands (and bottlers) and even 'mom & pop' corner shops. This experience will help you get up-and-running in days, not months, so that you can begin to improve the traceability and control or your supply chain – starting now!

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