ESSILOR, the world leader in ophthalmic optics, has chosen DDS Logistics’ DDS Shipper TMS (Transport Management computer Solution) to better follow its export flows from its Creteil (France, 94) distribution center and keep an eye on its invoicing.

Créteil Oudry in Val-de-Marne is one of ESSILOR’s largest distribution centers. There, the corrective lenses manufacturer stores 3 million lenses every year for its subsidiaries and prescription labs (lense finishing) in France but also in Europe and worldwide. 72% of the stock is for export. That’s a substantial part, which is why ESSILOR has decided to reinforce the follow-up of this type of flows and their corresponding transport charges – the latter being afterwards re-invoiced to the consignees. ESSILOR has chosen DDS Logistics’ DDS Shipper distribution TMS (Transport Management System), or, to be more specific, its modules “Consolidation”, “Tracing and Alerts” and “Invoice control”.

Consolidation and shipment tracking
DDS Shipper was interfaced with our partner Conex’s TRADmaster solution. TRADmaster, which ESSILOR has been using for a year for its commercial management and export invoicing, automatically transmits the orders to the DDS Logistics solution which can then group them by destination client on the basis of their characteristics (weight, dimensions, incoterm, delivery address). This reduces transport charges drastically.

Another DDS Shipper strength: ESSILOR can follow each of its shipments all along the way. Interfaces with its main providers and forwarders (SDV, Mory) have been set up to trace the deliveries via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and give visibility to the events each one is linked to. If an incident occurs, an alert is issued so that the problem can be dealt with. Everything is operated automatically via the interfaces between the solutions.

Invoicing
DDS Shipper provides cost pre-calculation features that use the carrier rates already integrated in the software. ESSILOR is able to anticipate transport costs, compare the service’s theoretical cost with the actual one and control the providers’ invoices. ESSILOR can now re-invoice each shipment to its consignor exactly as it should be, including the transport charges as well as the various taxes (diesel oil, customs clearance charges, insurance…).

“DDS Shipper allows us to calculate transport charges automatically. It’s genuinely time-saving. With this software we’ve also managed to minimize imputation errors, improve exchanges of data between our systems and those of our various forwarding agents and track our shipments in real time. This software opens up prospects for constant improvements”, says Gilles Quesnel, Import-Export department Manager at ESSILOR.

With such conclusive first results for the partnership between ESSILOR and DDS Logistics, BBGR, one of the subsidiaries of the world leader in ophthalmic optics, started using DDS shipper TMS at the beginning of October.

ESSILOR International
With its flagship brands Varilux®, Crizal®, Essilor® and Definity®, the world leader in ophtalmic optics ESSILOR International provides a wide range of lenses to correct myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia and astigmatism. ESSILOR is present on the five continents through its 15 production sites, 270 prescription laboratories (lens finishing) and its distribution network.
In 2007, the group manufactured 220 million lenses and realized a 2.9 billion euro turnover. ESSILOR hires more than 30.000 people worldwide.
The Essilor share is quoted on the Euronext market in Paris and is in the CAC 40 index.
Codes: ISIN: FR 0000121667 ; Reuters: ESSI.PA ; Bloomberg: EF:FP.
www.essilor.com