PLATO.Transact
PLATO.Transact is a module withing the PLATO suite of enterprise planning products. It is comprised of the following core components:
Order Management
PLATO.Transact provides a repository to collate high volumes of orders, called service requests. Service requests describe the logical movement of articles of trade between two points, and may include additional information such as
- required cross-dock locations,
- particular delivery window information,
- client tariff details,
- value of the goods for insurance purposes,
- priority, source, and other order reference information.
Service requests can be simple fixed quantity orders, or more advanced 'must-go/can-go' requests. Reducing orders (must-go:can-go orders defined over a time period) are also supported.
The process of service request collation is performed from a variety of integrated external sources which may include ERP order management, replenishment or forecasting systems. With the appropriate permissions, users are also able to manually enter ad-hoc service requests directly into PLATO.Transact.
Financial Administration
Improved planning, management and execution can have a marked effect on the cost of goods sold and bottom-line financial performance.
PLATO.Transact is designed to complement existing financial systems by acting as a source of invoice and purchase order information. The system uses electronic vouchers to accumulate both accounts-payable and accounts-receivable information including
- transportation costs,
- overhead costs,
- customer charges.
Transportation costs and invoice amounts are both described by advanced tariff structures, often including multiple charges defined by fixed or variable amounts.
The financial administration process is complemented by a set of standard financial reports with the option to include custom-written reports, if required.
Data Management and Supporting Processes
The successful implementation of any sophisticated system depends partly on effective data management. PLATO.Transact provides intuitive user interfaces that includes management of the following:
- client and haulier information,
- contract and tariff information, for both accounts-payable and accounts-receivable,
- details of warehouse locations and geographic areas, including road network maintenance and automatic geocoding of new sites, and
- logistics-related information, such as loading bays and stop times.
A number of supporting processes enhance the security and transparency of the PLATO.Transact system, including:
- comprehensive reporting,
- detailed auditing and logging of system activities,
- multi-user functionality using role-based security and user profiles, and
- managing archival data.
