Banyan Technology > Case Studies > Star Pipe Products is Moving Freight Through the Pipeline

Star Pipe Products is Moving Freight Through the Pipeline

Company Size

1,000+

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

Banyan’s API
Transportation Management System (TMS)
Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Tech Stack

SaaS
API

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Fleet Management
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Star Pipe Products is a global manufacturer and supplier of a broad array of iron products. The company operates 14 regional distribution centers across North America. The company's Vice President of Operations, Patrick Kirbow, has been with the company for 16 years and has been instrumental in driving operational standardization across all facilities. The company's operations involve a significant amount of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation, which was previously managed through a manual and inefficient system.

The Challenge

When Patrick Kirbow joined Star Pipe Products 16 years ago, he aimed to standardize operations across the company’s 14 North American regional distribution centers. One of the significant challenges was an inherited and inefficient less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation management system (TMS) that required too much manual data input. The manual process of rate-shopping and purchasing freight was time-consuming and inefficient. The company also wanted to centralize carrier relationship management and freight buying, eliminating the need for carrier sales representatives to meet with logistics personnel at each facility.

The Solution

To address the challenges, Star Pipe Products partnered with Banyan Technology, a SaaS-based logistics data connectivity platform innovator. Banyan’s development team created a custom application programming interface – API – that connects Star Pipe’s TMS to its warehouse management system (WMS). This API programmatically tenders freight to the best value LTL carrier with the fastest transit time, automating the process of rate-shopping and purchasing freight. The technology also enables the manufacturer to centralize carrier relationship management and freight buying. With rates negotiated by headquarters staff and LTL purchasing automated by Banyan’s API, there’s no need for carrier sales representatives to meet with logistics personnel at each facility.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Banyan’s API has led to significant operational improvements. The automation of the rate-shopping and freight purchasing process has eliminated the need for manual data input, leading to increased efficiency.
The technology has also enabled the centralization of carrier relationship management and freight buying. This has resulted in a more streamlined and efficient process, with rates negotiated by headquarters staff and LTL purchasing automated by Banyan’s API.
The company has been able to enforce a fair approach to carrier sales, with all carriers aware of the company's policy.

Quantitative Benefit

The implementation of Banyan’s API has led to significant cost savings by eliminating the need for manual data input and automating the freight purchasing process.
The centralization of carrier relationship management and freight buying has also led to cost savings by reducing the need for carrier sales representatives to meet with logistics personnel at each facility.