Universal Logistics Streamlines Customs Clearance with Descartes and Windmill

WATERLOO, Ontario, March 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that Ontario-based Universal Logistics Inc., a freight forwarding and customs brokerage services provider, is using the Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage™ solution to increase customer satisfaction and improve operational effectiveness through automation of labor-intensive customs declarations processes. The solution is enhanced by an innovative documentation digitization solution from Windmill, a Descartes United by Design partner.

“Best-in-class technology is an investment we make to help our people provide customers with smarter logistics solutions,” said Paul Glionna, Vice President Systems Development & Operations at Universal Logistics. “Using the Descartes system, we’ve achieved a level of automation that has unlocked significant productive time for higher quality customer conversations. Multi-page commercial invoices that previously took hours to complete are now done in 10 minutes, and commodities are now classified at the time an entry is created to further streamline customs clearance. This type of process automation is a high impact, low effort means to allow us to focus on higher-value work for our customers.”

An on-demand software solution, Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage provides customs brokers with the ability to streamline and automate the workflows associated with customs entries, regulatory filings, and customer invoicing to improve operational productivity. The solution uses the Descartes Global Logistics Network™ (Descartes GLN™) to electronically connect customs brokers with shippers, carriers and regulatory authorities around the world to speed data collection and dissemination. Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage is integrated with Windmill’s EasyClearance solution to allow unstructured electronic documents, such as PDFs of commercial invoices from shippers, to be converted quickly and effectively to structured data, eliminating the need for repetitive, error-prone, time-consuming manual data entry that would slow the customs clearance process.

“Leading customs brokers such as Universal Logistics are using automation to minimize their effort in lower value tasks and give them more time to focus on customer service,” said Glenn Palanacki, VP Industry Strategy, Forwarding and Brokerage at Descartes. “Given our long-standing commitment to being at the technology forefront for customs brokers, we’re happy to work with Windmill to make significant advances in the automation to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) filing processes.”

About Universal Logistics Inc.

Based in Thornhill, Ontario, Universal Logistics Inc. offers a complete package of international ocean and air freight, trucking, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution services on both sides of the border between Canada and the U.S. to help customers reduce freight costs, optimize transit times and achieve air-tight compliance. Universal prides itself on our commitment to provide innovative logistics solutions while honoring the family values and client focus established by our founder, Frank Glionna Sr., when he started the business in 1949. For more information, visit www.universallogistics.ca.

About Windmill

Information technology provider Windmill is a leader in cognitive capture, business process automation, robotics process automation and business intelligence for different industries, including transportation and logistics, insurance and banking among others. Windmill has been awarded with the highest recognition by its partners in Canada, USA, Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information, visit www.windmill.services.

About Descartes

Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025                                 
cstrohack@descartes.com  

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.