VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BuildDirect, the first open network for heavyweight products, today announced that it has become the first in the $500 billion home improvement industry to open its global supply chain platform for heavyweight goods. The BuildDirect Gateway gives any third party the ability to access BuildDirect’s advanced network of warehousing services, ground and ocean logistics for any part of the shipping journey, from point of manufacture through last-mile delivery. The highly scalable platform ensures that parties involved in the order fulfillment process can utilize the fastest, most efficient and affordable options for delivering heavyweight products from anywhere in the world, to homes across North America.
Gateway was specifically designed to accommodate the unique needs associated with moving heavyweight products and supplies that cause significant issues for traditional shipping providers. The platform has been under development, tested, and honed over the course of several years. Currently, more than 8.2 million pounds of products ship through its platform each month, traveling over 5.9 million miles.
“The system for shipping heavyweight products has always been complex and overly fragmented, which is why it has taken BuildDirect more than 15 years to completely reinvent it,” said BuildDirect co-founder, president, and CEO, Jeff Booth. “Our global supply chain platform and its scope of services has been rigorously refined by managing imports and exports across 35+ countries. We now have a proven supply chain that can scale to successfully fulfill rising delivery demands, and our hope is that everyone in the industry will benefit from the open platform.”
According to a recent report from Transparency Market Research, the global e-commerce logistics market is expected to increase from its 2014 mark of $122.2 billion to more than $781 billion in 2024. Yet, even as parcel delivery providers such as FedEx or UPS continue to push the fulfillment frontier for shipments under 70 pounds, delivery of heavyweight products has struggled to keep pace, despite evolving consumer expectations. Heavyweight products are beyond the scope of what traditional shipping providers offer because they are anchored to a fixed point distribution network. This is why opening BuildDirect's platform is expected to be transformational for everyone involved in the order fulfillment process for heavyweight products.
Gateway: The One-Stop-Shop for Anywhere-to-the-Home Heavyweight Shipping
Boasting a number of distinctive features, the Gateway is:
- Optimized to streamline hand-off activities: Gateway offers end-to-end solutions for heavyweight shipping resulting in fewer touchpoints and less damage to the delivered product. In fact, the average consolidated BuildDirect shipment is handled 50% less than those in other heavyweight supply chain networks.
- Powered by predictive analytics: Suppliers in the network get access to varying levels of data depending on how they have engaged with the platform. At the highest level, suppliers gain real-time access to a dashboard that leverages sophisticated predictive analytics to show where demand for their products are. Products in the network are easily moved around the country to ensure they are close to customers, which closes the gap on shipping costs and offers more reliable delivery windows.
- Customized for a better experience: Customers are able to choose how they would like their products delivered: white glove (i.e. room of choice), first threshold (i.e. inside a garage), light or heavy assembly and removal of old product, or garbage. Additionally, manufacturers and distributors can select how to manage the movement of their products (ocean and ground logistics, or warehousing services).
- Held accountable via ratings and reviews: Once a delivery is complete, customers provide feedback on their experiences. These ratings and reviews are funneled back through the system, and carriers that perform well will get more business while those that receive consistently poor feedback are removed.
- Scalable: All supply chain services are available to any retailer. Gateway offers flexibility for distributors and manufacturers to enter the North American market.
“With minimal investment, no long-term contracts, and a turn-key infrastructure, BuildDirect’s Gateway offers tremendous value, convenience and savings,” says Alexandre Decarie, CEO of Power Dekor North America. “The supply chain that BuildDirect has developed has the potential to revolutionize heavyweight commerce and advance an entire industry.”
To make the BuildDirect Gateway possible, the company forged a number of strategic partnerships to minimize complications and maximize efficiencies via:
- Ocean Freight: The Gateway network is comprised of five ocean service providers servicing six continents globally. BuildDirect is C-TPAT (Customs–Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) and PIP (Partners in Protection) certified which leads to expedited processing and fewer customs examinations.
- Warehousing Solutions: More than 40 warehouse locations in North America are available for partners to access the Gateway. These consist of Super Distribution Centers, Regional Distribution Centers, and Micro Distribution Centers, any of which can serve as an access point into the Gateway network.
- Home Delivery: An extensive network of drivers delivers orders averaging 1,500 pounds. Suppliers can save up to 30 percent on shipping costs -- savings which can be passed on to the customer.
To get access to the Gateway network, please visit: gatewaysupplychain.com
About BuildDirect
BuildDirect is transforming the home improvement industry with the first open network for heavyweight products. The network includes the first anywhere-to-anywhere supply chain for heavy goods, which equips sellers with unprecedented levels of data to manage their business and improve the overall buyer experience.
BuildDirect has transformed how homeowners purchase home improvement products by building an online marketplace that offers a wide selection of products at the best value, direct-to-home shipping, free virtual design tools and best-in-class customer service.
The BuildDirect Home Marketplace and Gateway Supply Chain leverage machine learning and predictive analytics to drive robust efficiencies for innovation of heavyweight product services across buyers, sellers and everyone in between.
For more information, visit our website at BuildDirect.com or search our products online. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Sellers can visit BuildDirect.com/seller to sign up. To join the Gateway Supply Chain please visit gatewaysupplychain.com.