Logistics technology: Descartes acquires Routing International

Global on-demand, software-as-a-service logistics technology provider Descartes said it has acquired privately-held Belgian-based Routing International, a developer and distributor of optimized route planning solutions. 

Descartes paid for roughly $4.1 million for Routing International and incurred certain transaction expenses.

Descartes officials said that Routing International will become part of its MRM 2.0 suite, which combines real-time planning with wireless mobile technology to manage research in motion. They added that MRM 2.0 leverages the power of real-time planning and wireless mobile technology designed to work as one. 

“For almost 30 years, Descartes has offered market-proven optimized route planning and mobile solutions to organizations with logistics intensive operations,” said Nicole German Coulter, Descartes vice president of marketing and communications.

And the functionality and technology of WinRoute, Routing International’s flagship product suite, is a complement to Descartes’ other MRM 2.0 solutions, Route Planner and Route Planner On-demand, according to German Coulter. The combination also provides Routing International’s pan-European customer base with the opportunity to improve a wider range of logistic operations such as purchased transportation, dock appointment scheduling, in-transit inventory visibility and other areas related areas of supply chain operations and global trade compliance, she said.

What’s more, this acquisition also makes Routing International’s customers members of the Descartes federated Global Logistics Network – facilitating improved performance and productivity of logistics operations across Europe and around the world.  Descartes’ Global Logistics Network is a multimodal network of transportation providers and their customers that facilitates the interchange of logistics information and provides services that leverage information to help enterprises conduct logistics business more effectively, according to the company’s Website.

Routing International’s WinRoute suite leverages advanced planning and optimization technologies and was designed for particularly strong interaction with dispatchers, transport managers and logistics engineering organizations. And WinRoute can calculate daily planning requirements as well as examine the cost-effectiveness of an organization’s transport strategy, helping organizations understand and control transportation costs.

“Our mutual customers are looking for companies that have the financial ability and solutions to help them address complex requirements on a global scale,” said German Coulter. “Descartes and Routing International technology and solutions are very complementary and our combined offering will provide customers a complete and comprehensive solution for all their current and future MRM 2.0, supply chain execution and global trade compliance needs. We believe this transaction offers the best growth opportunities for our teams, customers and partners and brings an outstanding platform that can help improve logistics processes for our combined customers.”