When IT Keeps on Truckin’
A freight transportation and logistics company with $4.2 billion in revenue, Con-way is a "less-than-truckload" specialist, which means shipments average a half-ton and have short shipping times. Three-quarters of its loads get delivers in one to two business days.
Like many companies in the less-than-truckedload business, Con-way had faced complex logistical problems with mostly rudimentary technology. It has tested and deployed a range of leading-edge information technologies, including asset management software, a service-oriented architecture, and business intelligence tools, both to improve its internal process and to bring new services to customers.
For instance, Con-way has deployed virtualization technology for its Unix and Windows environments, reducing hardware and server administration costs. Virtualization has also let the IT organization cost-justify separate development, testing, and quality assurance environments, particularly ones that require dedicated environments but have infrequent use, such as disaster recovery systems.
"Our IT department has definitely become a source of innovation," CFO Kevin Schick says. Their innovation provides some key insights into how an old-line company in a "dirty" business can use IT to improve its customer service and bottom line.
This year, Con-way's leadership in deploying and testing technologies that have had a distinct impact on its business has vaulted it to the top of the InformationWeek 500 rankings, up from 28th last year and 116th in 2005.
This is why IT matters!