Dulles, VA - (February 24, 2004) - Vastera, Inc. (Nasdaq: VAST), the leading provider of solutions for Global Trade Management (GTM), today announced that Cummins Latin America, a world leader in the development and distribution of diesel engines, has selected Vastera's TradeSphere solution to expedite the global trade processes through Brazil's Linha Azul (Blue Line) trade program.
Utilizing Vastera's TradeSphere solution, Cummins' manufacturing facility in Sao Paulo empowers users to manage an average of 2100 imports each month. Once fully manufactured engines are complete, Cummins uses TradeSphere Brazil to export the engines to 11 countries throughout Latin America.
"TradeSphere Brazil enables Cummins to streamline our import processes resulting in a decrease in import processing time. This greatly impacts our cost of manufacturing and ultimately our bottom line," said Lucio A. Nubile, CIO for Cummins. "Vastera provides more flexibility on materials planning and helps us avoid additional expenses on unnecessary air freights. We recognized significant efficiencies through the utilization of Vastera's GTM solutions."
As a member of the Linha Azul trade program, Cummins is assured preferential forwarding of all products and components imported to and exported from Brazil's borders. Goods are guaranteed to cross borders through preferential trade program lanes in as little as two hours, but in no longer than four. The Linha Azul program is designed specifically for industrial products manufacturers that depend on the rapid movement of components between facilities spanning borders to support a just-in-time shipping process.
Manufacturers are required to implement process automation software before being considered for inclusion in the program.
"A process automation solution like TradeSphere is typically required for companies to be considered for preferential trade programs around the globe," said Tim Davenport, President and CEO for Vastera. "Cummins' decision to integrate TradeSphere as their localized trade solution is testament to Vastera's commitment to developing localized Global Trade management solutions to support requirements for global leaders."
Components imported to Brazil are used by Cummins to manufacture diesel engines, which are then exported to a diverse customer base throughout Latin America. This base includes coffee producers in Brazil and Colombia, Venezuela oil fields, agriculture in the Argentinean pampa, fishing vessels in Peru, and copper mines in Chile, the Panama Canal and the Caribbean coast and sea. Cummins is the first diesel engine manufacturer to receive the ISO 9001 certification and the Q3 9000 certification.