Imperial Logistics, a leader in the local logistics and supply chain management sector, and U.S.-headquartered i2 Technologies, Inc. today officially announced the formation of a strategic partnership in South Africa.

The partnership enables Imperial Logistics to offer customers access to i2’s leading-edge, new-generation supply chain management solutions at a level that has not yet been seen in the industry.

“Whereas i2 has a number of international partnerships, this is the first venture where a partner will be able to offer a hosted managed service at a monthly fee to customers,” said Marius Swanepoel, CEO of Imperial Logistics. He explains that i2 solutions will still be available for purchase from Imperial Logistics and i2, but describes the on-demand access to i2 solutions as an exciting addition to their services.

“We are now in the position to offer our customers improved customer service, through increased optimised and integrated processes at a lower cost,” says Swanepoel.

Razat Gaurav, i2 Vice President of Global Logistics also sees significant benefits in the new partnership. “Forming a partnership with a reputable channel partner such as Imperial Logistics enables us to better target the South African mid-market, while reducing our direct costs of sales. Imperial Logistics will offer access to a selection of our new-generation supply chain management solutions including the i2 transportation and distribution management solutions. Synchrony Logistics, a technology company that forms part of Imperial Logistics, will host the technology on their infrastructure on behalf of customers,” said Gaurav.

This new partnership holds numerous benefits for customers. Gerald Rudman, MD of Synchrony Logistics explains. “Firstly, customers are freed from the significant upfront investment in infrastructure. Secondly, they get access to best-in-class supply chain technology for a monthly fee. Thirdly, the contract period is flexible and negotiated with each customer. When the contract expires, customers who feel that they have received little value can simply walk away without having made significant investment in infrastructure,” said Rudman.

i2 will provide ongoing training, technical and sales support to Imperial Logistics through their South African office to ensure the smooth rollout of the technology.