A global manufacturer, marketer, and retailer of furniture supplies, with annual sales in excess of $1.3 billion, sought to identify and overcome process inefficiencies. Their focus was in the movement of inbound materials and outbound finished product to their distribution centers and then direct to their customers and company store locations. Included in this network were five production plants and four remote distribution centers, each requiring 100% capacity compliance, visibility throughout shipment life, and an unyielding standard for on-time delivery. Capacity fluctuations and associated rate volatility created an environment where freight budgeting was difficult to calculate and impossible to achieve.