Getting science kits to kids' classrooms requires and A+ logistics effort.

The Low-Down:

Recently, National Geographic School Publishing (NGSP) had to execute several extreme logistic initiatives to ensure school boards across Florida and Texas would have hard copies of its entire Science and English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculums. The materials had to reach multiple stakeholders who influence decisions around which books are used by schools for the next several years.

“In a competitive situation like this, failure is not an option,” says Jeff Coppola, Vice President, Customer Care & Fulfillment, NGSP.

Realizing the delivery complexities would require a lot of logistics know-how, NGSP partnered with UPS, which has delivered everything from priceless terra cotta warriors from China to live whale sharks.

One of the logistical challenges: delivering National Geographic “science kits,” which contain everything from microscopes to butterfly and ant farms.

NGSP submissions to the Florida state school board included the kits themselves as well as student textbooks and teachers’ guides. As for the logistics math, each submission consisted of two pallets of product, weighing about 625 lbs each and standing five-feet high. Delivery requirements were strict and submissions had to be delivered to multiple locations within a state (25 in Florida alone) with specific delivery windows and rigid cut-off times.

The UPS Freight Urgent Services team worked closely with NGSP, its suppliers and its 3PL to plan the logistics of the deliveries, including making the best use of pallets and trailer space, identifying the most convenient distribution centers and most direct routes for getting submissions to the right schools at the right times.

Ultimately, UPS and NGSP passed the test, as each submission was delivered on time, complete, and well below budget. This critical step now allows NGSP to be seriously considered by both states, as final decisions will be made this fall. wt



Check it out:

http://www.ngsp.com