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Innovation at Bison

Posted by Chris Friesen, Manager, Software Development Systems on Oct 13, 2020 1:54:50 PM

In Corporate, Technology, Business

Did you know that Bison uses Blockchain technology?  No, we are not harvesting Dogecoins… No, we are not converting Bison store bucks to a crypto currency.

Yes, we are integrated with Walmart Canada and DLT labs, DL Asset Track (DLAT).

“DL Asset Track uses blockchain to enable trust between two or more companies that must use the same information to do business. Scalable and modular, the uniquely secure platform establishes a ‘single source of truth’, allowing authorized users access to accurate, real-time records. Production-ready, the technology seamlessly integrates with legacy systems to capture complex business logic and enables smart contract automation.”

The DLAT platform enables Walmart Canada and its network of carriers to automate proof of delivery and freight invoice reconciliation. Bison was a key part of the design, testing and proof of concept for their interface. 

According to Rod Hendrickson, VP Finance, Bison Transport, "Great partners find innovative ways to create business solutions that benefit both parties. The blockchain initiative we worked on with Walmart and DLT Labs is just that – a mutually beneficial solution that works well for Bison Transport and Walmart Canada. This project is a new paradigm that will greatly improve workflows, reduce paperwork, and make the business we do with Walmart more efficient."

It’s all about the details; inside the DLAT the system houses the Walmart and Bison rules for partnership (things like fuel rates, lane data, locations, address’ etc.). After Walmart order entry (EDI) from Walmart’s interface, the loads are integrated to the DLAT Blockchain. In there, they instantly create a pro-forma digital invoice using the partnership rules.

On Walmart loads, all of Bison’s GPS tracking data is integrated with DLAT. Once Bison has entered the Walmart order data, we use Wolverine (our Bison tool to interface with the DLAT) to compare the values of the invoice to ensure everything matches (rate, fuel, miles etc.). From within this tool Bison can accept and dispute invoices and submit for additional charges.

Oh yeah and in case you are wondering: Bison’s balance sheet improved by a factor of millions of dollars in the process.