Overview
Global Supply Systems is a leading provider of returnable pallet pooling and supply chain logistics solutions across Asia-Pacific. Their services support some of the region’s largest manufacturers, retailers and logistics networks, where accurate tracking of pallet movement across distribution centres, stores and suppliers is critical.
To support the continued growth of their operations and improve the management of pallet movements across large retail supply chains, Global Supply Systems engaged Newpath to design and build a new generation of their Global Supply Systems Online platform.
The new platform was designed to provide enhanced stock visibility, automated reconciliation processes and real-time integration with external client systems. The initial rollout focused on supporting one of Global Supply Systems’s largest retail partners, with the architecture designed to scale across additional clients and markets over time.
The result is a modern, scalable platform capable of managing complex pallet movement transactions across large distribution networks while maintaining accurate stock visibility at every stage of the supply chain.
The Challenge
Global Supply Systems required a significant upgrade to their existing online platform in order to support new operational requirements and improve integration with external systems.
Their previous platform had several limitations that made it difficult to support the increasing complexity of modern retail supply chains.
Key challenges included:
Store-Level Stock Visibility
Global Supply Systems needed the ability to track pallet inventory not only at the depot or distribution centre level, but also at individual store locations across large retail networks.
This required the platform to support detailed transaction recording for pallet movements between multiple locations.
Integration with External Client Systems
Large retail partners generate significant operational data through purchase orders, logistics movements and carrier schedules.
Global Supply Systems needed the new platform to integrate seamlessly with these systems using EDI standards, allowing automated data exchange without manual intervention.
Complex Transaction Workflows
Pallet movements can occur in many forms across a supply chain, including:
- distribution centre to distribution centre transfers
• store to store movements
• returns to central depots
• excess pallet recovery
• manual stock adjustments and reconciliation
The system needed to support these workflows while maintaining accurate stock balances and reconciliation processes.
Scalability for Future Clients
While the initial implementation was focused on supporting a major retail client, Global Supply Systems required a platform that could be extended to support additional enterprise clients in the future.
This meant designing a flexible architecture capable of supporting multiple clients, locations and transaction types without significant redevelopment.
The Solution
Newpath designed and built a new enterprise-grade platform for Global Supply Systems Online, focused on delivering accurate stock tracking, automated reconciliation and seamless integration with external systems.
The platform was architected using a modern service-oriented approach that separates core business logic, integrations and user interfaces into scalable services.
At the centre of the platform is a comprehensive transaction engine that records the movement of equipment across the supply chain.
Every pallet movement is captured through structured transaction types, allowing the system to maintain an accurate record of inventory movements between distribution centres, stores and logistics partners.
The platform integrates directly with client systems using GS1 EDI standards, enabling the automated import of operational data including purchase orders, site data, carrier schedules and logistics identifiers.
By automating these integrations, the platform reduces manual data entry and ensures that operational information flows directly into the Global Supply Systems system in near real time.
The result is a platform that provides clear visibility of pallet inventory while supporting complex operational workflows across large retail networks.
Key Platform Capabilities
The new Global Supply Systems Online platform introduces a range of capabilities designed to support complex supply chain operations.
Transaction Management
At the core of the platform is a powerful transaction engine responsible for recording pallet movement across the network.
Supported transaction types include:
- equipment movement between distribution centres
• store-to-store transfers
• supplier deliveries to stores or depots
• returns to central depots
• pallet disposal processes
• excess pallet recovery
Each transaction captures detailed operational data and automatically updates stock balances across the system.
This allows Global Supply Systems and its clients to maintain accurate visibility of pallet inventory across the supply chain.
Automated Reconciliation
Supply chain operations often involve discrepancies in quantities, dates or confirmations between different parties.
The platform includes a sophisticated reconciliation engine that automatically compares transaction records against expected operational data.
The system can automatically reconcile transactions where all details match, while flagging discrepancies for review where differences occur.
This allows operations teams to quickly identify and resolve stock inconsistencies.
Inventory Management
The platform maintains two parallel inventory models to support operational accuracy:
- stock balances based on transaction activity
• cyclic inventory balances used for operational verification
These balances can be synchronised through automated rebalancing processes to ensure system accuracy.
Stocktake and Inventory Adjustments
The platform includes built-in functionality for performing manual stocktakes across stores and distribution centres.
Operational teams can record inventory counts by location or store section, with built-in workflows for managerial approval of adjustments.
This allows Global Supply Systems to maintain accurate inventory records even in complex operational environments.
Reporting and Visibility
The system provides powerful reporting capabilities that allow users to monitor inventory balances, transaction activity and reconciliation status.
Reports can be filtered by:
- location or depot
• equipment type
• date range
• variance or reconciliation status
These reporting tools provide operational teams with clear insights into pallet movement across the network.
Technology Architecture
The Global Supply Systems Online platform was built using a modern service-oriented architecture designed to support scalability and system integration.
Key architectural principles included:
- modular business services
• REST-based APIs for system communication
• cloud-ready deployment architecture
• scalable data storage and processing
Core Technology Stack
Backend services were developed using .NET Core, providing a robust and scalable application framework.
Data storage is managed through Microsoft SQL Server, supporting high volumes of transactional data across multiple locations.
The user interface was built using modern JavaScript frameworks, providing a responsive and intuitive user experience.
API-Driven Architecture
Core business services such as user management, transaction processing and reconciliation operate as independent services exposed through REST APIs.
These services are managed behind an API gateway, allowing the platform to scale and integrate with external systems efficiently.
Cloud-Ready Infrastructure
The architecture was designed to support modern cloud deployment patterns, allowing the platform to scale as additional clients and operational environments are introduced.
Mobile Capability
To support operational teams working within warehouses and distribution centres, the web application can also be deployed as a hybrid mobile application using Ionic.
This enables the platform to be used on mobile devices within operational environments where traditional desktop access may not be practical.
The Outcome
The new Global Supply Systems Online platform provides Global Supply Systems with a modern, scalable system capable of supporting complex pallet tracking operations across large supply chains.
The platform delivers:
- accurate store-level inventory tracking
• automated integration with client systems
• improved reconciliation of operational data
• flexible architecture for onboarding additional clients
By introducing a modern service-based architecture and scalable transaction management engine, Global Supply Systems now has a digital platform capable of supporting the continued growth of their supply chain operations.
The platform is designed to evolve over time, allowing new clients, locations and transaction workflows to be introduced without major redevelopment.
For Global Supply Systems, this provides a strong digital foundation for managing pallet logistics across increasingly complex retail supply chains.
