Logistics Software
These solutions service the transportation industry and perform all sorts of supply chain management tasks. They help drivers and dispatchers to schedule, track, optimize and manage the transportation of goods across all industries. For example, you can organize an entire returning route and all the specific tasks attached to it, from loading to delivery on both ends. These specific tasks include inventory and asset tracking and management, GPS tracking, order management, warehouse and dispatch management, logistics, etc. GPS and cloud-based computing make most of these programs accessible through mobile platforms and offer capabilities that streamline the scheduling process and improve the performance of cargo and goods transport. Read the full software guide...
Any application designed specifically for logistics service providers to help them manage and execute the movement of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption can be called logistics software.
The terms ‘logistics’ and ‘supply chain’ are often used interchangeably, but logistics is actually a subset of supply chain management (SCM). While logistics management focuses solely on the movement and storage of physical products, SCM involves much more—from the manufacturing, production, and distribution of goods to the management of data flow through the supply chain.
The key functionalities of logistics software include transportation management, warehouse management, fleet management, inventory tracking, and route optimization, among others. Some products even help in risk management. For instance, the software may help analyze driver history or automate the insurance claim process in the event of an accident or freight loss.
More advanced products feature the ability to handle payments and invoicing, manage currency exchanges, calculate taxes on goods, provide multi-language support, and help consolidate shipments to make your product delivery faster and more cost-effective.
Depending on their area of focus, logistics management solutions can be categorized into the following types.
The logistics management needs of transportation companies vary depending on the size of their business and the nature of their operations. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers, for instance, take care of the entire logistics operations for their clients. So they often look for an integrated suite of transportation and warehouse management applications, along with inventory control, accounting, and CRM functionality.
Businesses focused on one particular area of the supply chain often look for a best-of-breed solution. For instance, If you run a small courier service company that operates locally, you may simply need GPS fleet tracking software or route planning software. On the other hand, a shipping company may opt for a comprehensive transportation management solution.
Products designed exclusively for specific buyer types are also available. For instance, freight forwarding software is designed to serve freight brokers and freight forwarders. Buyers can narrow down their search further based on their exact requirements. For instance, unlike freight brokers, freight forwarders often offer warehousing facility. As such, they typically need a product that not only helps in bidding and contract management but also offers inventory control and warehousing functionality.
If you are a large enterprise looking for logistics software for your in-house transportation wing, consider choosing an ERP-focused solution. You need a product that integrates with the existing applications in your organization.
Fleet operators of any size often use fleet management software for fuel management, route planning, driver management, maintenance scheduling and tracking, load optimization and dispatch, and scheduling.
Some third-party logistics companies look for products focused on warehousing so that they can automate most of their warehousing tasks, such as picking, packing, inventory tracking, bin slotting, and cross-docking However, not all 3PL companies need a dedicated warehouse management solution. For some companies, a simple order fulfillment solution or an inventory tracking solution may suffice.
More advanced logistics management software offers business intelligence. For instance, some products auto-suggest ways to save money on fleet operations based on the company’s historical data, while others have the capability to conduct predictive analysis to measure profitability.
Other important factors to consider when choosing logistics software include ease of use, scalability, customer support, overall performance, integration, and multi-user capability.
Overall, logistics software helps businesses within the transportation industry to save money and improve operational efficiency.
| API | Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are programmatic intersections with external products or platforms that allow for custom integrations with your own solutions or other solutions you are using. |
| Calendar Management | Manage and update calendars for scheduling or consolidation of events across teams, departments or business functions. |
| Customer Management | Manage customer databases and/or track outstanding shipments, payments and more. |
| Dashboard | Dashboards are digital interfaces commonly used to visualise data or give quick access to important features and functions of online platforms. They often serve as an overview gateway in software applications. |
| Data Export | Exporting functionality can be used to streamline the migration of data sets and information across systems, platforms or applications. |
| Data Import | Importing functionality allows you to use data sets from other systems or platforms to cut down on data entry requirements or to more easily migrate records from similar applications you have used in the past. |
| Data Visualization | Data visualization features render a visual interpretation of data sets through the use of charts, infographics and other visual cues generally in form of a reporting dashboard. |
| External Integrations | Integrations with other software products or platforms to improve efficiency and compatibility across systems. |
| Inventory Tracking | Stay on top of inventory levels, to manage the storing, reordering or production of stock items. |
| Multi-User | Supports more than just one user account and generally allows for collaboration with colleagues. |
| Notifications | Includes notification support and sends you alerts with information on important events and other time sensitive instances. For example through push notifications on mobile phones or email notifications. |
| Order management | Manage the fulfilment of sales and orders for goods and services. |
| Product Catalog | Allows for the digital catalogization of large amounts of products. |
| Route Optimization | Optimize transportation routes, often involving complex processes to determine which route is most cost-effective. Route optimization technology tests multiple 'what if' queries to find the optimal route. |
| Scheduling | Schedule tasks, resources, appointments, payments, communications, etc. |
| Shipping Management | Automate time-consuming shipping issues for goods manufacturers and vendors. |
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