What is transport management software (TMS) in logistics?

Nadzeya Klepcha8.01.2021 • 6 min

Table of contents

1. What is transport management software (TMS) in logistics?
2. How does IMPARGO’s Transportation Management software deliver these benefits to me?
3. Features of ShipperPortal
4. Integration Process and Timeline

What is transport management software (TMS) in logistics?

A transportation management software is a technology platform utilized in supply chain and logistics that helps companies to manage their logistics in assisting in the process of planning, executing and optimizing the movement of goods. This helps shippers to find carriers to organize their in and outbound transports. This simplifies the process of preparing for shipments by gathering all proper documentation and finding optimal transport routes. Additionally, this helps to provide visibility into the shipping process with live tracking and in-app communication between carriers shippers.

Transportation management softwares enable shippers to digitize manual, labor intensive processes within the logistics part of their supply chain. This helps shippers to save time on connecting to carriers resulting in them being able to assign up to 3x more truckloads. It helps shippers to save their employees’ time and cut their transportation costs up to 10%. The program will decrease human errors in manual data entry and improve customer satisfaction with tracking and communication features. Additionally, improve the relationship between carriers and shippers making for a more efficient, smoother transportation process.

How does IMPARGO’s Transportation Management software deliver these benefits to me?

1. Time Savings: The program allows employees to spend their time analyzing their supply chain to make improvements rather than waste time on manual data entry administrative work. Also, the program automates the process of finding the most efficient route options saving administrative work for employees. Finally, it eliminates the need to spend time searching for potential carriers, request quotes, and communicate with them via email to develop contracts for transport. Now with the fully digitized shipment execution system shippers have access to a large pool of reliable carriers. Shippers have two options with assigning orders to carriers. One way is shippers can request quotes from potential carriers to assign the order based on the best quote. The other option for shippers is they can assign the order to a potential carrier that has the option to accept or reject the order.

2. Cost Savings: The fully digitized shipment execution system allows shippers to find the best possible quote using IMPARGO’s pool of carriers allowing shippers to be confident that they are finding the cheapest carrier. Additionally, the tour optimization features ensure that carriers are taking the most efficient route possible both in terms of fuel efficiency and traffic patterns.

3. Decrease in Human Errors: IMPARGO’s software allows for shippers to integrate freight orders from their ERP systems to the ShipperPortal. This eliminates the need for employees to manually enter data regarding the details of the transport saving time, while also allowing them to focus on matters that can help them improve the efficiency of their supply chain and cut their transportation costs. The manual entry of data increases the probability of an error such as incorrect address, necessary equipment, or other details about the transport that can lead to increased shipping costs for shippers.

4. Improved Customer Satisfaction: IMPARGO’s transportation management software helps to have more consistent on-time deliveries. Additionally, there is in-app order based communication notifying all parties of tracking information, and allows them to communicate and track transports all in one platform. The tracking information provides ETAs and status updates making the process more seamless and efficient, and now emails or phone calls requesting status updates become a thing of the past. This allows customers to be notified if there is a delay, and prepare their warehouses accordingly to this unexpected change in delivery time. These features all in conjunction with each other make for a less stressful, more efficient, and simpler shipping process for all parties.

5. Improved Shipper-Carrier Relationship: The in-app communication and tracking ability providing ETAs talked about above simplifies transportation for drivers. The calls, emails, or text messages from customers and shippers alike requesting ETAs vanish helping the driver to focus on the road, and ensure they can get to their destination on time. Additionally, drivers now can see an accurate driving time and mileage allowing them to know how many fuel stops will be necessary and when. This makes for an improved relationship between the shipper and carrier as dispatchers no longer have to bother their drivers due to requests from customers as that information is accessible to customers right at their fingertips.

These benefits all come together in the IMPARGO ShipperPortal with all of the features that the software can provide to shippers in their logistics departments. The biggest and most important benefit, however, may be the increased visibility into the supply chain process that this program can provide. It allows shippers to take a step back to truly see the process of transportation broken down into pieces making it easier to see where improvements can be made to improve efficiency, by reducing the total number of transports needed to achieve full coverage of their needs. Additionally, it allows customers to see the progress of their shipment order to properly prepare and plan their warehouses based on the ETAs provided by the tracking information.

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Features of ShipperPortal

1. Tour optimizing Dispatcher Tool: This tool ensures that your carriers are taking the most efficient route possible from pickup to delivery factoring in fuel efficiency, traffic patterns, and road laws.

2. ETA, Status, and Proof Delivery Updates: Shippers increase their visibility of their supply chain with real-time monitoring of the transport process.

3. In-App Shipper-Carrier Communication: Enables shipper-carrier communication in one platform making communication more efficient and simpler.

4. Open Carrier Database: Allows shippers to find high quality service providers based on data-based recommendations.

5. Carrier Order Quoting: Your freight orders are transferred from your ERP to the ShipperPortal, where shippers can request quotes from carriers. The order is then assigned based on quotes.

6. Automated Carrier Order Assignment: Your freight orders are transferred from your ERP to the ShipperPortal, where they are forwarded to carriers that have the option of accepting or rejecting the order.

7. ERP Integration: Allows for shippers to transfer their transport orders from their ERP to the ShipperPortal to automate the process of assigning transport orders to carriers.

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Integration Process and Timeline

The area where IMPARGO truly sets themselves apart from the competition is the speed and efficiency in which they can onboard shippers to the ShipperPortal. The onboarding process that connects the shipper's existing carriers to the program can be completed in less than a day. This allows shippers to start utilizing the program with their carriers the very next day ensuring that they are finding the most efficient routes and quotes from carriers, and implementing tracking information and improved communication that allows for shippers to improve their relationships with carriers, and improve the satisfaction of their customers. Additionally, this process is completely stress free for shippers. You do not have to be involved in the onboarding process, leave it to us and we will take care of the carriers!

The features and the ease of the integration process shows how quick the ShipperPortal of IMPARGO can start to make an impact in simplifying the logistics processes of your business today. The time savings, cost savings, decrease in human errors, improved customer satisfaction, and improved shipper-carrier relationships will make an immediate, noticeable difference in satisfying your transportation needs. To learn more about IMPARGO’s ShipperPortal and how it can benefit your business, you can request a demo below.

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In this Demo we offer our prospective customers a hassle free consultation to uncover your improvement potential by using our tool. In addition we provide you with the necessary tech support in setup and during the usage of the program. You do not make a commitment in the beginning, you can start using the tool in the first months for free with no strings attached. At IMPARGO, our philosophy is to let our product speak for itself.