Businesses without transportation or shipment do not produce revenues and sales. The cargo and shipment industry has increasingly grown over the past few years. Many courier and logistics companies started to enter the industry as well. Technically, a logistics service provider in Singapore is an essential factor for all types of businesses. The manufacturing, distributing, and consumer fields.
All products can be shipped out and delivered to different parts of the country through service providers. Yet, a logistics service provider in Singapore can also export cargoes across the globe.
One marketing tool that can help businesses and service providers is a transportation management system (TMS). TMS is a system that can help with the planning, executing, and tracking of the physical movement of your products.
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF A TMS SYSTEM?
As tackled above, A TMS system can help with the pre-and post-process of each shipment. It involves manufacturers, shippers, distributors, and third-party service providers, which are all members of the supply chain. For instance, a logistics service provider in Singapore. But how important are the functions of transportation management software?
A TMS systemcan help with:
FREIGHT MANAGEMENT
A TMS system can track and see your product shipments whether you have a private vehicle, any mode of transportation, or utilises a logistics service provider in Singapore. These work for advanced and recently updated transportation management software. For traditional versions, you may contact drivers and equip them with the necessary devices to keep track. One of the best features of up-to-date versions of the TMS system is that it can also come in a transportation management platform. You can simply check and manage the dispatch through your smartphones, tablets, or iPads. Another factor with having an advanced TMS system is that aside from the physical movement tracking, you can also manage and track the fuel consumption or vehicle malfunctions that may cause delays in the shipment.
A TMS system also comes in handy for getting and storing updates on extra shipping charges. It hands you real-time updates on anything and everything about your shipment. Another feature of transportation management software that deals with freight management are the workflow and paper works. All necessary details about the contract of the distributor, manufacturer, and shipper are in a TMS system. It can serve as a record and proof of what was agreed on.
EXECUTION
Transportation management software is functional for executing actions involving the shipment as well. It permits TMS system users to perform actions for freight management. For instance, you may use your transportation management platform when booking a logistics service provider in Singapore. Since the TMS system gives real-time updates, you will not have to worry about the visibility and location of the freight movement. You may instantly track the shipment and provide the details to your clients or customers, such as the expected arrival date, the exact location, etc.
PLANNING
Another business aspect that a TMS system can help you with is planning. It provides planning factors, such as the price rates, quality of service, transit delivery period, etc. These are the typical and critical elements that improve or affect the shipping process. Through a transportation management platform, users can also select the sizes of their carrier resources. For example, they can adjust the size loads and choose a bigger truck or cargo. They can also prefer multi-leg trips to save on fuel, labour, and shipment costs.
ADMINISTRATION
Aside from the three factors mentioned above, the administration process is also crucial. The administration process involves the transportation company or logistics service provider in Singapore. Transportation management softwarecan help with business-to-business transactions and papers, especially auditing, documentation, and financial reports. Also, it includes and shows payment and other proofs to the consumers or users. It is to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the company. An example of these is an invoice, official receipts, or e-bills.
Recently, many countries have upgraded and developed their TMS systems. The most updated version of transportation management software can instantly produce a bill of lading for customs and insurance companies. The bill of lading is a type of official receipt that provides a specific list of items inside the shipment. Along with the detailed list, the bill of lading also includes the contract terms.
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF A TMS SYSTEM?
Are you slightly convinced to get transportation management softwarenow?Before getting one, here are the features that you must look for in a TMS system.
POWERFUL OPTIMISATION
Many transportation management systems are available in the market. But unfortunately, most of them do not come with an optimisation engine. In businesses, having a powerful optimisation engine is crucial. It can help with your budget and audience reach. A quality transportation management softwarecan help users create and maximise the most effective routes. If your transportation or drivers have a well-planned course, it can help you save on costs and fuel while maximising the vehicle’s capacity. It is an effective solution for both drivers and business owners!
REAL-TIME UPDATES
One of the features you must consider is real-time tracking. Typically, transportation management software provides real-time updates regarding the physical movement, the details, and other factors of the shipment. But some traditional transportation management systems do not come with this feature. When you look for a TMS system, ensure that it has a real-time tracking feature. Transportation management software provides accurate updates and automated notifications for unforeseen circumstances on the road. It is functional for monitoring and tracking delayed shipments.
CONTRACTS MANAGEMENT
One of the core factors of a business is the contract. Look for transportation management software thatcan help manage and store all confidential documents and papers of different companies you are supplying to. A TMS system can help organise contracts depending on how you group and label them.
There are numerous advantages of having high-quality transportation management software. It can be really beneficial for manufacturers, shippers, and distributors. Through a TMS system, you can earn the trust of your clients by providing them with real-time updates about their orders.
If you want to have the best transportation management platform for your business in Singapore, you may contact Cargobase on their website.