The interest of a TMS software to manage its transport and control its orders

Underlined by the crisis and democratised by the development of dedicated solutions, the importance of good management of transport operations must also be accompanied by a special control and monitoring of the orders transported. Focus on the interest of setting up a TMS software to control not only its transport but above all its orders.

The interests and solutions of an issue at the heart of customer satisfaction.

In recent years, many platforms for controlling transport flows have been created. Digital and accessible, they have helped to democratise transport and highlight its strategic interest in the value chain.

Transport management and control of orders via TMS software

And while more and more companies are finally taking an interest in its organisation and visibility, this is still from an angle centred on the physical operation of transporting goods from point A to B, thus running the risk of obscuring the major question: where is not the truck or container but my client’s order? The real issue is not to follow the transport but the products that are in it.

The three levels of stakes linked to the piloting of orders in transport management thanks to TMS software

The supply chain is becoming more and more extensive and complex, consisting of a multitude of flows and operations requiring different means of transport at the international level. Whether by road, sea, rail or air, they sometimes follow one another one after the other before reaching the end customer.

In this multitude of operations, establishing a link between the products making up an order and the means of transport used proves to be major. Transport management software such as TMS DDS Shipper has this ability to integrate the order portfolio and associate it with all the transport entities that make up the flow.

The crisis has shown this once again. The traceability and follow-up of orders are essential elements in the proper execution of its supply chain. Beyond transport, it is therefore necessary to be able to trace and monitor the progress of the production of goods by its supplier as well as the dates on which they will be available. Robust digital tools allow this positioning and monitoring to be carried out to order, independently of transport. Whether upstream or downstream traceability.

What’s more, end-to-end traceability must take place throughout the transport chain. Each link must be tracked while providing end-to-end visibility of the product. The challenge of tracing is therefore twofold: to consolidate the visibility from several transport segments and to track orders.

3 >More finely assess costs and CO2 emissions

These issues are of course combined with those relating to costs. Beyond the simple price of a transport unit, the TMS software highlights the real value of the process, bringing the transport cost down to the product. And for good reason, this data gives a real visibility on the full cost price of the product, spread over several transport stages and therefore different calculation methods. As an example, a first full truck segment will be divided on the basis of the number of pallets, while an air flow will be invoiced by volume.

Thanks to a management control tool such as the TMS software, it is thus possible to evaluate a transport cost reduced to the products even in complex schemes. A calculation that also adapts to the calculation of CO2 emissions and thus provides a carbon vision of the product, even on complex diagrams.

Multiple benefits for the entire supply chain

The most obvious benefit is customer satisfaction. By managing transport management with a precise view of orders, it is possible to answer, at any time, the major question of customers: where is my product?

But the benefits are also internal, since product visibility allows better control of stocks and ultimately reduces safety stocks.

Finally, whether in terms of stocks, costs or environmental impact, a better knowledge of retail flows and optimised order management simply makes it possible to analyse your supply chain and make the most strategic and profitable management choices for all those involved.

Other articles that may be of interest to you…

• Supply chain: what digital solutions are available to you to get it back on track?

• Lifting the brakes on setting up a TMS Logistics

• 10 questions to ask yourself when choosing your TMSLes 10 questions à se poser pour choisir son TMS VF