The value of going digital after the lockdown

More than ever, the lockdown in which a large majority of French people have been immersed has prompted them to rethink their approach to work. Many now officiate at a distance, from home, via digital technology. From this practice, which has become unavoidable in the face of the health crisis, one idea emerges: teleworking. It could become the norm for a long time to come. 

If within a company, ensuring the productivity of connected but dispersed teams is conceivable, the challenge is more complicated in an inter-company environment. Especially in the world of transport, a sector that is little concerned by digital technology, the disparities in the size and maturity of companies weigh on this remote collaboration.

Tomorrow, when activity picks up again, transport chains will restart more erratically in a disorganized environment. During this period, agility, responsiveness and rigour will be essential to overcome the contextual difficulties. So, faced with this unprecedented situation, how can digital solutions respond to these challenges?

Transport : digital solutions for optimising remote work

Globally, the transport process is still poorly digitised. It is mainly based on telephone interactions between clients and transporters.

A double difficulty in periods of confinement, due in particular to :

• The absence of the teams at their workplace to ensure communication and telephone follow-up.
• The rate of inability of carriers to honour transport orders

In this situation, a tool such as the digital transport platform makes it possible to bring together the various actors in the chain in a single space. Regardless of their size: from a small, poorly equipped carrier to a large player with an TMS.

The placing of orders and the confirmation by the carrier of its ability to operate will be shared and digitized. Including in mobility. The digital platform such as the Join2ship solution thus gives carriers the means to make appointments. But also to organize their routes and manage their schedule according to the availability of their teams. The driver who establishes direct communication to plan his arrival on site. He is thus limited to his loading/unloading operations according to a more organized and precise schedule. Finally, for his part, the loader smoothes his load for better productivity.

Increased traceability to support impacted transport chains

Using a collaborative solution to digitize transport also means increasing its traceability and anticipating hazards in real time. These solutions make it possible to concentrate and collect the information reported by all the transporters; giving each one the means to transmit the essential elements for monitoring transport in a fast, fluid and secure way, offering 100% tracking.

This global visibility of the entire supply chain undoubtedly leads to improved customer service. Equipped with the predictive ETA functionality, the Join2ship solution enables the calculation of an estimated time of arrival that is as reliable as possible. The customer is alerted in case of incidents, advances or delays in his transport. Whether for orders or deliveries. In this way, it optimises the organisation of its flows and supply chain in the long term.

Digital, additional security to protect employees

Finally, in the midst of a health crisis, in an environment where the use of barrier gestures is essential, digital technology is helping to strengthen the safety of players in the sector.

Limitation of waiting times at docks and on site, reduction of physical interactions and exchange of paper documents by hand Are among the benefits of the digitalization of transport. These are significant advantages in the face of the need to limit contact in times of pandemic. Tools such as the TMS DDS Shipper and the transport collaborative platform Join2ship offer this ability to share all electronic documents associated with transport in a common and secure space.

Thanks to digital technology, transport players can carry out their activities in a more serene, controlled and shared way. And in such a complex and uncertain context, it is essential not only to maintain close links with all its partners, but also to support them in a collaborative and digital approach. This makes it possible to secure and optimise all the transport networks and organisations weakened by the crisis.