How Centralised Transport Management System With Last Mile Capabilities Can Optimise Supply Chain

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TMS (transportation management system) solutions have long been one of the most important building blocks of enterprise supply chain management technology. And with more cloud-based TMS options than ever before, the barrier to entry is lower and TMS adoption is rising.

Of course, supply chain management and transportation management encompass a lot, with incredible complexity at nearly every stage. No one expects a single piece of software to be the be-all and end-all relative to their technology needs. Many TMS users adopt separate last mile solutions to enhance their last mile delivery operations; or they’ll implement route optimisation software to add more comprehensive resource management across the fulfillment chain, transport management software also provides visibility of transportation operations at every step, documentation, and ensures timely deliveries, whether by land, sea, or air. The end result is cost-effectiveness in delivering the products by evaluating how changes in routes and shipping impact the overall journey of the goods.

Some logistics and transportation companies turn directly to ready-made, of-the-shelf logistics solutions or customizable Transport management software to improve their services. Others look into building the relevant technology in house. But, which is the better approach?

Generally, TMS has certain capabilities but most don’t have a fully integrated module to efficiently address the entire last mile delivery problem:

• TMS features have to be fairly general by design—since they cover a large chunk of the supply chain, they have to be more about the big picture. Last mile software is specific to the last leg of the supply chain, meaning that it can offer a more granular view and more specialized functionality.
• Where a TMS might have a limited number of communication tools, e.g. sending alerts & notifications to customers and potentially messaging with drivers, a worthwhile last mile platform will offer a robust set of customer communication tools including text, email, and voice calls—as well as live order tracking.
• Most TMS options are designed to route full truckloads—they tend not to shine in cases where you need to make multiple stops. Last mile solutions, on the other hand, are designed around multi-stop route optimization. This means that they’re more effective at maximizing your truck capacity and delivering on time to customers in the final mile.
• Because the typical TMS is so complex, it also tends to be fairly heavy from a technological perspective. It won’t be designed to move quickly or to power rapid changes—to say nothing of real-time—changes to transportation plans. Last mile software, on the other hand, is all about agility in the last mile. A robust solution will offer you the ability to monitor last mile deliveries in real time and make planning changes on the fly.

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How GoDash Centralised TMS Platform Enhance Your Transportation Capabilities?

Logistics relates to the transfer of goods from the point of origin to an end location – often a consumer or business – and often with many additional stops in between. Logistics management is about coordinating the delivery of goods and managing the supply chain from the first mile to the last. This involves inventory management, fleet management, and coordinating inbound and outbound logistics processes across the supply chain.

We’ve spent most of our focus over the past 12 months in this piece on the ways that last mile technology can be incorporated into the TMS and form a centralised platform allowing companies to have a single sign on where all their employees are working with the same platform and same amount of information, whether you managing in house or outsourced logistics.

To Gain great control over logistics operations, companies are looking at a central point of truth, Fastvan helps simplify the process of planning and managing deliveries & collections in single and multi-depot operations with automated route optimisation and planning for multi-drop delivery routes, real-time driver tracking, electronic Proof of Delivery (and collection) through our integrated mobile App, plus proactive email & SMS communication with customers, GoDash is designed to improve the efficiency of logistics operation, whilst also increasing customer satisfaction.

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Key Benefits Of Centralised TMS with Last Mile Delivery:

• Automated Route Planning
• Predictive Logistics Operations
• Eliminating Shipment Risks & Delays
• Seamless Management of Global Carriers
• Enhanced Customer Experience
• First, Middle & Last-Mile Tracking
• Shipment consolidation
• Streamline Same and Next Day Delivery
• Orchestrates intermodal and multimodal shipments

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