The concept of mobility is hardly new in Transportation Management Solutions or logistics software. By removing manual and paper-based processes, businesses have become more agile. This is because data is captured more efficiently and information is shared more easily via this real-time technology.
Some techniques already in place include wireless systems that allow for more efficient and accurate picking to cut down on dispatch times, as well as improving inventory management. Scanning is also common in the transport industry as are tracking applications.
And while mobility has become an expected part of transport management software, the chances are your business is not using mobility anywhere near to its full potential.
Transport Management System with a big picture approach to mobility
Instead of utilising mobility as a useful tool in one or two stand-alone applications, mobility can be applied organisation-wide. In fact, mobility can be used with most, if not all, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and core information systems.
More commonly mobility is used for electronic process delivery, paperless warehousing and for fatigue management solutions. However, mobility’s power can extend much further. For example:
- Pallet management can be made more straightforward using a personal digital assistant (PDA). This device is only a simple software addition to the proof of delivery solution and results in drivers capturing real-time information during all stages of pallet management from delivery, retrieval and exchange.
- Manifesting also benefits from a PDA, giving logistics operators the ability to ‘build’ each load onto vehicles by scanning the freight at item level. By being able to do this on the fly, an accurate manifest is automatically created in the back-end of the database or application.
The benefits of an organisation-wide approach to mobility
By applying mobility to its full extent across the organisation, transport and logistics companies can experience lower operating costs and productivity improvements.
By having accurate, up-to-date information all levels of a business benefit. Staff and managers can trust they are making decisions based on reliable data, and this also improves customer satisfaction because clients and partners can be kept better informed.
By incorporating mobility, planning processes can also be improved across the supply chain, avoiding unnecessary waste.
How to apply mobility into your transport management software and reap the benefits
To experience the benefits of mobility requires successfully integrating it with your Transportation Management System and core ERP solution. This ensures data is captured only once, is accessible straight away by every level of the business, and can be shared with all the necessary systems.
At Infocomm, we’re a custom development house, so we tailor every solution we provide and can apply mobility to meet the unique demands of your business.
Contact us now to find out how mobility can transform your business.