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What to Look for in TMS Software for 2021

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As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, the efficiency of the global supply chain is critical for the safe and effective distribution of goods like food, medication, household items, tools and other products necessary in our everyday lives. 

No year in recent memory has seen so many challenges and changes in the machine of modern living than in 2020. With each new year, it is important to consider whether your current set of transportation software enables you to adapt to the changes that are likely to come in a post-pandemic world.

Whether you’re a carrier, shipper, an intermediary an efficient transportation management system (TMS) can have a beneficial impact on your organizational efficiency, customer service and, ultimately, on your bottom line. 

Regardless of if you have a TMS in place today or are determining the value of adding one, here are a few things to consider as you evaluate the options available to your business.

 

Increase Remote Work Efficiency Through a Cloud-Based TMS

As pandemic vaccines have rolled out, some companies have returned to the way things were prior to the stay-at-home orders that impacted many of our personal and professional lives. But many, especially those who previously relied on technology, have looked to options that can assist them in continuing to enable remote working in some capacity going forward.

By choosing a cloud-based TMS, you are able to take work beyond the walls of a physical location and allow your back office personnel to connect with key back office systems from wherever they are working. 

What’s more, a cloud-based TMS company streamlines IT support when compared with an on-premise system, eliminating the need for things like VPN tunnels and remote desktop access so that not only can your teams work remotely but they can do so with the same level of ease as if they were all located in the same office.

 

Is Your Company Growing? Cloud-Based TMS Software Can Help You Adapt

One outcome of the pandemic is that it accelerated the growth of certain aspects of the transportation supply chain. As you look to expand your business, it is important to have the right technology that can scale alongside you. 

An older, on-premise TMS may serve you well up to a certain point, but the needs of your company may eventually become too sophisticated or advanced for this type of platform to handle. After all, the larger your business becomes, the more complex your operations are likely to get. 

If you haven’t already transitioned to TMS software, you need to consider your growth objectives, the current and future needs of your enterprise. Advances in TMS software enable companies to keep up and adapt to growth without completely altering their approach. 

Some advances or add-ons to TMS trucking software, for example, provide route managers with optimized planning. The right program will also help your company eliminate hours of unnecessary manual data entry by recognizing where information must go.

 

Keep Your Data, and Your Customers’ Data, Secure

The benefits of a cloud-based TMS extend beyond improvements to productivity. A cloud-based TMS can also help to ensure your operational information is safe and secure. It is crucial to look for a system that harnesses proven anti-virus and anti-malware technology and ongoing system monitoring to keep an eye out for today’s, and tomorrow’s, security threats.

Data security goes beyond just malicious threats, it is also crucial to prepare for potential data loss due to severe weather or other non-malware-related issues that can put your operational information at risk. Utilizing a cloud-based TMS can also enable you to leverage multiple data paths and backup locations to minimize the potential for IT disruptions that can wreak havoc on your supply chain.

 

Optimize Your Operations with Trimble

Every day, Trimble provides extensive technological solutions to supply chain companies on a regional, national or global scale. Our unmatched transportation management solutions provide businesses with the intelligence and analytics necessary to better adapt to the ever-changing world of transportation.

Trimble TMS software integrates complex functions into a streamlined ecosystem that enables your people to become more efficient behind the scenes, avoid errors and execute critical planning processes. Turn to us for all of your TMS needs with a powerful order-to-cash solution that:

  • Saves times and cuts costs

  • Streamlines operations

  • Boosts operating ratios

  • Allows for greater visibility and improved analytics

  • Reduces manual entry; eliminates unnecessary paperwork

  • Permits scalability

  • Decreases IT infrastructure costs

  • Enhances the load matching process to maximize asset and driver utilization

 

Are you ready to utilize a TMS to reduce out of route (OOR) and empty miles, limit dwell time and improve on-time delivery and customer service? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.