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How ERP is Driving the Logistics and Transportation Industry

The logistics industry is the backbone of commerce and supply chains around the world. Logistics needs high levels of competency when it comes to managing high volumes of real-time data, fulfilling supply chain management, freight management, transportation, warehousing, storage, and maintenance tasks. ERP for logistics industry is a definitive tool that can handle constant changes, uncertainties, and unpredictable cost fluctuations with automation and superior system intelligence.

Transportation

An ERP system in logistics that is integrated into the Business system can align the following elements to business goals effortlessly to create an integrated landscape of high-performance Logistics and Distribution.

  • Labor cost
  • Material cost
  • Freight cost
  • Fuel Cost
  • Payment follow-ups with clients
  • Maintenance costs
  • Asset Management
  • Import/export duties
  • High Valuation Asset Tracking
  • Maintaining stock records of materials
  • Record of damaged goods
  • Manpower management

Advantages of relying on a Logistics ERP solution

 

Enhanced Performance

 

Supply Chain Visibility

 

Expedited Operations

 

Accurate planning and execution of tasks

 

Better ROI

 

Inventory and Cost Optimization

Enterprises are looking for optimization through integrated systems, 360-degree visibility, and an asset-light and future-proofed intelligence-embedded technology to carry out complex activities in logistics.

Distribution ERP systems are driving the transportation and logistics industry in the right direction since they,

  • Offer resilient supply networks for seamless workflows during manufacturing, consolidation, dispatch, distribution, and delivery.
  • Integrate robust & global multi-mode and multi-route transportation functionalities
  • Leverage automation for warehouse operations, RFID support, synchronized shipping and transportation
  • Manage multi-supply chain partnerships and collaborations
  • Enable cloud deployment with minimal infra investments.
  • Integrate digital assistants, mobility, and data analytics to business systems.
  • Help maximize yields and improve responsiveness for omnichannel needs.
  • Help focus on quality through periodic report generation.
  • Facilitate barcode generation, scanning, and auto-tracking capabilities of goods before, during storage and after transfer.
  • Capacitate hassle-free freight forwarding.
  • Auto-map products to ideal transportation type.
  • Container listing with product attributes and barcode reading.

ERP in Logistics/Transportation Management

Realtime Stock ValuationCustomer friendly Web based AppOptimise cargo transportation

 

User, Supplier, Customer

  • Purchase, sale & warehouse management
  • Connected travellers experience
  • Manage complex warehouse routes

flow

 

Product

  • Product definition
  • Storage
  • Push & pull flows

 

Company Structure

  • Companies
  • Charts of A/CS

The core capabilities of a modern-day ERP for a logistics company include:

Better Inventory Visibility and Enhanced Business performance

  • Evaluates past and current inventory status to predict stock outs or overstocking
  • Enables ad hoc planning and optimized inventory location tracking at manufacturing, distribution centers, and central warehouses
  • Handles demand and supply changes

  • Accurate Promise Dates predictions
  • Order generation based on material availability, supplier, manufacturing and transportation capacity
  • Auto-allocates supply & storage by channel, customer or product
  • Evaluates delivery capabilities & risks
  • Multi-hub management
  • Manual transfer updates
  • Manages warehouse pick and carrier delivery
  • Exception handling

  • Percentage of shipments that are delivered on-time
  • Increase in customer service levels
  • The average cost per shipment
  • Expedited shipment numbers
  • Individual Carrier Performance Ratio

  • Best asset allocation, tracking, and utilization mechanisms to reduce Operating Costs & risks
  • Analytics data on warehouse space utilization
  • Recommendations for own/hired transportation means and routes
  • Monitoring the productivity of human resources
  • Investment tracking and revenue leaks early detection

  • Enhances EDI or Web portal communication
  • Multi-modal shipment execution capabilities
  • Automatic client status updates
  • Self-service dock and appointment scheduling

Benefits of ERP for Logistics Industry

 

Vendor/Customer Portal

A prolific ERP system in logistics comes with a vendor/customer portal to allow easy login to the account and monitoring of the aligned processes, promptly and efficiently.Read More >

 

Scheduling Maintenance

Transport fleet management and infrastructure control are key areas where periodic maintenance plays a pivotal role. Ideal planning can be done using optimized planning tools that can be integrated into ERP software for the logistics industry.Read More >

 

Governance with Real-Time Tracking

Vehicles in-transit can be tracked using GPS integration in real-time for customer updates and control room insights using the advanced location features and valuable Business Intelligence of logistics ERP solutions.Read More >

 

Optimized Inventory Control

ERP for logistics helps make inventory stock-out predictions to plan key replenishment activities from a centralized location accurately.   Timely dispatches and high-priority events can be handled optimally with a logistics ERP solution in place.Read More >

 

Improved Distribution

 An ERP system in logistics speeds up distribution times and enhances distribution channels. It can be programmed to pick data from social media, customer review feeds or in-house historical data to improvise the delivery processes. Suppliers, distributors, delivery partners, and retailers can be on the same page when it comes to key delivery, transit, inventory, payments, orders, collections, traffic information, escalations, customer experience, and many other aspects. Read More >

 

Enhanced Staff Management

Managing the work hours of freight operators, break times, leaves, payment bonuses, overtime, accident claims, performance analysis, insurance, etc. can be easily converted to automated modules with the help of ERP distribution systems. A Mobile ERP solution for the logistics industry implements an additional level of security with data backups for all the activities that fall under human resource management.Read More >

Key modules in an ERP system for the distribution business.

Accounting & Invoicing

The Accounts module of an ERP system in logistics offers insights into the key accounting processes and outcomes of your logistics business. Automated financial records and entries of accounting activities such as Sales Invoice, Purchase Invoice and Payments can be viewed, edited (controlled editing), escalated, etc. The features include:

  • Multi-type and multi-currency accounting report generation
  • Payment receivables reminders
  • Automatic PO, invoice, and bill generation
  • Detailed analytical reports on sales, purchase, & gross profit generation
  • Management of tariffs & discounts for both suppliers and customers
  • Maintenance of rates across different modes (Road, Air, Rail, Sea, etc.)
  • Auto-configuration of new financial modules
  • Carrier Rate integration
  • FTL and LTL rate engine integration
  • Revenue leakage detection
  • Flexible customer invoicing capabilities (order cancellation, reorder, new orders, discounts, loyalty programs, discounts, etc.

CRM

The CRM module in a distribution ERP system will help strengthen customer relations and gauge customer expectations and experience with the logistics services. Multiple channels of customer touch-points like e-mails, feedback, grievances, ticketing system, auto-reminders for a callback, etc. can be integrated with an ERP system in logistics to render results that help leverage customer satisfaction. Social media metrics and posts analysis are the key capabilities of this ERP module.


Transport Management

This wholesale distribution ERP  module accesses information from multi-modal transport networks and handles all the key processes centrally. Shipment management, order management, VSRC (Vehicle, Schedule, Routes, and Constraints) planning, load scheduling, mobile QR generation, load consolidation, carrier selection (auto and manual), toll management, freight forwarding, cross-dock yard management, process execution, documentation, and billing are some significant areas covered by this ERP software.


Inventory & Warehouse Management

IoT integration for process-based progressive data generation, serial number tracking, and incorporation of value-added services can be done easily with this ERP module for logistics. The fulfillment logic for managing waves, constraint-based selections, dynamic replenishment, and the implementation of auditing-approved counting cycles can be established with this module.

The key features include:

  • Resources, damaged stock & insurance management
  • Carrier integration for label generation, manifest creation, etc.
  • Stock quantity projection
  • Storage space management and capacity planning
  • Stock batch management
  • Classification-based product bundling and segregation
  • Automatic quality check during receipt and dispatch of goods

Fleet and Asset Management

In-house fleet to carry out tasks while reducing the total cost of operations can be managed with this module for ERP distribution. Visibility on asset condition, planned and unplanned maintenance activities, maintenance budgets and the management of the complete life cycle of the assets can be obtained using this module.

Maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities can be pre-planned with the predictive analytics capabilities of the ERP system in logistics

Some important features include:

  • Seamless Asset induction to an existing AMSn
  • Cost-efficient asset retirement plan recommendationsn
  • Fleet allocation based on maintenance schedules, trip route, delivery volume, and cargo compatibilityn
  • Full and partial options for work order capitalization

Hub Management

We help manage in-transit, goods outward, emergency, and central hub connectivity with this module. Activities like arrival, departure, no-claim of goods, returns, resource planning, parent-child execution, carrier schedules, quantity mismatches, good consolidation, segregation, hub audits, quality checks, compliance and more can be managed with this module.


Purchase Management

This module helps in the management of material request and procurement. The vital functionalities include:

  • Request for Quotation creation
  • PO creation for the best quote
  • Manage multi-vendor quotes
  • Purchase price data analytics
  • Delivery time and product quality analysis
  • Buffer stock maintenance and automatic stock purchase requisition

Human Resource Management

ERP in logistics can help manage in-house and contractual employees at distribution hubs, dispatch centers, and support centers efficiently. The features of this module include:

  • Employee attendance management
  • Automatic Payroll & expense claim processing
  • Leave/holiday management
  • Insurance/Expense claim management
  • Job openings and applicant management
  • Professional Appraisal system
  • Training and orientation
  • Feedback collection

Customer Support

This module helps the management assess why the demand for business is low and what improvement plans need to be laid down. It helps provide best-in-class customer support and grievance management mechanisms.

The features include:

  • Customer issue tracking, escalation, and resolution quality analysis
  • Generation of tickets and auto-email notifications
  • Management of invoices for maintenance and repairs
  • Customer feedback management
  • Automatic digital assistance monitoring for common queries

We can empower your Logistics business with ERP modules in a single app that:

  • Provide Purchase, Sales and Warehouse Management.
  • Improve business accuracy and speed
  • Improve ROI
  • Allow Connected traveler Experience
  • Reduce human resource requirements with process automation
  • Enhance business visibility
  • Optimise Cargo transportation
  • Improve tracking through managing complex warehouse routes
  • Prepare real Time stock valuation
  • Accelerate business leads

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