It's difficult to think of an area of business that has not benefited from SaaS offerings. And if you own a manufacturing company or plan on starting one, you may be familiar with truckload transportation management software, a form of logistics software that is available on both a SaaS model and as an internal software solution. The value of logistics software is typically discussed in relation to third party logistics (3PL), with its main benefits being that it offers logistics solutions at a significantly lower price than 3PL while offering more shipping options.
Logistics software offers the same logistics expertise as 3PL providers for a lower price because it's priced as a software service and not as a logistics consulting service. It offers a broader range of shipping solutions because it does not act as a business entity that prefers its own shipping solutions or the solutions of its associates. But there are also other benefits of using logistics software instead of 3PL; Below, we take a look at three reasons why logistics software is the ultimate transportation management program.
Companies Can Become Their Own Logistics Providers
When shipping companies get large enough, they usually purchase their own flight fleet and hire a team of logistics professionals to oversee it. But for small to midsize shipping companies, the financial necessity of outsourcing logistics means that they have to maintain a relationship with a 3PL that 3PL clients regularly characterize as being distant and disconnected, and it's easy to see why. If you are not a logistics expert, it's difficult to maintain a business dialogue within someone who is. But logistics software effectively places the power of the logistics function in the hands of shipping companies by providing an easy to use customer interface, making it an ideal transportation management program.
Companies Receive a Comprehensive Logistical Approach
There are four types of 3PL providers: standard 3PL providers, service developers, customer adapters and customer developers. But only customer developers offer a comprehensive approach that results in new shipping solutions. The problem? Cost wise, hiring a customer developer is essentially like hiring your own team of logistics professionals. And if you can not afford that, then hiring a customer developer is a bad decision as well. Companies hire standard 3PL providers and service developers when they have a specific need, but not when they when they want the best systematic shipping process; and customer adapters are rented by companies that simply want their shipping process "managed".
Companies can Significantly Reduce their Annual Shipping Costs
Research shows that companies that implement logistics software can reduce their annual shipping costs by 10 percent at the end of the first year. With the aid of logistics software, shippers typically pay more than they need to in freight transport and a variety other costs commonly associated with the shipping process, including but not limited to: TMS software costs, annual software maintenance costs, gain shares, freight margins and common rate based licensing costs.
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