Articles
Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
Developing a Comprehensive Transportation Strategy
Q: What advice do you have for companies attempting to optimize their inbound freight? A: It’s worth the effort. Traditionally, companies have focused on low-hanging fruit, such as improving efficiencies and reducing outbound transportation costs. Overlooked is the more difficult task of managing inbound transportation, which can often be multi-modal, multi-leg, and international. Companies need […]
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SaaS-Based TMS Empowers Global Freight Management
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing shippers in today’s economic environment? A: In today’s volatile market, managing transportation domestically and globally is a key factor for a more efficient and cohesive supply chain. Many businesses still use manual methods to manage freight, with no way to measure service or performance. Other companies are bound […]
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Trying on a Tailor-made TMS
Ralph Lauren dresses up supply chain operations with a custom-fitted international airfreight transportation management system.
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Software as a Service: Changing the TMS Landscape
In 2009, a major cable manufacturer was faced with rising LTL costs, a disorganized supply chain, and a severe lack of reporting capabilities. The recovering freight market forced carriers to raise rates, and the manufacturer was told by its LTL carrier base it was at a "less than optimal operating ratio." The shipper needed a […]
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Trends—December 2011
Transportation Management Breaks Out Transportation management system (TMS) solutions and TMS-managed services have been evolving at hyper-speed over the past few years, largely driven by an economy in a tailspin, corporate mandates to reduce costs at all costs, and the emergence of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and cloud-connected networks. The facility with which companies can develop and […]
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How to Benefit from SaaS TMS
Emerging technology platforms are accelerating the maturation of transportation and logistics solutions, particularly those that enrich and empower the user community by integrating partners and aggregating data. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) transportation management system (TMS) is a prime example. SaaS TMS is a single-instance, multi-tenant environment where customers and their partners access a shared solution via […]
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CSA Compliance Through TMS: A Beauty of an Idea
To comply with CSA 2010 regulations, global cosmetics company L’Oreal USA makes up a qualification program that holds carriers to high safety standards.
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Maximizing TMS Resources Helps Achieve Sustainable ROI
These days, logistics managers need to achieve higher productivity levels and deliver better customer service at a lower cost, faster than their competition. Some wonder if they can achieve their goals with the resources available to them. Many organizations turn to a transportation management system (TMS) for the answer. Thanks to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology, shippers […]
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Technology Provides Visibility into Global Supply Chains
Q: When managing global transportation, how do advanced Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) transportation management systems (TMS) compare to traditional installed-based rivals? Ahearn: As more companies expand overseas and offshore, managing transportation is quickly becoming a challenging factor of globalization. With a true SaaS TMS, multiple organizations—including vendors, carriers, and shippers—are able to work collaboratively in a single […]
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What Makes a Great TMS?
Q: The transportation management system (TMS) market is growing rapidly. What is driving this activity? COMRIE: Growth is coming from both shippers and logistics service providers. 3PLs are recognizing opportunities where they can affect change within their organizations by adopting TMS solutions that have more robust functionality. They now view transportation management technology as a […]
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New Kids in Town: 3PLs Move Into the TMS Market
MORE TO THE STORY: Software House or 3PL? Addressing Your TMS Needs Changing the TMS Scene If you want to manage transportation in-house, you contract with a software vendor for a transportation management system (TMS). If you want to outsource, you ask a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to handle transportation for you. Those have been […]
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The New Breed of Cloud-Based TMS
Q: How can today’s manufacturers deal with increasing regulations, demand volatility, and shifting global trade currents? Kontoravdis: We live in exciting and challenging times. The Internet is bringing new ways of collaborating, communicating, and transacting across borders. At the same time, globalization brings economies and supply chains closer than ever before. Recently, supply chain issues […]
Read MoreTMS Helps Shippers Rise Above the Status Quo
Q: What supply chain technology challenges or issues do today’s business leaders face? McCarrick: One of the biggest challenges facing business leaders today is how to effectively and efficiently control cost. Freightquote.com works with shippers to find the optimal pricing solution to assist them in better controlling their transportation budget. For example, many of our […]
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Enhanced Visibility: The Future of TMS
Q: How does a SaaS transportation management system (TMS) encourage collaboration, and why is collaboration important in today’s challenging economic environment? Timmer: In a SaaS multi-tenant TMS environment, all community members of the transportation network operate from the same instance of the TMS software, regardless of their point or date of entry into the network […]
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How to Select a Transportation Management Solution
MORE TO THE STORY: The TMS Revolution Selecting a new transportation management system (TMS), whether fully outsourced, hosted, or internally installed, requires much due diligence to pair functional need with strategic vision. Shippers can get the most out of their TMS solution and service provider by following five progressions. Know what you need before you […]
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The Power of Flexible Transportation Management
A primary concern for shippers today is how the recent economic downturn will increase transportation expenses. Capacity will continue to shrink as the economy strengthens. Many carriers are no longer in business, and with 3PL and carrier consolidation, there is concern that service offerings will be less flexible. Shippers want to reduce transportation costs and […]
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TMS Evolved: Intelligent Execution Tools That Add Context
Evolution is inevitable, isn’t it? It makes sense that transportation management systems should evolve as well. While the concept of Moore’s Law does not necessarily apply to TMS advancements in its short lifespan, there are current improvements available that are making shippers stand up and take notice. The newest improvement has been the ability to […]
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Ditch the Spreadsheets, Implement a TMS
Q: How can value chain partners cooperate to create and share efficiencies? Vanselous: It amazes me that so many shippers and carriers still rely heavily on manual processes in daily transport operations; only 38 percent of companies currently use transportation management software, says AMR Research. Ongoing cooperation with value chain partners is possible with integrated […]
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Free TMS Software: The Price is Right
Q: What will be the biggest change to Transportation Management Systems (TMS) technology in the next three to five years? Higham: The leading TMS technologies will be offered at no charge to customers in the next few years. True innovators offer free TMS technology as a means to an end; to move more freight for […]
Read MoreSelecting a Transportation Management System
To help you select a transportation management system, here are 10 tips from Kevin Lynch, CEO of Minneapolis-based Nistevo, which provides a collaborative logistics network for transportation management: 1. Insource or outsource? Streamlined transportation management can be achieved through purchasing TMS technology or selecting a 3PL with TMS capabilities. Your level of internal expertise and […]
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