How 3PL Software Reporting can Increase Your Bottom Line
Companies are always looking for ways to increase profit and productivity without sacrificing the quality of the product or service they provide. Modern technology presents an opportunity to do this through various software programs that can help companies maximize profits while minimizing operation costs. Third-party logistics software is an ideal example of this practice.
Logistics software creates an opportunity for companies to streamline their operations process and ensures their product production cycle functions fluidly. The software allows companies to manage the elements of their business in a central location. Commercial services may include delivery of raw materials to other locations and finished products to customers Third-party logistics software works to enhance profit margins and reduce product production cycle times. When this occurs, a company can move products out of the warehouse quicker, giving themselves a competitive advantage over the competition.
Third-party logistics software aims to manage the transportation division of a company. Transportation is notably one of the top divisions within a company that produces the highest operating expense. It is due to the cost of shipping materials and products as well as the fluctuating cost of gasoline. The software allows management to automate reporting of transportation-related data so that they can make decisions for the division that will benefit the company’s profit margin.
For example, if one truck can leave the warehouse with delivery and take two days for a trip and another truck leaving at a different time can deliver the same product within four days, third party logistics software can help warehouse management determine which vehicle will produce more profitable results. It could take a shipping department employee several hours to figure out what the software can determine in a matter of minutes.
Benefits
Third-party logistics software decreases the time it takes to gather several shipping quotes from carriers and have that product sent out to the consumer for delivery. 3PL software consolidates shipping quotes between multiple carriers. At the same time, the software can also help determine what aspects of the shipping process can improve to allow products to load onto delivery trucks quicker. As production and shipment preparation times improve, the transportation division operates at an efficient level. The efficiency works to improving the profit margin of the company overall.
A second benefit of running third-party logistics software is the reduction of human error in calculations and time projections. Transportation division employees may make errors in calculations for things like shipping costs of materials, expedited service requests, and manifested but not shipped errors. When an employee makes an error, it can cost the company a lot of money. There is the expense of making the calculation error and the additional expense of correcting the error.
Human error is not the only reason that companies should consider using third-party logistics software. The transportation division requires a significant amount of manual labor in getting shipping quotes throughout the course of an average business day. Having an employee take time away from more important tasks to work on gathering those quotes is not cost-effective. The third-party logistics software can make these calculations quickly and move on to other automation tasks.
Why Use Third-Party Logistics?
Companies have the option of calling for their information technology division to develop a logistics software program in-house. It is an option that may work to reduce initial operations costs because an in-house computer department is more familiar with how a company operates. The IT division would also create the logistics software around the manner in which the company analyzes data reports. However, it typically ends up being more expensive by the time the software product is ready for launch. For this reason, most businesses choose to purchase a third-party software platform.
Amware’s Amrate software platform is a cutting-edge 3PL platform that can integrate into most third-party warehousing or ERP systems. Click below for a free demo and see how much you could be adding to your bottom line today!