Transport and Logistics management is a crucial aspect to ensuring an efficient and profitable supply chain. As transport services cannot be stored, surrounding factors need to be analysed and determined to ensure that the right capacity is used and waste is kept to a minimum.
Transport demands are determined by consumers needs for certain services. Consumer requirements for transport comprises the frequency and regularity of transport services, the availability, suitability and capacity of transport software technologies, and the cost of transport.
These considerations are some of the first questions to be asked by logistics companies or fleet management companies in need of transport software solutions.
Owing to rising energy and fuel costs, the price of transport software is a big consideration and return-on-investment should carefully be considered and analysed.
Sustainable Supply of Transport
Transport companies need to ensure that they supply their services in a profitable manner. Deploying a five ton truck to transport a quarter of its capacity is a waste of both financial and time resources. To ensure the profitable deployment of transportation, suitable transport technologies should form part of a company’s logistics management approach.
Business Intelligence, fleet management and mobile technologies can be integrated to ensure that all aspects of transport are integrated with a company’s core functions, allowing maximum visibility over all processes and ensuring quick decision making.
Further, it is critical for an organisations transport operations to be integrated with its financial, operational and marketing strategies and functions. To ensure the realisation of a return on logistics software investments, companies need to ensure that the technologies are used to their full capacity and are integrated with the main goals of the organisation.
When Supply Meets Demand
Further, when fleets need to be managed optimally. Courier companies need to ensure that routes are planned and fleets are stocked in both a time and cost efficient way.
Further, the following factors need to be constantly monitored, adjusted and optimised:
- Fuel Costs– The cost of fuel should always be covered by transport fees while still enabling added quality for clients.
- Warehousing software systems– should be optimised to ensure fast and efficient delivery.
- Client and Company Communication– client and company should be updated of delivery status at all times.
- Fleet Management– To ensure sustainable service delivery, fleets should be adequately maintained and optimised.