The transportation and logistics industry has seen a lot of rapid changes lately. From being a mere concept of moving items and goods between two points, to becoming a primary source of international dealings and tons of goods consisting a significant portion of the world trade, this industry has come a long way.
Nowadays with the rise of technology, it has found its roots deep within this industry as well making things much more efficient and productive. This has seen the rise of transportation and logistics software streamlining the entire processes starting from management to shipment tracking. In this article, we shall talk about the primary features and technologies of transport and logistics software and its impact on the industry.
Transportation and Logistics Software and their features:
The below pointers state a few and their trending features that are being used in the logistics industry.
- Transport Management System – It is one of the foremost software being used for years in the transportation and logistics industry. These systems primarily focus on streamlining the entire transportation process focusing on key aspects such as execution, management of operations, and so on. Let’s have a quick look at some of the features this system has:
- Live tracking – One of the most used features by both clients and shippers, this feature helps in the real-time tracking of the shipments as soon as they get dispatched. It serves as a means of satisfaction and fulfillment to the customer.
- Optimising routes – Route optimization is one of the best features which does the job of searching for the best possible route keeping in mind factors such as less fuel consumption and less transportation costs.
- Load planning – Optimizing the loading process to make sure of safe and secure transport of the vehicle taking the items and goods.
- Audit and payment – Look after the entire auditing process using the data present in the system and keep a watch on the time payments of the carriers. It automates the entire payment process in some cases as well.
- Warehouse Management System – This software is responsible for the optimization of goods storage and movement within a warehouse. The key features of this software include:
- Inventory management – Helps in managing the inventory levels, and takes care of out-of-stock and overstocked items as well. All of this is done in real time making this feature a prominent one.
- Labor management – Helps in the optimization of labor by proper distribution of their jobs, which increases productivity during working hours.
- Barcode scanning – Uses barcode scanning to regulate the entire inventory tracking and order processing process.
- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) – This technology is being used to increase the visibility of the loaded items that are packed.
- Fleet Management System – This software is dedicated and made keeping in mind for businesses which included keeping a fleet of vehicles for transportation process as a part of their business model. Some of the key features are:
- Live tracking – Tracking vehicles in real-time and giving out important details regarding them such as the speed, condition of the vehicle, and so on.
- Fuel management – Keeps track of fuel consumption and helps in reducing it by looking out for ways of reduction.
- Monitoring driver – It also tracks the performance of the driver and this helps in keeping a check on the fuel consumption or any other abnormalities faced on the roads.
- Scheduling maintenance – Gives reminders for timely maintenance of vehicles which helps to prevent vehicle breakdowns in the long run.
These are the primary features that a premium transport and logistics software should possess.
Technologies used in the software
Several technologies are being put into use and infused to get the proper and accurate software being used in the industry. Transport and logistics software providers have been heavily profited after the introduction of technology in them. Some of the main technologies which are on the rise are:
- Internet of Things (IoT) –
This is one of the burning technologies of recent times and is finding its use in almost every industry. It means the connection of physical assets with the Internet through sensors and software. It helps in the tracking of vehicles and goods in real-time, helps in tracking their conditions and detects abnormalities, can predict when vehicles need to get their maintenance done avoiding breakdowns, and ensures the proper protection of cargo with the help of different sensors.
- Radio Frequency Identification (RFDI) –
This is one of the technologies being used in recent years. It helps in giving an idea about the item or goods which is present inside the packaging. A tag or sensor is placed on the product and radio waves are sent out. They have a superior speed of data processing and delivery to the main servers.
To conclude, the rise and evolution of transport and logistics software has come a long way, and using them has completely changed the industry by serving as a more efficient and effective means.
