Logistics business needs to deal with supply chain, procurement, and other operations. Misalignment is the most pressing pain point that drags on productivity and optimization. Logistics ERP software mends this major disconnect. It offers improved business insights into their priorities and strategies to instil resilience across the organization.
A modern system is built on the cloud and has an advanced architecture that extensively supports logistics companies by using unique analytics to provide better service. As you read through, you would find out more about ERP and its advantages when the system is used by logistics companies.
A Breakdown of Logistics Data Requirement:
- Packaging and unitisation
- Inventory
- Transport
- Information and control
Why Are ERPs Critical to Your Logistics Business?
Logistics businesses consist of numerous processes, each of which has multiple sub-processes. Handling these complex operations manually is not wise, even if you run a small or mid-scale business.
Typically, an ERP system impacts every aspect of your business. When you use it, the system improves the workflow in every department and makes your business more profitable.
Get dedicated customer portals
The customer portal is a boon for logistic companies. An advanced ERP system comes with dedicated customer portals, which business and individual customers could access to get precise information about their shipments. It also records all communications and allows customers receive updates on their personal profiles.
When you have a dedicated customer portal, you do not require a large service team to manage shipping-related queries. Customers could access shipment information by logging in to their portal. Improved information visibility also increases customer satisfaction and enhances brand loyalty.
Gain inventory control and stock visibility
Complete control over the inventory is a vital part of logistic businesses to ensure operational efficiency. This requires keeping a note of the current requests, available stock, current deliveries on the route, sales made, and other inventory-related information.
Warehouse management software automates data management and brings all the notable functions on a single dashboard, allowing you to keep a keen eye on inventory status at every stage. It integrates the inventory needs of staff, customers, and suppliers so that stock purchasing, organizing, and transferring are always in sync, thus enabling inventory tracking and visibility.
Easy vehicle maintenance tracking
Maintaining and planning transit schedules is difficult in a complex logistics network. A great deal of revenue is often lost due to improper management of this operation.
ERP software captures the relevant details about the consignments and improves handling logistics networks. Further, the system also ensures planning and scheduling the preventive maintenance of the vehicles, managing license information and warranty expiration dates. This extends the life of the vehicles and safeguards them from frequent breakdowns or expensive wear and tear, which ultimately enhances the operational efficiency of your business.
Improve transportation and shipping
Delivering goods to the end user on time is a crucial element of a logistics business. ERP software includes transportation modules that keep track of all the information, right from the transfer of goods from the producer till it reaches the end destination. The system captures accurate data to let users find and plan optimal routes for speedier deliveries and reduced delays. This practice saves time and money, letting your logistics business earn a greater return on investment over time.
Allow better distribution management
ERP systems streamline every process involved in the distribution of goods and create effective job scheduling. This lets you get an overview of the resources that are being consumed and the ones that are available for distribution. When you have all the information, it becomes more accessible for you to decide your effective product delivery dates.
Enhance employee productivity
ERP software for the logistics industry automates business functions and reduces the need to perform repetitive tasks manually. This could be entering the same data multiple times in different systems.
The integrated ERP lets the information flow across different systems and departments, eliminating errors arising due to human intervention, which ultimately creates a positive effect on your organization’s overall productivity and reduces operational costs.
Offer advanced analytics and reporting
ERP systems have a central database for a single source of truth. They are endowed with the ability to query data as needed and instantly generate the necessary reports.
Most ERP solutions include customizable dashboards so users could access these reports when they log into the system. Faster accessibility supports making better decisions more quickly. You do not need external help to churn out ad-hoc reports. The system alone could generate it by using advanced predictive analytics.
Must-Have Features of Logistics ERP System
Logistics ERP systems contain components meant to nurture and amplify business processes. These features could take your organization to the next level and make it stand out from the competition.
A module for delivery management
This module is used to streamline the delivery process from the time a stock is procured until it is delivered to the end users. It automates dispatch operations and finds optimized routes for faster pickups and deliveries.
A module for delivery planning and control
The delivery management module controls everything from order entry and status tracking to delivery dates and credit limit checking. It plans and manages the delivery process to improve order fulfilment while giving a superior customer experience.
Enhanced order processing module
Perhaps the primary concern of a logistics business is order and billing management. The module auto-creates bills based on the orders, making the process easier and error-free. Your ERP solution must include a flexible module to work with your unique ordering needs and adjust as and when necessary.
Invoices and other document issuing module
The module fully captures accounting data and other details while allowing modifications to generate customized invoices and issue other documents using the stored information.
