From Warehouse to Doorstep: How TMS Delivers B2B Shipment Visibility
Credit the “Amazon Effect” with making all of us think that packages can magically appear on our doorsteps overnight, and that we always have visibility into the steps it takes to get those items from the warehouse to the final delivery point. And while everyone realizes that it takes a bit more than that to get sizable, B2B shipments from point A to point B, having visibility into those orders is becoming increasingly important.
In other words, it’s no longer enough to simply share an estimated delivery time and then expect customers to just sit back and hope that the commitment is fulfilled. For time-sensitive orders, in particular, buyers want to be able to log into a system and get timely, accurate updates on where the goods are at any point in the supply chain. This helps them plan around any delays, manage their own customers’ expectations and prepare their facilities for the deliveries.
“Buyers want to know everything about a shipment from the minute they place the order until the minute they get it, and all steps in between,” says Mike Horvath, COO at Revenova. This level of supply chain visibility has always been the Holy Grail for sellers, who now have the technology tools they need to be able to achieve what was once a fairly lofty goal.
Take cloud-based transportation management systems (TMS), for example. A TMS core function is providing real-time tracking of shipments. By integrating with carriers and leveraging technologies like GPS and electronic data interchange (EDI), these systems capture and share critical data points as orders make their way through the supply chain.
Companies can then make that data accessible to their customers in the cloud using dedicated client portalsor integrated dashboards. That way, instead of guessing or making anxious calls, B2B customers can proactively monitor their own shipments and gain control over the process. As an added bonus, this dramatically reduces the number of “Where’s my stuff?” phone or email inquiries that the shipper has to manage, and frees up employees to focus on more strategic projects.
“You can use a TMS to streamline the entire transportation chain and gain high levels of visibility into the network,” Horvath says. “When customers ask where their orders are at any given point in time, you (or they) will always have the answer to that question right at your fingertips.”
Fostering Trust and Strengthening Customer Relationships
By offering real-time tracking, proactive communication and a centralized information hub, TMS also helps foster trust, strengthen customer relationships and drive customer loyalty in today’s competitive market. The company that has final-mile warehouses and DCs positioned near its end customers, for example, puts much time and effort into stocking those locations and using them to fulfill orders. And while a warehouse management system (WMS) orchestrates activity within the facility’s four walls, an integrated TMS also knows that the product is in stock, available and deliverable.
The integration between these two systems adds yet another layer of visibility for customers that want to know exactly how long the shipment process will take—be it one-day, same-day or any other timeframe. “Revenova TMS can also work with any type of carrier, book that carrier, track that carrier and make sure all of the appointments are scheduled and happening as planned,” says Horvath, “and all in conjunction with the transportation providers themselves.”
To help knit together an accurate answer to the “where’s my order?” question, the TMS also knows where the transportation provider is stopping, the specific appointment times, any delays it may encounter and whether it’s going to make it to the delivery point on time (or not). That information is available to customers, end users, logistics professionals, employees and any other authorized stakeholders who need access to the data.
Leveling Up Transportation Visibility
Here are some of the other ways TMS helps companies provide high levels of visibility to their B2B buyers:
Alerts and notifications. Cloud solutions like Revenova TMS automate communication by triggering alerts and notifications at key milestones. This keeps customers informed and reduces the need for inquiries.
A single source of reliable data. TMS platforms are central repositories for all shipment-related information—from order details and tracking numbers to delivery confirmations and invoices.
Built-in communication tools. The systems provide built-in messaging tools, document sharing capabilities, and real-time updates that streamline interactions and keep everyone on the same page.
Exception management. Customers can identify and manage issues proactively versus waiting until it’s too late to act on the problems or delays.
Robust reporting and analytics. Customers can use the TMS’ data to identify trends and bottlenecks, and optimize their own transportation operations.
Horvath says the best TMS platforms know exactly where orders are at any time—including those that are still waiting to be fulfilled in the DC—and support everything from ultra-fast B2C orders to truckload, cross-country shipments, and all steps in between. The platforms can also present “plan B” strategies in case of a bad weather event, natural disaster or vehicle breakdown.
“The TMS empowers organizations with the very high level of visibility that their own customers are demanding right now,” says Horvath, “and also helps them quickly execute those ‘plan Bs’ when needed.”
To learn more about Revenova TMS, Request a Demo. Follow Revenova on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X for the latest updates and news about Revenova TMS, the original CRM-powered Transportation Management System.
