Slash Costs, Not Corners: How a TMS Mitigates Risk and Boosts Efficiency
The business landscape is shrouded in uncertainty. Confusion over policies coming out of Washington, economic headwinds, geopolitical shifts and emerging cybersecurity threats are just some of the core issues keeping freight brokerage and 3PL leaders up at night right now. Organizations are also scrutinizing their budgets and investments, and looking for new ways to “do more with less.”
Fortunately, technology has reached a point where it can help companies optimize their operations, improve productivity, reduce risk and hit bigger goals with fewer resources. Automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud have also put greater computing power in the hands of a wider swath of companies, many of which can now leverage these advancements in their supply chain, logistics and transportation operations.
“In today’s evolving business landscape, technology is reshaping the way supply chains operate—making processes more efficient, transparent, and responsive,” University of the Cumberlands points out in Navigating the Digital Age: The Role of Technology in Supply Chain Management.
“The integration of digital tools and systems is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity for companies striving to stay competitive,” it continues. “From inventory management and logistics to demand forecasting and supplier coordination, technology’s role in supply chain management is pivotal.”
3 Ways a TMS Lowers Risks & Saves Money
Advanced computing capabilities, sophisticated software and readily-available data all help organizations effectively identify, assess and mitigate potential threats while also reducing errors, saving money and allowing employees to manage by exception (versus having to address every single potential threat individually).
Here are three different ways TMS can help freight brokerages and 3PLs save money, reduce their IT workloads and better manage supply chain risk:
Cloud-based transportation management systems (TMS) offer scalable computing resources and advanced analytics capabilities with little or no upfront investment in hardware or IT infrastructure. This fact alone is helping freight brokerages and 3PLs save significant cost and manpower, the latter of which can be allocated to more strategic projects and tasks.
Cloud-based TMS also offers scalability and flexibility, allowing freight brokerages and 3PLs to pay only for the resources that they actually use. This is particularly beneficial for smaller organizations that may lack the capital to invest in large-scale IT infrastructure.
“The cloud drives speed, agility, scale and visibility. It helps them reduce the time and cost to develop and deploy new applications,” Accenture states. “It integrates companies with a new world of players and it provides visibility to make faster and more-informed decisions. As a result, companies can anticipate and predict market changes and risks across the supply network.”
Artificial intelligence-powered tools can automate tasks, analyze data and personalize customer experiences, again freeing up employees to focus on higher-value activities. These “wins” translate into cost savings, improved decision-making and better use of existing resources.
“Artificial intelligence collects and analyzes massive amounts of data from different data sources, giving transportation and logistics leaders insights they never had in the past,” Everstream Analyticssays. “It has opened up capabilities across the industry, from optimizing routes and automating trucks to predicting transit times and avoiding weather events.”
Advanced technology also helps 3PLs and freight brokerages mitigate risks by improving visibility into operations and supply chains. Revenova TMS, for example, offers enhanced security measures, that not only help companies ward off potential issues, but also support more proactive problem-solving.
Mike Horvath, COO at Revenova, says the company’s technology stack was built on Salesforce, which spends millions of dollars a year to ensure that its CRM is both secure and performing as expected. “This helps solidify our low risk profile,” he says, “which is something that not all other TMS vendors can say.”
It’s Time for a Change
A proven cloud platform with $4 billion in annual research and development spend, Revenova TMS supports a wide range of global compliance and security standards. Trusted by more than 150,000 customers—including 90% of the Fortune 100—the TMS offers seamless compatibility with Salesforce CRM and business applications. In fact, the open platform is supported by more than 7,000 different app and service providers.
With Revenova handling the legwork and ongoing maintenance for its platform, freight brokerages and 3PLs are free to focus on what they do best: running their growing operations. IT teams no longer have to spend their days provisioning, customizing and maintaining their TMS software—it’s all done for them. This benefit alone can translate into substantial savings for customers, not to mention the added layer of security that cloud software provides.
“The question is, just how many people do you need to continually babysit the software and keep it running? This and other ‘hidden costs’ can add up quickly,” says Horvath. “When you use cloud TMS you get a valuable service that’s significantly less expensive than doing it yourself.”
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.
