How System Integrations Can Revitalize an Aging Transportation Management System

You entered the New Year with some ambitious goals and now are starting to really hit those first major hurdles? That’s because momentum takes time to create. And it’s even more difficult to sustain, especially in the dynamic transportation and logistics industry.

To accelerate progress, it will first be necessary to reduce the manual processes that have routinely stood in the way of reaching higher levels of productivity and profitability. Blazing new digital paths require your transportation management system (TMS) to do more. Is that even possible? The answer is a resounding yes.

Transportation companies using outdated and out-of-shape TMS platforms do not have to experience the same inertia as people with New Year’s fitness goals. Creating and sustaining momentum with technology is much easier. Modern advancements give transportation and logistics companies an easy way to get aging TMS platforms into shape. By using a SaaS-based integration layer, TMS platforms can be seamlessly connected with trading partners and complimentary third-party applications to get information flowing freely.

And adding a modern integration layer is not a marathon. All it takes is a single setup for a cloud-based system to deliver immediate and long-lasting benefits by getting the right information flowing to the right places and people at the right times.

Whip Your TMS into Shape — an Easy Exercise

Companies that use outdated or “legacy” TMS platforms are accustomed to being limited. They traditionally had fewer options to utilize new and emerging technologies. Using older TMS versions typically meant lacking the speed and flexibility needed to keep up with growing business demands. 

This all leads to relying on vendors for assistance with custom development and support, which further compounds the costs and complexity of managing IT systems.

Ideally, a TMS should require minimal intervention to create orders, plan loads, and manage shipment progress from pickup to delivery. The reality, however, is that motor carriers and logistics companies are often digging through screens and accessing different systems to assemble information.

By the time users find what they are looking for, the window of opportunity to make proactive decisions or fix mistakes has passed. Other common issues caused by using out-of-shape TMS platforms include:

• Mobility. Legacy TMS platforms may have limited options for connecting with mobile applications that could give them a full-featured workflow with instant SMS dispatch messaging to track and manage loads using a driver’s cell phone.
• Flexibility. No two companies operate exactly alike, yet many are stuck using TMS platforms with pre-determined processes and canned workflows.
• Visibility. An inability to generate instant status updates and automatically share them with customers puts a heavy strain on resources.
• Compatibility. Adding new shipper and carrier trading partners should not be a long, drawn-out process.

Personal fitness goals require manual effort, but handling routine freight transactions should not. Getting a TMS into shape is much easier and affordable than replacing one. The latter option should be avoided due to the heavy cost and disruption involved. Besides, not even the best TMS solutions on the market will fully conform to how you want your business to operate.

Bridging the Gap with Transportation Management Integrations

Utilizing a SaaS-based integration platform offers an easy and effective way to breathe new life into an aging TMS. This strategy also puts transportation companies in control of their technology strategy by lessening dependence on TMS vendors to make new integrations available for ELD telematics systems and other applications.

Companies that use an integration platform gain freedom and flexibility to digitize transportation-specific workflows; to create end-to-end visibility; and to transmit critical data to customers through EDI and real-time API communications.

These and other integrations can bridge the gap between traditional and modern, dynamic systems to create more efficient channels of communication. Better yet, companies can directly control how quickly and safely goods are delivered, which ultimately results in higher customer satisfaction and business profitability.

Staying Ahead of the Curve with Innovative Solutions

Having a well-integrated TMS solution is necessary for transportation providers to compete in today’s market. Making proactive investments in technology and services will make this possible by achieving greater operational efficiency, customer service and shipment visibility.

Systems integrations between a TMS and various third-party applications, such as freight visibility and supply chain platforms, also allow motor carriers and freight brokers to seamlessly collaborate with shippers and solve common challenges with cargo security, freight integrity, and load detention to benefit all parties.

Modern technology makes it easy for transportation companies to whip their legacy TMS platforms into shape and sidestep the alternative — having to ship them out and start anew. Integration solutions that add a middle layer that quickly connects your TMS with current and future applications are essential for businesses to run at peak efficiency now and for years to come.