6 Signs You’ve Found the Right Logistics Software

The right software can streamline logistics by increasing automation and using data for machine learning. Success will be evident in your ROI.

Each year at conferences and trade shows, a seemingly endless array of software options is introduced — each one promising to disrupt the way a business handles logistics. They promise automation, smart technology, a user-friendly platform and, most importantly, huge savings. With so many shiny new choices, it can be difficult to select logistics software that goes beyond its flashy promises to deliver on ROI.

When it comes to logistics, technology drives success. From small e-commerce businesses to major players such as Amazon, software has the power to maintain inventory, reduce overhead, seek solutions for unexpected supply chain risks and provide customer satisfaction that translates to increased revenue.

Some businesses try many different types of logistics software to find the best technology solution. Others rely on something tried and true until it becomes outdated. Whether a business is eager to innovate or begrudgingly stepping away from a system that no longer works, it is important to assess the performance of logistics software.

In this article, we will discuss the six key signs that a business has found the right logistics software. These include:

• Automation

• Up-to-date inventory

• Ability to overcome supply chain risk

• Machine learning

• Safety

• Communication

1. It automates

Automation is a buzzword across industries right now and for good reason. Oftentimes, logistics automation is discussed as a conceptual future of driverless trucks, but industry experts indicate that is still approximately 10 years away and not necessarily worth dwelling on quite yet.

Automation on a more practical, current level does exist to offload tedious tasks from employees and make back-office logistics operations and warehouse management simpler. Automation streamlines the logistics process and reduces error.

At Transparency19 in Atlanta, vendors took to the stage to demonstrate how logistics technology can efficiently automate to save time and money. The key takeaway? Logistics software can and should have the ability to analyze invoices and automate other processes to eliminate the overhead of devoting unnecessary manpower to these tasks.

2. It stays up to date on inventory

Logistics software must track live inventory. The supply chain depends on the constantly fluctuating shelves of warehouses, shopping patterns of customers, and the needs of buyers. Logistics software must be able to update itself in real-time to reflect inventory down to the second.

3. It does not get stalled by risks

Supply chain risks include warehouse fires, tariffs, cyber threats, natural disasters and, most currently, pandemics like the evolving COVID-19 crisis. While neither humans nor machines can predict supply chain risks, both can have processes in place to prepare for them. The current COVID-19 pandemic, which has critically affected the supply chain as a result of high demands for certain items and reductions in staff, provides valuable lessons in how logistics software must smoothly adjust when the unexpected occurs.

4. It utilizes machine learning

Today’s logistics software is smarter. That means machine learning, which refers to software with a built-in algorithm that recognizes patterns and adjusts to reflect trends that even humans have yet to identify, and continuously upgrades its own algorithms to improve those predictions over time. This is what separates simple process automation from AI — without machine learning, many of the optimization benefits of logistics software will remain out of reach.

5. It promotes safety

One overlooked cost when dealing with logistics is the impact of unsafe conditions. Logistics software can play a powerful role in making the shipping process safer, more efficient and more cost-effective. Recent software developments include innovations in the very cabs of the trucks that transport goods. These can detect unsafe driving conditions and patterns to improve safety in the logistics chain.

6. It communicates

Logistics software offers feedback throughout every step of the supply chain. Effective platforms make it possible to track a shipment with regular updates. They also facilitate communication between the key players involved in the process.

If you are unsure whether or not your logistics software is providing the technology-driven ROI that benefits your business, or you have questions about any other facet in the supply chain process, Resource Logistics Group is here for you.

Our team boasts a wealth of experience dealing with carriers, shippers and 3PLs, and we have a proven track record of taking easing back-office logistics burdens through technology-oriented solutions paired with human insight. We are not a middleman or a 3PL; we are advisors who understand the nuances of all elements of logistics and the supply chain. To learn more, contact us to schedule a free benchmarking analysis and to discuss the unique needs of your business.