Smart Logistic
Transportation Management System
Project
summary
Transport Management Systems (TMSs) available on the market either didn’t meet our client’s specific needs, didn’t take into account crucial issues when automating processes, or couldn’t be integrated with the systems our client already used.
That’s why he decided to create a SaaS solution tailored to his company’s business needs. Moreover, he decided to make it available as a cloud solution for the open market. Together, we created a TMS that can tackle common pain points of logistics companies.
Smart Logistics is a SaaS solution for transportation management. This transportation management system allows companies to perform warehouse operations, manage loads, optimize routes, provide mature visibility, and automate a huge part of problem solving. The system can also be integrated with existing solutions, including any type of WMS, ERP, and invoicing software.
Challenges to overcome
Too much time is spent onboarding. Existing solutions are complex.
A logistics manager spends 2 to 6 hours building a delivery route for 20 to 30 vehicles for one day.
Managers spend 2 to 3 hours a day on routine communications and problem-solving.
Registering, onboarding, and providing data for algorithms
The first thing a user can do in Smart Logistics is configure it for their company’s needs and fill out necessary directories such as fleet, warehouses, and employees. At first sight, it may seem overwhelming. But, in fact, we know our clients need their system to work against the clock. That’s why we help them get everything done in just five simple steps:
Step 1
Add company details. Any company has its own branding and corporate identity. That’s why we let you add your company name and logo.
Step 2
Add warehouses. Create a directory with main warehouses grouped by city. There are two ways of adding items in this and the following steps: manually (through the system interface) or by uploading a .csv file.
Step 3
Add a fleet. At this step, a manager adds a database of vehicles and their characteristics, such as max volume and load, type of driver’s license required, and cabin options such as tail lift and refrigerator. This is also where a manager adds a list of drivers with their contact details, work hours, and category and type of driver’s license.
Step 4
Add delivery points. For each delivery point, you have to add general information such as name, contact details, and any notes for couriers. The system can assign vehicles to routes cost- and time-efficiently based on the following data:
Delivery point address
Business hours (a strict limitation when setting routes)
Preferred delivery hours (a flexible limitation)
Vehicle size restrictions (a delivery point may have too narrow or low of entrances or restrictions for heavy vehicles on an access road)
Step 5
Add employees and assign roles. Add names and contact details of your employees from the logistics department and distribute roles and access levels.
Integration with Warehouse Management Units
To reduce the time for routine communication between a warehouse and a logistics manager, we included integration with existing warehouse solutions. And if you think this is an obvious and default option but, in reality, it`s not the case for most TMS products.
The Delivery Lists section updates automatically in real time.
When a warehouse manager marks a delivery list as done, a task instantly appears for a logistics manager to form a route. The logistics manager gets a notification when a new list is received so they can immediately start working with it.
Route Optimization Algorithm
Manual route management.
To manually manage routes, just select a vehicle that can’t meet a delivery timeframe. Then the system will suggest alternative vehicles that can deliver during that timeframe. The system suggests vehicles based on the requirements for a particular delivery, such as the presence of a refrigerator, a tail lift, etc. Then you can drag and drop deliveries between vehicles to reach the optimal solution.
The system will also notify you if there are any errors, such as overload or inability to meet a delivery timeframe. It’s also possible to save drafts when setting up routes to try different options and choose the most suitable.
Smart optimization system driven by algorithms.
After choosing a delivery list, the system sets routes with the optimal price/speed balance. Prioritization between cheaper and faster can be changed manually. If a manager finds a cheaper solution but there are a few deliveries that can’t meet a delivery timeframe, they can manually transfer some packages between two or more vehicles.
Visibility
In the Track Progress section, a manager sees real-time delivery statuses sorted by vehicle.
True visibility
In this section, our task was to make the tracking information easy to read. And when we say “easy,” we mean in a few seconds. We placed a summary tracking bar at the top of the screen and added notifications about problems to the header.
If there’s a problem with a route, the card for that route appears at the top of others with a label that describes the type of problem to draw the attention of a manager. The system also understands when a driver is behind schedule and marks such a card as delayed.
Problem solving
Lots of logistics managers have to communicate a lot to solve routine problems. It looks something like this:
Then Rachel has to call the administrator, then the driver again, then decide what to do, and finally communicate her decision.
Smart Logistics aims to save both Rachel and Denny.
When a delivery point is closed, Denny can choose this problem from a drop-down list in his driver app. Then Rachel will be notified and be able to choose a solution right in the route card. If she chooses to skip the point, the route will automatically be rebuilt and updated in the driver app. The system will also add a warehouse as the last point, since the skipped delivery needs to be returned.
Results in numbers
Intuitive UX
BEFORE
Too much time is spent on employee onboarding. Existing solutions are complex. To onboard new employees, managers need to run a few workshops, but there are still a lot of mistakes.
AFTER
It takes just a few minutes to add the new employee. And then a few more for them to understand how units works.
Smart route optimization
BEFORE
A logistics manager spends 2 to 6 hours building a delivery route for 20 to 30 vehicles for one day.
AFTER
It takes just about 30 minutes from receiving a delivery list from a warehouse to sending routes back.
Fast problem solving
BEFORE
Managers spend 2 to 3 hours a day on routine communications and problem-solving.
AFTER
All the routine problems are solved through the system instead of live communication.