How to Improve Visibility with Warehouse and Transportation Management
August 21, 2019
There are many moving parts in the world of supply chain, both literally and figuratively. Ensuring all parties receive precise and accurate data with full visibility is now an imperative service for an optimized delivery process. One way to attain this is by implementing both a warehouse management system (WMS) and a transportation management system (TMS) into your supply chain.
These systems typically operate separately but can work together to enhance end-to-end visibility across warehouse and shipping junctures, yielding a harmonious view into your entire logistics network. Before integrating these systems into your business, it’s important to understand how each of these tools work and complement one another.
If moving freight is a major part of your business, it’s likely you’ve thought about how to improve inefficiencies in your shipping process. A TMS streamlines this process within your organization. This technology provides data such as quotes, transit time, tracking, real-time alerts, custom reports and carrier mix to give shippers a centralized platform to support transportation decisions. Shippers save time and cut costs on future shipments through an automated process and can oversee all Purchase Orders (POs) and SKUs shipped and match it with the most effective carrier within the network. Plus, all past shipments can be revisited to secure capacity for future orders with the appropriate carriers.
While a TMS helps you manage your shipping process, a WMS takes care of the warehousing side. This software enables organizations to govern warehouse operations from the time product enters the warehouse to when it arrives at the destination. System functions include, but are not limited to: appointment scheduling, receiving, reverse logistics, cross docking, cycle count, labor and inventory management, tracking, picking, packing and prepping for delivery.
Shippers have visibility into their inventory at any time during the receiving-to-shipping process. Implementing a WMS helps ensure inventory is properly handled, improves accuracy and reduces labor costs while generating real-time data for all parties. This technology reduces time and cuts costs while better equipping the shipper to properly manage current and upcoming POs and any movement of their goods.
As the nature of today’s business continues to push for tighter delivery windows to consumers, integrating the two platforms could yield huge benefits for your company. At Hub Group, we pride ourselves on our industry-leading technology, providing both WMS and TMS solutions on one centralized platform referred to as Hub Connect. This online freight management platform gives customers access to all WMS and TMS documentation on one easy-to-use interface. Customers can also generate warehouse and transportation orders while receiving full visibility for all shipments and inventory levels.
“As the industry is continuously evolving, we are committed to adapting and improving our technology solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Through our cloud-based technology products, we strive to empower our clients with the tools and support to efficiently manage their supply chain and reach their business goals.”
-Guillermo Pardon
Hub Group’s CaseStack Retail Supplier Solutions Chief Technology Officer
Hub Group can also coordinate shipments through a dedicated carrier base even if you don’t store your inventory at a Hub Group facility. Customers can view their full order history to support future orders generated on the portal.
Hub Group’s technology helps suppliers take friction out of the supply chain, whether that’s helping them catalog their online products for multiple retailers, making appointments for deliveries or deploying analysts to ensure the supply chain is optimized.
Visit www.hubgroup.com/managed-solutions/ for more information on implementing these systems into your business.