One of the most important parts of running an effective and profitable business is ensuring that your shipments get safely and on time from point A to point B. However, you may be unaware that your current shipping processes need an overhaul. You might currently have inefficiencies and lost business opportunities. If you're not sure whether or not your business would benefit from shipment management solutions, here are several signs that you need a system overhaul.
1. You Can't See Where All Your Shipments Are
Are you having trouble answering clients when they ask where their shipments are? When your business depends on deliveries to arrive, you'll have trouble if they don't. Transportation management solutions will give you a single location where you can see exactly where your shipments are at any given time and ensure that they reach their destinations in one piece.
2. Your Business is Expanding Rapidly to More Regions
One of the many signs that your business is expanding, or has expansion plans in mind, is increased shipping volume. When your company grows its customer base and opens up new distribution centers, you need shipment management solutions to keep your fleet on track. With updated routing and more efficient delivery planning, it becomes easier to keep your customers happy.
3. You Can't Understand Your Shipping Costs
Sometimes business owners don't realize how much shipping costs vary from order to order. Even if your orders all go out through one carrier, you might be paying different rates for different destinations or using multiple carriers depending on their services in certain areas.
But you should be able to identify and understand what you're paying for in transportation-related services. It's just one example of how shipment management solutions can help you make sense of every aspect of your shipping operations.
4. You're Expanding Your Warehousing Network
Whether you're adding to your facilities or have recently expanded your operations, you need to look into transportation management solutions for warehousing. If you have multiple warehouses, moving freight from one location to another requires using third-party logistics companies or private fleets.
Investing in transportation management solutions will give you more control over your shipping operations and cut costs while improving service levels and supply chain visibility.
5. Your Competitors Are Using It
If competing businesses are already using a transportation management solution (TMS), your business is at risk of falling behind. A TMS can help you improve operational efficiency and gain real-time information about your fleet to keep a competitive edge.
Shipping is a vital cog in ensuring your customers are happy with timely deliveries, and a system that improves efficiency is essential. Contact a shipping agent like JB Shipments to explore how you can deploy shipment management solutions for good effect.
