October 14th, 2022

How SaaS Logistics Software can Benefit Your Company

Finding a cost-effective SaaS logistics software

The use of logistics software is essential in this digital era where the supply chain management service model has become complicated, leaving little room for human errors or making the wrong decisions. This has further been enhanced with the need for smooth running operations to keep up with high competition levels in the logistics industry.

In the endless pursuit of efficiency, profitability and unrivalled customer experience, today’s conversation is no longer about investing in logistics software but finding the best type of solutions that suit the modern organisation. This is where SaaS solutions come into the picture as a future-ready channel for fine-tuning key logistics processes and ensuring uninterrupted operations.

With the right software at your disposal you can easily manage shipping methods, route optimisation though each of the delivery stages and proof of delivery via a single platform and with modern tech offerings coming in the form of cloud-based solutions, you don’t even need to invest in a cumbersome tech stack to manage it.

SaaS solutions in logistics and supply chain management

Software-as-a-service (SaaS solutions) is fast redefining the logistic industry by enabling companies to experience cloud-based services in a whole new way. This technology is replacing the need for legacy software or on-premise models, offering logistics companies the advantages of:

• Instant deployment

Unlike traditional on-premise software, SaaS systems do not have to be installed, run, updated, or maintained on local servers. Instead, this modern logistics software is provided over the internet, and the software development company is responsible for hosting it.

This allows for instant deployment as you never have to worry about acquiring expensive IT resources or the time-consuming process of downloading and installing the software before you can use it.

• No maintenance requirements

It is the norm to run a system upgrade from time to time when using on-premise solutions, as this is the only way to ensure your software keeps running efficiently. SaaS logistics solutions save you from these worries as the software provider will handle all maintenance requirements.

This not only takes a huge burden off the shoulders of your IT team but also ensures your supply chain team is ever confident of having a reliable logistics management system that will always be up and running.

• Enhanced accessibility

Transportation and logistics industries have to bear the challenges of working with dispersed remote teams, which makes collaboration and data flow a major hurdle. SaaS systems offer a way out of these hiccups by providing cloud solutions that can be accessed from anywhere, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.

• Fully custom solutions

SaaS solutions can easily be tailored to suit specific logistics processes, depending on a company’s needs. This helps avoid the limitations of using ready-made software or the costly process of hiring an IT company to create custom logistics software.

• Easy scalability

As logistics businesses grow, there is always the inevitable demand for advanced software to handle more tasks. Having on-premise software makes these upgrades too complicated as the company will either have to move to a new system or find a way to integrate the needed new tools and features into the current logistics software.

A SaaS system simplifies this process as the software provider will facilitate the required upgrades without impacting your operations.

Logistics services a SaaS logistics software can handle

SaaS solutions can be used for a wide range of logistics tasks, including:

Transportation management system

Managing the movement of goods from one point to another is one of the most demanding duties in logistics management. Luckily, with a cloud-based transportation management system, you can improve the efficiency of supply and delivery operations by relying on a system that supports the following:

• End-to-end delivery visibility

The use of cloud technologies in logistics management supports end-to-end delivery visibility, which is critical in helping logistics managers make prompt decisions to optimise workflow and operation costs. Modern SaaS logistics systems further implement futuristic technologies like artificial intelligence with excellent forecasting abilities to support the decision-making process and allow for better delivery scheduling.

• Ensures efficient movement of goods

The transportation industry faces many challenges when moving goods across logistics networks, from increased fuel consumption to en-route delays and damaged goods, among other problems. An intelligent SaaS-based TMS platform can better manage these inefficiencies that offer excellent insights into first, middle, and last-mile operations.

This ensures smoother movement of goods as all aspects are taken into account from the shipping expenses to the most fuel-efficient routes while having a more accurate estimated time of arrivals for seamless deliveries with real-time visibility within a single dashboard.

• Simplifies carrier management

Suppose you rely on freight forwarding companies or third-party logistics providers to deliver your goods to the market, it is vital to have a delivery management system that eases how you manage your carriers.

SaaS solutions come in handy for these duties as they provide outstanding supply chain visibility on different carriers by accurately benchmarking performance and analysing critical parameters that help you determine the best partners for your business.

Warehouse management system

Efficient warehouse management demands for automation of critical processes and a cloud-based SaaS solution will enable you to run your operations faster and more accurately by:

• Helping track warehouse performance through advanced analytics and reports
• Refining inventory management by offering real-time tracking and updates of inventory movements
• Integrating with third-party systems such as accounting software to automatically generate and keep track of bills and invoices
• Simplifying how workers get to receive, find, and dispatch goods

Fleet management system

The freight industry is heavily dependent on proper fleet management, which dictates the efficiency of the transportation modes used by a company. To ensure full utilisation of these assets in the field, relying on a SaaS software solution will help refine how you:

• Plan routes and driver schedules. Avoid the problems of fragmented fleet planning by relying on SaaS solutions with advanced route planning capabilities for optimal use of your assets.
• Keep up with vehicle maintenance requirements. Most SaaS models used in fleet management have incorporated machine learning to help predict faults in vehicles before they occur. This propels businesses to leverage predictive maintenance and reduce their operational costs, downtime, and capital investment.
• Monitor safety and comply with legislation. Cloud-based software allows logistics managers to keep track of driver behaviour while on the road. This simplifies transport management by ensuring adherence to the highest safety standards and maintaining compliance expected of logistics service providers.

Enterprise resource planning

A core component of modern technology in global trade, an ERP system is essential in logistics operations as it enables businesses to monitor corporate resources and efficiently coordinate activities between different departments by automating critical processes.

Today, cutting-edge SaaS software solutions offer excellent ERP functionalities, which include:

• Managing information flows and creating reports
• Invoice management
• Inventory tracking and optimisation
• Using customer databases for better supply and demand planning
• Processing purchase orders and managing deliveries
• Business intelligence harnessing primary data for better-informed decision making

Customer relationship management

A SaaS CRM system has proven invaluable in boosting interactions with prospects and customers by providing a centralised platform for:

• Reliable customer data collection and analysis to aid in customer satisfaction
• Keeping track of your prospecting and sales processes to boost the output of your sales team
• Improving the transparency of your supply chains for better and timely deliveries to multiple customers
• Aligning your business processes to suit customer demands and emerging needs

Finding the most cost-effective SaaS solution for your company

There is no one-size-fits-all logistics SaaS software, given the unique business requirements each company has to meet. In turn, in the search for the most cost-effective logistics and supply chain SaaS solution, it is critical to consider the following:

• Your niche industry

Each niche industry requires a unique solution that best complements its operations. For example, if your business specialises in transport management, you will require different SaaS solutions from a company that focuses on production management.

In your search for the perfect cloud-based SaaS model, you must consider your area of speciality and how the available options will boost your logistics system.

• Business needs and size

Large-sized logistics and supply chain businesses tend to require robust SaaS systems that can support all operations from the initial planning to the execution while offering a never-ending performance analysis.

Similarly, the specific needs of your business have to be a priority as you need a solution that will eliminate hurdles in your operations. Because of this, the service element of SaaS logistics software has to be a top consideration before you start evaluating the costs.

• Close competitors and long-term costs

To get the best deal when looking for SaaS solutions, it is essential to consider the key features of a system and how it compares to other alternatives in the market. You also need to evaluate the monthly fee and how sustainable it will be for your company to keep paying these rates over the years.

Ultimately, while SaaS logistics software saves you from high capital cost investment associated with opting for a custom logistics software development company, it ties you up to making regular payments that might increase over time.

How RollPallet UK Can Help

If you’re working in a UK-based enterprise and keen on saving on storage and delivery costs, we’d be more than happy to discuss some of the benefits we can offer our logistics partners.

Though we’re not a software company, our hardware is used within in a range of high-tech environments including 3PL and manufacturing industries, and we’ve actively enabled better logistics throughout the entire supply chain in some of Britain’s most demanding business environments.

If your industry requirements specify a need some joined-up thinking when it comes to both SaaS and nuts-and-bolts, cold, hard steel, please contact us today to discuss a plan of action for your business!