Freight forwarding software
Freight forwarding software serves to simplify the organisation, planning, control and optimisation of logistical processes. Very quickly, a degree of complexity is reached in logistics and transport which makes the use of a suitable Transport Management System (TMS) necessary. The software helps to keep track of the multitude of logistical processes, especially transport, handling and storage (TUL), but also intralogistics, and to process them much more efficiently. A forwarder software should always be able to flexibly map the company-specific processes.
The logistics industry is facing constantly growing challenges: Shipment numbers and quantities of goods are increasing, as are demands on shipment speed, digital technologies and service. In order to cope with this pressure in a highly competitive market, process optimisation and the associated productivity increases are at the heart of the target scenarios. Logistics companies and forwarding agents use the appropriate software to achieve this. Central to this are efficient planning of logistics tasks and the design of optimized logistics processes in a forwarding software that is implemented economically overall.
Functions of the forwarding software
A powerful and flexible forwarding software is the foundation for a sustainable competitiveness. For this purpose, all logistics processes are integrated in individual automated procedures within the system. This digitalisation of company-specific processes is often achieved by means of a standard range of functions and, if necessary, additional functional modules. Common functional areas within such a software system for forwarding agencies are, for example, order entry, href=”https://www.lis.eu/speditionssoftware/winsped/frachtabrechnung/”>>order settlement, dispatching, cargo transport and the important interfaces to telematics systems and warehouse management. The individual requirements of the logistics company that go beyond these are usually represented by functionally extending modules.
Forwarding agencies, logistics and transport companies use logistics software to digitize logistical processes and thus achieve optimal order processing. Another overarching purpose is to increase customer satisfaction and productivity.
Operation of forwarding software
The operation of high-performance logistics software is based on a solid IT architecture that processes master and transaction data within the software system. The stored data stocks of the forwarding software are managed centrally and are available via a client at the various workstations of the employees. The software system can be set up either in a classic client-server architecture or as a cloud solution via so-called “Application Service Providing (ASP)”.
Client-server solution
The forwarding software itself, the database and other required system components are provided on a locally available server network. Via this local network the software client, which is set up on the PC workstations, accesses the server and the data and system functionalities stored there. In this setup it is also possible to connect mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets or barcode scanners via remote services. In the client-server scenario, you access your own hardware and IT system environment, on which the data is securely stored. This advantage and benefit must be weighed against the costs incurred for setting up, operating and maintaining the hardware.
Cloud solution – Application Service Providing (ASP)
The freight forwarding software can also be provided in the cloud with Application Service Providing (ASP). Here the data and software components are also stored centrally on a server, but on a server of the software provider.
All necessary software components are also stored centrally here, but on the servers of the software provider. The employees then access the data and the system on their PC via a remote/web client. The ASP provides a secure and above all high-performance system environment via the provider. Operation and maintenance is also carried out by the provider.