Logistics is a field related to managing the movement of resources (goods, materials, information, finance) and their delivery from the point of origin to the consumer. It covers all sectors of the economy. But, first of all, a transport company comes to mind, organizing the delivery of goods and managing a team of drivers.
Millions of tons and pieces of goods are transported by various types of transport every day. Logistics specialists create the fastest possible delivery route with minimal time, saving fuel and other resources. Special software facilitates workers’ work. You can choose it on the website https://riseapps.co/, and we will tell you about the advantages and capabilities of the software.
Pros And Cons Of Software
Automating processes for forming cargo delivery chains reduces vehicle downtime and helps create a route for the fastest and safest delivery of goods.
Pros of logistics software:
- automatic construction of cost-effective routes taking into account distance, time, traffic jams, and road conditions;
- minimization of delivery time, reduction of fuel and vehicle maintenance costs;
- automation of document processing, calculation of delivery costs, trip planning;
- accounting of the vehicle fleet condition: control of technical inspections, repairs, and service life, reduction of downtime;
- increasing the transparency of delivery processes – tracking the vehicle via GPS, control at all stages;
- organization of electronic document management.
Such systems can be supplemented with a block for accountants and personnel accounting specialists. They automatically generate reports on trip duration and driver and vehicle workload. They allow you to predict the future volume of work, taking into account repairs, days off, terms, and types of cargo delivery.
Disadvantages
The delivery of goods is a particular sector of the economy, so it is impossible to standardize the requirements for software. Therefore, software for delivering goods may have more disadvantages than software for the HR or accounting department.
Possible disadvantages:
- High cost of implementation and maintenance. This point also includes refusal and possible sabotage by line workers. Drivers often like to solve their problems by deviating from the route. Installing tracking systems on vehicles no longer allows this. Therefore, even sabotage is possible, which increases the costs of implementing the software.
- A lack of skills among users can reduce the system’s efficiency. Implementing and debugging software takes significant time, unlike software for an accountant or HR specialist.
- Setting up and fine-tuning the software for processes at a specific enterprise can be complex and expensive.
- A relatively robust technical infrastructure is required, as well as the availability of an in-house support service. Small transport companies cannot afford this.
- Limited ability to integrate with other systems, such as gasoline accounting or HR.
Examples Of Difficulties In Practice
The choice of software for monitoring and organizing cargo transportation should be approached carefully; word of mouth is one of the best options. Typical customer difficulties:
- A small company implemented complex software, but its use was unprofitable due to small transportation volumes.
- A large carrier faced delays due to difficulties adapting the software to international standards.
When choosing software for logistics managers, be prepared that it will have to be modified to account for the specifics of a particular enterprise. It will increase the time it takes to implement it.