Logistics management is at the core of every product-based business. A recent study shows that 79% of companies with efficient supply chains and logistics management achieve higher revenue growth.
But the recent breakdown in the global logistics processes shows there is still some work to be done. Business managers and owners have adopted advanced logistics management software to overcome manual managerial weaknesses and streamline their businesses.
Here are 9 logistic management software solutions you can use in your business to decrease operating costs, and shipping costs, and increase revenue.
Table of Content
What is Logistics Management Software?
Logistics management refers to strategizing and gaining control over your company’s supply chain. Industry outsiders see logistics as the flow of things from the manufacturer or seller to the customers. However, a lot more goes on behind the scenes.
Logistics involves both inbound and outbound aspects. The inflow of raw materials or different parts to your manufacturing warehouse is known as inbound logistics. In contrast, outbound refers to transporting the finished goods from your business to the consumers. In both cases, there are a lot of moving parts that can cause massive problems if one of them fails. There is no better example of this than the recent Covid-induced supply chain management issues.
A logistics management system gives you the technical edge to manage all the moving parts with only a few clicks. The logistics software increases efficiency in managing inventory, processing orders, reverse logistics, and transporting orders to the customer.
Why Should You Adopt Logistics Management Software?
There are various reasons why you must adopt logistics software. To begin with, this software offers minute control over your existing operations. A logistics management system can be easily set up, and the learning curve is also smoother. A logistics management system can completely replace manual methods without much difficulty.
Logistics software starts improving the processes at the center and radiates outwards. In addition, some management software enables your vendors and suppliers to access the interface and raise invoices or queries. Consequently, it improves collaboration and communication with your external stakeholders.
While choosing logistics software, ensure that it satisfies all your needs while being flexible enough to accommodate your existing procedures. At the end of the day, this logistics software should help your decrease your turnaround times and improve your circular economy. The logistics software also needs to have some customer-facing features, like communicating the ETA of deliveries.
Basic Features of Logistics Management Software
As mentioned earlier, logistics software should add to your strengths while eliminating all the weaknesses. You can do an extensive analysis to find the gaps in your existing strategies and systems. Or you can get the logistics software management app and use its reporting feature to get valuable insights about your operations.
Now, here are some key features that your logistics software needs to have.
1. Demand forecasting
Forecasting should be an essential part of your logistics software. Based on the forecasts, your business can improve its process to bridge the gap between demand and supply. The forecasting feature also helps with better scheduling plus inventory and the entire supply chain management.
2. Inventory tracking
With increased production, an inventory tracking feature can be a game changer. Inventory tracking offers greater control over your inventory and helps you plan for purchases in the future. It, thus, becomes easier to determine when you’d need to order more products.
3. Multi-client architecture
Multi-client architecture is a must for logistics software as it enables you to handle multiple clients, vendors, and suppliers through a single UI. Automated inventory and purchase order features are also a plus for client management.
4. Finance integration
While it is not necessary, having some financial capabilities makes handling goods a bit easier. Simply having provisions for recording accounts receivable and payable is enough to reduce some load off your finance department.
5. Intuitive interface
An intuitive interface makes navigating the UI and performing critical functions easier. Advanced logistics management systems can offer customized UI for your organization. But these might be somewhat expensive.
6. Customer relationship management
Of course, dedicated CRM software will always be better than an integrated feature. However, the presence of CRM can make it easy to record customers’ queries related to specific orders and shipments. It is a cost-effective option that helps you save costs by eliminating human error.
Top 9 Logistics Management Software
There are various different kinds of logistics software. Here are 9 logistics software from varying categories.
Transportation management system
A transportation management system helps solve the top logistics challenge – last mile delivery. Efficient transportation via route optimization and planning software come in handy in such cases.
1. Upper Route Planner:
With Upper Route Planner, you can save on gas expenditures and mileage costs. Better optimization means that the customers can get their packages sooner. This increases customer satisfaction and increases retention rate. The route planner also allows you to accommodate your reverse logistics for no-fuss return policies.
Automated proof of delivery removes the back office paperwork and enhances productivity. Upper’s real-time tracking feature can send the ETA of packages to the customers. Alternatively, you can use this feature to include last moment changes in your schedule.
Order management system
The order management system is the first process pinged after the client or the customer places an order. This system automates fulfillment tasks and reduces packaging errors. As a result, the overall efficiency of the business improves along with the ROI.
2. Brightpearl:
Brightpearl is a market-leading order management software. It handles both offline and online orders at the same time. It has automated fulfillment processes, shipping, ordering, and invoicing workflows.
Like Upper, Brightpearl also comes with multiple integration features that can be connected to accounting, payment, warehouse management, and marketing systems.
Brightpearl is a highly customizable software. Therefore, you can contact them to get a full-price quote for your requirement. They will offer a transparent breakdown of their services and set up the charges accordingly. This software also contains inventory control capabilities. So, you will be getting two management software features for the price of one.
Warehouse management system
As the name suggests, a warehouse management system helps you manage the warehouse by ensuring it has the right product at the right time. Some might argue that the same can be achieved with capable inventory management software. But most inventory management systems only show new products. Whereas the warehouse management system also displays products for refurbishment, resale, repair, and recycling. This enables you to control other logistics channels other than your main cashflow channel.
3. Logiwa WMS:
On the surface, Logiwa WMS is warehouse management software entirely based on the cloud. It offers functionalities to control multiple warehouses and optimize your shipping processes. But there is more to it than what meets the eye.
Logiwa offers walking path optimization that maps the best pick-up and stocking path for warehouse employees. Reducing the overall distance covered by them by over 30%. Moreover, the smart picking jobs group similar pick-up items and multiple item orders, all while prioritizing your preset management rules.
4. Inventory management system
As a direct effect of supply chain disruption, companies have increased their investment in inventory management systems to get accurate numbers and increase restocking accuracy. The main goal of the inventory management system is to ping you to reorder parts or products running low to ensure fully stocked shelves.
4. Zoho Inventory:
Zoho is an extremely powerful inventory management software with multi-channel handling. Zoho is specially designed for retailers selling their products on multiple online platforms. This software’s advanced systems automatically update the inventory regardless of the platform where the sale was made.
5. Sortly:
Sortly is a simpler inventory management system compared to Zoho Inventory. The software interface lets you print QR and bar codes for all your inventory items. Once scanned, you can track these products throughout your warehouse. You also get the ability to set stock levels which will alert you to order more products.
Inventory forecasting system
Forecasting software is essential for anticipating customer demand and increasing the supply to meet them. These forecasts help with better resource allocation and delivery schedules. Inventory and warehouse management software is tweaked accordingly to handle the upcoming loads. The inventory forecasting system processes both internal and external datasets to make predictions and prepare your business for the upcoming boom or slump.
6. Oracle Netsuite:
Oracle Netsuite is one of the most powerful logistics solutions and inventory management software you can currently get in the market. Oracle’s one-system approach aims to reduce IT and other associated maintenance expenses. However, Oracle subscriptions are not cheap and can cost a fortune in the long run.
7. Avercast:
One of the top third party logistics companies, Avercast, uses advanced algorithms and machine learning modules to predict the rise or slump in upcoming customer demands. It is one of the top logistics service providers that eases your business processes. This offers better control over your inventory management and resource allocation. You can run your business more smoothly by manufacturing or purchasing more products, thus reducing warehousing expenses.
Return management system
The return rate for the eCommerce businesses lie somewhere between 25% and 40%. On average, 1 out of every 3 products is returned by the customer. But the interesting thing is that easier returns are directly responsible for increasing customers’ trust in the company. Therefore, no-fuss return policies are a necessary evil that you need to adopt despite the increasing costs of reverse logistics.
8. Returnly:
Returnly is a smart third party logistics platform that solely focuses on product returns. More specifically, it focuses on returns in D2C businesses. The returns are fully automated and handled by the system. It alerts customer support to take over for more difficult return cases. Returnless refunds and smart return windows are some of the star features of Returnly.
9. ReturnLogic:
ReturnLogic is another return management (third party logistics) software solution that only Shopify retailers can use. As with other systems in this list, it offers automated returns from your customers. Whenever the customer initiates a return, the operations team is instantly notified. Then, they dispatch drivers to pick up the products from the customers. Finally, you can access an analytics dashboard to check the products with maximum return rates.
Improve Your Logistics Management with Upper
Upper is a route planning and route optimization solution that excels as a transportation and logistics software. It is readily the best logistics software solution that makes your last mile delivery process hassle free and enhances customer experience.
Apart from that, it has a feature that allows it to be integrated with other existing systems and logistics management software. With Upper, you get complete control over planning your delivery operations and pick-up routes. Last-minute changes can be easily made to your pre-fixed schedules. Here are some other Upper Route Planner features make it an excellent logistics management software.
1. Reports and analysis
With Upper, you can easily generate reports for your drivers and gauge their performance. These reports also show which routes were more profitable and the ones that require further optimization. The live-tracking feature enables you to track the live-driving performance of your delivery operations personnel.
2. One-click dispatch
One-click dispatch optimizes delivery routes and dispatches multiple drivers with a single click. This simplifies dispatcher duties and frees them to complete other crucial tasks. Smart scheduling algorithm automatically reassigns deliveries and routes if the designated driver is absent.
3. API Integration
Upper is highly flexible and is designed to fit other CRM and logistics management systems. Upper empowers you to handle more high-volume orders without worrying about the overloading of the server. Of course, this software is scalable and can accommodate more orders and systems as your business grows.
Try out these features for yourself in the 7-day free trial offered by Upper.
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FAQs
High-end logistics operations management software solutions should have:
- real-time visibility
- tracking features
- warehouse management
- order management
- some forecasting capabilities
Yes, good logistics system is worth its weight in gold. During the early stages of your business, a single software can do all the heavy lifting for your logistics strategy. And management software also enhances the performance of your pre-existing logistics department.
Yes, it’s totally possible. Different software can work together depending on the integration features. Choose a warehouse management system that has robust integration features and can pair well with your existing order management system.
Conclusion
Logistics management software is a perfect solution for companies that lack an in-house logistics management department. But it will add tremendous value even if you’ve a logistics management department. The software solution helps you optimize your existing strategies using live tracking and management insights.
Some software solution like Upper have an excellent API integration that enables you to connect your other inventory and warehouse management systems. The right logistics management software for you will depend on your specific needs. For example, if you’re looking for a robust inventory management system, Oracle Netsuite is a great choice. Similarly, if you are looking to perform last-mile deliveries hassle-free, and automate route planning and optimization software, Upper is your best bet.