Dedicated logistic document software like SAP can cover the entire logistical process, but it often lacks the sophistication needed to easily create professional business documents. However, adapting generic document software for logistics and distribution allows you to use the same solution across many business applications. This approach to document management provides many benefits such as reducing the learning curve needed to become proficient in the software.
Logistics & Distribution companies challenges
One of the most important goals in modern logistics is to link all organizational processes into a single flow of information, including sales, production and delivery. A global view of logistics allows you to make better decisions and share information with other stakeholders more effectively. Improved collaboration also improves a business’s ability to respond quickly to changes in customer requirements, thus improving its bottom line.
Logistic and distribution companies have historically monitored the movement of their products, but this is no longer sufficient by itself to ensure the level of service today’s customers expect. They must also perform other tasks while products are in transit such as monitoring inventory and handling payments. Furthermore, logistics systems must implement a solution that automates processes, such as communicating with customers, revising orders and managing documents.
A single order fulfillment typically involves thousands of individual actions, some of which are unnecessary. These wasted movements can be counter-productive, usually as a result of failing to take the current logistics picture into account. A collaborative logistic document software platform can provide a high level of visibility into the supply chain, allowing users to recommend operational changes. Documentation and its associated costs are one of the factors such a solution should take into account.
Enterprise-level visibility requires logistics and distribution organization to optimize transportation plans by manipulating shipping factors such as carrier selection, order consolidation and continuous moves. Freight audits, order confirmation and load tendering are common sources of documentation that can create barriers to optimizing logistical operations. Suppliers must also provide more sophisticated solutions as customers’ expectations increase.
Logistic Document Software Solutions
Transportation and logistics companies are currently experiencing technological challenges that limit their ability to deliver products as quickly as they would like. For example, administration personnel have traditionally managed a large amount of documentation for each delivery route, which increase the time and costs of document management. This process is currently one of the biggest bottlenecks in modern logistics.
Vendors of logistics document software can adapt their products to provide a complete solution for the specific needs of businesses in the logistics and distribution sectors. These solutions can generate documents in real time, greatly reducing this administrative process. Drivers can manage their own notes throughout their entire life cycle, including printing and scanning. The system can also add these documents to the logistics company’s storage system, allowing warehouses to perform the majority of the document management process.
This capability greatly increases productivity and reduces costs. It’s highly flexible, since it can handle both distribution and transportation functions. A logistic document software solution also improves an organization’s image, since client satisfaction is higher.
Logistic Document Software Features
Logistics document management software should be written in Java due to its high portability. Furthermore, a graphical user interface (GUI) can simplify the solution’s installation at each connected device, especially when the GUI has touchscreen capability. An engine should control the generation of documents and manage document processes, often by integrating with the existing system via a web service. A complete document management solution should also allow for the efficient storage and retrieval of legacy documents in addition to the execution of queries.
This logistics document software needs to be highly flexible with regard to output due to the large number of formats and distribution methods that may be needed. The formats that logistics and distribution organizations need most often include Portable Document Format (PDF) and Printer Control Language (PCL).
Benefits of Logistic Document Software
The direct benefit of adapting existing business document software for the logistics sector is that the resulting solution will already be compatible with your hardware. This advantage reduces both the immediate purchase costs and long-term maintenance costs.
A complete logistics business document solution allows drivers to generate their delivery notes at a work station in the warehouse before starting their route. They can then digitally sign their notes and bill of lading on their tablets before adding the notes to the company’s internal system. The notes can then be updated, emailed and archived, all without using paper. Drivers can also generate labels at this stage.
Drivers can access critical data about the delivery in real time, including load status, location, temperature and proof of delivery. Once drivers complete their routes and return to the warehouse, they can submit their completed notes for that delivery into the system. In Logistics & Distribution companies this process typically uses barcodes to digitize the documents during scanning. Drivers won’t need to wait in line at the warehouse since they can organize the documents from their own mobile devices. Documents can be automatically indexed, allowing users to quickly find the documents they’re looking for.
An additional benefit of using business document software for logistics and distribution is that drivers can manage incidents that occur during the delivery via their own mobile devices. The document solution will typically need touchscreen capability, since this is the type of interface that drivers use most often. As with the other immediate benefits of logistical document software, the end result is a saving in time and cost.
Summary
Businesses in the logistics and distribution sectors generate more documents than many other businesses due to the large number of actions needed to deliver goods to their final destination. These businesses thus require specialized logistics software to obtain the best results in document management. In addition to centralized storage and retrieval, this software also allows drivers to perform more document management tasks than would otherwise be possible.
J.C. Olivares
Business Development Mgr. at DocPath Corp.