Transport Operations

We want to give you the opportunity to move, manage and monitor all your transport flows: FTL, LTL, Groupage and Ocean, in a single, configurable, easy-to-use interface. Transport Operations has been conceived and designed for logistics operations teams with visibility and collaboration at its core. Here’s how.

Assignment

The benefits start with assignment. We recognize that the industry is seeing the adoption of far more complex transport flows and intermodal transports. As shippers start embracing this complexity in moving their goods, we see the start of incorporating LTL flows to move fewer goods faster, or the advocacy of distribution hubs to help lower fulfillment lead times. Moreover, the increased flow of import goods is driving the demand for intermodal transport where freight is moved across various continents.

Ocean adds to this complexity; you might have an end-to-end flow being managed by a single forwarder, or one with many stakeholders, yet you still might need to factor in the return of the empty container. Everything needs to be factored into planning.

We’ve therefore designed Transport Operations to be agile and flexible, keeping you informed and in control when managing all varieties of flows across multiple transport modes.

Execution

There is an old saying, “the devil is in the detail;” and the human effort in managing that level of detail is all too real. We want to enable you as shippers to work smarter rather than harder, and we are here to tell you that the solution is automation.

Automation does the work for you, enabling you to intervene in case of exception and therefore to resolve any issues in plenty of time. This is made possible by easy-to-use configurations for the user, for instance providing immediate awareness of alerts and incident management reports; or revealing gaps, such as missing license plates or documents, all flagged up according to rules and criteria configured by you.

With Transport Operations, smart workflows take over the repetitive tasks and only involve stakeholders when a need arises, such as lack of GPS signal, arrival delays, or missing carrier confirmation. The system will also automatically calculate and assign costs to various parties based on the transport leg, all before you start the execution of the transport. It factors in possible scenarios including free time or detention and demurrage costs and can warn of potential breaches.

In multi-leg executions, Transport Operations will identify if you are missing a stage of the journey – for instance an on-carriage road leg, or an empty container return. Transport Operations also provides alerts, with a single click the necessary transport legs are created and automatically assigned to the carrier based on strict business rules defined to reflect your freight procurement strategy. These include (but are not limited to) assigning the cheapest carrier or the most preferred carrier for a specific trade lane, cargo type or customer, all while respecting customer SLA, carrier quota commitments and vehicle type requirements. It is a highly customisable and automated way of assigning carriers to transports, be it through your set contracts or via spot load assignment.

Visibility

In terms of monitoring the execution of a shipment, Transport Operations provides dashboards for shippers, offering a birds-eye view of daily operations. At a macro level, your transport performance and organisational model is monitored according to your rules via an easily navigable click-through dashboard that further allows users to drill down to consult granular details on shipment or SKU (Stock Keeping Unit, or product identifier) level. The operational dashboard provides visibility on rule-based alerts, shipment delays and other exceptions - everything needed to efficiently run your transport operations at a glance.

Collaboration

Collaboration is at the core of Transport Operations - bringing multiple stakeholders together is a key offering in ensuring transparency throughout the transportation chain. Customised views with highly configurable user permissions can be managed and shared to user groups depending on their areas of responsibility. This ensures all parties always have access to necessary information. Embedded chat capabilities allow for instantaneous communication between teams allowing for exceptions to be managed quicker and more collaboratively. Adding to this, Transport Operations offers a highly configurable and customisable customer portal that allows a shipper’s customer to place new orders and follow-up on the order execution of a shipment in transit. This extends execution and SKU level visibility to the end customer, effectively increasing cross-collaboration and productivity across the board.

Highlights from our Q & A

Is Transport Operations targeting companies that don’t have a TMS or those that already do?

Nick Poels, Transport Execution Tribe Lead: That’s not quite how we look at it; we are not a TMS, we are a partner and collaborator with them. Our focus is on enabling them to execute better on shipments and to provide information back into the systems of records of our customers. We are a platform that exists to connect shippers, forwarders, carriers and retailers, in order to bring benefits to the businesses of all parties.

Is Transport Operations only intended for shippers, and if so, what is the experience on carrier side?

Nick: Yes, it is targeted to shippers, and LSPs and 4PLs assigning to carriers. But of course, we believe there are many benefits to carriers, too – speed, visibility, collaboration and reliability are all enhanced.

Transport Operations integrates visibility data. Does this mean I don’t need Transporeon’s Visibility Hub anymore?

Nick: You still need Visibility Hub because it is a data source for Transport Operations, it is embedded in the product.

Is Transport Operations a TMS?

Ashton: Definitely not – we see ourselves as complementary to a TMS. Our goal is to focus on helping shippers automate their assignment strategies, alongside collaboration and visibility as key cornerstones of the concept.

You mentioned that in the Transport Operations window we have an overview of open orders. How can we pull these orders from SAP to the platform database?

Ashton: We have an extensive array of APIs that allow for data to be pulled or pushed to a system of record. There is also a full integration layer as part of the platform, to connect with ERPs or TMSs as preferred. Regarding accelerating customer onboarding, we have standard Excel import and export capabilities, alongside with a very comprehensive and modern API repository.

Will Transporeon Operations replace Transporeon Assignment Solutions?

Ashton: No, quite the opposite. We wanted to offer a solution that addressed today’s complex multimodal transport needs and transport assignment targeted at shippers with FTL needs will still play a full role in our portfolio.

Can drivers have apps on their mobile phones to confirm delivery?

Ashton: Yes. This will be the As-Is TP Planner or Mobile Order Management driver app. The existing TP mobile apps remain fully compatible.