TMS: TIME TO DITCH THE SPREADSHEETS SPREADSHEETS
Manufacturers with multiple plants and distribution centers require extensive coordination with inbound suppliers. ShipperGuide TMS’s capability to manage supplier and customer profiles allows them to see different versions of the platform based on their roles. “Make sure the business rules that you have in place for automated flows, such as load consolidation, the routing guide, automated payments and settlement, are flexible enough to cover different use cases,” Battistella says. Artificial intelligence is helping to unlock insights from the information in the TMS. Loadsmart’s FreightIntelAI, available in ShipperGuide TMS or as a stand-alone service, performs like a senior transportation analyst for strategic reasoning and scenario simulation to produce tailored observations and actionable recommendations. “It runs on historical data, looking for opportunities and suggesting mode selection, spot/contract mix, carrier allocation, and cost and service scenario comparisons to provide an optimized shipment plan,” Battistella says. nVision Global: Optimize, Automate, Impact TMS Given the complexity of the supply chain landscape, one critical element for success is an adaptable and flexible TMS platform. nVision Global’s Impact TMS was built with the concept of configurability across all functions and capabilities. “The application is developed in a modular format to allow users to add and remove functionality with minimum interruption to everyday business processing,” says Stewart Dunsmore, senior vice president, supply chain services for nVision Global, a global freight management solutions and services company. “Impact TMS is a highly configurable and customizable solution that optimizes the overall supply chain process.” Impact TMS continues to evolve to keep pace with customer requirements and advancing technology. Integrating AI solutions, Impact TMS supports the
“The ability to identify and react to change is not just an advantage; it’s essential for survival and growth. A TMS provides the visibility needed to transform a supply chain from a series of discrete steps into a connected, efficient process.” STEWART DUNSMORE Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Services, nVision Global
concept of global freight management with applications that incorporate cost management, freight audit, business intelligence, claims, and other key areas. “Our tools change how shippers manage their transportation networks,” Dunsmore says. “Instead of focusing on moving freight from A to B, integrated software provides a strategic view for cargo management, orders, inventory, forecasting, and business intelligence.” Impact TMS supports “least cost” ratings for single and multiple services and cargo types that help balance cost and service expectations. Impact TMS manages currency localization for companies managing an international supply chain to meet corporate requirements for cost control and budgeting. Each movement can be managed in the local currency, while global supply chain data can be viewed in the home country’s currency. In-depth visibility into pricing across cargo types allows shippers to adapt to dynamic rates across all cargo types. AI solutions help analyze pricing to manage freight spend. Automated bidding and global and regional spot auction tools give more precise rate information, especially in LTL and specialty segments. The international auction tool allows for controlled auctions to the customer’s selected transportation providers and the ability to compare those auction results to their contracted rates for any given shipment. “As costs change, shippers and carriers
must have flexibility in their pricing strategies, and they need tools to match those needs,” Dunsmore says. Impact TMS users have experienced increased accuracy upon execution, improved workflow management and exception handling. Additional savings stem from tactical and strategic carrier sourcing and load consolidation. Impact TMS has adapted to a changing customer base, adding medical, retail, and food to the industrial, oil and gas, and technology sectors. Impact TMS is configured for each customer so that it can be tailored to various business practices. nVision’s global resources ensure a control tower is available in each region to support a customer’s suppliers. The globally diversified customer base provides freight data across all lanes and cargo types as starting points for better forecasting and predictability. “We use broad, deep information from across our operations to suggest ways clients can optimize further,” Dunsmore says. Shippers using Impact TMS have improved transportation planning and optimization capabilities. In addition to boosting accuracy and streamlining workflow management and exception handling, they report further savings due to tactical and strategic carrier sourcing and load consolidation. “nVision Global emphasizes understanding the specific challenges that a business faces and cultivating solutions around those challenges,” Dunsmore says.
46 Inbound Logistics • May 2025
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