4170 Stillwater Drive, Duluth, Georgia 30096 | 678.576.0562 | carlos@cavazquez.com | cavazquez.com The m any f lavors of transportation management systems With many challenges facing transportation — driver shortages, higher client expectations and the demands of ecommerce — the need for mastering the vast quantities of data has never been greater. T ransportation practice VP Kevin Zweier delve s into the role of transportation management systems (TMS) and what you should look for. What can a TMS do for you? A TMS is a planning and execution tool for transportation operations. However , there’s no one agreed - upon definition of what capabilities these systems must provide. Several types of applications are called a TMS. They may focus on various specific functions These can includ e fleet routing, parcel rating, carrier selection, rate coding, carrier tendering and global trade management applications. However, most users look for a TMS that’ll integrate and automate all the processes and variables under the shipper’s geographic and modal purview. These include order entry and consolidation, optimization, mode and carrier selection, execution and tendering, tracking and visibility, freight settlement and analytics. In short, all the steps that happen when a shipment enters the transportation administrator’s world , while making the whole process as clear as possible. The evolution of transportation management systems The earliest TMS systems from decades ago brought basic functionality such as load consolidation, rate management and facilitating communications with carriers. As we moved into the 2000s, we saw TMS applications add more robust feature sets. Some of these included cross - docking and pooling, multi - modal routing, building continuous moves, private and dedicated fleet routing, international implementation and the integration of freight payment. Today’s systems have achieved new levels of visibility and control. The l atest solutions can show you what is in transit right now. You can also see, on the fly, what additional capacity options are available and how much they cost. Some of these applications can use machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) to give you predictions about 4170 Stillwater Drive, Duluth, Georgia 30096 | 678.576.0562 | carlos@cavazquez.com | cavazquez.com how long it’ll take to load a truck to its destination. These forecasts include things like traffic, weather, and congestion at hub locations. The relentless pace of technology platform evolution aid s continuing progress in TMS reach and capability . The earliest TMS implementations depended on clunky, cathode - ray - tube , green - screened terminals and huge (and hugely expensive) mainframes. The 1990s saw the rise of onsite client/server systems that brought faster speeds and graphic interfaces that were vastly more user - friendly. These systems weren’t as costly, but price was still a significant barrier. TMS migrates to the cloud Today we see TMS systems migrating to cloud computing platforms. More and more, they’re offered as SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings. These are customizable sets of software applications that are updated regularly. They have new features and improved capabilities. They can be accessed from any modern web browser, requiring no dedicated hardware on the user end — allowing for cross - platform compatibility — and substantially reducing the cost of entry. Sold on a subscription mod el, they come with monthly or per - shipment pricing structures. T hese developments bring substantial upside s . No investment in hardware and subscriptions to continually upgraded software mean s that your new TMS solution won’t age and become a “legacy” system that’s too expensive to upgrade. You’ll always have the latest capabilities at your disposal. Transportation management systems fulfill their potential Today’s latest transportation management systems are now close to their ultimate promise: to be genuinely holistic supply chain management tools. They’re transportation Swiss Army kni ves — automat ing many repetitive and tedious labor - intensive tasks, from shipment capture and entry to carrier payment and management. They make it possible to bring down freight and equipment costs throughout your network. Their real - time access and information management skills let you make decisions quickly with the right data. Contact us and see how NTT DATA ’s Supply Chain Consulting Transportation practice can prepare your operation for the advantages of the latest transportation management systems . Our top supply chain talent, enabled by proven, leading - edge digital assets — tools, methods and content — deliver actionable insights and measurable outcomes to some of today’s largest and most complex supply chains.