Every freight broker, shipper, carrier, and 3PL is looking to incorporate more sustainable supply chain practices to help contribute to a greener environment. However, many companies may not know where to start in order to make their supply chain more efficient and sustainable. That is why we want to cover seven different ways that you can improve your processes to avoid adding to the carbon footprint.
1. Self-scheduling tools for drivers
The number one flexibility that drivers want is to be able to schedule shipments by themselves. Drivers know their routes and shipments best. By offering a mobile app for drivers that allows them to schedule pickups and deliveries, you can improve both their experience and client experiences. Plus, this can avoid adding extra unnecessary miles.
2. Avoid deadheading
Deadheading is the killer to supply chain management. To eliminate this, you can sort available carriers based on distance, past interactions, and other factors. The key factor here is communication. You may or may not be using transportation management software that has a good mobile app to ensure proper and timely communication between shippers and 3PLs.
3. Advanced collaboration and inventory tracking
Proper inventory management and tracking can help your entire network be aware of the inventory levels at your warehouse. A collaborative TMS can help you track these numbers to ensure that situations of oversupply and undersupply are reduced significantly to eliminate waste as much as possible.
4. Cloud computing
On-premise supply chain management systems take up a lot of energy which not only contributes toxins to the environment but is also costly. Instead, switch to cloud-based systems which will help you improve energy efficiency and lower costs of management.
5. Unify data streams
By unifying your electronic data interchange data streams (EDI) and application programming interfaces, you can improve communication within your network. With data sharing made easier, processes become more productive and efficient, and there is no need to spend extra miles trying to meet up in person when it is not necessary.
6. Tracking links
Tracking can become a major issue in transportation management if the right tech is not enabled. However, tracking links are a great solution to this problem. Tracking links help remove blindspots in the shipment lifecycle. When everyone has real-time insight into a shipment’s status, this improves visibility for all, which can help avoid any issues caused by miscommunication. For example, the driver will know where to go, and whether a route should be avoided.
7. Tracking carrier analytics
Lastly, we have carrier analytics. You should be able to measure carrier performance to see opportunities for improvement to save on costs, miles, and energy. Again, good visibility software can allow you to track carrier analytics with ease.
By incorporating these seven practices, you are well on your way to improving your deliveries and ensuring that each delivery is productive. The last thing you want is to add extra miles to each shipment because you were not able to track the delivery properly. With rising fuel rates and environmental issues, you can use these practices to help lower the costs for your company and find better ways to carry out shipments.
Zara Raza is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Turvo Inc., the world’s #1 collaborative transportation management system. She graduated from University of California – Irvine in 2019 and has written several blogs on topics such as technology and supply chain management.
