Have you ever wondered if there was more you could do to help strengthen your valued customer relationships? More and more companies of all sizes are gaining a personal edge and giving thanks to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

What is logistics and transportation CRM?

CRM is a great approach to help manage your transportation business’s valued relationships with customers old and new. It makes use of data analysis based on your clients’ history to improve business relationships, and customer retention. In such a competitive business market, transportation companies who make use of CRM software and other SaaS applications will find they have an edge. By making the best use of your own customer data, you will be able to discover valuable insights about your clients, such as how they respond to marketing directed at them and then using that information to assess how to move forward with successful business decisions.

Did you know that 74% of businesses surveyed said that CRM software allows greater access to customer data? If you pair that alongside another study that affirms that those companies that substantially outperform long-term are 5x more likely to use customer data that their lower-performing competitors? CRM for businesses of all sizes can establish areas to drive business growth. It really is essential for any business that wants to thrive.

By implementing CRM into your transportation business, you can boost customer retention, improve your profit margins, and increase sales. You know that customer relationships are the key to the growth of your business, so make sure that you are managing them as effectively as possible. Be proactive and utilize CRM technology to connect to clients and improve your business performance, no matter the size of your company.

How transportation CRM software can help your business:

Improve customer retention rate

The data gathered by CRM software applications can help you get to know your customers on a deeper level, and then put a value on them.

• Better relationship visibility helps your team address accounts that are at risk and offer better opportunities to customers in a timely manner
• Transparent customer histories enable you to make better and more tailored purchases and service experiences to retain your current customers
• Know your customers by using the data to understand just who is accessing your services, and how often. You can also check buying trends and individual preferences so that you can customize messages to reach them at the right time as well as working to win back those who have stopped purchasing
• Put a value on your clients with CRM data analysis of your clients and their buying habits so that you can identify which of them are most profitable and what each customer is worth to your business
• Identify new customers. It’s not just current customers you should focus on, but their information can help you sell to prospective clients as well. By matching up the profile of your identified best clients, you can reach out and sell to new customers
• Comparing data sets between those customers who have stuck with you and those who have stopped using your services, you can gain valuable information to know what is working and what isn’t

Automated data entry

Incorporating a sturdy CRM helps your team to automate their data entry. It also allows those from different departments–marketing, sales, and customer service–to access the same information and to share that data.

• Data can be leveraged in future marketing campaigns
• Improved and smarter reporting with revenue forecasts to give you all the information you need to grow your business
• Advanced CRM software eliminates duplicate records from being entered into a database
• Create and schedule personalized reports
• Track open opportunities, performance of campaigns, and much more by allowing a CRM system to cover your reporting tasks
• Accurately forecast revenue and maintain a solid understanding of the health of your business

Better team collaboration

Just as we said that your team will be able to better connect and share data, they will also find improved collaboration by moving from old-fashioned manual spreadsheets to modern, CRM software.

• Effectively managing those important customer relationships means that multiple employees with different skills are needed. Whether it’s customer support, marketing, or sales, a cloud-based system means that all team members can collaborate across specialties and work together
• Team members don’t need to be in the same physical location: cloud-based solutions can be accessed anywhere, at any time
• When your team is working as a single unit, they present a united front to provide stellar customer service, and in turn enhance the overall profitability of your company

Information management

CRM is an essential tool for transportation businesses of any size, or for any business for that matter.

• Consolidate customer data and documents, enabling team members to access, share, and manage information. This approach can strengthen existing customer relationships.
• Using this customer data can assist in developing a strong picture of top sales leads and enable you to plan effectively for the future.
• It gives your transportation business the chance to automatically track all contact and follow-ups with clients, reducing the chances that a loyal customer will fall through the cracks.
• Increases the chance of being able to automate several workflow tasks, saving you and your staff time to focus on other tasks.

By investing in a well-designed CRM software, your team will be able to access information from anywhere they are, from the comfort of their own device. They will be able to manage appointments and track their deals in real-time. With a CRM software that works for your business, you can carry all your business in the palm of your hand.

Time Tracker will automate your time for payroll, billing, and productivity

If you’d like to learn more about our Time Tracking Software for Transportation Companies, click here to explore our services. Try a free 14-day trial today and give yourself extra time to focus on other tasks as the software safely tracks and stores your team’s time and location during the day. No credit card required. Cancel any time.

The post How to Use CRM Software for Transportation and Logistics appeared first on eBillity.

In the transportation industry, sustainability is more important than ever. Although transportation is massively driving economic growth, its negative footprint offsets the benefits.

It’s easy to know how to implement green solutions in your home, but what does this look like in the office?

This can present its own set of challenges, especially when you take into consideration the different sets of values between you and your coworkers. What if going green isn’t as important to them? There are steps you can take to get everyone on board by encouraging them to take part in initiatives, and to improve the sustainability of your workplace at the same time. 

Even something easy (and visually pleasing) like adding a few plants to the reception or waiting area lends benefits to the space; greenery helps to clean the air and improve the mood of people around them. 

Office resources that are wasted are not only harmful to the environment, but they are costly, too: up to 4% of the annual turnover of a business is spent on waste created by employees. Cut the waste and the expenditure by getting your colleagues on board with sustainability. Start promoting a waste-conscious culture and watch as everyone you work with starts to automatically incorporate environmentally-friendly measures, because it feels second nature. 

So if sustainability translates simply to reducing negative impacts to the environment, it shouldn’t be that hard to get started, right? 

Here are some green initiatives to help create a more sustainable workplace:

Become more energy efficient. 

Promote better energy performance is an excellent place to start, with many steps to make this process simple. 

• Set your computers and monitors so that they will go into sleep mode after 15 minutes of non-use. Reducing power in this way cuts down on electricity use and saves the company money on service. Make sure employees also completely shut down their computers at the end of their shift for maximum benefit.
• Car-sharing technologies and self driving vehicles are areas to keep an eye on for future use and a reduction in carbon footprint within the industry.
• Turn off lights when not required. Much like computers and monitors, lights can easily and quickly drain resources. Consider installing motion-detector switches, as well as putting up sticky notes to remind employees to shut off switches as they leave a room that will no longer be in use.
• Keep the office temperature seasonally-appropriate. Don’t turn the air-conditioning to full-blast in the summer; open some windows and install some fans. Encourage staff to layer clothing throughout the year, to avoid using more energy.
• Unplug. Phantom, or standby power, is also consuming electricity when devices are simply plugged in, even when not being used. Cut this unnecessary cost by unplugging your workstation when you leave for the day.
• Use alternative fuels, and ensure your team doesn’t idle. Use biodiesel and renewable diesel, and add some electric vehicles into your delivery fleet, as well as higher productivity vehicles. 

Go paperless. 

Did you know that 90% of all office waste in the UK is from revisions and corrections on printed documents? Digitizing your paper use is a huge step towards sustainability. 

• Keep things digital wherever possible. This can translate to receipts, invoices, timesheets, reports, and payments. 
• Review documents online–from your desktop computer or mobile device–for both ease of use and to save paper and time. This saves costly printing and endless paper waste. 
• Save on costly paper filing storage by saving sensitive documents online. Security is a top priority of these helpful technologies, so don’t worry that this is a less safe option for this data. 
• Reduce your carbon footprint by automating your accounts receivables, setting up online payments, and by asking your own vendors to supply e-statements and invoices.
• When you do need to print something, use recycled paper and print double-sided documents. 

Recycle and refill.

It isn’t just paper we can cut down on. Did you know that there are refillable and recyclable pens? 

• Avoid the endless plastic waste of pen parts, and reuse the main components by using ink refills. 
• Order pens in smaller quantities and ask employees to request a refill once theirs has run out. 
• Recycled pens are another great option. When the time comes that you do need to purchase new pens, reinforce your commitment to sustainability by buying pens that have been made with recycled materials themselves, like plastic water bottles.

Green that office kitchen.

There can be a lot of waste generated in the kitchen at work, perhaps more than any other area. Tackle this issue head-on with some of these tips. 

• Recycle everything. Put together a comprehensive recycling scheme, with bins dedicated to different types of recycling materials and clear signs to direct employers to the correct bin. 
• Create compost. There are so many options for composting systems that are small, effective, and odor-free that it is easy to set up a dedicated place in your office kitchen. You could even donate your scraps to a nearby community garden! 
• Use reusable dishware and utensils. Compostable options abound nowadays, and so do the traditional utensils and dishware we have and use in our own homes. By establishing rules about washing up, this step takes an awful lot of trash out of the environment. 
• Don’t forget to use green cleaning products. There are lots on the market at the moment, making this choice easy.

Focus on your employees.

Direct some attention to your staff when it comes to thinking about sustainable options. Employee wellbeing and a reminder of their values will go far to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to helping the environment. 

• Recognize increased stress from staff that may carry heavy loads and encourage balance in work-home life. Allow for some flex-time, where employees can work from home some days, reducing carbon footprints when there is no need to travel to work. 
• Feeding your staff contributes to overall well-being, and by catering with sustainable, local, and organic foods, you are directly impacting the environment as well as promoting healthy workplace habits and culture.
• Build connections within your community. Making volunteer days for local charities can lead to initiatives like cleaning up a local beach, for example.
• By focusing on a close team, it becomes easier to remind people of their own inherent values. Most people do agree with the importance of conservation and sustainability, but they don’t follow up with meaningful action. The workplace can become a place where they can start to match their actions with their words by starting to include mindful habits at work and at home.

Building a sustainable workplace starts with you, and leads to better work cultures, home-life balance, and helps the environment around us all.

You can start today by letting go of your paper waste. Save big on those office supplies and do your part to contribute to making your workplace more sustainable. Go paperless with your time tracking and give Time Tracker a try today, with a free 14-day trial. No credit card required. Cancel any time. 

The post Ways to Create a More Sustainable Workplace in Your Transportation Business appeared first on eBillity.

Operational inefficiencies are driven by market trends, the newest technological trends are revolutionizing this sector. This is unprecedented: there has not been a time in recent history where transport and logistics has been transformed socially, economically, environmentally, and technologically. 

These changes are exciting, but make it difficult to assess short- and long-term goals and investments. There is one area in which there is a clear and beneficial outcome, however. Based on in-depth reports that carefully analyze change within the industry, digitization and software-driven process changes are revitalizing the sector in remarkable ways. 54% of companies surveyed in the PwC Global Digital IQ Survey 2017 said that they expected digitalization to increase their revenues. And this isn’t the only benefit to automation: businesses can also utilize technology to simplify processes, remodel customer engagement and interaction, and redesign services and products. 

The biggest challenges in the transport and logistics industry today are:

• Supply chain management
• Asset utilization
• Establishing digital business models 
• Freight optimization and planning 
• Improving operational efficiency
• Adoption of technology 

We can see digitalization working within the industry already, aiding with administrative tasks, operations, and contracting. It is visible not simply as information and communications, but has broadened to include integrations and the ability to devise entirely new and innovative business models and processes and service provision. 

Current trends in transportation and logistics include:

• Digital business models 
• Big data analytics
• Location detection technologies
• Fraud detection technologies
• Digitization of vertical and horizontal value chain
• Digitization of products and services

As these technological tools advance and grow with the industry, we are expected to see changes such as: 

• Robotic Process Automation 
• Predictive solutions for deliveries and maintenance 
• Intelligent Transportation Systems
• AI Solutions
• Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies 

By embracing these technological advances, companies will reap benefits such as cost and quality, clearer insights into cargo flow and passenger information, and will enable their customers to have better convenience and updated information on transport services. These changes are leading a paradigm shift in the transportation and logistics industry, where the projected proportion of companies in the sector with an advanced level of digitization is expected to grow from 28% to 71% in the next five years. 

Scheduling problems aren’t unique to transportation and logistics, appearing in several industries. But they remain one of the key issues to solve within transportation and logistics. Disruptions can be a huge factor in lost income; for example, delayed flights cost not only revenue, but also vouchers for customers and overtime for employees. Transportation companies need to determine which of the vehicles in its fleet to use during delivery as well as the sequence of deliveries.

Accessing secure, reliable methods of scheduling means effectively minimizing inventory costs (making sure to schedule orders to have the smallest inventory), flow times (the time it takes to make an order), makespan (the time it takes to complete a group of orders), and late deliveries. It also means maximizing the use of your resources.

Expenses within the transportation and logistics industry need to be continually reevaluated and analyzed to ensure best use of resources. 

• 8-10% of total costs for a firm are typically made up of logistical expenses 
• Adding technological tools to your arsenal is a great way to save time and money
• Automated systems are cost-effective and improve operational efficiency, as well as improving customer satisfaction and scalability, and reducing manual errors 
• SaaS providers that provide logistics automation allow for affordable and seamless assistance for your business 

The prevailing issues present within transportation and logistics are so pressing that they have been studied thoroughly by academics. Papers rigorously illuminate the need for solutions to scheduling problems, breaking down manufacturer and distributor into stages, how they can work together to find solutions, and where they are not compatible and need their own answers. There is a call to improve resource utilization and to reduce operational costs, where it seems some of the answers to these issues lay in algorithms and improved models for scheduling and transportation planning. It is clear that a strong optimization of a scheduling model that encompasses both production and transport is paramount to the efficient coordination of resources. 

Route planning, fleet management, and vehicle routing are the main problems in transport planning. Some solutions go above and beyond those suggested by academic research, for real-world applications that can work for your business immediately. By understanding the problems from the perspective of someone who is actually in the industry, and then modeling the issue against its proposed solution, this is a much better and more useful way to reduce these complications. 

Do you have an issue with the capacity of your delivery vehicles or understanding how to synchronize deliveries for best time and cost savings? Are there planning problems you aren’t sure how to solve, such as staff or machine scheduling, terminal optimization, or time tabling? Apply a software that has been created to assist with these problems, and see for yourself how quickly and effectively they help to solve these issues. 

Route-planning, particularly in the case of coordinating intermodal routing, may require fixed selections of modes of transport. This can be aided with the use of GPS to enable best route times and the avoidance of hazards. Algorithms can contribute to reduced cost, more efficient deliveries, and improved travel times.

The great news is the innovation in the new wave of startups which are helping to shape a modern supply chain marketplace that wholly embraces game-changing technology. Some of the trends identified as gaining traction in transport and logistics for 2019 include: 

• Digitalization
• Data analytics 
• Automation 

This is especially exciting, as the transportation and logistics industry has traditionally been considered less ‘digitally mature’ than other sectors, but now there are digital solutions specific to its needs. Payments, for example, have been revitalized with the introduction of modern, online payment systems. Faster and more accurate transactions is making room for the improvement of customer satisfaction and lowering costs for the business. As this sector grows and becomes more digitally mature, improved efficiency and the lowering of risk are just some of the benefits of automation.

In addition to the increased recognition of solutions for transport and logistics, there is a demand by consumers for faster and more flexible deliveries, track & trace capabilities, and greater customization. The supply chain is impacted everywhere by these heightened expectations. Pair that with how logistics management systems are making for faster and smarter global supply chains, and it is easy to see that the future is in digital solutions. 

Moving from old-fashioned manual systems that are paper-based and carry an increased risk of human error, the benefits of digital logistics are many: 

• Increased sources of revenue
• Greater innovation
• Increased control and collaboration
• Analytics to help assess decision-making
• Enhanced responsiveness 
• Faster and more dynamic planning 
• Improved access to real-time data 
• Greatly improved customer service and satisfaction

This Transportation & Logistics vertical shows how the rise of AI, machine learning, and improved self-driving technology is starting to revolutionize the transportation and logistics industry. The World Economic Forum foresees huge shifts in value and profits, with the potential of $1.5 trillion in additional economic value in logistics through 2025.

Don’t run the risk of being left behind. By getting on board with this technological transformation, you can ensure that your company is reaping these same benefits and staying ahead of the curve. 

90% of logistics companies already understand that data and analytics will be the key to the success of their business in the next five years. They know that data-driven decision making is the best way to optimize operations. 

Implement technological solutions today to reduce logistics costs, shorten delivery times, and optimize operations efficiency. Apply these tools in order to enable your team to access data in real-time on a tailored, digital platform.

To work with peak efficiency and to best manage your costs, optimal staff scheduling is crucial. This will mean gains in the quality, safety, and productivity of your processes, as well as making customer service and satisfaction a primary goal.

Time Tracker will work with your business to save time and money, optimize route times with geolocation, and automatically generate in-depth reports so that you can plan for the future. Try a free 14-day trial today and see for yourself. No credit card required. Cancel any time. 

The post Solving Operational Inefficiencies in Transport and Logistics appeared first on eBillity.