How Mobile Supply Chain Solutions are a Boon for Logistics and Supply Chain Companies?

There was a time when you used to sign a paper whenever you received a delivery. However today, you’re still signing but on a smartphone instead of a paper. This might seem like a small change for you, but in reality, it is a massive shift for logistics companies. This small change saved millions if not billion dollars of supply chain businesses across the world.

Mobile supply chain solutions have helped companies not only to reduce their paperwork significantly but also to optimize various processes in supply chain management. Mobile apps for logistics have brought several benefits to every employee persona, starting from the managers to delivery persons.

9 Benefits of Mobile Supply Chain Solutions

1. Efficient Warehouse Management

One of the most crucial elements of supply chain management is warehouse management. A warehouse is a place where companies store all their inventories before dispatching them to their customers. Mobile supply chain solutions allow companies to store inventory data in the database, which will be divided into various categories based on the product type. Whenever an item, belonging to a particular product type, is checked in or checked out, the database will automatically update its information/details. Since all the inventory data is over the cloud, inventory managers can access it from anywhere at any time. Moreover, this new system will be capable of generating detailed reports, which would help managers to manage warehouses efficiently.

2. Easy Dispatch of Orders

Mobile apps for supply chain management can help you increase the speed of order processing as well as increase revenue by reducing the miles driven by delivery persons. These apps are integrated with a third-party route management software which helps drivers by calculating the optimum route. Here, a mobile app is used to display that optimum route to drivers.

3. Real-time information

Mobile supply chain solutions help drivers to get real-time information and data about various shipments. They can instantly receive information in case of a slowdown or delay, which improves dispatch operations, record keeping, inventory management, inspections, goods tracking, and more. Improvising all these processes will lead to better and optimized operations in your supply chain business.

4. Flexible Delivery Process

In supply chain business flexible delivery process plays a significant role in enhancing the customer experience. After ordering, a customer can ask for an address change or ask the delivery person to leave their product with a neighbor. Mobile apps for logistics can help you manage such actions seamlessly. This increase in control of the supply chain allows businesses to increase customer retention and generate better opportunities for a high level of cooperation between delivery person and customers.

5. Vehicle tracking

Mobile and GPS technologies allow us to track drivers and their vehicles. Mobile supply chain solutions help delivery managers to optimize the transportation process by allowing them to get real-time updates of every vehicle in transit. The GPS-enabled mobile app also helps drivers to learn about each other’s location, which allows them to collaborate in a better way.

6. Monitor Performance

Mobile supply chain solutions help managers to keep a check on performances of various operations and processes. It helps to monitor functions like load planning, transportation optimization, and load management. This enhanced visibility also helps them to increase agility, reduce performance gaps, predict specific problems, and make data-driven business decisions.

7. Go Paperless

Earlier, paper forms and services orders made the process of collecting information chaotic. Issues such as filling up incorrect and incomplete information ended up in unoptimized processes and inefficient order handling. Now, with the help of mobile supply chain solutions drivers, can collect information into a mobile device which gets stored in the databases of the company. Apart from this, mobile forms also help in collecting data of various matrices such as mileage and time taken by a driver to reach a particular destination.

Moreover, the mobile app becomes a one-stop place for receiving all the organizational as well as consumer updates. Replacing paper-based information with digital information saves the time of every employee and allows them to receive instant mobile reports safely and securely. This automation of various processes makes the data accessible to everyone, which increases productivity.

8. Manage Human Resource

Logistics is a business where a lot of human resource management is required because of the massive human workforce. Every new employee joining the company will require proper training to help them understand the business processes. A mobile app can also help them train to work effectively by providing them with an overview of your business and warehouse. These handheld devices can manage employees across various departments. The mobile app also acts as a bulletin board where employees can receive all the organizational updates.

9. Grow Faster with Emerging Technologies

IoT and sensor networks have taken a permanent place in supply chain management. Sensors collect information such as dead batteries, trailer temperatures, etc. which would affect a shipment. Mobile apps process the data coming from sensors, which helps employees to know whether a shipment is ready to be delivered or not. It will help companies to prevent shipping of damaged goods.

Conclusion

There has never been a perfect time for logistics companies to adopt and embrace mobile supply chain solutions. Whether it is a small or global level supply chain business, mobile apps are here to help them optimize processes and increase productivity. Mobile apps for supply chain management helps the firms to avoid disruptions in machines and data delivery, which streamlines the old school supply chain management and optimizes logistics operations.