Reasons are manifold: new laws such as security measures for air cargo, new trends like carbon foot printing or new technologies like radio-frequency identification (RFID) and service oriented architecture (SOA). In most cases, IT didn’t change as fast as the market and many companies are forced to deal with antiquated TMS that results in high costs and time used for maintenance. The gap between business and IT is increasingly growing. While in the past, logistic companies have been successful due to locality, intimacy and customer specific products, they now have to work globally, be network oriented and transpar-ent. Transportation volume increases more and more, oil prices and wages are exploding while customer’s demands are rising permanently and freight rates are decreasing. Surviving in the transportation business is harder than ever before, even for those companies, which mastered the economic crisis of 2009.
Using the right TMS solution can help to generate competitive advantages if it fits perfectly to a company’s requirements and allows differentiation from the competitors. In case of individual solution, sets of requirements were specifically developed. In case of standard software solution typically individual add-ons were developed. It can help to improve the efficiency of the company’s logistic process, to increase market share, and enable a fast and safe transport service for their customers. Despite this fact, many logistic companies fear the step to implement a new TMS because of high complexity, unknown risks, costs and long implementing period.eveloped the TMS Toolbox, so the company is able to benefit in various ways. By starting with a vendor short list, a set of business requirements, guided selection approach and templates, a company can relatively save time and reduce the effort. By this, we provide our business and know-how method during the entire TMS selection process.
We developed the toolbox especially for the European market, facing European requirements and regarding European TMS software solutions. The criteria we are providing can help companies with the decision to choose standard software or to develop individual, customized TMS software. Furthermore, we developed a spe-cial categorization cube, with which we can deliver a first shortlist of TMS vendors fitting to the business and technological needs of most types of companies.
IT is almost unable to add innovative and efficiency-making business functionalities into the current TMS application.