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10 REASONS TO LEVERAGE CRM FOR LOGISTICS & TRUCKING / HAULAGE

The words ‘logistics’ and ‘haulage/trucking’ are used interchangeably but are separate industries, with obvious similarities, as well as marked points of difference. Using MS Dynamics 365 cloud-platform, however, will cover all the bases for both, because it is bought as Licenses which cover the distinct aspects you will need for each sector.

Another great selling-point for using a License-based CRM is that you can scale it up or down easily as they are OpEx, and paid/cancelled monthly. A single person-based License starts at the low price of £3.75p/m. 

Using digital technology across your operations, including trackers on vehicles for accurate reporting in real-time, will speed up processes and keep you ahead of the competition. 

Geolocation - Azure maps overview

Azure maps enables driver tracking, route planning across time-zones, and can even tell you weather reports.

Logistics

Obtaining and distributing materials and parcels in the right qualities and delivering them to a customer may sound simple, but when those parcels equate to tens of thousands of records for customers in various locations – who are wanting items delivered to timescales – the planning involved is immense.

Logistics channels meet and fulfil customer needs, with logistics managers at the helm taking decisions based on:

  • Packaging
  • Containerisation
  • Storage
  • Importing
  • Exporting

They also deal with the documentation and insurance aspects, plus dealing with work and collaborating, claims, managing vendors and partners, and risk mitigation. These will all be accommodated using MS Dynamics 365, so managers gain a 360-degree view of all, on one dashboard.

To be successful in logistics, companies need to:

As measurement is key, adopting the latest technology and innovative approaches, most specifically automation, will increase efficiency for transportation and distribution services ensuring customer satisfaction, and increasing productivity. Microsoft Power Automate can be used as part of the MS Dynamics 365 package or as a standalone product to automate these processes.

Read more in our BPA Business Process Automation Blog – and reduce costs with streamlining!

Streamline using automation

Office based tasks that are error prone, like large scale monthly invoicing, can be automated – so all accounts are error free. Read more in our BPA Business Process Automation Blog. Get your FREE Guide to BPA by signing-up on our pop-up.

Trucking/Haulage

Transportation enables trade between the two parties. It is facilitated by:

  • Infrastructure 
  • Vehicles 
  • Operations 

Efficiency is vital to the survival of a transportation and distribution service, so planning is high on the agenda to get the cargo to the customer, to the timescale they require. Another huge part of the cost involved with transportation is fuel, so knowing the size and weight of goods to be shipped, to produce accurate quotes is vital.

In the highly competitive transportation and distribution service industry, it is imperative that information and physical products move with efficiency, so that costs are kept as low as possible. 

Microsoft Azure Maps provides powerful geospatial capabilities, packed with the freshest mapping data. Azure Maps is available for both web and mobile applications, so your drivers can take advantage of high-level real-time intelligence too, this includes:

  • Maps 
  • Search 
  • Routing
  • Traffic 
  • Mobility 
  • Weather 
  • Time zones 
  • Geolocation
  • Geofencing 
  • Map data 
  • Creator 
  • Spatial operations

Using trackers on vehicles and shipments will keep your office team informed, so they can provide accurate information to customers, keeping them in the loop if issues arise. With reports viewed on one dashboard, updating in real-time, deliveries will be streamlined which will bolster goodwill with customers, so that they remain loyal.

Azure bubble map visual

Data on your map, can be viewed in various formats to suit your requirements.

More screenshots of geolocation can be viewed on an earlier blog post: Better business intelligence viewed on one dashboard.  

1. Global Economic Transformation

Logistics and trucking/haulage industries are transforming at a remarkable pace, meaning there’s high competition. Digital technologies have had an enormous impact on transforming both the transportation industry as well as the logistics industry, and with that the continued growth of the freight forwarding market. This has been due in part to the pandemic but looks set to grow further as shoppers have reverted to online purchases. Sized at around 161 billion euros in 2020, the freight forwarding market is expected to see growth estimated at 207 billion euros by 2025. A CRM that can cope with the demands of your company, will help to reduce running costs immediately, and contribute to the future-proofing of your business.

Check out our Quick start package prices, we offer an excellent value service, and you will benefit from having a dedicated consultant throughout.

Now we are going to drill down further into your sector specific needs, which include:

2. REAL-TIME DOCUMENTS DATABASE

Keeping databases updated in a fast-moving environment is paramount, and will be enabled using MS Dynamics 365 CRM. Even integrated legacy and sector-specific platforms will benefit, as they will sit under Dynamics 365, so it acts as a hub pushing and pulling all data. 

Immediacy is guaranteed as your platform will update in real-time, which will give you access to vehicle and workforce availability, plus goods-in and goods-out of your warehouses. 

Documents like ‘Bill of lading’ and commercial invoices will be accessible through the Dynamics hub searchable by date or other detail. 

Your data can be seen in various formats, like graphs or pie charts, on one dashboard either separately or overlaid for full exposure and accountability. Dashboards can be created by drag and drop by the people closest to your business – your employees – so they are tailored to their exact needs. 

3. Data-Driven Workflows

Your MS Dynamics 365 CRM will speed up processes using automation, making systems efficient, providing transparency, and avoiding errors. Data can be automated using an App, or for larger data management, Microsoft Azure can be utilised, which sits in the main memory of your CRM platform. Unlike traditional CRM platforms, which hold data like a library, Azure functions can perform consistently reoccurring automations, which can save you a fortune, by cutting down time-centric tasks to literal minutes. An example that will have relevance to you can be seen on our Business process automation (BPA) page – we worked with a logistics company to automate a task that was taking 4 days, and we reduced it down to 3 minutes… It is now costing them 10p per month!

Call now for a no-obligation chat: 01299 382 957

4. Tracking Consignments and Vehicles with Geolocation Software

Manually maintaining records is time-consuming and error-prone, but with Microsoft’s geolocation software both Logistics and trucking/haulage will have accurate ETA, travel journey and hours, which will update delivery times automatically, therefore: 

  • Gaining planning agility to fulfil customer demands.

  • Effectively manage geologically dispersed assets.

  • Optimize resource scheduling.

  • Track consignments as well as vehicles.

For logistics specifically, you can also:

On delivery of consignments, account detail updates can also trigger an automation to collate details for monthly invoicing: For more information refer to our Business process automation (BPA) page. 

5. Real-time Fleet Management

Maintenance of vehicles can be scheduled-in, based on the mileage and service requirements, utilizing data from the geolocation software stats, which can be drilled into vehicle by vehicle. Downtime will be avoided by having vehicles regularly maintained so they stay in good condition, so schedules are maintained with optimum vehicle usage.

Logistics stats

Dashboards can be create so you can drill down & extrapolate the data you need.

6. Driver Activity Pipelines

Driver activity pipelines can be managed effectively to achieve transparency. Drivers can be tracked as well as vehicles, so both drivers and employers can adhere to legal obligations to retain tachograph records. Reporting can provide accurate reflection of activity on the job, including hours driven, breaks and rest periods, distance travelled and speed – this can be used in near real-time and retrospectively.

7. Boost Productivity at All Levels

Streamlining routes and accurate scheduling will boost productivity across the board, so your team is best utilised and drivers are not pushed to achieve unachievable goals, which could compromise safety. 

Drivers can also be kept in the loop and be contactable using Teams which will link them to your CRM, based on ‘permission-based access,’ so they can update your office teams either directly, or by updating records. MS Dynamics 365 works across all media devices, and dashboards can be created for your team using drag and drop, which can be limited to the detail they need for their role. 

Map styles as seen on a phone

Maps can be viewed in various styles for ease of use.

8. Quick Response to Customer Service Enquiries

Developing customer relationships in an industry with so many transactions taking place is hard, but with all communication displayed on one dashboard in chronological order, any member of your team can pick up a call. Agents are enabled to immediately catch up on the previous interactions, whether they are via email, phone call or SMS, as all are listed, so agents are well-informed and can help without having to refer to a colleague.

9. Grow & Maintain Customer Base using Enhanced Sales Management Tools

Tracking leads and opportunities, and maintaining customer relationships, is capitalized upon using MS Dynamics 365, as dashboards depict the progression from lead to opportunity with ease. Communication too, is documented, with all contact with customers in chronological order. Better understand your customers’ needs, and the bottlenecks they face, by keeping all the relevant data about your contacts up to date with immediacy. All further details logged will be updated in near real-time, so all agents in your team are on the same page. 

10. Marketing Spend with real ROI

Integration with your preferred marketing platform is delivered using MS Dynamics 365, as they recognize the well-loved, high-achieving platforms, and achieve tight integration with them. These include: Dot digital, MailChimp, Active Campaign and Click Dimensions. 

Segmentation and customer insights can be gained and capitalized upon, so sales and marketing work in unison to achieve goals. 

MS Dynamics 365 Has It Covered

Stay ahead of the competition using D365 to:

  • Manage your fleet.

  • Streamline logistics.

  • Attain accurate reporting across the board on one platform.

  • Keep your team, including field-based drivers, connected.

  • Boost productivity, utilizing all that you have to maximum effect.

  • Optimize scheduling to keep drivers busy but safe.

  • Deliver excellent customer service.

In this highly competitive market, with consistently fluctuating overheads, Dynamics 365 will streamline and reduce costs on office-based tasks, by automating those which are low value and repetitive. Achieve accurate reporting in real-time to capitalize on your assets and impress customers. We also have a Q&A logistics solutions page for more information.

Need a chat? We offer a no-obligation chat with a consultant to help you consolidate your thoughts on D365 and the Apps in MS Power Platform you can utilize to immediately improve your ROI.

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