Driving technology a topic in supplier negotiations

Specialised software tailored to solve specific challenges within a client’s business is rapidly gaining traction in the logistics sector. But with no single platform able to deliver every specialised feature a transport operator needs, companies have traditionally faced hurdles – from high costs and technical complexity to the reluctance of applications to integrate. Renko Bergh, co-founder of CtrlFleet, says this is changing as technology adoption strategies evolve. “Transporters are starting to drive the technology topic in the supplier negotiations,” said Bergh. “In the past, transporters were often not only the price takers, but also on the receiving end of their clients’ technology demands. This often resulted in duplication of work and additional administrative pressure. Today, however, transporters are increasingly taking the lead by putting forward their own digital solutions, from track-and-trace systems and electronic PODs to order creation via system integration. This is all done to streamline operations and enhance customer service.” Instead of adopting a different driver application for each client, Bergh said, operators were now standardising on a single application across their fleets. This allows them to deliver the required digital documentation and live order tracking updates and configure the execution of tasks completed by the driver application, while accommodating the unique nuances of each client’s expectations, instead of adapting multiple driver applications. According to Bergh, with no single application that offers all specialised features for a transport operator, in the past, this specialised technology adoption strategy was challenging to execute, due to the complexity, cost and sometimes unwillingness of different applications to integrate. Bergh stresses that this shift is no longer optional. “Best-of-breed application can and is expected to integrate seamlessly to offer the combined one-stop solution. Driver applications in the linehaul transport sector are here to stay. “The majority of transporter clients are now accepting and paying transporters on digital proof of deliveries. Hence, the usage of driver applications that instantly enable drivers to capture data and digital versions of the paperwork at loading and offloading sites brings a massive cash flow and optimisation opportunity.” He said it was unheard of not to integrate seamlessly. “Operators are increasingly experiencing the benefits,” he told Freight News. “For us, it starts at the heart of operations: bridging truck movements with order scheduling and, most importantly, the execution of orders to manage turnover. “We provide a single screen that uses a transporter’s existing tracking provider data to show where vehicles are, while also enabling the creation of orders and ad hoc instructions that can be planned and scheduled in a simple drag-and- drop interface.” Recent developments have seen CtrlFleet expand its integrations to include solutions that focus on expense management for fleet operators. LV