Boosting supply chain visibility with small business data

The global logistics industry relies on effective data sharing to ensure raw materials, goods and bulk cargo can be accounted for, tracked, transported and delivered in time with ordering needs.

Which raises the question, with so many parts of the global logistics network becoming automated and digitized,and a push for complete supply chain visibility — how can smaller logistics operators effectively capture and share data to the greater network? 

Can smaller logistics companies capture and share real-time data to provide network-wide supply chain visibility?

Having up-to-date inventory and delivery data available for your team, your customers, and partners is essential in providing seamless, integrated supply chain networks.

For small and medium-size businesses, bridging the digital divide can be a daunting thought. What about entry costs? The hardware required? Integrations with customers? Data sharing and automation?  

Before now, implementing new software systems could have meant hefty entry costs and long term training in order to get their operations online.

However, cloud-based subscription software is changing this, with easy-to-use, easy-to-set up, and affordable software that fits seamlessly into daily workflows to capture data, automate processes, and provide accurate data transparency. 

 With digitized workflows, your team can automatically capture shareable data into the system, as they work— making it easier to provide visibility across your network and beyond.  

Make it simple, make it seamless

Manually capturing inventory and freight information, to provide to customers or partnering providers can be extremely time consuming. 

Take warehouse pick, pack and put-away for example. Picking order items from a paper printout or entering warehouse put away locations by hand after they are stored, can take hours of additional work just in record keeping — causing enormous expenses for companies, increasing overheads, and reducing the opportunity for growth. 

The same is true for manually allocating dispatch to drivers, managing cross-docking operations on paper, and many other manual data processes that many smaller logistics companies use day to day. 

For supply chain visibility, by the time the records are entered from paper to their system or shared with the customer, they are often already out of date. 

This is where cloud-based systems come in. With multi-device platforms, all members of your operation can record their actions in real-time, working with the latest information, and ensuring online records are updated in real-time. 

Supply chain visibility means having transparency across all moving parts; for your business, your customers and partners, and even your customer’s customers. It’s a complex and fast-moving puzzle, requiring accurate data updates across many moving parts, to keep everything running smoothly. 

With CartonCloud’s warehouse and transport management software each step within a workflow is captured directly into the system as you go. What’s more, with integrations, this up to date data is shared and communicated across your touchpoints as needed, removing a huge portion of admin, and ensuring each part of your operation is working in cohesion. 

Incoming orders are seamlessly entered through software integrations that can also provide two-way updates for complete order transparency, end to end. Data collection is embedded into your processes at each step, from the office to the warehouse floor, packing area, dispatch bay and throughout delivery, via the mobile app and desktop app functionality. This allows your entire operation to be digitized, from incoming orders, throughout your operations, with up to date data recorded, visible and shared to the required staff, partners or customers. 

While customer expectations and requirements may be driving the push to go digital, there are many benefits for small and medium-size logistics companies to replace paper-based processes with digital workflows and cloud-based systems. As more and more aspects of business move to the digital realm, it has become more important than ever for small logistics companies to offer online tracking and order placement. 

Having a system that allows you to seamlessly integrate digital data capture into your workflows means you can ensure your data is accurate, without actually having to think about it.

Bridging the digital divide 

Not only is SaaS software making supply chain visibility easy to incorporate into daily tasks, it is also bringing down set-up barriers with scalable, pay-as-you-go subscriptions.  

Many small businesses simply can’t afford to commit to large upfront fees to implement top-tier logistics management systems, and as such end up relying on paper-based records and manual data entry. However, the availability of flexible and affordable digital systems is changing the scene, allowing smaller businesses to implement systems tailored to their needs that can be scaled up as they grow. 

CartonCloud’s applications are created to simplify complex logistics through easy-to-use technology. This is why it’s designed to be used on your existing desktop computer, iPad, and smartphone with the mobile app. You can use a mobile computer with an inbuilt scanner, or simply pair your mobile with a Bluetooth scanner and you can start barcode scanning right away. 

CartonCloud’s cloud-based management software allows businesses to track their inventory through warehousing and distribution channels, and oversee order fulfillment with greater transparency — giving smaller operators the ability to provide supply chain visibility to their customers and partners. 

Want to know more?

Get in touch with our friendly team today to book a FREE Demo at a time that suits you. See our software in action, talk to our experienced team about your operations and services, and find out how CartonCloud can help you revolutionize your operations with ease.