Logistics automation. Vehicle management. Review of the best software packages in the field of cargo transportation and logistics

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The special importance of correctly operating logistics in times of crisis

One of the fastest growing areas in terms of use information technologies is logistics. In essence, a logistic approach to processes means striving to move inventory as much as possible in the shortest possible time, taking into account the various restrictions imposed. This approach is not always given due attention in an economy oversaturated with money and long-term projects, which tend to increase demand and somewhat relax enterprises. The number of personnel and their salaries are growing, while the quality of movement of goods along the value added chain leaves much to be desired. And only the most advanced enterprises - the leaders of the industry, who live every working day as their last, are able to prepare for possible troubles in "peacetime". It is in such enterprises that the right people work, who form and control the right logistics processes.

Rice. 1. Warehouse business processes

The less attention paid to logistics, the higher the losses of the enterprise during the crisis

In times of crisis, the struggle for each client intensifies. In a credit-overheated market, customers could line up with suppliers. Now, when almost every enterprise carefully analyzes what is worth paying for and what is not, attention to detail and quality of service are turning from marketing slogans into everyday reality.

Was the storekeeper looking for an item in the warehouse for an unreasonably long time? Tomorrow another supplier will ship the same product to the same customer. Still found a product, but mistakenly shipped a similar one? In the best case, on the same day, this product may be politely asked to be picked up and never brought back.

If we calculate the total annual lost profit from customers who have left forever and, as a result, an almost non-renewable loss of market share, the situation very quickly ceases to be optimistic for the company.

Warehouse logistics automation is a way to reduce enterprise losses

Until the losses of the enterprise exceed all conceivable limits, the solution of logistical problems using modern systems automation, as a rule, can be postponed "for later" due to the objective priority of marketing and sales, which are at the forefront of the business. It should be noted that the timely establishment of order in the relevant rear divisions is an equally important management and accounting task, especially in a crisis period.First of all, it makes sense to organize at least an address space in the warehouse, thereby increasing the accuracy of accounting. Penalties for large retail chains for erroneously delivered goods - not The best way maintaining the morale of the enterprise personnel, especially during the period of frequent non-payments. It is during this difficult time that it makes sense to use information system, allowing to ensure automatic selection of goods from storage locations in the warehouse. This process takes up to 60% of the total time of all warehouse operations.

Rice. 2. Organization of address storage in the warehouse

Automation of transport logistics - assistance in eliminating problem areas of cargo transportation

Simple own and customer's transport on the territory adjacent to the warehouse is another opportunity to permanently lose customers. Can a single information space be redundant for an enterprise, allowing managers, logisticians and dispatchers to take into account and optimally manage the delivery of goods of manufacturing, trade and forwarding enterprises? Instead of being confused with complex spreadsheets, with the introduction of an automated transportation management system, it will be possible at any time "on the click" to get the current picture of the fulfillment of the order to customers. And this is not to mention the planning of transportation and detailed analytics inherent in systems of this level. Identification of deviations from the established standards will help eliminate problem areas of cargo transportation.

Rice. 3. Functional capabilities of the automated transport management system "1C-Logistics: Transport Management".

According to the report of the Minister of Transport and Communications I.E. Levitin, the cost of road transport in Russia one and a half times higher than in developed foreign countries... The size of the transport component in the final cost of production reaches fifteen to twenty percent (15-20%) versus seven to eight percent (7-8%) in countries with developed economies. In most cases, the reduction in transportation costs as a result of optimization and automation of processes can amount to millions of rubles per year.

One of the key problems arising in the process of transporting goods is the ineffective use of models and types Vehicle due to the lack of algorithms for their selection, taking into account the maximum use of lifting characteristics. An unconditional benefit from the implementation of a transportation automation system is the control of the transport load factor when completing flights.

Another lever for lowering transport costs is tracking quantitative and technological factors of efficiency of transportation performance (KPI). The automated system calculates each of them and provides all the necessary information responsible employees for making balanced and timely management decisions.

To reduce transportation costs and speed up operations, zoning of delivery addresses and additional filtering of transportation tasks by delivery zones when completing flights are also used. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessarily high vehicle mileage due to the lack of optimal routing algorithms. As a result - significant savings in fuel and lubricants, which will not hurt at all during the crisis.

Introduced an automated warehouse management system - reduced personnel costs

When there is less money on the market as a whole, they immediately begin to zealously count it at every enterprise - in almost all areas of work, a struggle begins to minimize costs. At Russian warehouse complexes, the fund wages can reach 30% - 60% (or even more) of total costs for the operation of the warehouse. But as soon as the facility starts to work automated system warehouse management, from 30% to 50% of warehouse personnel become redundant (data on the results of AXELOT projects). This personnel can be safely reoriented to other vacant areas of work that meet the qualification requirements. But the remaining storekeepers will not have to rush feverishly around the warehouse in search of lost goods somewhere. The savings from the release of warehouse personnel for the year is easy to calculate, and in very many cases it exceeds the total cost of a warehouse logistics automation project, including the cost of services, software and the necessary radio equipment to support bar coding technology.

Rice. 4. Excerpt from an example of calculating the payback of a warehouse automation project based on "1C-Logistics: Warehouse Management"

An automated control system allows you to increase the speed of the warehouse and optimize the storage area

Time, one of the key logistic parameters, acquires even greater value in times of crisis. If the warehouse does not ship fast enough due to poor logistics, this leads to unsatisfied demand. What yesterday the client of the enterprise was ready to buy immediately, today can turn into a stale commodity for a fairly long period. And the supplier will need to pay for this product, thereby increasing unnecessarily commodity stock... As a result, instead of increasing turnover and profits, there is a freezing of stocks and an increase in costs. These individual costs for each enterprise can also be calculated for the period and sooner or later come to the conclusion that it was more correct not to lead to losses from the very beginning. The operation of any warehouse complex costs money. These costs are easy to recalculate per unit of area and per unit of time, that is, how much does it cost the company an hour of warehouse operation or storage of goods on an area of 1 sq. m. From the above example, it follows that the operation of automated placement of goods, releasing 500 out of 4000 sq. m. m warehouse, leads to savings of about 2 million rubles per year. This is a lot of money even in non-crisis times.

Rice. 5. Automated selection of goods in the system "1C-Logistics: Warehouse Management 3.0"

Additional income of the enterprise from the provision of safekeeping services is another result of warehouse automation

In very many cases, warehouse space is not used efficiently enough. But even if this is not the case, during periods of crisis, the demand for certain product groups falls noticeably. At the same time, the deficit of warehouse space in large cities remains. As soon as the warehouse automation system "squeezes" out of storage locations to the maximum, there immediately arises an opportunity to diversify the business and use the freed warehouse volume to provide safekeeping services (much more interesting financially than ordinary rent) to other enterprises. The same personnel are involved in the same area, and instead of costs - income. In this case, the main functions of the warehouse automation system are supplemented with the so-called billing for calculating the services provided. This means that practically every warehouse operation can be systematically charged, and this makes it possible to transparently and reasonably provide services to bailors on a commercial basis.

Rice. 6. One of the forms of the safekeeping warehouse report, created in "1C-Logistics: Warehouse Management"

Logistics automation solutions: "1C-Logistics: Warehouse Management" and "1C-Logistics: Transportation Management"

I would like to draw your attention to the distinctive features of the joint solutions of 1C and AXELOT 1C-Logistics: Warehouse Management and 1C-Logistics: Transportation Management. Work in the mass market initially assumes the greatest possible availability for the consumer and alienation software product and services related to implementation. Most of the code of these software products related to the logic of warehouse processes is open for modification. In practice, this means that in the vast majority of cases, enterprises can implement the acquired software in-house. This requires at least one intelligent logistician and one competent automation specialist on a technology platform.

To automate the activities of companies in terms of delivery of goods in September this year, an application solution "1C: Transportation Management" was released. This software product is developed on the 1C: Enterprise 8.0 platform and is an addition to the Trade Management configuration. When developing the solution "1C: Transportation Management", the experience gained in the process of automation of more than ten companies engaged in the distribution of goods was summarized and analyzed.

The use of the developed functional capabilities of the "Trade Management" applied solution contributes to the automation of the solution different tasks operational and management accounting, analysis and planning of trading operations. The solution "1C: Transportation Management" allows you to expand the scope of company automation and include logistics business processes in it. The capabilities of the program ensure the optimization of logistics processes in the formation of routes, control of the volume and weight characteristics of vehicles, the formation and printing of accompanying documents. Let's consider the main features of the software product.

Route planning

The key functionality of the software product is the "Formation of routes" mode. In this mode, the planning of the order of visiting organizations at the specified addresses is carried out to deliver orders or to receive goods from suppliers. At the same time, other tasks can also be scheduled that are not directly related to the delivery of goods, such as, for example, receiving Money or documents.

In the process of assigning tasks to drivers by available vehicles for each vehicle, the logistician can schedule several trips in one day. You can also schedule delivery for a future period. Planning is carried out taking into account the work schedules of organizations - retail outlets and warehouses. For various types of goods to be transported, data on volume and weight are entered into the system. During the formation of the delivery plan, the system allows you to control the correspondence of the volume and weight of goods to the volume-weight characteristics of the vehicle body and "notifies" the logistician if they do not correspond.

Formation and printing of all accompanying and financial documents are performed in the system automatically. This opportunity turned out to be especially relevant for companies - distributors of food products. When shipping food products in such companies, in addition to the standard set of primary documents, it is also necessary to draw up various certificates, references and other documents. When setting up a workplace, the logistician can choose both arbitrary printing forms integrated directly into the configuration, and forms connected to documents using the mechanism "Connecting external printed forms"implemented in the standard configuration" Trade Management ".

After the driver returns, the logistician can register the execution of previously scheduled tasks in the system. Failed tasks will automatically become available for planning subsequent flights.

The scheduling modes for drivers' work schedules and transport availability periods implemented in the program are very important for companies that use a large number of drivers and vehicles in their work. Own vehicles in the system are considered conditionally available at all times. At the same time, you can specify periods of unavailability for them, for example, due to repairs. For rented vehicles, you can fix the availability during periods of seasonal activity. Planning of the driver's work is provided taking into account his work schedule. These can be work schedules, for example, "five days a week from eight to twenty hours daily", "every other day from six to fourteen hours", or other schedules. Additionally, you can take into account the human factor associated with illness and vacations.

Logistician workplace

The central object of the applied solution is workplace logistician, which is a screen form. The composition of information and its location can be optimized for prompt decision-making, taking into account the specifics of a particular enterprise. Due to the close interconnection of the individual configuration subsystems, the displayed information contains only the minimum necessary, but at the same time a sufficient set of data.

The workstation of the logistician consists of three sections. One section provides information about the drivers' tasks that have not been completed and not included in any route. These are unfulfilled tasks from the past, as well as new tasks that are scheduled to run on the current date. To plan a route, the logistician can use information about the location of the place of loading and unloading, the address of the organization and its mode of operation, the weight and volume of goods in the order.

In the next section, the logistician receives information about the available vehicles, drivers working on schedule for each available vehicle on the day of planning, as well as the start and end times of the availability interval. The availability interval in the system is automatically determined at the logical intersection of transport availability schedules, drivers' schedules and already scheduled flights. This feature allows you to schedule multiple trips for one vehicle.

The third section of the logistician's workplace contains information about the planned routes and their composition. Information about the vehicle, the driver, the planned duration of the trip, the load of the body by weight and volume, as well as the route addresses and the order of their visit are displayed.

The interface of the logistician's workplace is intuitive. Operations during the formation of routes are performed using simple actions, by dragging and dropping rows from one table to another - drag & drop. Thanks to the convenience of the interface, user training takes place in the shortest possible time.

As practice has shown, after the implementation of the system, the number of errors associated with the human factor decreases, and, as a result, the delivery process is optimized, and also costs are significantly reduced.

Further development of the software product is planned in terms of integration with geographic information systems. Functions will be implemented that will allow you to display and form a route directly on the map, optimize the route, as well as generate routes in automatic or semi-automatic modes. This will further simplify the delivery of goods. In addition, these functionalities will ensure a decrease in professional requirements for the position of a logistician, since a good knowledge of the city map and the current situation on the roads will become unnecessary for him.

Automation transport logistics and optimization of logistics with ABM Rinkai TMS can significantly reduce costs: up to 10% costs per 1 km of delivery, up to 12% overruns, up to 15% total transport costs. The program for the automation of transport logistics ABM Rinkai is designed for daily route planning, monitoring the implementation and analyzing the efficiency of transport.

Practically in any business there is a transport link, therefore, the reduction of costs for its maintenance is of interest to managers in any country of the world. Modern programs for the automation of transport logistics are not tied to the country and location of the company, they can be used by any company, anywhere in the world.

Description of the transport logistics automation program

ABM Rinkai TMS- a cloud-based solution for planning optimal routes for all orders entered into the system, which significantly reduces transport and time costs. To use Rinkai, only Internet access is required. When planning routes, the system creates several route options from which you can choose the most suitable one, based on the priorities of the company (price, time, length, etc.). ...

ABM Rinkai TMS Systems

Watch the video how the system works for optimization and automation of transport logistics

ABM Cloud experts conduct monthly open demos of the system. Here are some questions from the participants regarding specific features and functions ABM Rinkai TMS systems

Does the system include a map of each region for route planning?

Yes, the system comes with two types of maps, TomTom and OpenStreetMap. For example, for the CIS countries, OpenStreetMap maps are better used, because they are more detailed and make it possible to independently set their own marks, roads, cover some parts of the territory, etc.

Is the program designed for intercity or is it possible to make city payments?

The system does not distinguish between routes within and outside the city. The main thing is that the route that is being optimized begins and ends at one point, i.e. so that the car returns to where it started the route from.

Can we use this program to automate the transport logistics of courier delivery?

Yes, you can use it. Moreover, if you have obligations to your customers to deliver exactly at the agreed time, then the system will plan routes taking into account the delivery time windows. You will receive the greatest effects if there are more than 7-10 delivery points on the route, which need to be planned in an optimal way.

Can we track the location of the vehicle in real time?

Yes, you can. Via a GPS service or an Android Application that transmits coordinates. In real time, you can see the planned route on the map, track which route has already passed and where the car is currently located.

Can the client see how long the car will arrive, taking into account the GPS coordinates of the vehicle location and the route plan?

Yes maybe. This is realized by sending an SMS notification or an e-mail to the client. The message indicates the time of arrival of the car. For individual clients (the most important or according to another criterion), you can set up individual access to your database (via login / password), and the client will be able to independently track the arrival of the car.

If the car is delayed, is there an automatic mechanism for notifying the logistician about failed orders?

This can be monitored online by observing the traffic map of all vehicles. The problem areas will turn red.

Does the program take into account the signs of restrictions on the entry of trucks?

Yes, for each type of transport, you can customize your road map (cars or trucks, bridge heights, etc.).

Is it possible to export to 1C for the automatic generation of route sheets? And how about importing orders from 1C?

Yes it is possible. There are various integration possibilities for exporting and importing data, both directly from accounting, tracking and other systems, and through exchange files (data upload / download).

Do you need to install the program on a computer or is it accessible via an Internet browser?

Rinkai is a cloud-based solution that does not require installation on a computer. Logging into the system is carried out through a web browser with a username / password from any point where there is Internet.

We wish you the best routes!
Find out how to optimize and automate your company's logistics

Transport logistics automation is moving fast enough. Unmanned trucks are already being tested in Germany, and KamAZ plans to launch them on Russian roads in the near future.

However, in logistics, automation is not only futuristic technologies. After all, there are already software solutions that significantly optimize the work with transportation, make life easier for employees and help save money.

In this article, we will talk about why transport logistics automation is needed and what benefits it brings to the company.

What is the automation of transport logistics?

Most often, a complex solution is used to automate transport logistics - for example, a transportation management system (TMS). She is a company and helps to automate processes in two directions:

plan transportation;
track the fact of delivery.

Let's consider what logistics processes are best "lend themselves" to automation.

Transportation planning

When the company receives orders, the task of the logistician is to process and distribute them correctly, as well as with a suitable vehicle fleet. There are several factors here: geography, delivery time, specific transportation conditions (for example, for medicines or dangerous goods). This functionality is often found in TMS.

Predicting the volume and weight of the order, which the warehouse will collect only the next day, helps the logistician to order transport and optimize delivery costs. An order that arrives at TMS contains information about the SKUs and the number of units for each SKU. TMS will help to calculate the total volume and weight of the cargo in the car, as well as take into account the client's requirements for the height of the assembly of the goods and other specific conditions. In addition, TMS will tell the logistician which orders are more logical to combine into one vehicle, and which (due to their specific properties or temperature conditions) cannot be transported together.

If you apply automation, calculating the transport loading scheme, you can increase the level of utilization of vehicles and protect yourself from both fines for exceeding the total permitted weight of the cargo, and from overloading on one of the axles of the vehicle. The greatest weight load falls on the second or third axle of the road train, where most often there is an overweight that threatens legal entities a fine of 500 thousand rubles. This fine will be received not only by the carrier, but also by the shipper.

At the stage of ordering transport, automation of transport logistics allows:

order a pass for the driver, which the transport company has indicated in the system;
prepare documents in advance with the already specified driver data;
prepare the goods for loading in the required sequence - so after the vehicle arrives, all that remains is to load.

Transport logistics are automated not only by suppliers, but also by carriers. Many transport companies continue to write drivers SMS with order details, and some send drivers on flights with special terminals or an application for mobile phone that help:

move along optimal route delivery, which is adjusted depending on traffic congestion and changes in order details;
inform the dispatcher in real time about the passage of the route point, the time of arrival at the point, as well as send photographs of defective goods and photographs of shipping documents, which automatically enter the transportation history.

The TMS system can inform your consignees about the planned delivery time of the goods and the fact that their order is on the way, while indicating the data of the driver and the car that will bring him the goods. The latest solutions (for example, from Oracle) support self-learning and build routes taking into account various parameters: machine speed, duration of stops, time spent on loading, voids formed during assembly of goods.

Tracking the result

When the transportation is over, the logistician has a lot of paperwork to do. TMS allows you to automate some processes: for example, returning documents, drawing up and receiving invoices, and so on.

Do not forget about tracking the transportation on the map by the dispatcher. The easiest way is to get data on the location of his SIM card: there are special modules for TMS that exchange information with data aggregators from operators without installing additional software on the driver's phone. The driver is only required to give consent by sending "Yes" in the reply message.

At the same time, this method is not very accurate. To track more details of the transportation, you need to install special equipment in the car or a special application in the driver's smartphone.

Automation is also great for analytics. By collecting data on several shipments, the logistician can assess what the company is doing right and what can be improved.

For example: statistics show that most often the company uses the services of the carrier with the lowest rates. At the same time, the timeliness of delivery () this transport company is at the level of 80% - that is, every fifth cargo arrives late. In the long term, this may negatively affect the financial performance of the company, since the decline in profits will outstrip the savings.

What are the benefits of transport logistics automation?

First of all, automation allows you to get rid of errors caused by the human factor. Information about transportation is stored in TMS: contacts of responsible persons, data on fuel surcharges, and so on. Human errors often increase transportation costs. For example, an error in the tariff classification of a cargo can lead to the fact that the carriage will have to be paid twice.

Automation of transport logistics makes it possible to more flexibly manage costs and, as a result, reduce logistics costs. Tracking the tariffs of transport companies in real time allows you to rely in calculations not on theoretical assumptions, but on actual data. Moreover, some TMSs automatically choose the most profitable carrier.

TMS functionality will help improve the quality of customer service. Thanks to automatic cargo tracking, insurance accounting and tariff calculation, customers are always aware of how much the carriage will cost and when the cargo will arrive at its destination. The costs of the system in the long term will be much lower than the losses from a dissatisfied customer.

Finally, TMS allows you to store all your transportation data in one place. This makes it easier to monitor logistic processes, analyze data from various sources from different angles, identify errors in time and draw conclusions.

It should be understood that full automation of transport logistics is almost impossible, human input is still needed. Even the most complex and progressive TMS bring noticeable results only on the basis of high-quality statistics, which only a person can collect.

What's more: there is no one-size-fits-all TMS that will benefit any company. Each sector has its own specifics, so any software solution needs to be optimized for its needs - for example, the first stage of implementation is just this.

Is the automation of transport logistics developed in your company? What solutions are you using? Share in the comments and subscribe to our blog to be the first to know about new articles.

It is expected that by 2020 income from freight transport in the United States alone will amount to approximately $ 108 billion. The potential of the transport industry is huge, but extremely low. Creating a project for the logistics sector can be for your startup, and if you are the owner of a transport company, an individual automation solution will help you bypass competitors and increase revenues. TMS is now perhaps the most versatile solution for transport logistics automation. What is TMS and what opportunities does it offer for the transport industry?

What is TMS

To put it simply, TMS or transport management system is a kind of CRM specially adapted for the transport industry. True, in contrast to, the transport management system has a much more complex functionality, more modules and capabilities for users.

Key processes that TMS automates

Planning

TMS selects the most effective transportation schemes, taking into account the priority of parameters: transportation cost, number of vehicles, minimum required number of stops on the way, etc.

Transportation

Using TMS allows you to monitor the cargo delivery process 24/7. The system automates the dispatcher's work and controls the movement of cargo - as a rule, a GIS service is used for this. Using TMS, you can track:

whether the cargo is transported in full;
whether the driver deviates from the route;
whether the driver adheres to the transportation schedule.

Escort

Basically, cargo is transported by several types of transport - first it is a truck, then to a ship, train or plane. Accordingly, in the process of transportation, it is necessary to contact many services - the port, customs, etc. TMS helps to automate the paperwork and communication with the participants in the transportation process.

For example, if you need to deliver cargo by sea, through TMS, you can notify the port of the arrival time of the truck (or promptly warn about the delay of the car on the way), and automatically issue the necessary documentation. Thus, your cargo will not stand in line for loading or wait until all the documents necessary for transportation are completed.

Calculations

The TMS solution automates the calculation processes necessary for the transportation of cargo: optimal cargo losses, control of residues, calculation of the rate of gasoline consumption, the optimal number of stops along the way and much more. TMS business logic analyzes incoming data based on KPIs. Additional functions are also possible in TMS systems, which, for example, help to conduct tenders for transportation and reconcile settlements with counterparties.

Modules that TMS can include

In addition to the aforementioned CRM system for customer relationship management, TMS can include modules for automating processes related to cargo transportation:

Warehouse Management System (WMS);
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system;
Transport company fixed assets management system (EAM);
Workshop Management System for Vehicle Repair (MES);
Supply chain management system (SCM).

Why the TMS system is beneficial for the transport company

By analyzing data and optimizing cargo transportation processes, TMS allows you to save on the delivery process. Back in 2013, a survey of transport companies that implemented the solution showed that the TMS system helps to save up to 10% on transport costs.

Who is TMS for?

To ensure maximum efficiency from interaction, modern TMS systems provide versions for both large transport companies and small carriers. For example, creating a TMS for transportation, we have developed three versions of the system: for cargo owners, freight carriers and drivers. So that each participant in the transportation process has the opportunity to interact directly through the TMS.

If we talk about industries, a TMS solution is suitable for a transport company, a 3PL operator, as well as any company whose activities are related to the need to regularly transport or send goods: large online stores, production facilities, agricultural companies, etc.

Why Choose a Cloud Solution

Transport automation systems can be roughly divided into two categories: installation and cloud. Installation TMS solutions require significant financial investments, primarily the purchase (lease) of server hardware, licenses, and TMS integration with enterprise workflows.

Cloud solutions in the field of transport logistics automation do not require additional server hardware. All work takes place in the cloud, this allows you to save financial resources and time to integrate the system with workflows - you can start working almost immediately. A big plus of web TMS is that all participants in the transportation process get quick access to the system, which allows them to quickly make changes and respond to them.

Craig Borough, general director USG Corporation, notes - in the period from 2010 to 2017, key indicator the productivity of the company has doubled due to the automation of transport logistics at the enterprise. Construction Corporation USG uses web-based TMS to automate the daily supply of raw materials from 45 factories, and TMS allows the company to keep its workforce short to handle growing orders.

You can't do without a mobile version for TMS

Transport logistics automation provides access to information in real time. Accordingly, the participants in the supply chain must have access to the system at any time and anywhere - and from a smartphone in the first place.

The mobile version of TMS is especially relevant for truck drivers - native mobile app provides the ability to promptly inform the administrator about the movement of the truck, deviations from the route and other emergency situations.

Our team has extensive experience in developing complex web solutions for large logistics companies. Do you want to order a project? Share your ideas at. We will be happy to create a unique solution for you!