Logistics Management Solutions in 2024: Everything you Need to Know!
As 2024 progresses, one thing is clear: the world of logistics is no longer just about getting stuff from point A to point B—it’s now an essential piece of the supply chain puzzle.
Everything is connected in a supply chain; what happens at one end can shake things up for the entire value chain and logistics. We’ve all experienced this!
That’s why logistics management solutions (LMS) have become so embedded in today’s e-Commerce management infrastructure. Earlier, logistics comprised managing trucks and warehouses.
Today, given the evolving standards of customer experience and the granular nature of resource allocation, logistics management has become more about seeing the big picture and making smart moves in real time.
In this blog, we’ll explain the evolution of an LMS and what you should look for when choosing the best logistics software solutions.
Evolution of Logistics Management Software
Logistics management, as a concept, has broadened its scope and functionalities over the years to accommodate a wider spectrum of complex processes and operations.
It now allows you to deal with manufacturing operations, processes, and even vendors and suppliers, similar to a supply chain management system.
It has, indeed, come a long way.
Before, logistics was perceived strictly in military terms, involving procurement, maintenance, and transportation of military services, facilities, personnel, and materials.
Eventually, logistics moved from warfare to business and became more about the physical distribution of products. The new objectives were to fulfil orders, ensure smooth product distribution, and store and warehouse products.
Steadily, reliable customer service and effective production planning became important aspects of the logistics process.
Companies began looking for logistics management software that could help move products from point A to point B.
This led to multiple organisations outsourcing their supply chain needs, leading to the rise of third-party logistics providers that specialise in supervising supply chain operations across various levels.
As full-fledged e-Commerce management systems became the norm, logistics-related activities became more granular and real-time as everyone used them. Speed became the defining factor.
ALSO READ: How automation can help scale e-commerce logistics management
What Logistics Management Solutions Are Today
As logistics continued to grow large-scale, accelerated by rapid e-Commerce growth and the pandemic, logistics information systems became all about adapting to the complex demands of various industries.
Today, the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model has become popular across many companies. It is also widely accepted in logistics and supply chains, and why not, given the many benefits it offers in terms of convenience, reliability, and security.
My logistics software solutions today also use AI to harness data-driven decision-making for stock, demand, and inventory management.
Also, with several risk forecasting techniques and automation of various tasks being used across many areas, logistics will see many massive shifts in the years to come.
Capabilities of Logistics Management Solutions Today
Here are some of the features of the new-age logistics management systems:
Warehouse and Order Management
A good LMS can help you optimise your organisation’s stock and increase overall warehouse efficiency. This allows you to meet dynamic warehouse requirements cost-effectively and in a timely manner.
Further, since billing and order management are top priorities for operations managers, a centralised system and the flexibility it brings make meeting ad hoc requirements easy.
Inventory Tracking and Management
Most manufacturers channel all their efforts into optimising inventory levels. This ensures that they are well-equipped to store optimum levels of raw materials and goods and make them available whenever required.
Using logistics management solutions, manufacturers can apply real-time tracking tools to optimise inventory management and ensure the proper flow of goods.
If the solution has built-in inventory tracking and control features, it can make processing easy and also ensure that the customer receives the invoice on time.
Forecasting
An LMS with forecasting features allows organisations to procure only what’s actually required and eliminates possibilities of over or understocking. This indirectly improves customer satisfaction and eliminates bottlenecks in the operations cycle.
Accounts and Finance Integration
New-gen logistics management solutions can also integrate with supply chain accounting and finance functionalities, such as account payables/receivables, expenditures, general ledger features, receipts details, etc.
This guides accurate bookkeeping, accounting, and finances and ensures nothing is missed.
Analytics and Real-time Visibility
One of the most critical factors in today’s logistics information systems is the real-time tracking and visibility of the movement of cargo across various supply chain checkpoints.
If you’re looking to add a logistics management system to your tech stack, make sure it’s equipped with all these functionalities to ensure seamless management of all supply chain resources.
Choose Ordazzle’s State-of-the-art Logistics Management Solutions for Unlocked e-Commerce Efficiency
The growth of e-Commerce has skyrocketed the need for sophisticated logistics management methods to ensure all goods arrive at their destination on time.
Various logistics management technologies are available to optimise and improve storage, planning, and transportation, among many other supply chain processes.
If you are looking to scale your e-Commerce operations, Ordazzle is here to help you! Our comprehensive e-Commerce management system allows for end-to-end management of supply chain resources while also providing full visibility and control of products, no matter the node they’re at.
See our capabilities for yourself today! Get in touch with us to know more!