10 Trimble Transportation What to Look for in a TMS Functional Considerations In one sense, all TMS solutions have the same basic planning and execution capabilities, with only small degrees of variation. “Another important point to look into is the range of abilities of the system’s functionality, and all of the different ways that it can help your company,” says Generix Group. “One usually starts out by looking at just a section of the functionality, usually the area that immediately seems to be the most interesting in terms of returns for the company (better control of the invoicing process, optimization of routing, and dispatch, etc.).” Trimble Transportation What to Look for in a TMS Common TMS functions need to be in place for that to happen. These include: 1 Rating, Order Entry, Dispatch, and Routing Quickly capture load entry, calculate miles, analyze pricing and margins as well as customer and load- specific information to rate, route and dispatch loads for improved distribution efficiency and customer service – while reducing planning time, overhead and empty mileage. 2 Document and Workflow Management Electronic document management solutions turn trip paperwork, invoices, forms and archived documents into files that are easy to access at any time and lead to better customer service, reduced labor, elimination of paper costs and related waste, plus increased cash flow. 3 Connection to Asset Maintenance Managing the fleet maintenance process as you would a separate business commonly leads to greater cost control and improved asset utilization. Whether work is performed in your own shops or someone else’s, a connected TMS maintenance management solution covers preventive maintenance, breakdowns, parts purchasing and inventory, warranty claims, fuel and tire usage, technician scheduling and external service provider integration, and offers reporting capabilities that lead to better decisions. 4 Administrative and Financial Accurate, efficient and cost-effective administrative operations are the backbone of any successful transportation business. A TMS should integrate complex functions into a single, highly streamlined ecosystem that enables control over financial processing and eliminates manual data entry and the potential errors associated with re-keying information. Trimble Transportation What to Look for in a TMS Rating, Order Entry, Dispatch and Routing Document and Workflow Management Connection to Asset Maintenance Adminstrative and Financial