Need Help Choosing the Best Cloud-Based TMS?

If you've read our article on 3 reasons shippers use TMS automation, then you are at least familiar with what a transportation management system is.

Today, we are going to rehash that topic. But this time around, instead of discussing the benefits of implementing a TMS, I am going to give you a few pointers on how you can pick the TMS that is going to meet all your needs.

These are all easy to use tips, but they are also extremely useful when you actually follow through with them.

Save yourself time and money and check out our best tips for choosing the best cloud-based TMS…

Establish your needs first and foremost

By clearly laying out your wants and needs from your TMS will help you to more accurately and quickly narrow down the best fit for your company. And trust me, with the options that are available to you, you will want to narrow down this list just a bit.

Are you trying to get better control over your order planning efforts? Want to establish higher supply chain visibility? Need to reduce invoicing errors? Something else? All of the above?

Look for a TMS vendor that can scale with your company

Your company will inevitably grow over time so long as you have handled business properly. Your TMS vendor will need to be able to grow right alongside your business.

One big upside to using a cloud-based TMS is that most of the systems on the market nowadays offers some rather flexible solutions. Many of them offer a variety of packages and/or optional services that you can add-on to your plan if and when you need them. Extra savings is never a bad thing.

A user-friendly interface makes all the difference

There is absolutely no point in purchasing a TMS if none of your employees can operate it easily. That would be what is known as a waste of money.

When choosing a TMS to implement into your supply chain, user-friendliness should be one of the most important deciding factors that cross your mind. By choosing a dashboard that you can train your team on and get them up and running quickly, you will save yourself a lot of undue stress and money.

How long does it take to fully implement?

Any system that takes a lot of work, time or money to even get it running is only going to take a nice big bite out of your ROI.

If you can’t get a complete system installed, running, and fully implemented throughout your supply chain within a matter of days, cut your losses now. A good TMS does not need to be overly-complicated nor keep you and your orders stalled.

Read reviews and see what other customers are saying

I bet before you go to the store and make an expensive purchase, you do some research on the product, right? You have probably handled it before or maybe even know someone who owns said product. Well, when you buy a TMS, you are making a large investment and it shouldn’t be looked at much differently.

If you don’t have any first-hand experience with it, go read some reviews first. Many TMS vendors operate a website with a review page, FAQ page, or even a forum where other users discuss their issues. You can glean a lot about a TMS or vendor simply by listening to what other current users are saying about them.

Get a demo

Most TMS vendors will be open to allowing you to take their TMS for a test drive. They want you to make that purchase and if sampling out the goods will help seal the deal, most vendors will allow you to do just that.

Usually, during this demo period, you also have access to get your questions answered by experts that know the system inside and out. This is the perfect opportunity to really get a good feel for what the system can do for your supply chain specifically. And so long as you took my first tip, you should be able to go down the list and check things off during your demo time.

Final Thoughts

Implementing a cloud-based TMS for your supply chain can help you scale your operations by leaps and bounds… if you choose the right one to meet all of your needs.

While these tips are a great starting point, there is nothing as good as getting advice straight from the experts. And that is what we are here for!

If you are still having trouble deciding which cloud-based TMS will best serve your needs, drop us a line here at Redwood Solutions and let us help you narrow down your choices!