Transport Technology Today July 2011 : Page 2
@ Work IT ■ Improving profitability with the right software Suffering from poor profitability? Then you should be thinking about software that focuses on the root cause of the problem and helps your business solve problems, rather than treating symptoms. The best software solutions address every business process to produce the most prof-itable load—up to the point where the driver gets the work assignment. For example, IDSC Netwise extracts information from your dis-patch database automatically (all major dis-patch software is supported, including custom applications) to perform its complex analysis. In addition, it uses expert freight industry business analytics and access to current truck-load market rates to provide daily information that you might otherwise pay consultants a hefty fee to uncover the following: Yield calculation Historical analysis Pricing simulation for what-if analysis Network balance optimization Bid processing Scoreboards Dedicated schedules and continuous moves Activity-based costing The software’s Report Generator produces over 30 standard reports and graphs, giving fleet IT managers quick access to needed in-formation. Custom reports are easily and quickly generated. The software also helps users visualize solu-tions. Its Netgraf map display uses TMW’s graphical mapping interface for IDSC prod-ucts, which provides a global view of all activ-ity or can zoom in on a specific area of activity. All IDSC software products integrate with each other to deliver increased value from your additional investments. David Freymiller, president and CEO of Freymiller Inc., noted that the fleet made the decision to invest in the IDSC ExpertFuel tech-nology from TMW Systems to help it better manage fuel expenses. The fleet knew it was already doing a very good job of negotiating price discounts with its fuel vendors and con-trolling wasted miles. Like many smaller truck-ing firms, they had always figured that fuel purchase optimization was expensive technol-ogy for the “big guys,” motor carriers with thousands of trucks and sophisticated IT de-partments. What Freymiller said he did not expect was the affordability of IDSC ExpertFuel for its ap-proximately 300-truck operation and the very substantial savings the fleet has been able to see on a regular basis from its use. “You can never be satisfied that you are doing enough in this business; there is always room for improvement,” said Freymiller. “We thought we did a pretty good job managing fuel costs...but you don’t know until you see the difference this product can make.” He compared strategic technology invest-ments for a trucking firm to common invest-ments in physical assets, such as trucks themselves, fuel-saving tires and automatic transmissions. “We do it because we think there is payback,” Freymiller said. And unlike tires, engines and transmissions, he noted, “IDSC ExpertFuel software doesn’t wear out,” it continues to generate ongoing cost savings every day. In addition to the right software that col-lects the pertinent information, analyzing and leveraging that data are the means by which fleets can control costs, increase efficiency and improve profitability. Carol Birkland ■ Editor 2 July 2011 T3/TMW Systems
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