Data as key word

Vos Transport Group is going for a change in the entire logistics ecosystem and knows how to approach the market in a strategic way, not only with the AOI module, but also with Simply Deliver’s customer portal. How nice it is to be able to offer customers as much insight as people are used to in the consumer market, where you can track and trace every parcel. Data is the key word here, providing more insight into orders and processes.

‘We wanted a system that allows customers to access information themselves and where everything can be seen clearly in one dashboard. Users also needed to be able to easily set alerts, adjust statuses, and automatically receive proactive updates on issues relevant to them. This allows us to reduce the number of queries to our customer service and increase the quality of our service.’

80% of customers work with the client portal

‘The market does have to learn to take this digital route,’ Max notes. ‘But with 80% of our clients already actively using the portal, we see that most companies quickly see the added value. It increases efficiency, helps avoid delays and saves time, both for our customers and ourselves. As a carrier, in the delusion of the day, you sometimes unintentionally become more reactive and proceed to act after customer contact. With the customer portal, we as a service provider go from reactive to proactive in one go, without actively spending man-hours on this. Our team can now focus on monitoring the processes and providing better service to our customers. This ensures satisfied employees and customers.’

what you sow is what you reap.

Vos Transport Group’s digitisation drive with order management software and the customer portal has clear added value. ‘What you sow is what you reap,’ concludes Max. ’We are able to offer our customers an efficient and personalised service, while at the same time growing along with technological developments in the market. This ensures happy customers, satisfied employees and a sustainable future.

Traditionally, many transport companies focus on results and profits. Sure, that is paramount. But the ROI we should all be aiming for goes far beyond results. It’s about people, the environment and the climate. Vos Transport Group wants to become as complete a service provider as possible for our clients. Quality is key to achieving this, and information is an essential part of that. And information? That starts with Simply Deliver’s customer portal.’

Intermodal
experts

Luckily, Transped got in touch with our intermodal specialist Michael Bott. CFO Matthias Wabscheg said about the selection and implementation: “During the conversations it became soon clear that the Intermodal Transport Management solution could save a lot of time. We handled everything around the intermodal transports manually. We are currently in the implementation phase, which is proceeding quickly. Rail-Flow definitely keeps its promise of a fast implementation. What I really like about Rail-Flow is that they understand the intermodal business and we really talk with intermodal experts. The majority of their team have a track record within the industry.”

Client portal
specialist

Providing excellent service is a top priority for this logistics service provider. Therefore, Van der Heijden recently acquired a new Transport Management System (TMS). “A TMS system like Transpas naturally requires a next-level client portal. Such a system should easily access information from our TMS & WMS. We were recommended Simply Deliver by the market, and we were specifically looking for a specialist with a focus on logistics client portals. During the demo, we quickly realized that Simply Deliver was the right partner to work with. Besides the extensive standard functionalities they offer, their track record with Transpas integrations spoke for itself,” explains Roy.

Overview
in the portal

Now that the client portal is live, Roy notes that customers are also benefiting: “It starts with order entry. Customers can easily place orders in the client portal and include important information, such as PDF files. They can also track shipments with milestone information and download CMRs. At the customer level, we can also indicate which real-time status updates are sent. One customer may want extensive information, while another only needs proof of delivery. In my opinion, this flexibility is also the success of this client portal: you can give everyone what they need.”

Killer
feature

Now that Van der Heijden is live, the client portal can be further customized for maximum support. Roy explains: “In the short term, we will automatically inform customers and customers’ customers about statuses in the way they want to be informed. Whether it’s by email, WhatsApp, or SMS, it doesn’t matter. For example, if the delivery time changes, you want to proactively communicate this to all parties involved. The customer can indicate in the portal who should see these messages and to whom they should be sent. This makes customers completely self-sufficient, and we become fully transparent. I am convinced that with this flexibility and functionality, we will make a big impact in the market.”

Error-prone
order entry process

Jan discusses the challenges with order entry: “We actually don’t have enough staff for a smooth order processing. During peak moments, mistakes were easily made. During vacation periods, we had to sort everything out. We entered all orders that had to be delivered the next day during the day, and the rest in the evening. It puts a lot of pressure on the team. When I saw a post on LinkedIn about a fellow carrier automatically converting orders with Simply Deliver’s AOI module, I immediately contacted the company. They thought it was a good solution, so I reached out.”

Vacation with
peace of mind

Over the past six months, the JGT team has been able to test the system thoroughly. Jan is pleased that there is now a flow in the process: “We appointed an ambassador internally, and word spread like wildfire. Everyone is now using it. You can tell that we have more room on the department for other tasks. The order processors have become process facilitators. Now, the team can go on vacation with peace of mind because the orders flow in directly. Our order processing is faster and more reliable, and we can handle more orders with the same number of people.”

Proven
solution

Transtolk learned about the Automatic Order Entry module through competitor BosDaalen: “We do business with this company regularly. BosDaalen was very positive about the savings and results they achieved. So, we arranged a meeting with Simply Deliver. During a demo, we immediately saw the added value of automatic conversion. Then we looked at which customers we could quickly and easily get within this framework.”

Goal is 75%
automatic conversion

“At the moment, we have 15 customers using the Automatic Order Entry module. We already convert about 30% of orders automatically. We drag the incoming orders into the converter, and it checks and enriches the data. Soon, we’ll take the next step. Orders will be automatically read from the mailbox and then converted into order data in our TMS. And step by step, we’ll onboard the rest of the customer templates. The goal is to automatically convert 75% of all customer orders. In concrete terms, this means less manual order entry and more time for process monitoring. This optimizes our transport planning, allows us to invoice earlier, and reduces errors. It aligns with our objectives,” concludes Peter.

Making complex tasks simple

Simply Deliver simplifies logistics processes through automation. “Simply Deliver heard in the market that we were looking for a solution. After receiving a demo by Osman Akdemir and Frank Erftemeijer, we quickly became enthusiastic about the module. We then asked them directly if they could deliver. The Simply team then made a first integration that seamlessly matched our needs. From that basis, we further set up the Intermodal TMS and optimized processes,” describes Martijn.

A step towards real-time slot planning

The container rail market still relies heavily on emailing and manual data entry. “We really want to change this and digitize and automate much more. Copying and pasting information costs our team a lot of time. With each copying task, there is a chance of errors, especially with difficult references. Now, we will reuse data. Customers submit orders digitally to us, and we then book a train within Portbase. Real-time insight into the chain is created by integrating with terminals, hinterland parties, and Portbase. This makes planning shunts, adjusting and optimizing trains faster and easier. Ultimately, this is a step towards real-time slot planning for trains in the Rotterdam port,” concludes Martijn enthusiastically.

Developing
together

“The great thing now is that the foundation has been laid, and we are fully committed to further development. In the office, we will enhance the visualization of train handling by installing a large screen in the operations room. Soon, colleagues will be able to track the progress of train handling live, observing the circuit through the port and the loading of trains block by block. I am convinced that our collaboration with Simply Deliver will lead to many more impressive advancements,” concludes Martijn with enthusiasm.

Always real-time insight

Erwin is particularly pleased with the grip they have on the service: “We now have real-time access to accurate data, allowing us to provide more reliable services. We have also become more flexible and can easily set up and add functionalities. It is a cloud-based solution, so we don’t have to worry about updates. TransMission now has real-time insight into all packages in the logistics network process. We know where they are and what the status is. With every change in status, the customer is informed immediately, including proof of delivery.”

Automatic conversion
in addition to EDI

In practice, a combination of EDI with the AOE module is becoming the norm. De Vries Hallum already has an EDI connection with several large customers. Simply Deliver provides a solution for customers who do not have the option for EDI. Fortunately, De Vries Hallum works with Transpas, one of the TMS systems that Simply Deliver has standard integrations with.

De Vries Hallum receives a large volume of orders on a daily basis. It is mainly the orders that do not always come in the same way that require a lot of work. Grytsje takes us through the order entry processes: “Orders come in via email, which can include PDF and Excel files, as well as plain text emails. We have one customer who sends an order file every day that takes us at least half an hour to process. Because the orders were entered into the system quite late, the planning could only be made quite late as well.

A more efficient
order planning process

Recognizable
event

Optimize
planning

Maikel is convinced that Agro World can now process more orders efficiently: “With the Automatic Order Entry module, orders are automatically imported from the mailbox and converted directly into orders in our Mendrix planning system. The system checks, corrects and enriches the data, ensuring that even during peak times, orders continue to flow automatically. As a result, we spend fewer hours on order processing and can now allocate that time to other tasks. Additionally, we can optimize our planning for greater efficiency.”

User-friendly
for drivers

Simply Deliver has collaborated with Sluyter on the implementation and roll-out of an extremely user-friendly Driver App, which provides your drivers and charters with the right information at the right time, both inside and outside the cabin. The starting point was to make sure that every driver would say: “I want to work with this.” The great thing is that everyone, including all partners who drive for you every day, can download the app and start using it immediately.

Real-time
planning information

William also wanted to put an end to the many manual tasks. “At Sluyter Logistics, we want to make our operations more efficient for our customers, drivers, and ourselves. Tasks that were previously done manually and required customer service are now automated. If desired, our customers can receive a track and trace link, and we will send updates if there are any changes in the planning. With real-time planning information, we can immediately send an email when a reference is incorrect or when the waiting costs threaten to arise. We are no longer dependent on phones, which saves a lot of time. This enables us to allocate our employees differently and focus more on providing high-quality service rather than resolving issues. As a result, our colleagues are able to enjoy their work more.”

Traceable
evidence

William is enthusiastic about the flexibility of the app: “It is nice that everything can be turned on and off with checkmarks. That gives so much flexibility. All customers are in a standard process that can be further refined based on the customer’s wishes. This makes it easy to meet the Service Level Agreements. With the Driver app, drivers can take photos of the cargo, scan documents and register packaging. Customers want a digital CMR with signature and comments. With a push of a button all information is immediately available to everyone. All of this is done in an intuitive way so that you can easily get a grip on the quality of your service with fully traceable evidence.”