We pre-screen and certify each carrier to make sure they qualify to join our network. We also monitor their ongoing performance, such as on-time rate, on an ongoing basis.

Yes, you can insure your goods while doing booking and based on your invoice value you will be charged.

Mavyn is the only company in India which brings AI based spot pricing. You can check freight in simple 3 clicks. You need to select 1. Origin, 2. Destination, 3. Vehicle type and you will get dynamic spot pricing through Mavyn’s AI based software ‘Turant’.

3a. Can I book multiple shipments at a time?

• Yes, you can book maximum 5 shipments of same route, vehicle type and service type at a time.

No, once you booked a shipment you can’t change the shipment freights.

No, Mavyn’s technology automatically offers your shipment to the best trucker who can get it done on time.

Mavyn issues Lorry Receipt copy but in digital format. As Mavyn is completely paperless organization in India. Digital Lorry Receipt (LR) is being created by you on shipper portal provided to your users.

Once the shipment is complete you may rate your experience from 1 to 5 stars and add a comment. We use the information to further improve the quality of carriers and pick the best drivers for your next shipment. You can also send a note to support@mavyn.in.

Mavyn maintains two step verification process of each user login.

You can place your booking up to 14 days in advance.

Your approximate delivery time will be notified to you during your booking process.

We are committed to service our all confirmed shipments. In case, we are unable to service you due to certain unforeseen conditions, we will ensure to provide you replacement within 6 hours of shipment time.

You can cancel a booking before a vehicle is assigned. Once the vehicle is assigned and still you want to cancel the shipment than you would need to raise a cancellation request through Web or App. Cancellation charges may apply as per Terms and Conditions.

We accept only single mode of payment i.e. digital payments.

You can view and download your service bills through web portal.

We do not offer any loading/unloading & packing services. Shipper has to arrange all such services.

You will get free 24 hours for loading and unloading at origin and destination, after that extra charges are applied per hour based on the truck type.

Right now, we don’t operate on touch/multiple point delivery.

All toll charges are included in your freight bill. You don’t have to pay anything extra for toll of your Shipment.

We do provide 3 type of services, 1. Normal, 2. Express and 3. Prime. You can know more @ mavyn.in/services

Freight charges for shipments are calculated by a proprietary freight exchange matrix developed by Mavyn on basis of demand and supply of available trucks in the spot market. Estimate of freight charges does not include convenience charges, cash back or promotions that may be applied to your shipment. Our freight may increase or decrease according to the demand for vehicles at a certain time and area in your city. Additional charges may be added to your freight if you have availed i.e. halting charges, convenience charges or any other charges implied to your shipment.

Yes, we do provide credit facility to all our Enterprise customers.

No, all our trucks are outsourced. However, registered truckers receive a training and go through our verification process before they come on board.

No, we do not provide helpers.

Right now, we are providing open and closed trucks.

6 hours in advance.

We are not operating on import and export container movements. Very soon we will be starting this service from ports.

Our vehicle go with Mavyn driver app. You can track and will receive an SMS on each update on the vehicle status.

Yes, we entertain shippers’ requirements at contracted rates based on expected required volume. If volume is unpredictable, we can always deploy trucks at agreeable rates for each incoming inquiry.

Please Sign Up under Trucker Mavyn app or Web to get started.

No, Mavyn sign up is completely free and you can avail unlimited features.

Freight mentioned at the time of shipment accepted by you on Trucker app will be paid. If you accept and complete the job you will receive this amount.

We’ll receive 70% of advance within 24 hours of vehicle loading and balance payment within 48 hours of completing a shipment. This means payment will show up in your bank account just 2 days after the shipment delivered.

Yes, Mavyn is a great way to get more work and expand your business. Let us help you get to two trucks and make more money!

You will receive digital LR on Driver app, from where you can download.

Mavyn app is available only on Android based smartphones.

You don’t have to arrange for any loading/unloading & packing services. Shipper will arrange for all such services.

No, You will receive single point shipment.

You need the following –

• A valid driver license
• A clear picture of the driver

You only need to have company PAN Card.

1. Register with Mavyn
Visit our registration page and sign up.
2. Send us your documents
Before you can start accepting shipments, you will need to get approved by sending us the following documents to trucker@mavyn.in
Adhaar Card
PAN Card
3. Download the Mavyn app
You can accept all shipments directly through the Mavyn Driver app. The Mavyn Driver app is completely free to use

Mavyn does not charge anything from truckers. Its completely free. By sign in you’ll also get -

• Quick pay – We process qualifying payments within 24 hours of receiving the damage free Proof of Delivery. To get quick pay, your driver needs to have the app open and location service turned on for the duration of the shipment and the POD needs to be uploaded through the app within 1 day of delivery.
• More shipments – You’ll see more shipments every day.
• Less hassle – We send shipments right to your phone.
• Full shipment support – You can contact the Mavyn team 24/7.

Mavyn currently has shipments for the following vehicle types:

S No Vehicle Type Number of Tyres loading capacity 1. 40 Feet 14 Tyre 22T 2. 40 Feet 18 Tyre 27T 3. 32 Feet 6 Tyre 7T 4. 32 Feet 10 Tyre 14T 5. 32 Feet 10 Tyre 18T 5. 32 Feet 12 Tyre 24T 6. 19 Feet 6 Tyre 7T 7. 24 Feet 10 Tyre 16T

Don’t see your Vehicle type listed? We are rapidly expanding and will be adding to this list as we grow. You can still register with Mavyn and once we have work for your Vehicle, we’ll let you know

With the new rules regarding transport of goods in place and the need for e-way bills, it is necessary that transporters be aware of the provisions regarding the same.

Under GST, transporters should carry an e-Way Bill when moving goods from one place to another. Since it is a new rule introduced under GST, it is necessary for all consignors/ consignees/ transporters to be aware of the required compliance.

The e-way bill (EWB) portal provides a seamless gateway to generate e-way bill (single and consolidated options), change vehicle number on the already generated EWB, cancel generated EWBs and many more…
E-way bills in EWB-01 can be generated by either of two methods:
1. On the Web
2. Via SMS
This topic covers the step-by-step process of generating the e-way bills on the E-way bill portal (web-based).
There are some pre-requisites for generating an e-way bill (for any method of generation):
1. Registration on the EWB Portal
2. The Invoice/ Bill/ Challan related to the consignment of goods must be in hand.
3. If transport is by road – Transporter ID or the Vehicle number.
4. If transport is by rail, air, or ship – Transporter ID, Transport document number, and date on the document.
Here is a step by step Guide to Generate E-Way Bill (EWB-01) online:
Step 1: Login to e-way bill system.
Enter the Username, password and Captcha code, Click on ‘Login’

Step 2: Click on ‘Generate new’ under ‘E-waybill’ option appearing on the left-hand side of the dashboard.

Step 3: Enter the following fields on the screen that appears:

1) Transaction Type:
Select ‘Outward’ if you are a supplier of consignment
Select ‘Inward’ if you are a recipient of consignment.
2)  Sub-type: Select the relevant sub-type applicable to you:
If transaction type selected is Outward, following subtypes appear:

If transaction type selected is Inward, following subtypes appear:

Note: SKD/CKD- Semi knocked down condition/ Complete knocked down condition
3) Document type: Select either of Invoice / Bill/ challan/ credit note/ Bill of entry or others if not Listed
4) Document No.: Enter the document/invoice number
5) Document Date: Select the date of Invoice or challan or Document.
Note: The system will not allow the user to enter the future date.
6) From/ To: Depending on whether you are a supplier or a recipient, enter the To / From section details.

Note: If the supplier/client is unregistered, then mention ‘URP’ in the field GSTIN, indicating that the supplier/client is an ‘Unregistered Person’.
7) Item Details: Add the details of the consignment (HSN code-wise) in this section:
1. Product name
2. Description
3. HSN Code
4. Quantity
5. Unit
6. Value/Taxable value
7. Tax rates of CGST and SGST or IGST (in %)
8. Tax rate of Cess, if any charged (in %)

Note: On the implementation of E-way bills, based on the details entered here, corresponding entries can also be auto-populated in the respective GST Return while filing on GST portal.
8) Transporter details: The mode of transport(Road/rail/ship/air) and the approximate distance covered (in KM) needs to be compulsorily mentioned in this part.
Apart from above, Either of the details can be mentioned:
1. Transporter name, transporter ID, transporter Doc. No. & Date.
OR
2. Vehicle number in which consignment is being transported.
Format: AB12AB1234 or AB12A1234 or AB121234 or ABC1234

Note: For products, clients/customers, suppliers, and transporters that are used regularly, first update the ‘My masters’ section also available on the login dashboard and then proceed.
Step 4: Click on ‘Submit’. The system validates data entered and throws up an error if any.
Otherwise, your request is processed and the e-way bill in Form EWB-01 form with a unique 12 digit number is generated.
The e-way bill generated looks like this:

Print and carry the e-way bill for transporting the goods in the selected mode of transport and the selected conveyance.
You can print the e-way bill anytime as follows:
Step-1: Click on ‘Print EWB’ sub-option under ‘e-Waybill’ option

Step-2: Enter the relevant e-way bill number -12 digit number and click on ‘Go’

Step-3: Click on ‘Print’ or ‘detailed print’ button on the EWB that appears:

Consolidated E-Way Bill (EWB-02) is a single document that contains details of all the E-Way Bills related to the consignments.
If you are a transporter/ supplier who wants to transport multiple consignments of goods in a single conveyance or vehicle, you can use the Consolidated E-Way Bill feature available on the E Way Bill portal.
Note:  You should be a transporter or should have generated the e-way bills at step-1 yourself to use the consolidated EWBs facility.
Prerequisites:  
1.  Registration on the EWB Portal
2. You should have the Invoice/ Bill/ Challan related to the consignment of goods.
3. Transporter ID or the Vehicle number (for transport by road).
4.  Transporter ID, Transporter document number, and date on the document (for transport by rail, air, or ship).
5. Apart from those, the taxpayer must have all the individual e-Way Bill numbers of the consignments, to be transported in one conveyance.
Here is a step-by-step process to generate consolidated e-way bills:
Step 1: Login on EWB Portal and Generate Individual E-way bills.
Here is a step by step guide to generate E-way bill.
Step 2: Select ‘Generate new’ under ‘Consolidated EWB’ option appearing on the left-hand side of the dashboard.

Step 3:  The following details are required to be entered in this step:
1. Select ‘Mode’ of transport- Rail/Road/Air/Ship
2. Select ‘From State’ from the drop down
3. In the ‘Vehicle Starts From, field enter the location from where the goods are being transported.
4. Enter ‘Vehicle No.’
5. Add the EWB no. (rest of the fields are auto-populated based on this)
Enter the details and Click on ‘Submit’

On submitting, following screen appears:

E-way bill in Form EWB-02 with a unique 12 digit number is generated.
Print and carry this for transporting the goods in the selected mode of transport and the selected conveyance.
You can print the Consolidated EWBs as follows:
Step-1: Click on ‘Print EWB’ sub-option under ‘e-Waybill’ option or ‘Consolidated EWB’ option
Step-2: Enter the relevant e-way bill number/ Consolidated EWB -12 digit number and click on ‘Go’

Step-3: Click on ‘Print’ or ‘detailed print’ button on the EWB/ consolidated EWB that appears:’

There are two modes of managing your e-way bills:
1. Web Based2. via SMS A person who wants to generate multiple e-way bills can use the web-based facility.
Users who intend to generate a single E-Way Bill or users who do not have the facility to access the website can use the SMS facility to generate E-Way Bills.
SMS facility in EWB also helps at times of emergencies or urgency for many big businesses as well.

Are you looking at improving the last mile delivery logistics of your company? Are you aware of the latest trends that is governing this sector? The Indian last mile delivery segment has evolved and there are many players who are offering an effective logistics support. Read to know how best to choose the best logistics partner for your business to smoothen the last mile delivery.

Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is a ranking of countries published by the World Bank. The World Bank recently published LPI 2023 and India has jumped six places on the ranking list. PM Gati Shakti scheme and National Logistics Policy are said to be the driving forces of this achievement.

Did you know good logistics solutions can help you grow your profits? Do you know characteristics of good logistics solutions? Logistics solution has to be reliable, trustworthy and efficient. Read on to know more about the role of a good logistics solutions in growth of your business

What is road transport? What is the role of road transportation in logistics? What are the advantages, disadvantages and challenges of road logistics? India has the second largest roadways in the world and relies heavily on the movement of people and goods on the road transport systems. Here we take a look at its benefits, problems and the future of road transportation in India.

Do you know what B2B logistics is? Do you know differences between B2B and B2C logistics? Are you aware of the various challenges in the B2B logistics. Read on to know the meaning of B2B logistics, and difference between B2B and B2C logistics.

Hiring a logistics service provider to handle your logistics operations is called logistics outsourcing. Outsourcing logistics simplifies the logistics operations of a company because the logistics provider is fully responsible for product transportation and order delivery.

When it comes to sourcing logistics services, businesses have multiple options. They can choose between a trucking company or freight forwarders or third party logistics companies based on their business needs and budgets. Read on to know more about the differences between freight forwarder and third party logistics and how to select the right logistics service provider for your business.

There are some fundamental differences between a trucking company and logistics company. If you understand the difference, it is easier for you to choose between the two. The article elaborates on functions of a trucking or transportation company and a logistics company.

Customer service in logistics ensures that your customers have a positive delivery experience. High rates of order fulfillment, speed and frequency of delivery, inventory visibility and on-time delivery are a few factors which determine the efficiency of customer service in logistics.

Logistics management is the process of managing all the logistics processes including order fulfillment, warehousing and transportation of goods. The key benefit of logistics management is that it can reduce logistics costs while ensuring fast delivery. It also enables businesses to stay efficient and drive revenue growth.

Logistics operations is an important aspect of any business. Efficient logistics management can reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction. There are many ways to improve efficiency such as adopting new technology, setting key performance indicators, etc. Read on to know more ways to manage logistics operations.

Logistics coordinates the movement and storage of resources such as goods, equipment and inventory. For manufacturers, logistics starts with the incoming supply of raw materials and carries through to the delivery of finished products to customers.

For example, a logistics department would receive supplies, give components to a production line, move finished goods to a distribution center, manage inventory and ship products to a customer.

Logistics teams are responsible for making sure each of these steps run smoothly, including purchasing, accepting inbound delivery, storage, packaging, inventory management, shipping, outbound transportation and delivery. Choreographing these processes gets complicated when volume grows and there are multiple products to manage. Companies that use several distribution channels and operate facilities in different locations face another layer of complexity.

Inbound vs. Outbound Logistics

ATTRIBUTE INBOUND LOGISTICS OUTBOUND LOGISTICS Direction Inward Outward Focus Supply Demand Role Receiving Delivery Key Relationships Suppliers, vendors and their distributors Distributors, wholesalers, retailers, end customers Processes Sourcing, procurement, materials handling, put away Inventory management, order fulfilment, shipping Activity Raw materials or goods coming in from suppliers Finished products going out to customers Strategic Imperative Obtaining goods or materials the company needs to make its products Meeting customer demand, supporting the sales process to generate revenue

Inbound logistics is the way materials and other goods are brought into a company. This process includes the steps to order, receive, store, transport and manage incoming supplies. Inbound logistics focuses on the supply part of the supply-demand equation.

Inbound Logistics Activities

• Sourcing and procurement : Identifying and evaluating potential suppliers, obtaining price quotes, negotiating with and managing suppliers.
• Ordering/purchasing : Buying the goods and materials the company needs so the right quantity arrives at the right time.
• Transportation : Deciding whether to use a truck, airplane, train or another method to move goods. This activity also involves selecting delivery speed for incoming supplies, contracting with third-party carriers and working with vendors on price and route.
• Receiving : Handling the arrival of new materials, unloading trucks and ensuring they match the order.
• Material handling : Moving the received goods short distances within the facility and staging them for later use.
• Put away : Moving goods from the receiving dock to storage. Staff puts everything away in assigned locations.
• Storing and warehousing : Managing the materials before they go to manufacturing or customer fulfilment. This department is responsible for making sure items are placed in logical locations for fulfilment and the right storage conditions are met.
• Inventory management : Deciding the type and amount of raw materials/items you should store and where to locate them. Read the inventory management guide to learn more.
• Expediting : Managing the progress of and schedule for materials as they make their way to your facility.
• Distribution : Sending supplies to their destination inside the business.
• Tracking : Checking on details about incoming orders, such as their location and documents like receipts.
• Reverse logistics : Bringing goods back from customers for reasons such as returns, defects, delivery problems, repair and refurbishment. Also, recycling and salvage firms that work with used materials obtain their supply through reverse logistics.

The primary challenges of inbound logistics are high costs, uncertain delivery dates and unpredictable lead times. These make it hard for businesses to maintain ideal inventory levels and improve warehouse efficiency and productivity.

Here are some specific inbound logistics challenges in more detail:

• Inbound shipping inefficiencies : Some companies spend too much of their budget on shipping. To cut costs, you need to negotiate preferred rates with fewer carriers and consolidate inbound shipments to make full truckloads. You can also set vendor inbound compliance standards (VICS) on price and service. Analytics can help you identify any waste of time or money.
• Information vacuum : One frequent challenge is not knowing the exact location of a shipment, when it will arrive and how much it will cost. This lack of knowledge causes some companies to carry extra inventory, make purchases too early and suffer delays in production and customer deliveries. Real-time information systems allow a company to track and trace shipments and communicate with suppliers to make sure accurate data is captured when entering materials.
• Surges in deliveries and receiving : Without proper planning, businesses can end up juggling too many deliveries simultaneously. As a result, their yards become clogged with trucks, causing confusion among drivers about which dock to use. Peaks and lulls in deliveries makes it hard to effectively staff receiving personnel, as well. A weak receiving process leads to errors and a backup of materials. Solutions include scheduling arrivals, routing deliveries to specific docks and maintaining a consistent pace throughout the day. Warehouse management software (WMS) can help with logistics. Another technique is cross-docking, where the receiving department matches incoming inventory to open orders. When workers unload products, they move them directly to another dock to load onto an outbound truck, without ever storing them.
• Processing returns : Returns processing is an afterthought for some companies, leading to lost sales when stock is not put back into inventory quickly. Inaccurate inventory counts and reduced customer satisfaction are additional problems. Create clear, efficient processes for returns and communicate the importance of returns management to staff to combat this issue.
• Supplier reliability : A company needs dependable suppliers that offer competitive pricing and quality. However, reliable suppliers can be difficult to find and keep. To make this easier, try steps such as:

• Build long-term relationships
• Pay suppliers on time
• Negotiate as necessary to make sure contracts align with your business goals
• Check supplier quality certifications
• Evaluate supplier risks such as political climate, weather and labor relations
• Forecast your growth patterns and pick suppliers that can scale
• Check supplier lead time and on-time delivery rate
• Assess their customer service
• Consistently evaluate alternative suppliers

• Balancing supply and demand : Ensuring there are enough incoming supplies to meet customer demand can be difficult due to seasonality, competitive influences, economic conditions, pricing volatility in raw materials, fluctuations in selling cycles and more. The best way to balance supply and demand is through data. Software can compare incoming inventory to your order pipeline. It can also monitor the status and location of inbound deliveries, predict demand based on historical patterns, find opportunities to consolidate purchases and more.

Outbound logistics focuses on the demand side of the supply-demand equation. The process involves storing and moving goods to the customer or end user. The steps include order fulfilment, packing, shipping, delivery and customer service related to delivery.

Outbound Logistics Activities

Warehouse and Storage Management : A company keeps a certain quantity of goods on hand to meet demand. Outbound logistics processes store these goods securely in the right conditions and organize them. Inbound and outbound logistics overlap in warehouse management. But outbound logistics deals with outgoing finished products. For companies that sell finished products they receive from suppliers, inbound logistics concentrates on product acquisition and outbound logistics fulfills orders sent straight to customers and distributes the products to retail outlets.

Inventory Management : Software often plays a central role in inventory management, a process that determines the best place to store goods in the warehouse for fast order fulfillment and the order picking and packing operation. Inventory management goals include inventory and order accuracy as well as maintaining product quality by preventing damage, theft, obsolescence or spoilage.

Transportation : The modes and methods of shipping products vary depending on the type of goods. For example, huge items like heavy machinery may ship in small order quantities by truck. Perishable items like fresh flowers may need to be transported by plane in refrigerated containers.

Delivery : On-time delivery is critical to success. Moreover, the customer’s order must have the correct items and quantities, and the package can’t get lost or damaged in transit. Outbound logistics takes responsibility for this step.

Distribution Channels : The ways your product reaches the customer, called distribution channels, affect how you organize outbound logistics. Distribution channels can be broadly categorized into direct (when you sell directly to your customers) and indirect (when you sell through an intermediary such as a wholesaler or retailer). There are many distribution methods, including direct to consumer, value-added resellers, dealer networks, dual-distribution, omnichannel and drop shipping. When choosing distribution channels, consider logistics complexity, cost, speed, quality, customer satisfaction and control

Last-mile Delivery : The final step in an order’s journey covers the last shipping leg and delivery. The last mile is usually the most costly and inefficient part of delivery. The term comes from the early days of telephone service, when wiring homes to the mainline was slow and expensive. Last-mile logistics includes services such as home grocery delivery from a local store and package delivery by a common carrier. Before the last mile, shippers can handle lots of orders at the same time in the same way (for example, they can load dozens of orders going to the same city in one truck). But in the last mile, each delivery requires individual handling because it goes to a single address. Deliveries to addresses get spread over a suburban region or packed within a gridlocked city center where parking is difficult—last-mile services account for 41% of overall supply chain costs.

Delivery Optimization : Optimizing delivery involves not only reducing costs but meeting ever-increasing customer expectations for speed and visibility. Often, these two things go hand-in-hand. Route planning software groups orders more efficiently for delivery, sorts packages by route, plots the best course with an eye to traffic, fuel consumption and other variables, and assigns routes to drivers.

Outbound logistics challenges can hurt profits and customer satisfaction. Inventory and shipping costs can rise quickly, while incorrect or late orders will drive customers away.

Coordinating Operations : Outbound logistics teams must monitor production, storage and distribution—coordinating the optimal movement of goods is no small task. If production rises, the logistics team needs to free up more warehouse space, and as production increases to meet customer demand, shipping and delivery need to scale. Software and automation can help close the information loop by connecting production to storage capacity and demand.

Achieving the Seven Rs : Coined by John J. Coyle, professor emeritus of logistics and supply chain management at Penn State University, the seven Rs are: getting the right product, to the right customer, in the right quantity, in the right condition, at the right place, the right time and at the right cost. Consistently hitting these targets requires an integrated management process that uses data to assess performance, identify areas of weakness, and track and foster continuous improvement.

Inventory Costs : Keeping enough inventory to meet fluctuating customer demand without creating unnecessary holding costs requires careful planning. Keeping a close eye on inventory planning metrics such as sell-through rate and inventory turnover and tracking numbers like safety stock and shifts in demand is important. See the comprehensive list of inventory management metrics for a list of key formulas.

Transportation Costs : A major cost for outbound logistics is transportation. Companies can control costs by analysing past spending to spot inefficiencies. Try exploring different strategies such as dynamic pricing, volume discounts with carriers, opening up bidding for your products/services and looking at freight marketplaces.

Rising Customer Expectations : Consumer demands continue to climb, and free, fast delivery is now the expectation. Same-day and even two-hour delivery are the norms in some regions and industries. Customers want real-time visibility into the status of their orders and to be able to track them on a map. To meet this trend, logistics teams need to understand the role of delivery as a competitive differentiator and the lasting effect of a poor customer delivery experience.

Optimizing inbound logistics means making the operation faster, leaner, more cost-efficient and more agile. Assess every process, identify strengths and weaknesses, and then make improvements.

1. Model your current process and measure performance.

Look for inefficiencies related to cost, waste, quality loss, duplicate work, information gaps and delays. The presence of invisible or intangible costs in inbound logistics, such as inventory carrying costs and the impact of poor customer service, can complicate matters. Compare your operation to industry benchmarks and competitors.

2. Analyze your choices.

Understand how your decisions affect cost and efficiency. For example, if the procurement department makes purchases in large quantities to receive volume discounts, are those savings offset by the expense of holding and managing excess inventory? The major cost drivers for inbound logistics are purchasing, supplier management, transportation, receiving, warehousing, material handling and inventory management.

3. Develop strategies to address inefficiencies system-wide.

Account for trade-offs among activities. Investing in automation and analytics will enable more data-driven decision-making.

Some of the most widely recommended actions to optimize inbound logistics include:

1. Build strong relationships with suppliers : Strong supplier partnerships can yield benefits such as better terms, reduced lead time, cost savings and a sense of security during market fluctuations.

Prioritizing this relationship helps your supplier understand your business better. A supplier compliance plan explains your requirements and penalties for mistakes such as late delivery or not following route guidelines. Such a program can reduce freight and warehouse costs, improve speed and accuracy, and increase customer satisfaction.

2. Use a transportation management system (TMS) : This software automates, manages and optimizes freight operations. A TMS compares shipping quotes and service levels among carriers, schedules the shipment and tracks it through delivery. These details help a company reduce costs, increase efficiency and gain full visibility into its supply chain.

3. Use a warehouse management system (WMS) : WMS software optimizes warehouse operations by streamlining receiving, put away, inventory management, picking and more.

4. Combine deliveries : Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments have higher shipping costs and longer receiving times. Sometimes there are barriers to consolidating shipments, such as different handling needs (some goods need refrigeration, for example). If a business struggles to make full truckloads, a third-party logistics provider (3PL) can combine its partial loads with those of other customers.

Logistics is just one piece of supply chain management. Supply chain management manages all the links among suppliers, producers, distributors and customers.

Other elements of supply chain management include manufacturing and delivery-related customer service. Logistics helps synchronize the supply chain by controlling the flow of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption. Participants in the supply chain, like suppliers and buyers, find partnerships helpful. Two firms work together for their mutual benefit. These partnerships are often open-ended, unlike strategic alliances or project partnerships.

Supply chain partnerships require:

• Frequent and open two-way communication
• Cooperation on accurate, efficient order execution
• Coordinated decision-making
• Sharing of resources
• Information and knowledge exchange

The most important partnerships include suppliers and vendors on the supply side. On the demand side, the critical ties are among logistics providers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors and end customers.

Suppliers may collaborate closely with important customers on product formulation, product size, product mix, SKUs, inventory levels, supply forecasts, risk management, cost control, waste reduction and ordering systems. The customer may want to work together with logistics providers on pacing, packaging, scheduling and route efficiency.

Supply chain management looks collectively at multiple business activities to achieve a competitive advantage. Logistics focuses on the flow of goods to meet customer needs.

Role of Logistics in Purchasing and Receiving Purchasing/Selling Receiving/Shipping

Diagram showing the relationship between purchasing and selling and receiving and shipping:

Inbound and outbound logistics break down into many specific steps. Together, the steps help ensure the smooth movement of goods and materials into and out of a business.