How Much Is Manual Data Entry Costing Your Transport Business?

If manual data entry is still the main process used in your transport business, then it’s costing you, whether you’re aware of it or not.

Some of the costs are obvious, like the amount of time and effort required to manually enter orders, create run sheets, record paper PODs for invoicing, or field phone calls with customers to provide delivery updates. The admin hours and time alone can drive overheads through the roof, and limit your ability to take on more business.

However, using cloud-based transport management software means you can automate data entry and management, provide customers with up to date records at their fingertips, and optimize the use of your fleet and team to increase your daily delivery capacity. 

The hidden costs of paper-based systems

Apart from the more identifiable costs in the time and effort associated with inputting data manually, the flow-on effects of your paper-based system can be substantial.

Incorrect and time-consuming manual data entry can also lead to financial headaches like fees for late-payments, missed revenue by not claiming incentives for early payments, or inaccurate data causing cash flow problems. 

What's more, it can also damage your reputation with vendors and partners, and limit your business growth potential. These costs can be the hardest to quantify, and the impact is often felt through the long-term effect on your businesses’ reputation. 

Making the switch to a paperless system will save your business more than time and money, it can save your reputation, boost workforce capacity, and give you the tools in place to grow your operations.  

This is how it works. 

First, you need to understand each contact point where data is needed, entered or exchanged; from truck drivers, to transport operations personnel and even your freight customers. The first step is identifying how these touchpoints can be automated can help you gain an advantage over your competitors.

With a cloud-based transport management system, you can streamline your data management and optimise workflows for greater efficiency. It doesn't mean completely changing how you do business either, your operations and services are still there — they are just made easier. 

"From a simple cost perspective, we've been able to redistribute our staff and what they do in different areas. So we're saving 40-60 hours a week on admin, but we're doing 30-50% more work." — Ryan Thompson, Operations Manger Liquex Logistics. 

Consignments and invoicing — simplified

Manual data entry can be inaccurate, even with timely reviews, there are likely to be errors, lost paperwork, missed updates or mistakes. The value of a cloud -based system is that the information is always up to date, because it's updated at each step of the way. 

More than that, your records can be entered without any manual intervention from you at all! Incoming orders can be automatically pulled from emails or through software integration with ordering systems, to ensure the data is correct every time. 

Your system can then automatically build your run sheet, to be allocated to a driver, with complete freight data, as well as address and customer contact details. Once your driver completes the delivery, they can record an electronic POD with sign-on glass directly through the mobile app, and this is updated in your system. From there, the system automatically generates the invoice, which can be emailed to the customer — saving you time, and helping you get paid faster!

Say goodbye to lost paperwork and PODs

Paperwork often gets lost and the important information can’t be replicated. This can create an administrative burden and flow on to exacerbate all those hidden costs mentioned. Eliminating a reliance on physical paperwork is one of the key benefits in incorporating a software solution to your workflow.

Increase daily deliveries

Right now, the transport industry is dealing with a significant shortage in multi-licence drivers and experienced staff. For small and medium-sized businesses especially, every detail counts. Having staff resources tied up in manual data processes is not the best use of their time. With a cloud-based transport management system, your team have more time on their hands and can process higher quantities of orders, drivers can be freed up to do more deliveries and pickups each day.

Improve customer relations 

Answering phone calls for customer orders, inquiries and delivery updates can be time-consuming, especially when you have to dig through paperwork or POD stacks to find the information you need. CartonCloud not only gives you access to your up to date data and tracking at all time, but your customers can also log onto their own customer accounts to view order updates in real time. 

What to look for in a Transport Management System

• Mobile app First thing you need to look for, is to ensure your system has an intuitive, easy to use mobile app for drivers, to keep your operations streamlined on the move. 
• Automated complex rate card calculations To avoid revenue leakage and streamline invoicing, you should look for a software solution that can automate complex rate card calculations, based on your desired events and triggers.
• Electronic Proof of Deliveries No more lost or damaged PODs. Your system should record consignments with the electronic proof of deliveries, and allow drivers to enter other information with images including waiting times, damaged stock, etc. 
• Automation for faster deliveries By grouping related consignment notes together, CartonCloud means your drivers only have to get one signature for that address (electronic, of course!). This makes it easier to allocate your consignments as well. Your transport management software should allow you to set up your delivery runs and allocate postcodes so that when consignments get created, the system will automatically build your delivery runs set on suburbs and customers to maximise efficiency. 
• Intuitive features built for transport operations Your transport management software needs to be built for the industry. This means intuitive features like fuel levy calculations, driver ability to edit consignment notes on the go (to adjust freight order unit of measure/ packing changes, weight on pick up, and more), driver ETA text messages, cash on delivery and more. 
• Delivery Run History Calculate your revenue per vehicle by easily seeing which vehicles are doing each run, and see the location history for each driver and importantly, send them notifications about any changes to their delivery runs.
  

Save time and money, boost your team's capacity and improve your customer’s experience

CartonCloud has helped over 350 small-medium enterprise logistics companies to say goodbye to paper processes, and revolutionise their workflows.  

Want to know more?

CartonCloud, Australia’s best transport management software, is logistics software made by logistics people.

With faster delivery times, greater transparency, automated invoices, and the ease and convenience of electronic proof of deliveries, CartonCloud is available online 24/7 with extensive transport management features to streamline your operations and also work seamlessly with your warehouse management system.

To find out more about how CartonCloud can digitize your processes, contact our team to run through a free demo.