Smart City Distribution requires Smart Logistics Software

Research has shown that half of the logistics costs of an e-commerce delivery are attributable to the last mile to the delivery address. This is especially true for the larger cities. In order to tackle this problem, the trend has arisen to create city distribution centers, or transhipment hubs, on the outskirts of large and medium-sized cities in the Netherlands. Sometimes it is an initiative from the government, sometimes this initiative arises from commerce or the real estate market. We would like to tell you what the role of logistics software can be in achieving a more efficient city distribution.

A Mobility Delta Plan has been made by the Mobility Alliance. The Delta Plan must prevent transport from, to and within the Dutch cities from jamming. On a national scale, 40% of all freight transport takes place in the city. And demand for freight continues to grow. Urban distribution must therefore be changed.

For a long time, governments have mainly focused on mobility solutions such as:

  • routing of flows
  • setting window times: when are companies allowed to enter the city or not
  • privilege policy, which means priority in the city if, for example, cargo is brought together and bundled.
    Source: Buck Consultants International 

logistieke software

This must be done differently, more together, and more forward-looking. Davanti Warehousing greatly welcomes this trend because it can play a meaningful role in making society more sustainable. From the hubs on the outskirts of the city where different carriers deliver goods, the different deliveries are bundled – also known as consolidation – and transported into the city in a sustainable manner. The use of freight hubs reduces the number of transport flows in the city. This results in fewer traffic jams and less CO2 emissions. The quality of life in the inner cities will improve. The tendency to supply the city center with electric vehicles is of course entirely to be welcomed. Never again watch a PostNL, DPD ánd DHL transporter pass by within 1 hour.

What can a Warehouse Management System bring for a logistics hub?

Consolidating freight is the magic word in this trend and that’s where we come in with our Warehouse Management System. Below we explain point by point the added value of a SaaS WMS:

  • Mobility & Flexibility

    The SaaS WMS has a Web and an App version. The Web version will mostly be used in the office functions; the App will be used in the warehouse by order pickers, for example. You can also take photos with the App, which adds a lot of value to your logistics Proof of Condition. You can scan with any Android mobile device, from a simple smart phone to logistics scanners such as forklift terminals or long range scanners.

    The flexibility of a SaaS WMS is mainly reflected in the possibility to easily set up your warehouse in the software. Are you in a temporary warehouse? You can create an environment in a few clicks. Do you open a second hub? A new environment is easily created and you will have an overview of all hubs in 1 system. The multi-warehouse reporting can also be set up in the Power BI tool. In short, logistics software allows you to switch quickly and anticipate every change in your business.

  • Savings

    With a SaaS WMS you are quickly up and running. There are no lengthy implementation processes; the system is implemented in no time with the help of our CORAX consultants. You are flexible in the set-up; you can connect CORAX to many other systems. No expensive servers are needed and becasue of the high level of efficiency you achieve,  you can do more with fewer people. Expensive errors are largely a thing of the past, with CORAX you have overview and control inhouse.

  • Control

    WMS software provides optimal control over stock. With a SaaS WMS you have real-time insight into the stock, per stock owner. Quality of delivery, be it food or other products, is paramount. Error reduction or even elimination is of the highest importance.

  • Efficiency

    Resources, money and time are scarce goods. Warehouse optimization is the mission. The WMS offers you the best picking strategies, so you can quickly make an efficiency boost. Logistics software makes your life easier.

  • Communication

    The successful exploitation of logistics hubs requires that the parties involved exchange data with each other. Companies are obviously careful with their data. In our SaaS WMS CORAX, data exchange with various systems is no problem. This is done through an API or middleware, such as Microsoft’s BizTalk. The data is guaranteed to be safe in Microsoft’s European data centers. The users of the WMS always have insight into their own data.

  • Sustainability

    A SaaS WMS works with an online subscription; no expensive servers are needed, and therefore no IT department has to manage the hardware. The WMS is scalable; as your business grows, CORAX grows with you effortlessly. The WMS manages warehouses from small logistics service providers to fully mechanized and automated warehouses, such as the largest automated cold store in the USA.

  • Innovation

    The WMS is continuously enriched with innovative functionality in the cloud and SaaS technology; Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and robotisation are part of this innovative evolution. Every 2 weeks you get a free update, so that you always use the latest state-of-the art software.

  • Analysis

    Information is everything; the more experience (= data), the better the decisions can be. However, if it is not presented in the correct way, you cannot work with it. That is why the WMS has a number of transparent standard reports. If you want to go a step further, Microsoft’s Power BI can be linked to CORAX, allowing you to create reports at your own discretion that provide insight into the ins and outs of your operation. Based on these reports you can easily make adjustments, make well-founded decisions for improvement processes and offer periodic reports to, for example, end customers and management. With logistics software you manage your business operations.

Do you want to know what Davanti’s SaaS WMS can mean for your logistics hub? Contact us and we will quickly schedule a consultancy call without any obligation. Make an appointment.

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