Today’s volatile supply chain, with fluctuating costs and complex partnerships, presents a constant struggle for efficiency and profitability. As Spot’s customer Vanguard Safety noted, keeping up with rapid changes in freight management is a significant challenge with direct consequences for your bottom line and customer commitments. TMS.
Watch the full video below to hear directly from Vanguard Safety’s Sr. Director of Operations, Matt Brady, about its journey and the positive impact MySpot Transportation Management Software has had on its operations.
Finding the Right Solution: A Must-Have in Today’s Landscape
Recognizing the critical need for an effective way to get products to its customers, Vanguard Safety knew it had to move beyond manual processes. The complexity of its operations made the decision to adopt a Transportation Management System (TMS) not just a preference, but a necessity.
Enter MySpot TMS: A Clear Win
Through a dedicated search for a TMS platform that fit its specific needs and budget, Vanguard discovered MySpot. As Brady explained,
“Through our research of the competitors in the landscape out there, MySpot came up as a clear win for us.”
The impact of implementing MySpot Transportation Management Software has been transformative, touching various aspects of Vanguard’s business:
- Streamlined Booking and Reduced Complexity: Experiencing a smoother booking process with fewer freight claims.
- Empowered Customer Service: With live GPS tracking now available for significantly more freight, customers have greater visibility, leading to fewer support calls and increased satisfaction. Sharing tracking links is now easier than ever.
- Increased Team Efficiency: The reduction in manual processes and customer inquiries has freed up valuable time for the customer service team to focus on other critical tasks.
- Improved Customer Retention and Employee Satisfaction: Providing better service and reducing team workload contributes to happier customers and more satisfied employees.
- Significant Freight Cost Savings: Optimized its transportation processes and gained better control over its shipping expenses.
Confidence Through Comprehensive Information
The power of having all crucial information in one centralized platform like MySpot cannot be overstated. With live API feeds, EDI updates, and GPS tracking readily accessible, our customer highlights the newfound confidence it brings:
“Having all of our information in MySpot and having live API fees and EDI updates and GPS tracking in one space, allows myself, when I’m getting questions, to feel confident in the answers that I’m providing to our customers and to my internal partners, and in turn, it allows my team to feel confident and trusted.”
This trust and confidence ripple outwards, elevating team competency, performance, and ultimately, the trust their customers have in their brand.
Ready to Elevate Your Supply Chain?
TechnologySpot recently partnered with Penco Products, a leading sheet metal manufacturer specializing in lockers, to transform its shipping operations with MySpot, a tailored TMS solution. Recognizing its need for a single platform with enhanced visibility and efficiency, our team prioritized a deep discovery process to understand Penco’s specific pain points: lack of financial transparency, service issues, and inefficient processes.
Leveraging a collaborative approach across sales, TMS expertise, and technology, Spot crafted a solution that integrated with Penco’s existing ERP system, streamlining workflows and providing valuable data insights. This included addressing accounting challenges, improving service responsiveness, and offering transparent pricing. Notably, Penco’s evolving needs even spurred innovation within Spot’s platform.
Beyond technology, building a strong partnership was key. Our proactive engagement fostered trust and demonstrated a commitment to Penco’s unique requirements. After implementing MySpot, we provided data-driven insights into shipping costs and efficiency, enabling informed decision-making.
This success highlights Spot’s dedication to understanding shippers’ needs, delivering tailored technological solutions through MySpot, and fostering strong, collaborative relationships that drive tangible results. Our focus on in-depth discovery, cross-functional teamwork, and a commitment to innovation ensures that we provide lasting value in the complex world of logistics.
See what MySpot can do for you with a personalized demo.
Vanner Inc. was recognized as our 2024 MySpot Carrier of the Year. During a recent visit to its headquarters in Morris, Illinois, we had the opportunity to discuss how MySpot has been a catalyst for its rapid business expansion and how the dedication of Spot’s brokers, whose unwavering support and customer service, has been essential to Vanner Inc.’s success.
Click here to learn more about Vanner Inc. and its services or visit https://vannerhq.com.
In 2019, one of Spot’s customers (an automotive supply chain integrator) came to the realization that the freight markets, especially the less-than-truckload (LTL) markets, were rapidly growing and expanding. In order to keep up with the demand of their customers, they began shipping more LTL freight. Spot reached out to its customer during their time of high demand to find out how to make their logistics operations more efficient and streamlined. Spot’s customer quickly realized that they needed a partner who could provide visibility into their freight, competitive rates, and access to advanced analytics.
Opportunity
Prior to the partnership with Spot, Spot’s customer was looking for a single-source LTL provider that could dedicate resources and time to their shipping needs. As their business continued to grow, it became too cumbersome to handle for one single person who also held various other roles within the company. They needed assistance with gaining visibility into their LTL freight, invoice auditing and corrections, and claims filing and tracking. Additionally, many of their suppliers are spread out across the United States and were all using various forms of routing guides. At that time, they were also not confident if they had the best and lowest cost carrier for each lane.
Solution & Results
Spot proposed a solution to become a sole source provider. Spot provided full access to their proprietary technology, MySpot Transportation Management Software, to over 150 of the customers’ suppliers. With the suppliers now logging into MySpot TMS to quote, book, and track their LTL freight, this gave the team full visibility into their truckload and LTL freight. Spot also assisted with the daunting and lengthy claims process by filing and processing all claims. The customer also now receives monthly, quarterly, and yearly logistics reports that give them advanced insight into market trends and analytics.
A Note From The Customer
“Spot coordinates all of our domestic freight movements and works directly with shippers to ensure our freight is delivered on time. Their expertise, level of management, and thorough communication has freed up valuable internal resources and overall has been a huge benefit to our company.”
– Supply Chain Manager
Selecting transportation management software (TMS) that increases efficiency and is customized to internal needs is never an easy undertaking. One of Spot’s customers, a national distributor of chemical and raw materials, was utilizing an internally-developed tool that required manual entry and provided them with limited visibility into their transportation operations. Spot’s customer turned to MySpot TMS, Spot’s proprietary technology, to assist in improving their logistics-related workflows.
Opportunity
Prior to MySpot TMS, the customer would continuously book the same carriers on their lanes, therefore they did not have the ability to compare and contrast quotes. The customer had limited visibility of their LTL and truckload shipments and no central location to see all current and past loads, which caused delays when needing to update their customers. The customer also didn’t have access to previous years’ data.
In order to benchmark on operational trends nor did they have reporting capabilities to provide their entire supply chain with crucial information.
Solution & Results
In order to mitigate their pain points, Spot’s customer now utilizes MySpot TMS to increase efficiency and streamline operations. The customer now has access to view rates from multiple providers before booking shipments, which has allowed for first-year cost savings of approximately $100,000. They have also saved man-hours as MySpot TMS has allowed them to repurpose team members into other departments that were needing assistance. The customer now has access to advanced analytics and customized reporting, further showcasing how MySpot TMS is a one-stop technology solution.
A Note From The Customer
“MySpot TMS has given me and my team the visibility into our transportation spend like never before! It has streamlined our shipping department’s operations and increased transparency within our supply chain.”
George H. – VP of Supply Chain
Carriers are the backbone of our success.
Without the carrier relationships we have established, we wouldn’t be able to offer our shippers the quality and reliability they’ve come to expect from us. This is why we developed our proprietary transportation technology that makes sourcing carriers simple and efficient.
MySpot for Carriers
MySpot for Carriers, Spot’s carrier portal, gives carriers unlimited access to their freight…all in one place. Not only are carriers able to search for loads based on various specifications, but they can enter their available equipment in order to receive notifications on matching shipments. Because we have over 25,000 contracted carriers both searching for loads and receiving notifications on matching shipments, our technology plays a role in securing the best fit carriers for our shippers.
MySpot for Drivers
MySpot for Drivers, Spot’s mobile app for drivers, allows for drivers to manage loads on the go. Drivers are able to update their current location, send status of stops, and view details on the shipper/ receiver. Through this proprietary technology, we are able to provide our shippers with consistent updates as their product is being tracked 24/7/365. The app also provides drivers with an additional way to book loads that Spot has available, especially if the driver is close to a pickup location after a recent delivery.
WORDS FROM OUR CARRIERS
“Spot’s carrier tools are easy to use, smart, and efficient.”
“I just enter my equipment and destination, and available loads appear!”
“MySpot differentiates Spot from others in the industry. Their technology makes hauling for them easy.”
One of Spot’s customers, a leading bottled water company, was experiencing multiple issues with its LTL operations.
Spot started providing services to this customer in 2015, including running their truckload refrigerated and dry water loads. After numerous discussions with the customer, Spot was able to find a cost-effective solution for the customer’s less-than-truckload (LTL) shipment challenges.
Opportunity
Prior to having Spot step in, Spot’s customer was utilizing multiple brokers to deliver to their food and beverage customers while also contracting out various LTL carriers to pick up from their facilities. This led to massive confusion on who was responsible for shipments because the BOL did not always note the correct paying party. The fees that followed made their freight significantly more expensive than necessary. Because of this, Spot’s customer needed not just a freight broker, but a partner who could provide a customized solution to meet their needs.
Solution & Results
In order to negotiate competitive rates on the customer’s behalf, Spot was provided with a Letter of Authority. This essentially allowed for Spot to work with various carriers to drive down rates as much as possible. Compared to the customer‘s previous broker, Spot was able to save them approximately $100,000 within just two months. The customer has saved approximately $600,000 annually by utilizing Spot’s LTL services.
A Note from the Customer
“Spot has been an excellent company to work with. The day to day operations of LTL now run as smooth as ever, allowing us to focus on on-time delivery to our final customers.”
– Transportation Coordinator
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