What are the best practices for implementing logistics software in your business?

In today’s business world, streamlining logistics processes is key to ensuring competitiveness in the marketplace. It is therefore important to know how to have logistics software successfully deployed in your company with a view to managing activities in warehouses, production or freight forwarding. We’ll show you the best strategies for assessing your business needs and objectives. This will help you choose the right solutions and train your employees to use the new system. You will also learn how to manage changes and adapt to new logistics processes.

Assessment of logistics business needs and objectives

Identifying specific business needs is the first step in assessing logistics needs and objectives. This involves analyzing current processes, available resources and issues that need to be addressed. Consider the company’s long-term development goals as well as compliance and regulatory requirements.

Setting performance goals is vital to measuring the success of a logistics software deployment. The most important goals during the implementation of logistics software include efficiency improvement, inventory digitalization, delivery speed increase, and cost reduction. The goals set will serve as a benchmark for evaluating the software implementation and identifying areas where improvements can be made.

Conduct a cost-benefit analysis before having logistics software deployed. This will optimize costs and improve the efficiency of operational processes. Cost-benefit analysis helps you identify which logistics solution is the best value for money.

Training of employees to deploy and use new logistics software

Provide adequate training and instruction to staff so that they are familiar with the functionalities and features of the software. Organize training and coaching sessions to help increase employee productivity by making them understand how to integrate the new software into existing business processes. Designate a lead person to coordinate and oversee the implementation process, work with the software vendor and communicate with the rest of the team. Such people will be responsible for handling any issues and questions that may arise during the process of implementing and using the logistics software.

Develop a detailed implementation plan that includes the steps required to deploy the software solution, as well as the associated timelines and responsibilities. Also prepare an internal communication strategy to make sure  that all employees are informed about what digitalization in logistics means and that they are involved in the implementation process. Establish an appropriate technical support system. Collaborate with the software vendor for real-time support and troubleshooting of issues that may arise while using the logistics software.

Software customization and configuration according to business workflows

Identify specific business workflows: purchasing, production, transportation, distribution, inventory management and customer relationship processes. Based on them you define the settings needed to configure your logistics software. Once the workflows have been identified, the next step is to set the specific parameters:  units of measure, currencies, fees, authority levels (for admins and users) and other aspects that may vary depending on the business.

Logistics software must be easy to use and suited to your business workflows, whether it’s mass production (MTS), MTO, warehousing, transportation or distribution. This involves customising software interfaces and functionalities, such as page design, integrating reporting tools, automating certain processes and creating custom templates. It is important to test and validate your logistics software configuration before moving on to the actual deployment. This ensures that the application will automate workflows in an optimal way. It is necessary to test real scenarios, check compatibility with other IT systems used by the company (for example, ERP, CRM), evaluate overall performance and efficiency.

Monitoring of logistics software deployment in your company

Establish specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your business objectives. Based on them, monitor and evaluate the success of your logistics application implementation. Choose indicators that should be relevant to your company: reducing delivery time, improving on-time delivery rate, decreasing logistics costs or increasing customer satisfaction. Consider key success factors (as the case may be) in transport, warehousing or production management, as well as in material, human, information resource management.

Collecting and analysing relevant data helps you measure the performance and efficiency of your logistics software. Use system-generated reports, customer satisfaction surveys and employee feedback. Analysing this data helps you identify opportunities for improvement and take action to optimize performance.

Change management and adaptation to new logistical business processes

Communicating change effectively is key to implementing logistics software in your business. Employees need to understand the benefits and reasons for implementing the new system and the role they play in this. Formal training sessions, training materials and ongoing support are very important for employees to be able to use the system effectively.

Flexibility and continuous adaptability are also important in managing the process of implementing logistics software. Change can bring challenges and obstacles, and regular evaluation of the new software’s performance and effectiveness, as well as feedback from employees using it, helps identify areas for improvement and subsequent adjustments to achieve the desired results.

Close collaboration with the logistics consultant

Logistics software providers also have specialized staff, consultants who can assist you in establishing the final application structure and functionalities. Their expertise and external, independent perspective on company processes can contribute to the optimization of company activities and a more efficient automation of its operations.

Carefully read the final document prepared by the consultants to check that all the functionalities you have discussed with them and requested are mentioned, as this will form the basis for the customization and deployment of the software solutions you purchase. We recommend that you do not skip this stage so as to avoid the situation of finding out after implementation that you did not get everything you requested because the consultant inadvertently omitted or possibly did not clearly understand one of the requirements.

Last but not least, it is important to ensure the conditions for an optimal software implementation by fulfilling your obligations during this process. The logistics software supplier/vendor, through its consultant, communicates with the managers designated by the company to ensure the deployment is completed as quickly as possible, but cannot perform their tasks. Poor communication, tasks performed late or not at all by the recipients during the software deployment process often leads to valuable time being wasted and to delays or bottlenecks that neither party wants.

In conclusion, the logistics software deployment in your company brings numerous benefits to manufacturing, transport or warehousing activities, improving the efficiency of production or the performance of your business logistics processes. By assessing needs, choosing the right solution, training your team, customizing the software, integrating it with other systems, monitoring and evaluating success, managing changes and adapting to new processes, you will get the most out of your investment. Axes Software specialists offer you relevant information, products and professional services for logistics software deployments in your business. Act now to optimize your business and stay competitive in your field.