Essential Logistics File Management During Lockdown

Truck drivers are facing more adversity than expected during quarantine. The pressure is on to keep supply chains open, but not enough companies and regulatory bodies are taking measures to ensure compliance and meet the needs of drivers. Some companies are asking drivers to stay in their trucks during deliveries or to use digital assets for paperwork, but without consistency or quality standards, this is actually slowing down shipment and interrupting delivery processes.

Essential Logistics File Management During LockdownWith quarantine measures in place, rest stops and dine-in restaurants are closing down. The hospitality industry is in sudden flux. Truckers have less options for parking their rigs safely and for grabbing grub on the road. Those who don’t have a sleeper and sometimes spend evenings in motels might find establishments temporarily closed. Demand increase is lopsided, so some drivers are finding their usual jobs or routes drying up while other markets are struggling to meet new orders.

To close the gap between logistics competitors, other systems must be made more efficient. There are immense pressures on CFOs, operational managers, and back-office staff to keep the routes running and to keep costs manageable. It’s extremely challenging. The technology is available to help organize shipping documents, automate batch processing, and allow for sharing of files in the field. However, companies don’t always know what they are looking for or how to implement in their existing infrastructure.

Essential Logistics File Management During LockdownAutomating processes can change the game, but choosing the right solution is key. One way to reduce complexity would be to have better processes around paperwork — while maintaining a good cost structure. Transportation might be up there with health care as one of the most paperwork-intensive industries. You typically have:

  • Employee records
  • Shipping/warehouse receipts
  • Supply chain documents
  • Material Safety Data Sheets
  • Driver logs
  • Copies of Commercial Drivers’ Licenses
  • Reports
  • Emails
  • Tax records
  • Citations

Essential Logistics File Management During LockdownThis is an enormous amount of paperwork to manage, and a strictly manual process makes no sense right now (or ever again for that matter). You need an enterprise content management (ECM) system, and typically you’ll want it to do the following:

  • Integrate with most of your pre-existing processes and/or have the ability to be customized to what you need
  • High-level security for proprietary documents
  • Easy tagging and finding to avoid “needle in haystack” moments
  • Tiers and permissions to determine workflow easier
  • Some automated workflows so that specific tasks/papers go immediately to the next person who would need to approve

All these bullets would reduce both admin and training costs. Plus, they would ensure shipments get to where they’re needed most without a hitch. The Contentverse ECM is great for logistics content management and automation needs. Especially now more than ever, when a simple, versatile solution is the best option to get up and running without wasting a second.

 

A version of this article was previously published as Content Management for Logistics Companies on October 25th, 2018.

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