In today’s world of interconnected economies, venturing into new markets and regions is an essential step in a shipper’s growth. But for many small businesses, the vast logistical complexities that come with global shipping can stop them from expanding across oceans and borders. Equipped with an unintegrated tech stack, limited personnel, and manual supply chain workflows, these firms can miss out on opportunities to expand their customer base and margins.
For businesses large and small, a successful global shipping operation calls for support from sophisticated logistics tech. A transportation management system (TMS) simplifies and optimizes logistics operations across the globe—providing real-time oversight, easing event management, and accelerating time-consuming tasks. With the right TMS platform by their side, small shippers are empowered to widen their reach and thrive in the global marketplace.
Gain real-time visibility across the globe
Keeping track of shipments and carriers spread throughout the globe is no small task, especially for small businesses just beginning their international ventures. Without a real-time understanding of shipment statuses and delivery timing updates, these shippers can’t provide the transparent shipping experience customers have come to expect from e-commerce giants and small businesses alike.
A TMS with real-time tracking capabilities offers the full visibility small businesses need to keep up with sky-high customer expectations. GPS location updates and visibility into pre-shipment, in-transit, and post-shipment activity allow shippers to understand when freight reaches each stage in the transport journey.
For example, CTSI-Global’s Honeybee TMS offers predictive ETAs that compile billions of location data points—and factors such as route, speed, traffic, and weather—into a predictive analysis that estimates whether the freight will be delivered late or on time. With these crucial insights, shippers can provide customers with up-to-date order statuses and build trust over the long term.
Pivot in the face of international supply chain obstacles
From weather events to geopolitical conflicts to trade disputes, any number of obstacles can stand in the way of global shipments. With an advanced TMS platform, shippers not only gain in-depth visibility into supply chain activity, but also react more quickly to unexpected supply chain obstacles.
TMSs come with a vast network of pre-vetted carriers—Honeybee TMS has relationships with 20,000—as well as automated carrier selection capabilities. If one carrier falls through, shippers can quickly shift to another, with the TMS optimizing selections based on pricing, timing, equipment offerings, or even customized criteria. Additionally, routing support allows shippers to switch to a new route or even transportation mode when doing so would save time or money.
Integrate your tech stack for seamless order management and invoicing
Technology is a vital component of modern logistics strategies. But an unintegrated tech stack produces underutilization and slow transitions between platforms—a particularly harmful consequence when global shipments call for quick pivots, rapid invoicing, excellent customer service, and constant oversight. As a business scales and their shipping activity becomes more widespread and complex, implementing a TMS that integrates with systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and a freight audit and payment system becomes essential.
An ERP-integrated TMS automates time-consuming order management tasks by populating the ERP system with each order’s relevant shipping information, creating one unified source of truth. The result is easy searches for order details when customers have questions and new opportunities for identifying efficiencies. Likewise, a freight audit and payment integration reduces freight invoice exceptions through data validation, enhances reporting, and eases the execution of international shipping regulations like Incoterms.
Make the transition to global shipping with customized technology
As global shipping challenges and opportunities evolve, small shippers can rely on TMS technology to act as a crucial extension of their team. By shedding light on global supply chains, offering customized dashboards, and optimizing routine tasks, CTSI-Global’s Honeybee TMS opens up paths to growth for shippers of all sizes.
Ready to go global? Contact CTSI-Global to gain the tools your small business needs to ship internationally.
