How much money are you leaving on the table with your carriers? Carrier invoices are notoriously complex and riddled with errors, from incorrect surcharges to charges for late deliveries. Manually auditing every bill is impossible at scale, meaning you’re likely overpaying without even knowing it. This is where a powerful shipping analytics platform pays for itself. It acts as your automated watchdog, meticulously auditing every invoice to find and recover funds you’re owed. But that’s just the beginning. This guide explains how these platforms move beyond simple audits to provide the deep visibility you need to optimize contracts, improve carrier performance, and take full control of your shipping spend.
Key Takeaways
- Gain Full Control Over Your Shipping Operations: A shipping analytics platform transforms raw, confusing shipping data into a clear, centralized view of your entire logistics network. This visibility allows you to understand exactly where your money is going, identify inefficiencies, and make strategic decisions based on facts, not guesswork.
- Select a Platform Based on Your Specific Needs: The best platform is one that integrates with your existing systems, can scale with your volume, and offers essential tools like automated invoice auditing and customizable reporting. Focus on solutions that solve your biggest pain points, whether it’s cost reduction, carrier accountability, or customer experience.
- Make Data-Driven Decisions a Core Part of Your Workflow: The platform’s true power is unlocked through consistent use. Establish a regular process for reviewing your shipping KPIs, train your team to use the tool effectively, and use the insights to continuously optimize your carrier contracts, improve delivery performance, and enhance customer satisfaction.
What Exactly Is a Shipping Analytics Platform?
Think of a shipping analytics platform as a translator for your shipping data. Every time you send a package, you generate a mountain of information—carrier invoices, tracking numbers, delivery times, accessorial fees, and more. On its own, this data is just a jumble of numbers. A shipping analytics platform takes all that raw information and turns it into clear, actionable insights you can actually use to make better decisions.
At its core, this software gives you a complete picture of your shipping operations. It helps you see exactly how your carriers are performing, where your money is going, and what’s causing delays or unexpected costs. Instead of spending hours buried in spreadsheets trying to connect the dots, you get an organized view of your entire logistics network. This allows you to spot trends, identify inefficiencies, and find opportunities to reduce high-volume shipping costs without sacrificing service quality. It’s about moving from reactive problem-solving to proactive strategy.
How These Platforms Work
So, how does it all happen? These platforms connect directly to your shipping carriers and internal systems to pull in raw data. They take your complicated, often messy shipping bills and clean them up, standardizing the information so it can be properly analyzed. Once the data is organized, the platform presents it in an easy-to-use dashboard with charts, graphs, and reports. This process turns abstract numbers into a clear story about your shipping health, helping you pinpoint problems and make smarter choices. The goal is to give you a single source of truth for all your reporting and KPIs.
Key Components of a Modern Analytics Solution
A modern shipping analytics solution is more than just a data visualizer. It should be a comprehensive toolkit that covers the entire shipping lifecycle, from outbound packages to returns. Key features to look for include real-time tracking, robust reporting, and smart insights, often powered by AI. Strong platforms also offer easy integrations with your existing systems. A critical component is the ability to perform a detailed invoice audit and recovery, which automatically finds and flags billing errors so you can reclaim funds you’re owed. This gives you a complete picture and helps you save time and money.
Must-Have Features That Drive Real Results
When you start looking at shipping analytics platforms, you’ll quickly notice they aren’t all built the same. Some offer basic dashboards, while others provide a full suite of tools designed to transform your entire logistics operation. To get real, measurable results, you need a platform that does more than just show you data—it needs to help you understand what that data means and what to do with it. The right features turn your shipping department from a cost center into a strategic advantage. They give you the power to spot trends, cut unnecessary spending, and hold your carriers accountable. Think of these features as your non-negotiables; they are the core components that will actually drive efficiency and deliver a strong return on your investment. A platform equipped with these must-have tools provides the clarity needed to answer critical questions: Are we using the right service levels? Are we being overcharged? Which carriers are consistently underperforming? It doesn’t just present data; it provides actionable answers, empowering your team to make smarter, faster decisions that directly impact your bottom line. These are the features that separate the good platforms from the great ones, turning raw shipping information into a powerful competitive edge.
Real-Time Tracking and Complete Visibility
You can’t fix what you can’t see. That’s why real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility are at the top of the list. This goes far beyond a simple tracking number lookup. A powerful analytics platform gives you a live, comprehensive view of all your shipments in one place, regardless of the carrier. This allows you to monitor delivery times, anticipate delays, and assess carrier performance on the fly. With this level of insight, you can proactively manage customer expectations and quickly address any logistical bottlenecks before they become major problems. True visibility means having a command center for your entire shipping network, accessible through a single spend management portal.
Advanced Reporting and Data Analysis
Standard, out-of-the-box reports are a starting point, but they rarely tell the whole story. Your business has unique challenges and goals, and your analytics should reflect that. Look for a platform that lets you dig deep into your shipping data and build custom reports tailored to your specific needs. You should be able to filter, segment, and analyze your data by lane, service level, weight, location, and any other variable that matters to your business. This is how you uncover hidden cost drivers and identify opportunities for improvement. With robust reporting and KPIs, you can move beyond simply tracking expenses to strategically managing them.
Tools for Cost Optimization and Invoice Audits
This is where a great platform pays for itself. Carrier invoices are notoriously complex and riddled with errors, from incorrect surcharges to charges for service failures like late deliveries. A top-tier platform should include an automated invoice audit and recovery feature that meticulously checks every bill and flags discrepancies for recovery. This alone can save you a significant percentage of your total shipping spend. Beyond audits, the platform should provide tools for cost optimization, analyzing your shipping patterns to recommend more efficient service levels or carriers. This data is also your best asset when it comes time for carrier contract negotiations.
Performance Monitoring and KPI Dashboards
To improve your shipping operations, you need to define what success looks like and measure it consistently. The best analytics platforms provide intuitive, at-a-glance dashboards that track your most important key performance indicators (KPIs). You can gain a clear understanding of carrier performance by monitoring metrics like on-time delivery rates, transit times, and cost per package. These dashboards turn complex data into a simple performance scorecard, making it easy to see where your carriers are meeting expectations and where they’re falling short. This continuous monitoring is essential for holding carriers accountable and ensuring you’re getting the service you pay for.
AI-Powered Insights and Predictive Analytics
The most advanced platforms are now using artificial intelligence to offer predictive insights that can guide your strategy. Instead of just reporting on what happened yesterday, these tools analyze historical data to forecast future trends, predict potential delivery disruptions, and recommend the most cost-effective shipping options in real time. For example, an AI-powered tool might suggest an alternative carrier for a specific lane based on recent performance data or predict a surge in surcharges during a peak period. This allows you to make proactive, data-driven decisions that keep you one step ahead, constantly refining your approach to modal optimization and overall strategy.
The Top Shipping Analytics Platforms to Consider
Once you decide to invest in a shipping analytics platform, the next step is figuring out which one is right for you. The market is filled with options, each promising to cut your costs and streamline your operations. But the truth is, the “best” platform is the one that aligns perfectly with your specific business goals. Are you a high-volume shipper laser-focused on negotiating better carrier contracts and auditing every single invoice for savings? Or are you an e-commerce brand that prioritizes the post-purchase customer experience above all else? Maybe you need a single, unified system to manage a complex logistics network that includes warehousing and multiple carriers.
The key is to look past the flashy marketing and dig into what each platform truly excels at. Some are masters of deep-dive data analysis, turning millions of data points into clear, actionable strategies for reducing high-volume shipping costs. Others offer incredible tools for customer communication, with branded tracking pages and proactive delay notifications. And some are built to be the central nervous system of your entire supply chain. This guide breaks down the top contenders, highlighting their core strengths so you can make an informed decision that drives real results for your business. We’ll look at what makes each one unique and who they’re best suited for.
Shipware: For Deep Analytics and Reporting
If your primary goal is to get to the bottom of your shipping spend and find every possible opportunity for savings, Shipware is your platform. It’s designed for businesses that need more than just surface-level dashboards. Shipware provides incredibly deep analytics and reporting & KPIs that expose the hidden costs and inefficiencies in your carrier agreements. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to deliver actionable insights, not just data. It helps you understand exactly where you’re overspending and gives you the leverage you need for carrier contract negotiations. Think of it as having a team of logistics experts built right into your software, constantly working to improve your bottom line.
Sendcloud: For All-in-One Shipping Intelligence
For businesses looking for a powerful, all-in-one solution, Sendcloud is a fantastic choice. It’s built to manage the entire shipping process from a single interface. Sendcloud’s Shipping Intelligence tools help you do everything from comparing and choosing the best carriers for each shipment to measuring their performance over time. One of its standout features is its ability to predict shipping delays and automatically update customers, which can be a game-changer for maintaining satisfaction. It’s a comprehensive platform that’s especially useful for e-commerce companies that want to automate their logistics and keep customers happy without juggling multiple tools.
Reveel: For Cost Analysis and Carrier Insights
Dealing with complex carrier invoices can feel like trying to decipher a secret code. Reveel’s specialty is making that data simple and understandable. Its parcel shipping analytics solution ingests all your complicated shipping data, normalizes it, and presents it in a clean, easy-to-use application. This approach is perfect for teams that need to quickly identify cost-saving opportunities without getting lost in spreadsheets. Reveel excels at finding those hidden fees and surcharges that quietly eat away at your profits. If you want clear, immediate insights into your carrier performance and spending, this platform is designed to deliver just that.
AfterShip: For E-commerce Tracking and Analytics
In e-commerce, the customer experience doesn’t end at checkout—it extends all the way to the customer’s doorstep. AfterShip is a platform built around perfecting that post-purchase journey. While it offers solid analytics, its main strength is in customer-facing tracking and communication. AfterShip allows you to create beautiful, branded tracking pages and send proactive notifications about shipment status. This not only reduces “where is my order?” inquiries but also builds brand loyalty. The analytics it provides are geared toward helping you understand and improve the delivery experience, making it an essential tool for direct-to-consumer brands focused on customer retention.
Shipwell: For Integrated Logistics Management
If your logistics are more complex than just parcel shipping, Shipwell offers a platform designed to bring everything together. It’s an integrated logistics management system that uses real-time data and tracking to streamline your entire supply chain. Shipwell helps you analyze transportation costs, manage warehouse operations, and gain visibility across different modes of shipping, all from one cohesive dashboard. It’s built for businesses that need a central command center to manage everything from freight to final-mile delivery. By connecting disparate systems, Shipwell provides a holistic view of your operations, helping you make smarter, data-driven decisions across the board.
How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Business
Picking the right shipping analytics platform isn’t about finding a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about finding the right fit for your business. The best platform will align with your current systems, grow with your shipping volume, and deliver the specific insights you need to make smarter decisions. As you evaluate your options, focus on a few key areas to ensure you’re making a choice that will deliver real value and a strong return on investment. Here’s what to look for.
Check for Easy Data Integration and Compatibility
Your shipping analytics platform should feel like a natural extension of your existing tech stack, not a clunky add-on. Before you commit, confirm that it can seamlessly connect with your ecommerce platform, ERP, and warehouse management system. The goal is to automate the flow of data to reduce errors and save time. A great platform offers multi-carrier support and real-time tracking. Without smooth integration, you’ll spend more time wrestling with data silos than actually using the insights. Make sure any platform you consider has a robust spend management portal that centralizes information from all your systems.
Make Sure It Can Scale with Your Shipping Volume
The platform that works for you today must also work for you tomorrow. Your shipping volume will grow, and your software needs to keep up without a hitch. Whether you’re processing a few hundred orders a day or tens of thousands, the right platform scales with your business. Ask potential vendors how their systems handle increases in volume and what performance you can expect during peak seasons. Choosing a scalable solution is critical if your goal is to reduce high-volume shipping costs as you expand, since you’ll need consistent data to manage that growth effectively.
Look for Customizable Reports and Dashboards
Data is only useful if you can understand it. Generic, out-of-the-box reports often miss the nuances of your specific shipping operations. Look for a platform that offers customizable reports and dashboards that you can tailor to your most important metrics. With the right analytics, you can get a much clearer picture of carrier performance based on cost and timeliness. You should be able to build dashboards that put your key performance indicators front and center, allowing you to spot trends and address issues quickly. Having access to detailed reporting and KPIs is what turns raw data into actionable strategy.
Verify Its Ability to Catch Invoice Errors
Carrier invoice errors are surprisingly common, and they can quietly drain your budget. Manually checking every invoice is impossible for high-volume shippers, which is why this feature is a non-negotiable. A top-tier analytics platform should have a built-in, automated audit function that flags discrepancies for you. Errors in shipping invoices are prevalent, but most businesses simply aren’t equipped to find them. The right software can identify everything from incorrect surcharges to late delivery failures, ensuring you only pay for the services you actually receive. An effective invoice audit and recovery process can often generate enough savings to pay for the platform itself.
How to Overcome Common Implementation Hurdles
Adopting a new shipping analytics platform is a powerful move, but let’s be real—it’s not always a simple plug-and-play process. The good news is that the most common challenges are entirely manageable with a bit of foresight. When you know what to expect, you can create a smoother transition and start seeing a return on your investment much faster. The biggest hurdles usually involve wrangling massive amounts of data, catching costly invoice errors that were previously hidden, and untangling complex internal accounting systems.
Successfully implementing a new platform means turning these challenges into opportunities. By centralizing your data, you gain unprecedented visibility. By automating invoice audits, you recover lost revenue. And by streamlining your GL coding, you create a more efficient and accurate financial workflow. The key is to choose a platform and a partner equipped to handle these complexities from day one, turning potential headaches into significant cost savings and operational improvements. Let’s walk through how to tackle each of these common hurdles.
Manage Data Overload and System Integration
If you’re a high-volume shipper, you’re sitting on a mountain of data from carriers, warehouses, and order management systems. The first step in making sense of it all is getting it into one place. A quality analytics platform should seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack—like your ERP and WMS—to pull historical and real-time data automatically. This process harnesses your shipment history to reveal patterns in transit times, service types, and costs. A unified view from a spend management portal is what allows you to move from simply collecting data to using it to make strategic decisions that cut costs and improve your supply chain.
Solve Invoice Errors and Visibility Gaps
Carrier invoice errors are surprisingly common, but most businesses don’t have the time or tools to catch them. Manually auditing thousands of invoices for incorrect surcharges, duplicate billings, or missed service guarantees is a monumental task. This is where an automated platform becomes a game-changer. The right solution will perform a comprehensive invoice audit and recovery process for you, flagging every discrepancy and managing the claims process to get your money back. This not only recovers revenue you would have otherwise lost but also provides a clear, accurate picture of your true shipping costs, closing the visibility gaps that prevent effective budget management.
Handle Complex GL Codes and Disparate Systems
When your shipping data lives in separate, disconnected systems, getting a complete view of your logistics operation is nearly impossible. This fragmentation makes it difficult to take decisive action. Another common pain point is allocating shipping costs to the correct General Ledger (GL) codes. Manually assigning costs to different departments, projects, or locations is tedious and often leads to mistakes. A robust analytics platform can automate GL coding based on your business rules, ensuring every dollar is accounted for correctly. This simplifies your team’s workflow and provides accurate reporting and KPIs for better financial planning across the entire organization.
Which Metrics Actually Signal Success?
With so much data at your fingertips, it’s easy to get lost. The key isn’t to track everything, but to focus on the metrics that truly move the needle for your business. A great shipping analytics platform helps you zero in on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect operational health, financial efficiency, and customer happiness. Let’s look at the three core areas you should be monitoring to get a clear picture of your performance.
On-Time Delivery and Transit Time Performance
This is all about reliability. On-time delivery and transit time performance are critical metrics that show how dependable your shipping operations are. Hitting your delivery windows builds trust, while delays can quickly erode it. By analyzing these metrics, you can spot trends in carrier performance and make smarter decisions to refine your logistics strategy. For instance, if a carrier is consistently late on a specific route, you have the data you need to hold them accountable or diversify your carrier mix. It’s about building a reputation for reliability that keeps customers coming back.
Freight Cost per Unit and Carrier Performance
Your total shipping spend only tells part of the story. To understand financial efficiency, you need to track your freight cost per unit shipped. This metric gives you a clearer picture of your profitability on every order. When you combine this data with on-time delivery rates, you get a comprehensive view of carrier performance—not just who is cheapest, but who provides the best value. A solid analytics platform makes it easy to monitor these costs, helping you identify opportunities to optimize your carrier contracts and reduce expenses without sacrificing service quality. It’s about making every shipping dollar count.
Order Accuracy and Customer Satisfaction Scores
Every shipment is a direct reflection of your brand. That’s why order accuracy is a vital metric that directly impacts customer satisfaction. This goes beyond on-time delivery; it includes ensuring the correct items are sent to the right address and arrive in perfect condition. By monitoring these metrics, you can pinpoint areas for improvement in your fulfillment and shipping processes. A small error can lead to a costly return and a lost customer. Analytics platforms give you the visibility to catch these issues early, helping you create the seamless experience that turns one-time buyers into loyal fans and protects your bottom line from unnecessary distribution and fulfillment costs.
How to Calculate the ROI on Your Analytics Platform
Investing in a shipping analytics platform is a big decision, and you need to know it will pay off. Calculating the return on investment (ROI) goes beyond simply comparing the subscription cost to the immediate savings you find. A true ROI calculation accounts for hard savings from invoice errors, soft savings from improved efficiency, and long-term gains from better carrier performance and happier customers.
To get a full picture, you need to look at the platform’s impact across your entire logistics operation. Think about how much time your team saves, how your carrier relationships improve, and whether your customers are more satisfied with their delivery experience. When you combine these direct and indirect benefits, you can build a powerful business case for adopting a robust analytics solution. It’s about transforming shipping from a cost center into a strategic advantage.
Pinpoint Your Cost Savings and Efficiency Gains
The most straightforward way to measure ROI is by tracking direct cost reductions. Shipping analytics platforms excel at this by automatically flagging billing errors and service failures. Every time the platform catches a carrier overcharge or identifies a late delivery eligible for a refund, that’s a hard-dollar saving you can attribute directly to the software. A comprehensive invoice audit and recovery process can uncover thousands in savings you might have otherwise missed.
Beyond refunds, these platforms drive efficiency. They help you prioritize cost-effective shipping methods by analyzing routes, carriers, and service levels in real time. This allows you to implement automated shipping rules that ensure every package goes out the door in the most economical way possible. This level of modal optimization not only cuts freight spend but also frees up your team from manually comparing rates, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks.
Track Performance Improvements Over Time
Your ROI also grows as you use data to improve operational performance. With shipping analytics, you gain a clear view of carrier performance across key metrics like cost, timeliness, and reliability. You can monitor KPIs such as on-time delivery rates, average transit times, and the percentage of shipments meeting their promised delivery date. Tracking these trends helps you hold carriers accountable for their service level agreements (SLAs).
This data becomes incredibly valuable during negotiations. When you can walk into a meeting with detailed reports on a carrier’s performance, you have the leverage you need to secure better terms and rates. This is where a strong contract optimization strategy pays dividends. Over time, these incremental improvements in carrier performance lead to significant, sustained cost savings and a more resilient supply chain.
Measure Enhancements to the Customer Experience
Don’t overlook the impact on your customers. While harder to quantify, improvements to the customer experience can deliver the highest long-term ROI. Analytics gives you the data to set and meet accurate delivery promises, which is fundamental to customer satisfaction. When shoppers know they can rely on your shipping estimates, they’re more likely to make a purchase and come back for more.
This data also empowers your customer service team. Instead of reacting to angry calls about late packages, your team can proactively identify delays and notify customers with updated information. This transparency can turn a potentially negative situation into a positive brand interaction, building trust and loyalty. Ultimately, a smooth, predictable delivery experience reduces customer churn and increases lifetime value, contributing directly to your bottom line.
Getting the Most Out of Your Platform
Investing in a shipping analytics platform is a fantastic first step, but the real value comes from how you use it day-to-day. Simply having the tool isn’t enough to transform your logistics operations. To truly see a return on your investment, you need to integrate the platform into your team’s workflow and decision-making processes. This means creating new habits around data, ensuring everyone is on the same page, and empowering your team with the right skills. Think of it like getting a gym membership—you won’t see results unless you actually show up and use the equipment correctly. Similarly, your analytics platform needs consistent attention and a clear strategy to deliver the cost savings and efficiencies you’re looking for. By being intentional about how you use your platform, you can turn raw data into a powerful engine for operational excellence. The following steps will help you build the right habits and processes to make sure your investment pays off in a big way, moving your team from reactive problem-solving to proactive, data-driven strategy. It’s about making data a core part of your culture, not just another report that gets filed away.
Set Up a Regular Data Review Process
To make your data work for you, you need to look at it consistently. Don’t let your analytics dashboard gather digital dust. The best practice is to establish a regular cadence for reviewing your shipping data. This could look like a weekly operations meeting to go over key dashboard metrics and a monthly deep-dive to analyze broader trends. This rhythm turns delivery from a simple cost center into a source of ongoing value. By regularly examining your reporting and KPIs, you can spot inefficiencies, track carrier performance, and make proactive adjustments that cut costs and keep your customers happy with reliable service.
Centralize Data from All Your Carriers
If you’re working with multiple carriers, you’re likely juggling data from several different sources. A key benefit of a shipping analytics platform is its ability to centralize this information. Bringing all your carrier data into one place gives you a single source of truth, allowing for a much clearer understanding of performance across cost, timeliness, and reliability. This unified view lets you make true apples-to-apples comparisons and optimize your shipping strategy. It’s the foundation for smart decisions, whether you’re negotiating contracts or planning for carrier diversification to build a more resilient supply chain.
Train Your Team to Use the Platform Effectively
A powerful tool is only as good as the people using it. It’s not realistic to implement new analytics software and just expect your team to figure it out. Proper training is essential for getting the most out of your platform. When your team understands how to use the system effectively, they can ensure the data going in is clean and reliable. More importantly, they’ll be equipped to interpret the analytics, identify cost-saving opportunities, and use advanced features to their full potential. Investing in training empowers your employees to move from simply pulling reports to actively using the spend management portal to drive strategic improvements.
A Look at Pricing Models and Potential Discounts
Figuring out the cost of a shipping analytics platform isn’t always as simple as checking a pricing page. The investment can range from a small monthly fee to a significant enterprise contract, depending on your shipping volume and the features you need. But don’t let the variability scare you off. Understanding how these platforms structure their pricing is the first step to finding a solution that fits your budget and delivers a strong return. With a little research and the right negotiation strategy, you can secure a powerful tool without overspending.
Understanding How Platform Pricing Works
When you start exploring different platforms, you’ll quickly notice that many don’t list their prices publicly. Instead, you’ll see phrases like “customized pricing” or “request a quote.” This is actually a good thing. It means the provider tailors the cost to your specific needs, so you aren’t paying for features you won’t use. Pricing is often based on factors like your monthly shipping volume, the number of carrier accounts you need to connect, and the complexity of your logistics network. Be prepared to have a conversation with their sales team to walk through your operational needs. This allows them to build a package that aligns with your goals, whether that’s simple reporting or a full spend management portal.
Finding Free Trials and Promotional Offers
Before you commit to a long-term contract, it’s smart to see if you can test the software first. Many analytics providers offer free trials or limited-feature free accounts that let you get a feel for the user interface and core functionality. This is your chance to see how easily the platform integrates with your existing systems and whether your team can actually use it to pull meaningful reports. Even if a free trial isn’t advertised on the website, it never hurts to ask a sales representative. They can often set up a demo or a short-term pilot program, especially for high-volume shippers. These offers give you a risk-free way to evaluate the tool’s impact on your operations.
Tips for Negotiating an Enterprise Contract
If you’re a high-volume shipper, you’ll likely be looking at an enterprise-level contract. This is where your negotiation skills come into play. The key is to frame the discussion around value—both the value the platform will bring to your business and the value you bring as a high-volume client. Come to the conversation prepared with data on your shipping spend and key pain points. When you can clearly articulate how their tool will help you achieve specific goals, like improving carrier contract optimization, you have more leverage. Don’t hesitate to ask about discounts for longer contract terms, bundled services, or performance-based pricing models that tie the cost to your actual savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
My carrier already gives me a free analytics dashboard. Why would I pay for another one? That’s a great question. While carrier-provided dashboards are useful, they only show you one side of the story—theirs. They are designed to keep you within their network and won’t highlight where a competitor might offer better rates or more reliable service on a specific lane. A dedicated analytics platform provides a complete, unbiased view by bringing all your carrier data together. This allows you to make true apples-to-apples comparisons and find savings opportunities that a single carrier’s tool would never reveal.
How much work is it to get a shipping analytics platform set up? It’s usually less work for your team than you might think. Most of the heavy lifting, like integrating with your existing systems and pulling in historical data, is handled by the platform provider. Your main role is to provide access to your carrier accounts and work with their implementation team to define your goals. A good partner will manage the technical details so your team can stay focused on their daily responsibilities and get ready to use the new insights.
Is a platform like this only useful for parcel shipping? While many platforms have a strong focus on parcel, the most robust solutions are built to handle your entire logistics network. They can integrate and analyze data from LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers, freight, and even your 3PL partners. This gives you a single, unified view of your total transportation spend, which is essential for making smart decisions about your overall supply chain strategy and finding the most efficient shipping mode for any given situation.
How quickly can I expect to see a return on my investment? You can often see a return much faster than you might expect. The automated invoice audit feature typically delivers the quickest wins by finding and recovering funds from carrier billing errors almost immediately. Within the first few months, the platform will also provide enough data to pinpoint major cost-saving opportunities in your shipping patterns and give you the leverage you need for more effective carrier contract negotiations, leading to significant long-term savings.
My team is already stretched thin. Will this just add more work for them? The goal of a great platform is actually to reduce your team’s workload, not add to it. Think about the hours your team currently spends manually pulling reports, trying to track down shipments, and fighting with spreadsheets to make sense of invoices. A good platform automates these tedious and time-consuming tasks. It frees your team from reactive problem-solving so they can focus on more strategic work, like analyzing trends and implementing the cost-saving initiatives that the platform uncovers.