CRM for Logistics & Transportation Industry. Let’s Move IT!

Transportation Cost Control

Even though this one belongs to the low-impact pains, there is still some leverage to be applied via the tool. For example, team members and drivers can exchange a file on current fuel prices across the states so that to optimize the routes.

An extensive reporting can also help ascertain annual seasonal fluctuation of the fuel price and ensure respective measures are taken to minimize consumption during the highest rates peak.

Planning & Risk Management 

Not-so obvious, but risk management is something the best CRMs out there can help with.

One of the easiest scenarios to implement is to mark any deal, email, or task, that is related to a high perceived threat with a specific tag. You can create one tag or a few segmented ones after the discussion with your team and instruct all customer service agents, sales, logistic managers to mark any activity that could potentially be risky with those tags.

A senior manager can review all of those data points at the end of the day or as immediately as the tag prompts to and take a corrective or preventive measure.

Alternatively, a report can be made to track such tasks, deals, correspondences to find patterns and similarities to create a counterplan for the future.

When it comes to planning, CRM is THE tool in your tech stack. Nimble’s calendar can be presented in a list or calendar view for one team member or entire team, allowing as much granularity as needed.

Partner Relationships

Supplier, vendor, and partner management is taken to another level with systems like Nimble, Salesforce, Pipeline.

Specifically, with features like Nimble Prospector, client profile gets expansively enriched with data like company details, contacts, social media data. 

Moreover, sales and marketing LOVE Nimble Prospector tool as it is available anywhere on your desktop – be it inside the system or outside: in an email, on the web, in third party apps, in the social media environment.

Email, schedule meetings, comment on a Twitter post, exchange docs easily with your partners inside a client relationship management tool.

Government Regulations

Government Regulations are outside of the impact zone of business, but even here there is help coming from a system like Nimble. You can ensure all of your team is updated with recent environmental or governmental regulations by sharing respective docs via integrated DropBox or GDrive.

Importance Of CRM In Logistics

As the global institute of Logistics states in its preliminary findings in the Independent Freight Forwarder in global Logistics 2015-2020, there is a trend to book less with BCOs but rather to use independent freight forwarders or multinational 3PLs. In 1996 75% of all seas freight was booked directly with Beneficial Cargo Owners, which is forecasted to go down to 50% by 2020 with 30 performed by independent freight forwarders.

This is just another of the big shift facets, alongside with the ecommerce revolution, that proves just how significantly and rapidly the industry has to adapt to the digitization of the world in general and industry in particular.

Why is CRM so important for the industry then?

1. Helicopter View analytics and trend spotting.

In the big data world, data is valuable for a few reasons:

• To spot and correct mistakes timely
• To see and build on successes before the competition does it
• To foresee the trends and adopt novelties first to reap the high margins

Any CRM for transportation companies will have an extensive reporting module that will add to the existing ERP reporting, providing a deeper understanding of the customer and vendor role in trends & patterns revealed by analytics.

2. Leverage For Granular Segmentation Due To Customization

Users can zoom in on literally any data point on a report in Customer Relationship Management software because of customization and tagging features.

There is a possibility to create a custom field in any section of the tool: be it a contact, a deal, a task, or a pipeline. Once you create a custom field, you can add a tag to it and make it part of the report. Based on such analysis users can scrutinize any process as granularly as they need to, getting actionable insights.

3. Client and Team Management On Steroids

If you have to find new efficiencies, upping your game in communication always brings the best ROI. If we are talking a more attentive approach to the team, whereby all colleagues get instantaneously updated on any innovations and get one-click access to the all relevant docs; or if we are talking about group emailing narrowly segmented suppliers at the right time to source the best price.

There are numerous ways when a CRM with its extensive email marketing and contact management feature will enable smooth collaboration with every type of contact in your phone – be it a colleague, a vendor, or a partner.

How CRM for Logistics Can Boost Bottom-Line for T&L 

Save Time To Use It Were Needed Most

On average 90 minutes is saved daily by people who start using Nimble CRM. This is quite a bit of productive time that you can spend on other revenue-making activities by automating all the technical nuances that Nimble can take care of.

Plan Like A Time Management Geek

You don’t need to be Mr./Ms. Discipline anymore.

Nimble can do all the disciplining it takes to fill your day packed full with the slots of useful activities.

Make an appointment with a team member or a supplier in a click, shift, or cancel a meeting, get a one snapshot overview every morning for best resource planning.

The calendar is compatible with Google calendar and Outlook so that all favorite systems are in sync at any time.

Segment To Get To The Bottom Of Mistakes And Repeat Heights Of Successes

With reporting, it’s all about the right questions. You can get any answer if you put the right questions. If you feel one of your activities is underperforming, try and place it under the radar of your Client Management Tool. With customizable fields, you can always create a tag and include in a report any data point.

Keep an eye on tasks, contacts, segments, deals, that you need further info about. With the right segments and tags, reporting can provide insights into the biggest of your operational concerns.

Group-Email, Track Open Rate, And Automate Email Marketing

Email correspondence can be fun. If you think otherwise, you are not a Nimble client yet.

You will love your inbox as much as 140 thousands of Nimble users currently do.

Emails can be automated, scheduled, sent to select customer or vendor segments of groups, tracked for open rates, and more. 

Manage Tasks, Assign Them To Team Members & Automate Repeat Pipelines

• Task management is a multi-step process whose success depends on a myriad of factors at each step: you need to make sure the right colleague is assigned to a task, there are sufficient resources ascribed, there is a procedure in place to follow, etc. 
• Many tasks have a recurring nature and can be programmed as a succession of automated assignments in a custom pipeline for increased efficiencies.
• A task can be accessed from virtually any point of CRM – be it a contact profile, email, or a deal – once it is assigned to them.
• Calendar overview of all tasks provides a helicopter view understanding of the workload for a team and allows them to bring in necessary corrections as things develop.

Nimble: One Of The Best CRMs for Transportation Companies

When looking for transport logistics software, including a Customer relationship management tool is a wise step. Once integrated with other systems, it adds an extra layer of efficiencies and provides more insightful answers.

If you own a freight agency, 3PL company, or a transportation firm, a Nimble SaaS solution can help optimize processes that steal time from your top 20% of activities. This is why we are so confident:

• Nimble helps 140K users across the globe to save 90 minutes a day.
• Our SaaS solution has been on top of the independent review resources, like Capterra and G2 Crowd.
• Users who try this intuitive tool for 2 weeks for free keep using it, as to enjoy this new way of working so much. Our churn rate is exemplary, so we are confident you will love these newly found ways to boost your productivity in transport & logistics too.
• We have provided an API for you to easily integrate Nimble with your ERP, warehouse management solution, trucking, shipping software, and other logistics tools. We are part of the Zapier and PieSynch.
• Best of all, our transparent pricing is easy to pay, scale, and forecast: $25 per user per month if billed monthly and $19 per user per month if billed annually.

Let’s move those items to their users quicker, cheaper, and with less effort together! Try Nimble now for 2 weeks with just an email!