10 Feb 2020

How to Choose the Best 3PL Software Platform in 2020?

by | posted in: 3PL, Technology | 0

3PL Software

Software makes the world go ’round. While that might not be the original expression, it’s a true fact today. In fact, most businesses, especially ones in the logistics industry, are making use of software to make running and managing operations easier.

A few companies out there might still be relying on ancient methods for their record keeping. However, most successful ones don’t. The choice of the right 3PL software can give you a boost above your competitors who aren’t using the same thing to manage their supply chain.

How to Choose the Best 3PL Software Platform in 2020?

Here’s what you should know about how to choose the best 3PL software platform in 2020 for your business, what you should look for in a 3PL software solution and what a few software options are available to you right now.

What is 3PL Software and What Does It Do?

3PL Software is to the logistics industry what a Point-of-Sale system is to retail. This is the central mainframe where you keep track of business essentials: What comes in, what goes out and which companies are signed on to do the job.

Simply, it keeps track and helps you to manage several essential branches of your business in one place. A few clicks can give you access to your entire supply chain.

If your business isn’t making use of 3PL software or if your current software hasn’t been upgraded since the early 2000s, your business is losing out as a result.

Why Software Should Be Upgraded in 2020

Software doesn’t stay the same: Computers have their Operating Systems upgraded at least once every few years for safety and security reasons – and the same is true for any Android or iDevice that updates once every few weeks.

While heading into the year 2020, upgrading your current software is one of the most important things you can do.

A software upgrade ensures that things work faster and better during the coming year. It also gives you an advantage above anyone who didn’t upgrade when they were supposed to.

What Should I Look For?

3PL software is meant to help people manage logistics systems better. This means that 3PL software should be able to help you keep track of where shipments came from, where shipments should be going – and advanced forms of 3PL software can help to tell you where your shipments are right now.

What to look for in 3PL software depends on what your needs are. Some companies prefer cloud-based while others backup offline. Just the same, some companies will prefer open source software solutions and others might opt for paid solutions instead due to having different needs.

Open Source Options

Open Source software means that the source code for the software is public and usually in a constant state of upgrades and development, sometimes more than paid software; this also has the benefit of being free-to-use and distribute, which can be a huge benefit for your company.

OpenWMS.org

OpenWMS is one of the best open-source warehouse managment solutions, used by both large and small 3PL businesses to do faster, better business.

Odoo

Formerly OpenERP, Oodoo allows for warehouse and finance management – and being open source, it’s free.

Non-Open Source Options

Non-Open Source options are paid, but sometimes worth it for larger logistics companies who want to keep a close eye on their operations.

Camelot 3PL Software

Camelot 3PL Software is one of the leading paid software solutions for logistics and warehouse management, available online.

Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory is partially open source and partially subscription service, and you can sign up to get all of your logistics and warehouse management information on the cloud for you to access, modify or share.

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Nebraska Warehouse doesn’t just help to facilitate your shipments, but we are truly a one-stop-shop solutions provider. Our services include: