Transportation management systems facilitate the short-term planning, execution, and optimization of transportation activities. They may also provide performance management and collaboration capabilities. In addition to managing the physical flow of materials, transportation management systems manage the flow of transportation-related information, documents, and money. According to a 2006 industry study, 34% of companies currently use a TMS and 55% plan to purchase a new system in the coming year.
Rail freight transportation moves under its own unique system of processes and rules. The complete needs of rail managers can only be met by a best in class system specialized for managing rail shipping.
Information in RSInet is displayed in an easy to read web based graphical user interface. Select a stored pattern and ship your car. That’s it – all of the railcar tracing, reporting, cost accrual, and freight payment (optional) is automatic.
Maximizing the efficiency of your rail shipping is about more than just tracking railcars. For shippers that monitor their shipments using simpler tools or those supplied by the carriers (i.e. Steelroads, carrier websites) – there’s a saying about getting what you pay for. These shippers are failing to maximize the performance and cost of their rail shipping for several reasons including:
- Inefficient tracking tools and the lack of a problem solving process
- A lack of performance reporting and optimization
- No freight cost management or tools for controlling accessorial charges
- No supplier or customer collaboration tools
In this environment of spiraling transportation costs, progressive rail managers should be looking for ways to squeeze more efficiency out of their rail transportation.
An up-front investment is not required since RSInet is an on-demand solution. The fee for using RSInet averages less than 1/1000 of the cost of shipping a railcar. From a return on investment perspective, the average freight and administrative cost savings achieved by using RSInet delivers an ROI of at least 600% when compared with more manual railcar management processes. For customers that choose to use RSInet in conjunction with our rate management services, a direct freight spend reduction of 5% - 7% is common.
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