Cloud Solutions for Logistics Companies – A Viable Option

Companies in the Australian logistics sector can greatly benefit from cloud solutions. By hosting their management software in the cloud, these companies stand to get the benefits traditional hosting methods cannot provide. These are factors that are worth considering especially when the company has already become, or is geared towards becoming, a huge enterprise. If you own or manage a logistics firm, here are a few reasons why you should consider "the cloud."

A Logistics Company's Software Needs

In most cases, a logistics or freight company will need to perform various processes to ensure that operations run smooth as silk. Some of these major processes include delivery auditing and warehouse and pallet control.

Logistics software provides enterprises with automated or assisted solutions so that these processes need not be performed manually. Manual labour can be pretty costly and such is a scenario companies would rather avoid.

The Traditional Method

But for any program to perform these processes efficiently, it will need an infrastructure—this means the facilities, hardware, and software, as well as the space for data storage and computing. Cloud solutions are a more convenient choice for many enterprises because these are not as complicated and expensive as typical, traditional solutions.

In the traditional method, the logistics company spends so much on the maintenance of the hardware or the actual facility needed to store and compute data.

So for companies that do not have the infrastructure, they will need to shell out a lot of money to establish a data facility. The will need to spend on its IT equipment. Then, the company must also hire qualified technicians, engineers, and managers to ensure that the facility functions 24/7. If the facility goes down, logistics software also stalls, and operations come to a halt; this can result in massive losses for the company.

The Cloud and Its Benefits

In cloud-based software solutions, the program is offered as one whole package. This means the software provider not only gives you the software and license to use it; the provider will also ensure you get the data computing and storage space you need to run the software. This is done without having to build your own data facility or even rent dedicated servers. While cloud solutions are more complicated to execute on the part of the provider, it makes things simpler for the user.

The logistics company therefore only needs to worry about daily operations and how to make full use of the software. It no longer needs to worry about the expenses tied with having a data centre. It also does not need to communicate with another company for data storage and computing space. That's because the space is already provided with the software. It is based on the cloud.

Is It For You?

Be warned though that cloud solutions aren't exactly the best fit for all logistics companies. Some companies do not see the need to move their data to the cloud. Others, meanwhile, are still deliberating. Others are certain and are looking at providers. No matter which category your company falls into, it is best to seek consultation first with your current software provider. This is to ensure that your program can, first and foremost, run on the cloud. Consultations are also a good way to clarify your other questions regarding this option.