UNITED STATES - Technology and the savings it provides is changing our industry in every aspect, from the way the crops are cared for to the way retailers are selling it. An area still in the works for such moves as software penetration is transportation.
“We all know there’s a driver shortage. It’s an issue caused by a number of factors that have been around for a while and we haven’t solved it. On the other side of that issue, it’s about information, knowledge, managing transportation expenses and things we as an industry are quite far behind on when it comes to technology,” Bud Floyd, CEO of Freightflow TMS Software shares with me.
Bud spent 14 years with CH Robinson on the fresh side before he and Freightflow’s Founder, Butch Peri, made the jump to software, recognizing a need within the industry and taking up the challenge.
“I think when we talk about the issue of transportation we need to be a bit more expansive in our approach. It’s a utilization of equipment issue as much as a people issue, which subsequently has created a greater need for information, visibility, and collaboration on all sides. One of the challenges is how do we change people’s behaviors, and that’s what we as an industry have to address,” Bud explains. “The technology penetration in this industry is behind and we wanted to build something that accommodates all the idiosyncrasies of produce transportation, as well as offer tools that level the playing field for all produce operators, no matter the size.”
Millennial though I might be, I am a strong advocate for the technology-challenged. I’m sure there are many more benefits to my Mazda 3 than bluetooth and seat warmers, but I’m nowhere near finding out. So, I can relate when Bud tells me much of the industry is apprehensive about overhauling its current approach and processes for transportation management.
“Let me ask you a question, you have this iPhone. Have you ever read the directions?” he asks me, which I confirm with him I have not. “That was the premise we approached this software with.”
That, he assures me, is how easy Freightflow is to operate.
“What is the point in having software that the majority of the industry can’t or won’t use? We wanted something simple, that is easy to adapt to, that fills a major need in fresh produce. So we have made a software that is intuitive at every step,” Bud tells me.
He explains that $1.6 trillion transportation category’s TMS penetration is 56%, while it’s estimated that the produce category’s penetration is less than 15%. Yet the demand for a higher level of customer service is coming in waves and the apprehension toward technological solutions looks to be serving as a barrier to maximizing our industry’s success.
“Produce is the most difficult type of transportation to manage—most TMS software has not been designed to handle all its needs/idiosyncrasies,” Bud shares. “We are a team that has a background in growing and transportation/logistics. This is our industry and we understand its needs. With that in mind, we were able to create a dynamic software solution for produce.”
Freightflow, as Bud explains it, is a next-generation approach to transportation and its expense management. By integrating with industry ERP’s, you enhance supply chain visibility and collaboration as well as create a seamless information flow process from building and managing loads to customer billing. This is coupled with the ability to collect all kinds of data that offers the user robust reporting.
Freightflow Reporting includes:
Integration of multiple data sources, such as temperature, tracking, routing, and equipment status
Unique mapping of the entire order with customer and vendor data
Ease of building real-time robust reports unique to each customer, creating long-term solutions
The result is delivering efficiency, improving the visibility, improving service and customer satisfaction.
“We recognize the barriers—how hard it can be to learn a new system and the expense of purchasing software and the difficulties with the on-boarding process. But it is now far less expensive and easier with Freightflow than what everyone anticipates,” Bud concludes.
Freightflow, he says, has a straightforward, easy-to-understand pricing strategy, with easily managed upfront on-boarding expenses while giving the user confidence that this expenditure will return anywhere from 2 to 10% transportation savings. You can find out more by exploring the website here.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest of all aspects influencing the produce industry, so stay tuned.
