How to make sure a logistics manager gets home by at least 9 p.m.?

Source: ProAgro

What does a logistics manager do when they come to work?
The same thing they were doing before they got there — working. Because, in reality, a logistics manager never truly leaves work.

Scheduling shipments, getting confirmations from freight forwarders and ports, making dozens of changes to registries throughout the day, handling countless Excel files from suppliers that need to be adapted to a unified standard — this is just a fraction of the logistics manager’s daily responsibilities.

If vehicles are assigned to the wrong contract, changes need to be made in several Excel files, the trader positions must be adjusted, and shipments need to be rescheduled.

Most of these tasks are performed while the logistics manager is on the phone with a freight forwarder, supplier, buyer, or port, so the likelihood of errors increases exponentially with the number of shipments. Accurate and timely entry of registries directly impacts the invoicing process for buyers and receiving invoices from suppliers, which is why logistics issues also affect the finance department.

While other departments easily integrate into various ERP or CTRM systems, the logistics department consistently ranks last in terms of easy integration.

What can be done about it?

Of course, the ideal solution would be to teach suppliers and buyers to send registries in a unified format, but judging by the current pace of their organization, this might take a few more years.

It would be great to somehow manage the shipment plan and all registries in one place, so that it directly affects invoicing and positions. If that could be achieved, even though the registries would still need to be adapted to a standard, the rest of the work would happen automatically without human error.

At GrainTrack, we solved this problem by transferring the entire logistics registry into Google Spreadsheets, where all the work is done in one place. When a registry is received via email from a supplier, it’s copied and pasted into the document by columns, and that’s where the logistics manager’s work ends.

The rest is handled by integrating Google with the CTRM system, which controls synchronization with other departments, invoicing, and reformatting of positions.

Synchronization happens in real-time, with checks and data validation, ensuring that unique vehicles are tracked to avoid data duplication. This means there’s no need to search for errors afterward because the system won’t accept incorrect data during the input stage.

Position changes are also handled semi-automatically: the system identifies which vehicles were assigned to the wrong contract and suggests reassigning them. After this, processing and invoicing are simplified, along with automatic creation of reports and registries.

There are other equally valuable bonuses provided by logistics department automation, such as automatically pulling data on suppliers, exporters, and buyers into the planning process, automatically assigning registries, and viewing all shipment plans in one place, including seeing performance by tons and wagons.

In this way, modern technology not only makes life easier for employees and lets them get home earlier, but also significantly reduces the financial risks for companies engaged in CPT deliveries, where logistical flexibility is a key success factor in the market.