Supporting Shippers' COVID-19 Adjustments - Inbound

Transportation Management Systems (TMS), Demand Planning, Technology George Kontoravdis, PhD is President, Fortigo, info@fortigo.comQ: How has your company pivoted or adjusted your feature set in response to changing customer needs resulting from the pandemic?A: Airlines in the United States and abroad were forced to quickly respond to diminished demand in all aspects of the business as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With passengers grounded, airlines saw the opportunity to assist in the COVID-19 response by opening cargo-exclusive routes, requiring new and modified supply chain channels. Time-sensitive changes were needed to support the critical movement of supplies.Fortigo swiftly adapted to the new requirements with real-time changes to their cloud-based software, putting our customers in a better position to support all-cargo flights. Fortigo's streamlined, all-in-one Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model allowed airline customers to rework and reoptimize all of their supported supply chain channels overnight and make necessary changes on an hourly basis.Fortigo's easy-to-use, one-stop TMS benefits all parties in an organization and empowers front-line employees to successfully continue daily operations within the new supply chain directives. The system enables companies to ship everything from a letter, box, pallet, or container. The capability is particularly important to COVID-19 companies who had to ship to lanes, using modes that they may not have used otherwise.The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of speed and flexibility. Fortunately, both of these values are at the core of Fortigo's SaaS implementation and delivery system. A cloud-based solution beats legacy deployment methods, with deployment time measured in weeks rather than months or years. Cost is predictable, with a monthly subscription versus millions in capital expenses.With the SaaS delivery model, the vendor manages the hardware, infrastructure, software, tools, and personnel. Upgrades are seamless, and there is no need to schedule deployment windows to support upgrades, fixes, and patches. There is no concern with who on your team will work with the added servers, databases, tools, and network connections, and if they have the right skills for the task.Integration with existing systems is essential and Fortigo has proven experience in quickly integrating with leading ERP and WMS systems. This requires an open system architecture that supports multiple data formats, including XML, EDI, and Web Services, something not all vendors support.Consider these features when evaluating a TMS solution: Open architecture to enable accelerated data mapping Support multiple integration options including XML, EDI, and Web Services Proven record integration with commercially available ERP or WMS Growing integrated carrier network Real-time reporting Cloud computing capabilities Security, redundancy, reliability, scalability Support for all pertinent modes of transportationFortigo works hard to get you up and running easily. Contact us to discover how we can meet your needs quickly and save your organization money.