North West Logistics looks to the Mandata Cloud TMS for remote working solution

North West make their move to a cloud TMS with Mandata

Customer Profile

Sector:

Specialist transport, warehousing,
and distribution

Mission/Goal:

To access real-time information, remotely
and reduce the IT burden

About the Company:

Specialises in the transportation, storage
and installation of hazardous freight

Company Size:

70 Vehicles

Business Concerns:

Ageing hardware and the ability to access
sytems safely, and remotely

Mandata Solution:

Enterprise

As Covid-19 bears down on the transport industry, North West Logistics’ recent move to Mandata’s cloud-based TMS means that not only can customers be provided with real-time information but also, North West Logistics’ personnel can remotely access systems from home.

In previous times, says the company, all operational data was on a server which presented access problems and raised concerns regarding long term reliability.

“We’d been using a server for 5 years.” Says Managing Director, Stephen Dunn “The server needed replacing and we were worried about the disaster recovery aspect and interruption to the business, should the system fail. Plus, we needed to use discs to back-up everything and for those reasons we looked for a more versatile and reliable solution.”

According to Stephen, once the decision was made to move to a cloud version of their TMS the move was a lot simpler than anticipated.

“The move went very well” he explains, “with little disruption to our business. It was extremely well planned and we’re very pleased with the way Mandata’s IT and software team handled the project.

“Now we can give our customers the freedom to access and interact with real-time information when they log into the Mandata system. Our directors and staff can access our systems remotely. None of this was possible before.”

Mandata’s TMS is widely specified in the logistics industry and recognised for its ease of use and ability to provide real-time visibility for operators and their customers alike. From electronic invoicing and automatic reporting modules to job processing and smart mobile ePOD technology, the system serves as an integral part of many transport operations.

“It’s already given us big benefits across the business, including electronic PODs, instant progress on jobs for our customers and of course, remote working.”

Stephen Dunn, Managing Director

 

“We could never have anticipated the extraordinary circumstances which we’re now facing and we’re so pleased that we moved to the cloud when we did!”

“All in all, it’s the way the industry is moving. Being able to give customers information today, not tomorrow. Having the flexibility to access financial as well as operational information as and when you need, without having to be physically in the office.”

“The cloud has given us an extra dimension to our business.” Concludes Stephen Dunn. “It’s a seamless way of working that we didn’t have before, in terms of remote access and mobile working.”

From its central depot in Accrington, North West Logistics provides a diverse service including freight forwarding, warehousing, groupage and pallet handling. The company operates a mixed fleet of over 60 vehicles, is a Pall Ex member and using Mandata’s software, offers a range of advanced tools for booking, reviewing and tracking shipments.

Whether you plan for 20 or 200 vehicles, Mandata has the transport management software to help make your job easier

mandata go logo

Desktop, cloud TMS for start-up to medium-sized operators with simpler business processes.

Core TMS features include:

Create standard jobs, bulk jobs and repeat job schedules
Customisable rate tables
Configurable job and stage planner
Multi-day load planning
Route sequencing
Map-based route confirmation
Visual load fill/utilisation
ETA notifications when integrated with Manifests and Navigation apps
Subcontractor management tools
Document scanning and storage
Documents emailed to customers automatically as jobs progress
Self-service customer portal
Simple file-based imports and exports
Accounts integrations
Find out more
Most Popular mandata-go-plus

Desktop, cloud TMS for medium to large sized operators with more complex business processes.

All the features of Go, PLUS the following:

Short-distance-running guide
Two-way pallet network integration
Custom data fields to capture all the details you need
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More powerful file-based imports/exports with enhanced data validation and third-party code translation
Developer API for seamless data transfer with third-party products
Seamless integration with major accounting software providers
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Mandata Enterprise TMS logo

If your needs are more complex, we also offer an enterprise-class bespoke transport management system.

All the features you’d expect including:

Dynamic map-based planning
Configurable, role-specific traffic planning screens
Pre-planning ETAs with live ETA updates and notifications when integrated with Manifests and Navigation apps
Empty mileage calculations updated as you add and amend loads
Configurable collection, delivery and load documentation
Create your own documentation and reports with our embedded custom report builder
Optional scale-out reporting server for data integration with existing business systems
Managed integrations to over 500 third-party systems
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Manage your haulage business remotely, anytime, anywhere with Mandata