What is Cloud Based Logistics?

(Cloud Logistics Software)

Cloud logistics software is a type of computer program hosted on the cloud that helps companies
including shippers, vendors, carriers, 3PLs, and freight forwarders manage their daily tasks and
operations.

What does cloud logistics software do?

Features of cloud logistics software will vary from vendor to vendor and across the various sub-types in
the category, but typically will include functionality to help businesses manage their inventory, track
their shipments, and plan their shipments. The software also often includes solutions for customs
compliance, customer service, invoicing, and more. Some specialized cloud logistics solutions, like
transportation management systems, may also include functionality for fleet management and route
planning. Some cloud systems are updated in real-time, providing users and stakeholders from various
locations with up-to-date, accurate data that can be used to optimize the supply chain and improve
customer satisfaction.

What are the benefits of using cloud-based logistics software?

1. Easier Updates: Companies that use cloud-based logistics systems can now receive quarterly system
updates remotely, rather than having to orchestrate manual changes as they did in the past. This is akin
to obtaining system upgrades on your smartphone or laptop. Additionally, since it’s a simpler process,
cloud-based software is typically updated on a more frequent basis than on-premise software, which
means that you can take advantage of the latest features and functionality more quickly.

2. Reduced Costs: Another benefit of using cloud-based logistics software is that it can help to reduce
your costs, both upfront and ongoing. This type of software is typically offered on a subscription basis,
which means that you have a predictable monthly cost. There are no big financial surprises, like if a
server suddenly dies when you self-host your software. Additionally, because cloud-based software is
hosted off-site, you can save on the costs of purchasing and maintaining your own IT infrastructure like
expensive servers, memory, etc.

3. Improved Customer Service: Using cloud-based logistics software can help to improve your customer
service by providing customers with real-time tracking information, which can help to improve their
satisfaction with your service. Additionally, cloud-based software typically includes features such as
automated shipping notifications and order management tools, which can further improve the customer
experience. Cloud-based systems also typically have minimal downtime, helping you offer the reliable
service your customers depend on.

4. Increased Flexibility: Another benefit of using cloud-based logistics software is that it can help to
increase your flexibility as compared to on-premises systems. This type of software is typically offered as
a pay-as-you-go service, which means that you can scale up or down as needed. Additionally, because
cloud-based software is hosted off-site, you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

5. Enhanced Security: An important benefit of cloud-based logistics software is that it can provide
enhanced security for your data. This type of software is typically hosted in secure data centers that
feature multiple layers of security, including firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Additionally,
many cloud-based logistics providers offer data encryption and other security features to further protect
your data from breaches, intrusions, and attacks.

What is cloud computing and how is it related to cloud logistics software?

Cloud computing refers to various internet-based services such as data storage, databases, servers, and
networking. It is a software architecture that stores data on remote servers and is available through the
internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Cloud computing benefits your cloud logistics system
because your system relies on cloud computing to get its work done.

What are the different types of Cloud Logistics?

Public Cloud: A public cloud is an IT architecture where on-demand computing resources and
infrastructure are managed by a third-party provider and shared with different companies over the
public internet. Individuals and companies can rent cloud services such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service
(IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and SaaS from cloud service providers on a monthly or pay-per-use
basis.

Private Cloud: In contrast to a public cloud, where computing resources are shared among numerous
tenants or organizations, a private cloud or internal cloud is when the IT infrastructure (hardware and
software resources) is completely committed to a single enterprise. A private cloud environment is
appropriate for enterprises that require a higher level of regulatory compliance, security, and control,
such as government agencies, etc.

Hybrid Cloud: A hybrid cloud is a blend of public and private cloud infrastructures. Businesses utilize this
model to complement their computational capability. When a private cloud’s capacity hits its limit,
enterprises might use public cloud to augment its capabilities. Businesses may use hybrid cloud to scale
computing capacity up or down based on traffic or service demand.

Multicloud: The technique of combining clouds – two or more public or private clouds, or a combination
of both — from several cloud providers is known as multicloud. A multicloud strategy enables
organizations to choose the best services from many cloud suppliers based on their budgets, technical
requirements, geographic locations, and other factors. This paradigm enables organizations to employ
several clouds for various reasons.

What are the three types of cloud computing offerings?

There are three types of cloud computing offerings, which are Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS),
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Infrastructure as-a-Service (IaaS): IaaS (infrastructure as a service) is a cloud computing service in which
cloud providers offer and maintain virtualized computer infrastructure via the internet. Instead of
building an in-house IT infrastructure, firms may have on-demand access to resources like operating
systems, networking, storage space, development tools, and so on. This reduces hardware and software
expenses while also easing the pressure on IT employees.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Because cloud providers do the heavy lifting, PaaS allows enterprises to
focus on the creation, implementation, and maintenance of software applications and services rather
than the underlying infrastructure. Developers and programmers may use PaaS to access not just IT
infrastructure but also application/software platforms and solution stacks.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): SaaS delivers ready-to-use software to businesses that is provided to users
over the internet. SaaS providers handle the whole underlying infrastructure, including hardware,
software, data storage, patch management, and hardware/software upgrades. SaaS is a subscription-
based approach in which businesses pay for the services they wish to utilize. SaaS programs may be
accessed immediately through web browsers, eliminating the need to download or install them.

(https://www.magaya.com/cloud-logistics-
software/#:~:text=Cloud%20logistics%20software%20is%20a,their%20daily%20tasks%20and%20operati
ons.)

What is the importance of the cloud in logistics?

Cloud computing has helped logistics companies increase efficiency, improve customer service, and
reduce costs by automating key processes and providing visibility into the supply chain. As the supply
chain evolves, cloud computing will become more critical to the logistics industry.
(https://dfreight.org/blog/cloud-computing-benefits-for-logistics-
industry/#:~:text=Cloud%20computing%20has%20helped%20logistics%20companies%20increase%20eff
iciency%2C%20improve%20customer,critical%20to%20the%20logistics%20industry.)

What is a Cloud dashboard?

A cloud dashboard is a dashboard that you can build and access on a web browser. It has key advantages
over on-premise software such as being easier to deploy, requiring little to no IT support and is
accessible on multiple devices.

This cloud dashboard example highlights another key benefit: the ability to integrate multiple data
sources into a single dashboard report to generate unique business insights.
A logistics dashboard is the perfect playground for data exploration, as it lets visualize almost any kind of
data depending on your needs, issues, and control points. For instance, say a logistics company faces
frequent delivery delays. This issue definitely has hidden root causes. The company’s executive along
with data analysts consider all the metrics that influence deliveries, including:

- warehouse operator’s performance

- average order fulfillment time
- drivers’ performance
- vehicle idling time

Then, data analysts retrieve data on these metrics from corporate databases to include them on the
supply chain analytics dashboard. The dashboard, in turn, can highlight the things that impede timely
deliveries. Thus, supply chain data visualization can be helpful in identifying the root causes of
bottlenecks that decrease your company’s profit, lower your competitiveness, or increase customer
churn. Dashboards can also help your measure your achievements, encouraging you to set ambitious
new goals.

Supply chain visualization contributes to the supply chain control tower, which allows company
executives to efficiency monitor all business processes and make timely decisions.

In this post, we discuss common types of logistics dashboards, analyze popular supply chain visibility
tools, and help you prepare your company to develop efficient dashboards. But to make the most of
logistics dashboards on your way to digital transformation, you should first ensure that your data
analysis results in valuable information. Let’s have a look at a few methods that can help you define the
value of your data.

Data evaluation methods

The methods we discuss in this section help you answer two major questions:
- What data is valuable enough to visualize and analyze?
- What data can you discard?

Efficient evaluation of your organization’s datasets requires fruitful collaboration within and across
various business levels. If only C-level executives evaluate your organization’s data, they can come to
subjective conclusions and miss important insights. While C-levels can have their own understanding of
the business and in some cases rely on gut feelings, it’s wise to justify any beliefs and feelings with
reliable data and facts.

Douglas Laney, an advisor on data analytics strategies, has developed data evaluation methods that he
discusses in his book infonomics. Among the many methods he proposes, we’ve chosen the two we
consider the most important for logistics data visualization.

Method 1. Business value of information (BVI)

 This evaluation model allows you to determine which business processes can benefit from which
data by assigning a relevance score to each data asset with respect to a particular business process.

Method 2. Performance value of information (PVI)

Another method shows how data assets impact key performance indicators (KPIs). Douglas
Laney suggests that this method answers the question: How much does having this information improve
business performance? The PVI approach is preferred for measuring business benefits from certain
business metrics. PVI can help you match the right datasets with the right business metrics to derive the
most value for your business.

These two foundational data evaluation techniques tell you which data is relevant to your core business
processes and performance metrics. Thus, you’ll know which data would be beneficial to include on your
dashboards so they generate the most insightful information. Next, let’s discuss different types of
logistics dashboards.

Dashboards for different levels of supply chain management

Of course, it’s not only horizontal supply chain management levels that influence your choice of logistics
dashboard; you should also consider the vertical organizational levels. A logistics manager at the tactical
level from the same level from the transportation department measures different KPIs than a manager
at the same level but from the order fulfillment department. Further, we give examples of supply chain
dashboards taking into account a horizontal and vertical organizational structure.

Level 1. Strategic
Strategic Dashboards are built for the organization’s top management. C-suite executives need a
helicopter view of the business to measure KPI’s based on accurate and relevant data.

Dashboards help executives make long-term decisions (e.g. how to improve company services to
meet volatile market demands, how to decrease operating costs and increase revenue) and analyze
business performance on a large scale.
 Strategics dashboards must be based on business needs and goals, as they set the agenda for
lower types of dashboards. For example, Canadian natural health products distributor Purity Life
experienced a $500,000 drop in inventory reserves thanks to strategic dashboards that highlighted
important inventory management issues which, in turn, prompted efficient actions at lower levels.

Level 2: Tactical
Mid-management teams work with tactical dashboards that show monthly, quarterly, and
annual business performance. With the help of tactical dashboards, middle managers can set mid-term
company goals which, roughly speaking, are steps towards meeting full-scale strategic goals. Such
dashboards can also reflects whether a business is actually moving towards strategic goals, as C-level
executives can sometimes set goals that are too ambitious or unrealistic.

Level 3: Operational
The third dashboard type is operational. Such dashboards help logistics managers monitor day-
to-day supply chain operations like order fulfillment, production, load planning and space calculations,
and delivery to make timely changes to the workflow when necessary. These dashboards facilitate even
smaller steps towards meeting general strategic goals.

Operational dashboards help logistics managers tackle troublesome logistics areas in a timely
manner before they impact higher levels. For instance, they can do this by ensuring preventive
maintenance for equipment with decreasing performance metrics. Swedish seal and bearing
manufacturer SKF has long been using data visualization techniques to monitor machine efficiency. This
allows the company to grow year over year. SKF even offers its own technical solutions to help other
manufacturing companies maintain a higher level of machinery performance.
It’s essential for a company to develop all three types of logistics dashboards, as visibility at the lower
operational and tactical levels helps the company to achieve strategic long-term goals. There is also a
certain domino effect, as if anything goes wrong on the operational level this may affect higher levels.
And vise versa: vague and unrealistic goals at the strategic level will make dashboards useless and lead
to chaotic management at the tactical and operational levels. Strategic logistics dashboards can have a
drop-down feature that allows for clocking on a particular indicator or figure to see how it was formed
(e.g. to trace transaction chains) at lower levels.

How a control tower impacts each level of the supply chain

The consulting firm Kearney provides an overview of a supply chain visibility control tower and discusses
how valuable it is for each supply chain management level in the illustration below. Kearney analysts
have come to the following conclusion: it’s the strategic level that defines whether a control tower and,
as a consequence, data visualization will bring value to other supply chain management levels. Thus, it’s
beneficial to start with elaborate strategic dashboards first and then move to develop dashboards for
lower levels to analyze the necessary supply chain control tower metrics.

Comparing modern BI tools

Next, we’ll compare common BI tools that help us build different data dashboards. There are
many BI tools on the market, and you can consider your goals and needs to choose the most appropriate
one. An important reminder: to implement any BI tool in your organization, you’ll need a trustworthy
team of specialists to configure everything correctly and build the desired dashboards the way you
want.

We’ll take a look at a few common tools and offer you an easy-to-follow comparison table. You
can use it as a guide to making your own decision, as we aren’t trying to convince you to choose one
option over another. Also, make time to read our article on the difference between BI and advanced
analytics solutions. That article addresses many supply chain use cases for both business intelligence and
advanced analytics.
- Tableau
- Power BI
- Qlik Sense
- Amazon QuickSight
- ThoughtSpot

All of the above tools have many features in common, so it might be difficult to make the right
choice. We suggest you consider the other services and tools you use at your organization. For instance,
if you’ve recently deployed an enterprise data warehouse on Amazon Redshift, you can automatically
connect of your data to Amazon QuickSight by simply approving it in your account settings.

How to prepare your business environment for building dashboards

You can build an efficient supply chain performance dashboard only if you thoroughly prepare.
Below are the things to consider before implementing data visualization technologies in your
organization.
 - Robust data fabric – under the hood, you’ll need to ensure a modern data stack responsible
for data ingestion and data storage. The optimal solution could be implementing a data repository as a
single source of truth for all your corporate data. Check out our extensive guide on data repositories to
ensure you implement the right one. In case you’ve already made up your mind in favor of building an
enterprise data warehouse, you can read another blog post to find out what you need for this process to
go smoothly. Once you’ve consolidated the data necessary for analysis in one place, providing dtaa
analysts with a single point of entry, you can move to implement business intelligence.

- BI implementation – another important step is thinking through how to integrate business into
your logistics workflow, taking into account all of your business needs, requirements, and goals. You can
use the following schema to make sure you don’t miss anything. It contains seven important steps you
should take before launching your first data visualization projects.

- Training on data literacy – all of your attempts to derive value from BI tools will fail if you don’t
ensure your employees understand how to manage, share, and treat your corporate datasets. It’s also
important to keep up with modern data trends to become a leading supply chain company. Additionally,
you should evaluate to what extent your employees are flexible in adopting new ideas and changes. In
our article on how to prepare for building a digital transformation roadmap for a supply chain company,
we offer clear steps to change the mindset in your organization.

Only with a balanced blend of the right vision, data technologies, and people can you begin developing
insightful logistics dashboards. But what can possibly await us in the future? Let’s elaborate.

Future landscape for logistics dashboards

The last section of this article we devote to forecasts. Gartner has pulled together data analytics
predictions up to 2025. We would like to share a few of them with relevance to our topic:

- by 2023, it will be crucial to involve cloud architects when purchasing analytics and BI
software.
- by 2025, 80 percent of organizations that plan to scale their digitization initiatives will fail
unless they establish a modern data and analytics environment.
- by 2023, 30 percent of organizations will foster entire data analytics communities to use
collective efforts for generating business insights and value.

We’ve also done our own research to find a few more insights on the future of logistics dashboards:
 - building dashboards will become a common practice, but only for specific requests, without
propagating redundant dashboards that only confuse rather than inform.
- in the nearest future, the lines between business intelligence and advanced analytics will be
almost completely blurred, mostly thanks to the integration of AI/ML capabilities in BI reports and
dashboard generation.
- big data analytics will go hand in hand with BI dashboards to provide even more business
insights and open new horizons of supply chain visibility.

To begin with data visualization today, managers along with their data teams should:
- specify which issues in the organization hinder proper business performance or which areas
need significant improvement
- define which data and data sources are valuable and relevant for analysis
- build an efficient fabric to ensure secure data storage and easy data retrieval
- think through how to implement BI reporting and dashboards in the organization’s workflow
- make a clear position in the horizontal and vertical organizational structure

This five steps seem straightforward, but each requires hours of diligent work. At Yantis, we strive to
make the process of data visualization as seamless as possible for our clients no matter how difficult
each client’s case may seem at first sight. We’re open to tackling any of your logistics data challenges
and helping you reap the benefits of building informative logistics dashboards.
(https://yalantis.com/blog/logistics-dashboards/)

Importance of logistics dashboards in modern supply chain

Logistic dashboards are a way for companies to track their supply chain management and
logistics. They allow companies to see how well they are doing in meeting their goals in terms of
efficiency, costs, and customer service.

Logistic dashboards can be used to track the efficiency of a company’s supply chain
management. This is done by using KPIs such as lead time, inventory turn rate, and order fill rate.

A logistics dashboard is a piece of software that helps to monitor and manage the supply chain.
It consists of various components like order management, inventory management, transportation
management, and more.

Logistic dashboards are used in all kinds of industries for a variety of purposes. For example,
retail stores use them to track their inventory and plan their orders ahead of time. Manufacturers use
them to monitor production processes and get insights into new trends in the market. Logistics
companies use them to predict demand for certain products and plan their routes accordingly so that
they can deliver goods on time. This article is designed to help you decide if a dashboard is right for your
company.

How to Choose the Best Logistics Dashboard for Your Business Needs?
 The first thing you need to do is to know your company’s logistics process and what kind of data
you need to track. Many different types of dashboards can be used for different purposes. It is
important to know what information is most valuable for your business and to find a dashboard that can
show you this data in an easy-to-read format.

Next, you need to determine what type of data is needed. Different metrics can be tracked, and
the type of data you track will dictate what kind of dashboard is appropriate.

We should take into account the size of our business and the complexity of our supply chain.
The dashboard should be able to handle all aspects of our logistics, including inventory management,
invoicing, and accounting.

What are the Benefits of Using a Logistics Dashboard?

Logistic dashboards are the backbone of any custom supply chain software management
software. They provide a centralized hub for all your logistics needs. You can monitor and track every
shipment and communicate with your suppliers, customers, and carriers in real-time. It also helps you
visualize data so that you can make better decisions about your next move.

The benefits of using a logistics dashboard are many. For one thing, it helps you cut down on
costs by reducing the number of people in the supply chain who need to get involved to take care of
shipments. It also saves time by helping you avoid delays and mistakes that happen when too many
people are involved in one process at once.

Types of logistics dashboards

- Transportation dashboards - Transportation dashboards are used to track transportation activities like
shipments, deliveries, pickups, etc. Real-time information is important as it impacts the success of
operations and the ability to plan accordingly. The dashboard provides an overview of all activities in
one place and helps make informed decisions on how to handle them.

Dashboards remain useful for providing a holistic overview of an enterprise. For example, the
data on a dashboard can provide insight into how well different divisions are performing in their
operations. This enables senior management to make informed decisions about whether to hire more
employees or what kind of incentives they should offer to increase production.

Transportation dashboards can be used as:

-To plan future activities

-To monitor the success of current activities

-To identify patterns in activity data

 - Warehouse KPI dashboards - Warehouse KPI reports help warehouse managers to know the number
of outbound orders and containers shipped, as well as inbound containers received. This helps them
identify trends in the business that can be addressed by purchasing/producing more inventory or by
optimizing the picking process.

These dashboards can generate reports on key warehouse metrics like inventory levels, pick
rates, etc. This way, managers and supervisors can take informed decisions and allocate resources
efficiently to increase the warehouse’s efficiency and production levels.

Purchasing KPIs help businesses make data-driven decisions in the purchasing department.
These dashboards can generate reports on key purchase metrics like order conversion rates, return
rates, etc. This way, managers and supervisors can take informed decisions and allocate resources
efficiently to increase the company’s efficiency by providing relevant products and services at an
affordable price point.

- Pick and pack scorecards - A P&P scorecard is a tool that helps in monitoring performance metrics for
pickers and packers as well as better understanding their needs. The scorecard includes six areas of
focus: emergency response; equipment maintenance; communication; training; quality assurance; and
output.

Pick&Pack scorecards are the most practical solution to the problems that many organizations
face when it comes to monitoring their performance metrics. These scorecards can be customized
according to the requirements of any organization’s pickers and packers and even help in understanding
their needs by including different scenarios for the process to be executed on their platform.

The scorecards are useful in providing objective feedback to determine where process
improvements can be made, whether in terms of a single metric or across the board. They also help with
formulating plans for sustaining high performance and engaging employees.

Conclusion

Logistic dashboards are an essential tool for any company that wants to improve its supply chain
management. They provide a centralized view of the entire process and can help you with many
different things, such as planning, forecasting, tracking, and reporting. It is necessary to have a logistics
dashboard in place so that the company can get the most out of its supply chain management.
(https://www.telecomlead.com/broadband/importance-of-logistics-dashboards-in-modern-supply-
chain-107240)