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December 27, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

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0 4 SIGNS YOU NEED A BETTER SOLUTION FOR COURIER MANAGEMENT

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Did you know there are more than 7,500 delivery and parcel companies actively working in the US? These figures published in an article by Market Realist highlight the intensity of competition that carrier companies face today. Moreover, you may be up against a corporate powerhouse with annual revenues of close to $90 billion! With such challenges prevalent in the industry, you need the most powerful courier management solution in order to gain and maintain a competitive edge.

Often companies learn to juggle several balls at the same time and manage to keep them all in the air. Sometimes, they hesitate to step out of their comfort zones and, at times, they don’t want to fix something that does not outwardly seem broken. However, the right courier management solution can result in improved processes, more informed decision making, increased productivity, unparalleled cost savings and better customer satisfaction.

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SIGNS THAT YOU NEED AN UPGRADE

1. Low Real-Time Visibility

Carriers work in a distributed environment setting. Therefore, data is generated from multiple locations, systems and departments. Often one needs to make quick, yet informed decisions. In case there’s a time lag between your need for a report and its arrival, your company needs a more efficient solution. Decisions taken without adequate data or with a significant delay can be detrimental to the growth of a carrier. An effective courier management solution would collate and analyse data, making it available whenever you need it.

2. Rising Costs

With the growth complexity of your business, costs may be escalating. There is an urgent need to identify duplication of effort or time invested into activities that do not yield results. Courier management software can help streamline the process to improve productivity and efficiency, resulting is significant cost savings.

3. Frequent Firefighting

Does your company spend a lot of time micro-managing deliveries? Are there too many delays and cancellations? An upgraded courier management software solution can help you track deliveries better, avoid unnecessary delays and send timely information to your team as well as your customers, according to the details of the Xcelerator software by Key Software Systems.

4. Falling Behind Competition

Are your competitors offering more timely delivery solutions, with instant SMS and email notifications? Do they have access to reporting through mobile apps? Do they have shorter invoicing times and more customizable report generation? It’s time your company gains these advantages to stay abreast of competition.

The great news is that the industry is getting bigger and is expected to continue expanding over the foreseeable future. Looking at just B2C ecommerce, sales are expected to grow from $373 billion in 2016 to into over $500 billion by 2020, according to Forrester’s forecast. With courier management software that is powerful, comprehensive, fully-customizable and user-friendly, your company can continue to reap the rewards of a growing market.

December 13, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

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0 THE TOP 3 CHALLENGES LOGISTICS COMPANIES FACE

According to an article published in Supply Chain 24/7 in 2015, a study conducted by BVL in 62 different countries revealed that the top priority for logistics managers has been to meet customer expectations, followed by on-time delivery.

Most logistics companies often face certain challenges such as providing flexibility and visibility to customers, as well as offering greater transparency. The outburst of technology has certainly opened the doors of opportunity for logistics companies, but challenges have also increased as the demand for tailor-made solutions continues to rise.

TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE THREE BIGGEST INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

1. Customization

Globalization has changed the way things operate in the sector. Big companies do not depend on the services of just one supply chain and manage multiple chains in different areas. So, flexibility is the key for survival here. You have to be one step ahead of your competitors and possess the capability to personalize offerings for multiple customer segments. Key Software Systems’s Xcelerator provides their customers with fully-customizable and user-friendly delivery management software so that they may have the ability to monitor data in real-time and provide their clients with historic data to ensure transparency in their offerings.

2. Expanding the Limits

Customers often expect for there to be multiple ways to get their products delivered. It becomes the responsibility of the logistics companies to adapt to new technologies and come up with better solutions to manage outbound logistics. Companies must be prepared to offer multiple options to their customers. MobileTek allows for full mobile device support to happen on iOS, Android and Windows with increased accuracy. When customers are expecting their product to be delivered timely, efficiently and in the manner that they request, they want for their carrier to be able to give them accurate updates and time frames of when their item will reach its final destination.

3. Velocity of the Supply Chain

As you look to expand your business and target new locations, demand will also increase. To reduce product storage time and damage, increased product velocity in the supply chain is required. However, it is easier said than done. Factors like transit time and border delays are constraints of product velocity. What will define success is the company’s ability to adapt and build a responsive ecosystem.

Interconnect gives companies the ability to increase their geographic footprint by providing both partners with real-time connectivity and information exchange for a seamless flow of communication that is not customer-facing. This software allows for smooth and instant communication to nurture relationships between businesses that in turn results in a supply chain where flaws and backups are scarcely found.

As the marketplace continues to expand, companies need to continuously assess their capabilities and seek partners with the right expertise, experience and infrastructure. Moreover, the innovative use of technology remains critical to providing seamless services to meet customer expectations as well as to gain insight and facilitate decision making. Key Software Systems provides world class logistics technologies and management software that will help solve the main problems looming in the industry.

October 2, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

AllNewsletterPress Release

0 IS IT TIME FOR NEW COURIER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

DOES YOUR CURRENT SOFTWARE PROVIDER OFFER A STABLE AND DEPENDABLE PLATFORM?

With most businesses operating 24/7, it is important that your courier management software provide superior reliability and stability, with uptimes in the range of 99.9%. Unplanned downtime has an immediate adverse effect on the company and their customers, touching everything from internal communications to customer relations. Recurring unplanned downtime will cause overall loss of trust by your customer base, revenue loss and anxiety through your workforce. What is your provider’s disaster recovery plan? How often is it reviewed? How has it served you in times with unplanned downtime?

DO THEY TAKE CARE OF YOU?

Support is a critical element that any dispatch software company provides. When you need help the most, they should be easily accessible, responsive, thorough and accurate with their response. What support resources does your provider offer? What is their support policy? How long do you wait to hear back from them? Are the solutions you are being provided solve your challenge?

HOW IS THE INTEGRATION PROCESS?

Integrations is a 3-way relationship between you, your customer and your software provider. Your dispatch management software solution needs to bring a proactive approach to integrating your system with your valued partners. Questions need to be asked in an open forum and answered in an efficient and accurate manner in order to successfully complete the project. What are the requirements of this integration? What is the purpose of the integration? How long will this integration take to be operational? What resources are being dedicated from all parties? What is the cost? These are just a few questions that need to be addressed. Integrations should enhance your company and help you to become attractive to more opportunities. If your current dispatch management software provider is not putting you in position to earn more business and perform at a higher level, it may be time to review your options.

ARE YOU GETTING THE PROPER REPORTING AND ANALYTICS?

Report sand business analytics can pinpoint inefficiencies, uncover pitfalls in your process and highlight growth strategies. Advanced reporting tools equip you with the information you need to increase efficiency and expand profit margins. Executives and management teams are more mobile than ever before and they require reporting and business data on-the-go. Dashboard reporting tools are designed to provide exactly that. How are your existing reporting tools helping you to grow your business or streamline your process? Do you have the dynamic reporting capabilities for executives who are mobile? See more about our dashboard reporting… Vantage Point, an executive level,interactive mobile dashboard reporting app.

HOWEFFECTIVE ARE COMMUNICATIONS TO YOUR MOBILE WORKFORCE?

Options for mobile communications are plentiful these days.  Device options have come into focus over the last few years, with smartphones and tablets being required for business applications. Equipping your drivers with powerful mobile tools with the same in-the-field capabilities of the large national and global courier services will not only elevate your efficiency; it will also help your company become more attractive to new potential customers who are more tech savvy. MobileTekdelivery management software offers full mobile device support (iOS, Android, Windows), and is designed to automate your operations and streamline communications.

ARE YOU REWARDING YOUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS?

Differentiating yourself from the competition is becoming increasingly difficult. The way a company adopts and uses technology can dictate what the customer experience will be. Customers know they have options in the marketplace and empowering your customers with resources and options that your competition doesn’t offer, drives brand loyalty and propels new business. How is your Courier Management Software helping you to create brand loyalty?

HOW ARE YOU BUILDING YOUR NETWORK?

The shared economy buzz has taken over business. What does it mean and how can you get on-board to grow your business?  Many companies in the transportation and logistics fields have come together in order to share opportunities across the country. By sharing resources, companies can scale into new markets without the overhead that was once required. You still can open a physical hub if you need to, but you can also leverage the geographic footprint of a company that is already in the location, effectively enabling you to do business in that region without the need for physical office or warehouse space, drivers, employees, etc. How is your Dispatch Management Software helping you to grow your footprint, increase revenue and capture new business without adding costs?

September 8, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

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0 THE FLORIDA MESSENGER ASSOCIATION LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES

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The Florida Messenger Association has had a busy summer with its annual Lunch and Learn series happening throughout the state of Florida.

The Lunch and Learn series occurs each year during the summer months, allowing members and potential members to break away from their busy day to attend an informational, educational networking opportunity. The FMA brings in guest speakers to speak on topics ranging from insurance, technology, safety, compliance and other value-added topics.

Vendors for this years events include Key Software, DRIVV, Budget Truck Rentals and Borne Social. The final two Lunch and Learn gatherings will focus on technology and will include tools and resources to help attendees understand other aspects of technology outside of courier software and search engine optimization. June Hayford and Chris Kane from DRIVV will help attendees understand how to use tools to understand web traffic, as well as technology threats to their websites, among other topics.

The first session was held on June 22nd in Orlando, Florida and it was sponsored by Key Software and Budget Trucks. Patrick Scardilli, Vice
President of Business Development for Key Software, was the keynote speaker for the session. He shared various topics regarding trends in the industry and he specifically focused on the aspect of hand held technology at the driver level. For example, large customers are now starting to require GPS coordinates at both the time of pick-up and time of delivery. Patrick also shared topics which help support the independent contractors’ aspect of providing services to multiple same-day delivery companies, including an enhanced version of the MobileTek application called “MobileTek Titan.” This version can be purchased by an independent contractor to allow him to accept work from multiple courier companies. Patrick also talked about current trends for route optimization, again being driven by customer in the same-day delivery industry. Pat Bronos, owner of Orlando based A.S.A.P. Courier, said, “It is nice to be able to break away from my busy schedule for a couple of hours to network with fellow members of our association to learn about current trends in our industry. I really appreciate all of the valuable information provided to us.”

The second session was held on June 29th in Jacksonville, Florida. The guest speakers for this event were Robert Galmore and Lou Garofalo from the Transportation Security Administration. They updated the attendees on current security trends and helped everyone understand the important role our industry plays in helping keep our nation safe. The relationship between the TSA and member companies in Northeast Florida is very positive and supportive. This can be attributed to FMA member companies and TSA Officers working together to provide the best AND most safe transportation possible. Tim Petty, President of Jacksonville based Pettyco Express, and former FMA President commented, “We are so thankful to have Lou and Robert here in Jacksonville. They are always available to help us with any question or concern we have, and they have been so supportive of our industry. It is clear to us that they want to help contribute to the success of our industry.”

These sessions have received positive feedback from members each year, and, as a result, the FMA has added a session in Atlanta, Georgia, scheduled for later this summer. Some member companies have expanded their operations into Georgia, so the Board of Directors of the FMA decided to conduct a session in Atlanta as an “outreach” across the border. The FMA has received such positive feedback regarding our events and activities, that the Board felt compelled to share the association’s efforts with Georgia based companies by conducting a session in Atlanta on August 3rd. The final session will occur on August 24th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

As the summer months come to a close, the FMA will resume the monthly “Listen and Learn” series, which is a monthly conference call designed to focus on the educational aspect of the FMA. Participants are exposed to various topics similar to the Lunch and Learn series, but allow members to receive more in-depth knowledge focused on one specific topic each month. The monthly Listen and Learn calls are an opportunity for member companies to have additional participants from their companies, like dispatchers, customer service folks, and any other employees who may benefit from the topic for that particular month. The FMA would like to recognize Lance Dearborne, President of Orlando based FastMile Logistics, and FMA Board Member, for his leadership role in the Listen and Learn series.

The FMA continues to provide its members with opportunities to stay connected outside of its annual conference. It strives to create an environment for new business owners to become involved. The FMA presents the Lunch and Learn series every summer throughout the state of Florida, and would like to recognize Harold Boyett, President of Jacksonville based Blue Streak Couriers, former FMA President and
current FMA Board member for his leadership role in organizing and conducting the annual Lunch and Learn series. Please visit
www.floridamessenger.org for more information.

August 5, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

AllPress Release

0 METRO 1 COURIER DELIVERY AND LOGISTICS, A LEADING REGIONAL SAME-DAY AND FINAL MILE COMPANY IN TEXAS ACHIEVES SUCCESS WITH XCELERATOR AND MOBILETEK

Wall Township, NJ – Key Software Systems, makers of Xcelerator and MobileTek, first met with Metro 1 Courier Delivery and Logistics in 2007 when they were reviewing options for dispatch, operations and mobile software solutions. Since then, both companies have been focused on growth and providing measurable results for their customers.

Initially, Metro 1’s software vendor at the time was going out of business, forcing them to look for a software solution that would provide the functionality they needed in a tight timeframe for migration. They wanted more options to communicate with drivers, a streamlined approach to their scheduled, routed and on-demand volume and an accounting system to meet their customers’ needs. Almost 10 years since that initial conversation and migration into Xcelerator & MobileTek, Metro 1 has grown their volume considerably while keeping overhead low and decreasing operational inefficiencies through the use of technology provided by Key Software Systems.

Mark Courson, President and Owner of Metro 1 Courier Delivery and Logistics points out, “Xcelerator and MobileTek have been a major selling point for us. Combined, they have enabled us to continually grow and add volume while decreasing our operating expenses. More importantly, we’ve been able to lower our price point to customers and remain very competitive, even against the national carriers because of the capabilities we have adopted through technology.  Our business model has always been strong, Xcelerator and MobileTek helped to strengthen that model and put us in a position to scale the model further.”  Mark continues, “As an example, after implementing Xcelerator, we’ve increased shipment capacity by 400% without adding additional staff.  With that added volume, most companies would be buried under phone calls for tracking orders, finding out where drivers are and emailing or calling customers back with the updated information. Xcelerator & MobileTek have helped us to reduce incoming call volume by 60% as our customers began using the strong online portal, custom email notifications and mobile tools. Providing customers these resources created solid brand loyalty and long-term partnerships, while giving us the freedom to look for more opportunity.”

“It’s an incredible feeling to see a customer grow into the software and achieve the success that Metro 1 has through the years.  We’re certainly not the only reason they’ve achieved success, although we are happy that we’ve been able to have a major role in it” adds Patrick Scardilli, VP of Sales & Marketing for Key Software. “As they’ve grown, they’ve advanced into the system by adding mobile technology and integrations with their high volume customers to handle thousands of daily jobs and provide those customers with real time OS&D reporting. Initially they started out with basic communication methods. As their customer’s needs evolved, Metro 1 evolved as well and brought an array of new features and functionality to their customer base, their mobile workforce and their internal teams.”

June 21, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

AllPress Release

0 BEHIND THE SCENES OF E-COMMERCE

E-commerce continues to grow at a pace so fast that it has led many to wonder what goes on behind the scenes that is making it so successful. The growth of e-commerce has paved the way for mobile commerce, also known as m-commerce, to claim its place within the retail industry as well. Retailers are being forced to adapt their operations in order to keep up with their new competitors. From warehousing to delivery, logistics have to be altered in order to make your business e-commerce friendly.
Aside from logistics, there is a load of technology that goes into the success of an e-commerce retailer. This includes many different types of software from distribution to courier management software. Each play a critical role in logistics running smoothly and goods arriving to consumers safe and on time. Read our infographic to see what goes on behind the scenes once you place your online order.
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March 24, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

AllPress Release

0 XCELERATOR CUSTOMERS ARE PARTNERING AND GROWING AS INTERCONNECT USE GROWS OVER 250% IN 2015, CHANGING SAME-DAY DELIVERY

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Wall Township, NJ – Key Software Systems, creators of Xcelerator, has watched the growth of Interconnect swell in 2015 with a 257% upsurge in usage.  The explosive growth is changing same-day delivery across the country and highlights the industry’s sharing mentality that has been steadily growing over the past few years. Interconnect brings Xcelerator customers together in a seamless, real-time dispatch-to-dispatch environment to manage on-demand, scheduled, e-commerce, white glove and distribution deliveries.Initially launched in 2009, Interconnect has been encouraging partnerships between Xcelerator customers to help expand their geographic footprint and supplement their revenue without added costs. “When we started Interconnect, customers were winning bids for regional and nationwide same-day and next-day deliveries in new territories and they had two options to service the shipper; either establish a physical presence in the new service area which meant finding new drivers and office space in an unfamiliar territory or they would look for Agents that already service that area, using an EDI to connect systems. Interconnect eliminated the need to add physical resources saving companies thousands of dollars and simplified the Agent onboarding process with a 10 minute set-up to connect with another Xcelerator user without the use of an EDI. Now, two partners can begin to trade order data in minutes while keeping the Shipper up to date with real-time updates regarding their shipments, including time stamps, status codes, scan history and signatures to name a few,” states company President Charlie Pisciotta.

In 2014 Interconnect orders totaled 98,500 for an average of 269 orders per day going between partners.  Significant growth came in 2015 where Interconnect reached about 1,000 orders per day, totaling 352,000 for the year. Based on the first quarter of 2016, Interconnect is on pace to grow 84% over last year’s numbers, moving upwards of 600,000 orders through Interconnect partners.

Columbus Delivery Service out of New York City was one of the early adopters of Interconnect. As a leader in last mile distribution, Columbus Delivery began leveraging the technology to rapidly expand their footprint. General Manager of Columbus Delivery, Adam Autera states, “Technology like this makes our partner companies effectively our own. Our CSR can dispatch work to a partner in Pennsylvania and the jobs will be delivered and POD’d by the partner without any further attention from us. We received the real-time updates and still remained the one point of contact for our customer. We went from being a local New York City company to having a rock-solid infrastructure throughout the Tri-State area, to being a regional player in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic practically overnight.”

The nature of Interconnect also enables Xcelerator customers to create their own nationwide network of carriers, built on one platform, ensuring the highest level of data integrity, accountability and efficiency throughout the relationship.  Leading the way in nationwide distribution through Interconnect is Rightaway Delivery out of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Rightaway President, Ben Kaplan divulges, “Rightaway Delivery has evolved from a brick and mortar regional carrier servicing Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, to a national logistics provider.  With help from Xcelerator, the Interconnect feature and the people I meet at industry conferences like the ECA and CLDA, we successfully executed several distribution projects that consisted of 10,000+ deliveries each, spread out across the country. It’s a Win-Win-Win situation, the customer wins, the agent wins and we win!”

Charlie closes, “Looking from where it started, we couldn’t be more excited with the growth our customers are experiencing with Interconnect. It’s putting a spotlight on the fact that competitive companies can share, exchange ideas and grow.  Attending trade shows like the ECA, CLDA and state associations reinforce the trend we’re seeing, driving excitement levels to new heights and leading everyone to a path of success.”

Xcelerator & MobileTek are enterprise-class software solutions designed by Key Software Systems, for today’s courier, messenger, logistics, distribution and warehousing industries.  For more information, screen shots and detailed descriptions, visit www.KeySoftwareSystems.com or call 732-409-6068 to speak with a representative.  Follow us on Twitter for up to the minute technology information @KeySoftwareSys.

Columbus Delivery and Logistics is a family-owned company established in 1955. As a leader in Last Mile Distribution, Columbus services their Regional footprint with 60 plus years of excellence and hands on experience.  For more information about Columbus Delivery and Logistics you can visit www.ColumbusNY.com or call 212.989.1200 to speak with a representative.

Rightaway Delivery was founded in 1999 and offers flexible delivery and distribution services nationwide.  Designed to provide fast, cost-effective services to their customers, Rightaway Delivery provides a personal touch to help you through any logistical challenges you may encounter.  For more information about Rightaway Delivery you can visit www.RightawayDelivery.com or call 734.926.4720.

February 29, 2016

keysoftwaresystems

AllMobileNewsletter

0 WHY SHOULD YOU USE DISPATCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

The US courier and parcel delivery services industry consists of about 7,500 companies both large and small, which have combined annual revenue of about $90 billion, according to an article published in Market Realist in July 2015. To stand out amongst that big an industry, you must be able to deliver excellent customer service. Being in the courier or e-commerce industry, you must be well aware of the role dispatch and delivery management plays in providing satisfactory customer service. Satisfactory customer service requires on-time delivery, proper packaging and proper invoicing. Courier management includes warehousing, accounting, fleet management and invoicing. The question is how to maintain and keep all the verticals connected in real-time. The answer is dispatch management software.
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BENEFITS

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A dispatch/courier management software helps you monitor all the verticals of your courier or e-commerce business while sitting at one place. Given below are some of the benefits offered by such software and how it can help you put better results on the table.

  1. Increases Efficiency and Accuracy – Such software helps assign specific barcodes and unique package number. This helps to input information about the incoming and outgoing consignments with utmost accuracy and also saves time.
  2. Proper Order Entry – Courier management software helps with proper order entry. The specifications may include caller, pick-up location and delivery. This helps to organize dispatch and delivery effectively as well as maintain effective customer communication.

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  1. Dispatch Tracking – Fleet management becomes a lot easier with proper software in place. You can view all the driver details on one screen at the same time. You can track the deliveries that have been made and the ones that are yet to be made. You can prioritize the dispatch that is most important. The software keeps all the vital links updated whether it is the operations managers, dispatchers or administrators.
  2. Proper Warehousing – With a sound technological system at place, warehousing becomes a lot simpler. It also eliminates the chances of errors arising out of manual invoicing. You can simply scan the barcodes to track the number of units.
  3. Reporting – Such software comes with built-in report writer. This report writer accesses the pool of data available under different verticals of courier management. You can easily view report on delivery, drive performance and activity and so on. This can help you point out loopholes and fix them easily. You can also compare reports from two different time period to determine your progress. You can also direct these report to concerned department members.

If you still haven’t tried dispatch management software, then its time you do so. You are sure to notice improved efficiency and better handling of consignments.

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