Plan, procure, execute, & track transportation for every shipment across your supply chain & logistics operations
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Consolidate shipments for hub to hub movement across land and air
Real-time customer communications and collect accurate PODs
Orchestrate logistics operations with multiple 3rd party carriers
Achieve cost effective, scalable, sustainable, and customer centric deliveries
Orchestrate all your cross-border logistics operations with ease
Improve address accuracy, ensure first-attempt delivery success, reduce costs and boost customer experience
Gain end-to-end shipment visibility, get proactive alerts, and send customers live tracking links
Grow business in a dynamic world and manage operations across First, Middle & Last mile
Delight customers by seamlessly managing store and online orders across own fleet and 3rd party
Reduce freight costs & get end to end visibility across shipments
Singapore handles over 37 million TEUs annually and connects to more than 600 ports across 120+ countries, making it one of the busiest and most connected logistics hubs globally. Singapore has long been a logistics powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region. As industries in Singapore continue to embrace digital transformation, the logistics and supply chain sector is undergoing a major shift — one driven by automation, data intelligence, and smart technologies. Central to this transformation is the Transportation Management System (TMS), a digital solution that streamlines and optimizes the movement of goods across the supply chain.
With the rapid rise of e-commerce, heightened customer expectations, growing cost pressures, and sustainability goals set forth by national initiatives like the Singapore Green Plan 2030, logistics operations can no longer rely on outdated tools and manual coordination. The need for centralized, real-time, and intelligent transport management is more urgent than ever. This blog explores how a TMS is redefining logistics in Singapore, the unique needs of the market, key capabilities of modern TMS platforms, and what businesses should consider when adopting one.
Transportation Management System is a software system that helps in the planning and executing the physical movement of goods – by land, sea, air, or a combination of transportation modes. It acts as the central hub for managing all logistics and freight-related activities within a supply chain.
A TMS enables businesses to:
By digitalizing and automating key transport processes, a TMS reduces manual workload, minimizes errors, cuts costs, and ensures faster, more reliable deliveries.
1. Real-Time Decision-Making and Operational Control: TMS platforms enable live shipment tracking, data analytics, and centralized transport visibility for faster, smarter decisions.
2. Labor Shortages and High Operational Costs: A TMS reduces dependence on manual planning and optimizes fleet and driver productivity to cut logistics costs.
3. Regulatory Compliance and Documentation Needs: A TMS ensures automated record-keeping, electronic proof of delivery, and easier compliance with Singapore’s transport regulations.
4. Sustainability and Green Logistics Goals: Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 drives the need for fuel-efficient routing, emission tracking, and carbon footprint reduction. A modern TMS supports these goals by optimizing delivery routes to reduce fuel consumption, track carbon emissions per trip, and enable the use of electric or alternate-fuel vehicles through smart allocation.
5. Urban Congestion and Traffic Complexities: Dense city infrastructure, ERP tolls, and tight delivery windows require dynamic route planning and real-time adaptability.
6. High-Performance Logistics Expectations: Singapore’s global logistics hub status demands speed, precision, and real-time visibility in transport operations. A TMS ensures end-to-end visibility from dispatch to delivery, automates exception handling, and enables predictive ETA.
1. AI-driven Route Optimization: Singapore’s compact city layout, while efficient, presents its own set of routing challenges. Traffic congestion, delivery time windows, one-way streets, and ERP charges all influence the feasibility of any given route. A modern TMS leverages artificial intelligence to analyze multiple variables in real-time and generate optimal delivery routes. Unlike static route planning tools, AI-driven route optimization is dynamic and adapts to traffic updates, vehicle availability, and delivery constraints as they evolve throughout the day. This ensures that deliveries are always completed in the fastest, most fuel-efficient manner possible, while meeting promised time windows.
2. Automated Load and Vehicle Allocation: Efficient delivery operations require accurate matching of orders to the right vehicles and drivers. A TMS automates this process by evaluating vehicle types, load capacities, delivery zones, and SLA commitments. The system can also factor in vehicle-specific attributes such as cold-chain compliance or electric vehicle range when assigning shipments. This eliminates manual errors, reduces time spent on planning, and ensures that resources are utilized optimally across delivery shifts.
3. Real-Time Shipment Tracking: One of the most valuable features of a TMS in Singapore’s dynamic market is the ability to track shipments in real-time. Customers and internal teams alike need visibility into where orders are, when they will arrive, and what delays in case of any. A robust TMS integrates GPS data from the fleet and provides a live view of each vehicle’s location, along with accurate ETAs based on current traffic conditions. For customers, this translates into greater transparency and trust. For operations teams, it means quicker identification of disruptions and the ability to take corrective action immediately. Real-time tracking significantly enhances delivery accountability and empowers both shippers and recipients with critical, time-sensitive information.
4. Integration with Existing Systems: The ability to seamlessly integrate with other enterprise systems, such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, is a must-have for Transportation Management Systems in Singapore. Integration allows businesses to streamline processes, improve data accuracy, and ensure that all parts of the logistics operation are working together efficiently.
5. Digital Proof of Delivery (ePOD): Traditional paper-based PODs are prone to errors, misplacement, and delays in verification. A digital TMS eliminates these inefficiencies through electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) capabilities. Drivers can capture signatures, photos, barcodes, and timestamps directly through a mobile app. This data is automatically synced with the backend and ensures immediate confirmation of successful delivery. In case of failed deliveries, reasons and evidence can be recorded on the spot, allowing customer service teams to follow up instantly. The ePOD function not only improves delivery validation but also reduces disputes, enhances transparency, and accelerates payment and reconciliation cycles.
6. Customer Service and Communication Tools: Customer service is a critical element of logistics, especially in the eCommerce sector. A Transportation Management System in Singapore should include communication tools that allow businesses to keep customers informed about the status of their shipments. Features like automated notifications, customer portals, and delivery updates can improve the overall customer experience, build trust and loyalty.
7. Scalability and Flexibility: As the logistics needs of business grow, so too should the Transportation Management System in Singapore. A scalable solution allows businesses to expand operations seamlessly, whether that means handling higher volumes, managing more complex routes, or integrating new technologies. The flexibility of the TMS to adapt to changing business needs and market conditions is a key feature to look for.
8. Analytics and Performance Reporting: A TMS provides detailed dashboards and reports that helps logistics teams monitor key metrics such as on-time delivery rates, cost per shipment, vehicle utilization, and SLA adherence and more based on the business needs. These insights support continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks, evaluating carrier performance, and forecasting resource needs.
Shipsy’s AI-powered Gartner Recognized TMS is empowering manufacturers, retailers and logistics service providers to:
To learn more about how Shipsy can help your businesses address its unique transportation challenges simply click here for a demo.
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