Throughout our blog posts this year, one recurring theme you will see is integration. With increased supply chain challenges throughout every industry, identifying ways to integrate technology into your daily processes to reduce error and maximize efficiencies is more important than ever. Integration also creates a smoother overall experience for your people, supporting their work with dynamic and intelligent tools like a Transportation Management System (TMS).
According to a recent article in Diginomica “Frictionless Enterprise is a business architecture that optimizes the use of connected digital technologies to strip out cost, delay and opacity when harnessing resources and delivering outcomes.” Simply put, it erases the barriers that get in the way of getting things done.
File Exchange Integration
Having a seamless exchange of data is a critical element when integrating across platforms and providers. One way this is accomplished is through file exchange, where the information from one file is transferred via file transfer protocol (FTP) from one system and imported to another. When using FTP, you can either upload or download important files from a server to a personal computer and vice versa. There are several benefits to using FTP as a file exchange method and include:
- File security
- Data control
- Large file exchanges
- File recovery
One-Way Integration
Another way to integrate data across platforms and providers is through one-way integration -- or pushing data directly into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform like jShip. jShip is Jarrett’s award-winning proprietary Transportation Management System (TMS) that supports freight shipping activity and helps its customers gain more control over their supply chain. jShip is a connection point into a customer’s ERP system, allowing for quick and efficient data sharing.
Two-Way Integration
In two-way integration, there is a seamless information exchange between platforms. jShip connects to a customer’s ERP system using an application programming interface (API), which allows the platforms to communicate information back and forth quickly and seamlessly. Customers can then look at data that cuts across an organization, allowing them to reduce redundancies by consolidating repetitive tasks, such as order entry, freight shipment quoting, shipment execution, invoicing and reporting.
The impact of integration helps maximize speed, reduce errors, decrease costs and greatly improve overall efficiencies. And by addressing these integration factors in your business, you will begin to remove areas of friction that slow down or interrupt your supply chain – ultimately costing you time, money and frustration. Having the right team in place with the right tools will help you make sense of these various integration factors, while also guiding your strategic approach. Contact us by calling 877-392-9811 or by visiting https://www.gojarrett.com/logistics to learn more.
