Running a product-based business involves more than making or selling what you offer. Goods still need to move between warehouses, stores, suppliers and customers, and that process can become increasingly complicated as a business grows.
For Melbourne businesses researching ways to manage those logistics, Freight Systems is one Australian provider worth looking into.
Headquartered in Dandenong South, Freight Systems provides freight management software alongside logistics and transport services. The company was established in 1995 and works with businesses ranging from SMEs to larger organisations across Australia.
Its offering covers both the technology used to organise freight and the practical logistics services required to move it.
What does Freight Systems do?
Freight Systems provides businesses with a combination of freight management technology and logistics support.
Its proprietary freight management platform, Cario, is designed to bring different parts of the freight process together. Businesses can use the system to compare carrier rates, book freight, print labels, track shipments, capture proof of delivery and reconcile freight invoices.
The platform also provides freight reporting and analytics, while integrating with a range of commonly used business and e-commerce systems, including SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, MYOB, Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento.
For businesses that do not simply want software, Freight Systems also offers freight brokerage and logistics services covering areas such as domestic and interstate transport, retail transport, air freight and broader supply chain management.
Why Freight Systems may be relevant to Melbourne businesses
Melbourne is home to manufacturers, retailers, distributors, e-commerce businesses and importers operating at very different scales.
For many of these businesses, freight becomes harder to manage as order volumes increase or delivery requirements become more varied.
A business might start with one carrier and a relatively simple booking process, only to eventually find itself dealing with multiple freight providers, manual quote comparisons, separate tracking systems and freight invoices that need to be checked individually.
Freight Systems is structured around addressing those kinds of operational challenges.
Its system provides access to more than 280 carriers and supports different freight categories, including parcels, pallets, air freight, refrigerated freight, oversized cargo and dangerous goods.
That breadth may be useful for businesses whose freight requirements no longer fit neatly within a single carrier or delivery method.
Freight Systems combines software with logistics support
One feature that distinguishes Freight Systems’ offering is the combination of freight technology and human logistics services.
Some businesses may primarily want a transport management system that allows their own team to organise freight more efficiently. Others may prefer more direct support from people who can help coordinate shipments and manage carriers.
Freight Systems caters to both models.
Its freight management technology can automate tasks such as bookings, rate comparisons, shipment tracking, freight labels and invoice reconciliation. At the same time, the company operates a freight brokerage team and provides dedicated account management and customer support.
That can make the service relevant to businesses looking for more than a basic courier-booking platform.
A freight platform built for Australian conditions
Australian freight presents some unusual logistical challenges.
Businesses may need to move goods between major capital cities, regional centres and remote locations across very long distances. Different freight types may also require different carriers, handling processes and transport arrangements.
Freight Systems states that its Cario platform has been developed specifically for Australian logistics rather than adapted from an overseas freight system.
The company has operated in the Australian freight industry since 1995 and has offices in Dandenong South in Melbourne and Lane Cove West in Sydney.
Its network covers major Australian states and territories through relationships with more than 280 carriers.
Who might consider Freight Systems?
Freight Systems works across several types of businesses and industries.
Its services may be worth investigating for e-commerce companies managing growing delivery volumes, manufacturers moving components and finished products, retailers replenishing stock across several locations, and businesses that regularly send freight interstate.
It may also be relevant to businesses handling more specialised shipments, including refrigerated goods, dangerous goods, oversized freight and urgent deliveries.
Larger organisations and freight forwarders can also use the company’s technology to consolidate carrier management, reporting and freight cost information.
For a smaller business, the appeal may instead be gaining access to a broader carrier network and freight management tools without establishing a large internal logistics department.
The types of freight problems the system is designed to address
Freight management can involve a surprising amount of administrative work.
Teams may spend time visiting different carrier websites to compare quotes, manually entering shipment information into several systems, following up delayed deliveries or investigating differences between quoted and invoiced freight charges.
Freight Systems is designed to centralise many of these tasks.
Through its platform, businesses can compare freight rates, arrange bookings, monitor consignments and manage freight information from one system. Automated invoice reconciliation can also help identify discrepancies between expected and charged freight costs.
For businesses receiving regular questions from customers about delivery status, real-time shipment tracking may also make it easier to see where consignments are within the delivery process.
Freight Systems’ Australian business footprint
According to Freight Systems, more than 20,000 Australian businesses use its technology or services, and the platform processes a new consignment approximately every 2.8 seconds.
The company operates across sectors including e-commerce, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, retail and distribution.
Freight Systems also lists integrations or relationships involving businesses and transport providers such as GC Brands, Kärcher, FedEx, Couriers Please and TNT.
As with any logistics provider or business software platform, however, the right choice will depend on factors such as freight volume, destinations, freight types, existing systems, service requirements and budget.
Melbourne Talk recommends checking Freight Systems’ current service information directly and comparing it with other suitable providers before making a decision.
Looking into freight management software or logistics services?
If managing freight is taking more time than it should, or your business has outgrown a simple single-carrier setup, Freight Systems may be worth including in your research.
Businesses can contact Freight Systems directly to discuss their current freight arrangements or request a demonstration of its freight management platform.
Its Melbourne office is located at 11–15 Smeaton Avenue, Dandenong South VIC 3165, and the company can be contacted on 1300 822 746.
Check the latest services, integrations, pricing and availability directly with freightsystems.com.au before deciding whether its platform or logistics services are suitable for your business.
