Transport Management Systems (TMS) - FlexTMS vs VIA

The eighteenth blog in the Transport Management series will compare two TMS: FlexTMS and VIA. The comparisons will go over the pros, cons and pricing of each TMS as well as a summary on why you should choose it for your organisation.

FlexTMS

FlexTMS, also known as EchoShip is a native and cloud based TMS, built with the aim to help users automate repetitive shipping processes and provide greater control over their transportation network. This TMS can be natively installed on macOS computers as well as accessed from almost any web browser.

FlexTMS makes it easy to automate shipping processes, it offers routing & tendering automation as well as load boards management, tracking, carrier management, reporting, billing and much more all through its centralised dashboard. Users can update carrier information, send updates and customise the dashboard to suit their business’ operations. FlexTMS provides analytics and reports which can be exported to various formats, detailing finances and key areas of business which can be improved.

Furthermore, this TMS provides comprehensive proprietary systems which help manage almost all forms of transportation, including truckload, intermodal, small parcel and international. It provides tools such as rate management, freight weight analysis, billing & payments, dedicated web portal for viewing tracking information and more. Support is available through 24/7 live chat & phone, email and online documentation. There is no free trial available.

Pros

• Analytics and report generation
• Load board searches
• Various transport management tools
• Modern UI
• Dedicated tracking portal
• Proprietary shipping management systems

Cons

• No native Windows and Linux integration support
• Lack of 3rd party systems integration

Pricing

Pricing is determined upon request to the FlexTMS sales team. The price businesses pay is based upon the number of features and users required. This is charged on a monthly basis.

Why Choose FlexTMS?

FlexTMS offers tools for businesses in logistics, transportation and shipping which aim to automate and optimise business operations. This TMS also grants users with more tools to control and improve business management processes. It provides routing & tendering automation tools as well as load boards management, tracking, carrier management, reporting, billing and more. There is also a dedicated tracking portal to help users track their shipment and provide real-time updates. Furthermore, this TMS provides comprehensive proprietary systems which help manage almost all forms of transportation, including truckload, intermodal, small parcel and international. FlexTMS provides analytics and can generate reports, detailing finances and key areas of business which can be improved and overhauled. These reports can also be exported to various formats. This TMS can also be installed on macOS computers as well as accessed from almost any web browser. Support is provided through 24/7 live chat & phone, email and online documentation.

VIA

VIA is a native and cloud based TMS, that offers a suite of transport management tools aimed to provide greater control over business operations. It includes dispatch management, GPS tracking, incident reporting, inventory management, routing and much more. This TMS can be installed natively on Windows and macOS computers. As it is cloud based, it can be accessed from almost any web browser. 

This TMS provides real-time fleet management, allowing users to track and receive updates from their entire fleet in real-time. Additionally, this allows businesses to view hours of service by drivers, generate driver performance reports and much more. Third party apps can be integrated, for example warehouse management apps to extend and allow for full logistics management capability. 

VIA provides users with shipment rates management, where they can compare between various rates. Additional features include 3PL management, CRM system integration, order management, supplier management, billing & invoicing, mileage tracking, fuel management, scheduling and much more. Support is available through 24/7 live chat, phone, email, webinars, on-demand training and through online documentation. There is a free trial available upon request to the VIA sales team.

Pros

• Extensive support options
• Third party apps integration
• Tracking capabilities
• Various management tools and features
• Billing generation and invoicing utilities
• Customer management tools
• Modern UI

Cons

• Lack of native integration with Linux

Pricing

The pricing starts at $50 (￡36) per month and is based upon the number of features and users required. This cost is charged on a monthly basis.

Why Choose VIA?

VIA offers a plethora of management tools and features to help automate and improve business operations across the various industries in logistics, transportation and shipping. It includes features such as 3PL management, CRM system integration, order management, supplier management, billing & invoicing, fuel management, scheduling, dispatch management, GPS tracking, incident reporting, mileage tracking, inventory management, routing and much more. VIA provides businesses with key analytics and performance reports, including but not limited to vehicle maintenance, driver hours and performance. Third party apps such as various accounting software can be integrated to extend functionality and further centralise management of business processes. VIA can be natively installed on Windows and macOS computers as well as accessed through almost any web browser. Via provides an extensive range of support options including 4/7 live chat, phone, email, webinars, on-demand training and through online documentation.

To Summarise

Both FlexTMS and VIA are robust offerings to aid businesses in improving and overhauling transport management processes. Both of these transport management systems aim to give greater control to users when managing transport operations. FlexTMS offers tools for businesses in logistics, transportation and shipping which aim to automate and optimise business operations. This TMS also grants users with more tools to control and improve business management processes. It provides routing & tendering automation tools as well as load boards management, tracking, carrier management, reporting, billing and more. There is also a dedicated tracking portal to help users track their shipment and provide real-time updates. Furthermore, this TMS provides comprehensive proprietary systems which help manage almost all forms of transportation, including truckload, intermodal, small parcel and international. FlexTMS provides analytics and can generate reports, detailing finances and key areas of business which can be improved and overhauled. These reports can also be exported to various formats. VIA offers a plethora of management tools and features to help automate and improve business operations across the various industries in logistics, transportation and shipping. It includes features such as 3PL management, CRM system integration, order management, supplier management, billing & invoicing, fuel management, scheduling, dispatch management, GPS tracking, incident reporting, mileage tracking, inventory management, routing and much more. VIA provides businesses with key analytics and performance reports, including but not limited to vehicle maintenance, driver hours and performance. Third party apps such as various accounting software can be integrated to extend functionality and further centralise management of business processes. Both TMS are charged on a monthly basis and calculated upon request with VIA starting $50 (￡36) per month. Pricing is based upon the number of users and features required. FlexTMS can also be installed on macOS computers as well as accessed from almost any web browser. This TMS provides support through 24/7 live chat & phone, email and online documentation. VIA can be natively installed on Windows and macOS computers as well as accessed through almost any web browser. Via provides a greater range of support options which include 4/7 live chat, phone, email, webinars, on-demand training and through online documentation. If you are a larger company or if you find that the software available on the market doesn’t give you features you need, or perhaps the way the software is utilised doesn’t fit with your transport management needs, it is then better to go with bespoke software development and build tailored software for your organisation. Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss more about our bespoke software development services. 

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