This Opinion piece appears in the Aug. 17 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
By Ken Weinberg
Vice President
Carrier Logistics Inc.
Though it’s true that many transportation companies are cutting back on expenses during this sluggish economy, carefully calculated investments in information technology can bring both immediate payback and long-term success.
Not only can wise, well-thought-out technology investments help businesses run more smoothly and operate more efficiently right now, better IT also can add real dollars to the bottom line by increasing productivity without the need to add more resources.
Companies that make sound IT investments today will be well-positioned to seize the opportunities that will arise quickly when the economy rebounds.
In the transportation industry in particular, technology is paramount to efficient operations. Take, for example, the integration of Web-based modules. Web functionality introduces a powerful, convenient customer service aspect to a carrier’s overall services. It allows carriers to keep overhead to a minimum while providing their shipping customers with around-the-clock access to all aspects of their accounts — not just tracking and tracing — whenever it is convenient for them.