Episode Details

TMS Innovation and the Voice of the Customer with Cameron Robertson

Cameron Robertson and Joe Lynch discuss TMS innovation and the voice of the customer.

[00:20] Opening / Introduction. [00:37] Introduce yourself and your company.

• I am the Chief Technology Officer of 3PL Systems in Signal Hill, California. We specialize in the development of transportation management software.
• At the age of thirteen I built my own website and since then I've been hyper-focused on learning more about software development.
• I went to school for computer science in southern California.
• My first real job was here with 3PL Systems. After I took the job, I fell in love with the industry, the people, and the fact that the technology seemed young.
• I joined the company as a technical support representative and progressed from there.

[02:40] Please explain the difference between API and EDI before we get into the tech talk.

• API serves as the interface between software programs. Image a human interacting with a computer. That's similar to how API works.
• An EDI is still the most popular form of exchanged information via technology in transportation. It allows the user to pass information based on an action.
• I see API replacing EDI in the next five to ten years.

[04:20] What is a transportation management system and why should someone invest in one?

• A TMS is used by shippers, carriers, brokers, and asset-based companies to manage their business.
• The biggest benefit is that if efficiently allows you to manage all data such as shipments in a centralized location.

[05:25] What are the five new trends that are coming to the TMS business?

• [05:38] 1. Systems becoming easier to use and configure.
  • Developers are often needed to set up systems, but their time is scarce and expensive.
  • Users should not be dependent on a developer for every last customization or integration.
  • Brokers and 3PLs are much more sophisticated with their knowledge of tech now, so they're ready to do more.

• [08:14] 2. Artificial intelligence is coming.
  • AI is ready to impact the industry because we now have computing power, lots of data, and connectivity.
  • It can complete a lot of the mundane tasks such as following up with carriers or dispatching loads in the morning.
  • Some companies are using it on a limited basis, and some of it is just hype.
  • It's coming soon and it will be disruptive.

• [10:53] 3. The user experience becoming more intuitive.
  • Some software providers give a big user manual, which is a red flag to me. I would get rid of that software as soon as possible.
  • Inbound logistics users may need to train hundreds of shippers, so it's important for training and orientation to be quick and easy.
  • If you're going to have a user manual, it should be built into the software instead of an external text document.

• [13:31] 4. User group meetings.
  • This means hearing the voice of the customer or user of the software platform.
  • They can provide feedback about the software itself and what they would like to see built, rather than the software company dictating to the customer what needs to be built.
  • Developers need to understand their customers so well that they can deliver next gen solutions before the customers even know it's possible.

• [15:40] 5. Becoming even more connected.
  • Today, TMS can pull data via APIs from all types of databases and websites.
  • We're going to see a tremend