Training on Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and Freight Audit

Module 1: TMS Fundamentals and Selection

• Core functionality: planning, execution, visibility, and settlement.
• TMS deployment models: on-premise, cloud-based, and managed services.
• Defining requirements and selecting the right TMS for your operation.
• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Develop a request for proposal (RFP) evaluation matrix for a TMS, scoring three vendor proposals against a set of business requirements.

Module 2: TMS Execution: Planning and Optimization

• Optimizing less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload (FTL) shipments.
• Mode selection and carrier assignment based on cost, service, and capacity.
• Using TMS for dynamic route planning and load consolidation.
• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Use a simulated TMS to plan and tender a week’s worth of shipments, selecting the optimal carrier and mode to minimize cost while meeting delivery windows.

Module 3: Freight Audit and Payment (FAP) Processes

• The role of FAP in cost control and data accuracy.
• Automated versus manual audit processes: rate validation, duplicate payment checks, and accessorial charges.
• Managing relationships with FAP service providers.
• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Audit a set of 5 complex freight bills, identifying discrepancies between contracted rates and invoiced amounts, including incorrect classification or accessorial charges.

Module 4: Carrier Management and Performance Analytics

• Using TMS data to build carrier scorecards (on-time pickup/delivery, claims ratio).
• Implementing carrier onboarding and compliance processes.
• Strategies for collaborative carrier relationship management.
• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Analyze a carrier performance dashboard from a TMS, identify the top and bottom performing carriers, and develop a quarterly business review (QBR) presentation for a strategic carrier.

Module 5: TMS Integration and Advanced Analytics

• Integrating TMS with ERP, WMS, and visibility platforms.
• Using TMS data for benchmarking freight costs and identifying savings opportunities.
• Introduction to predictive analytics in TMS for capacity and rate forecasting.
• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Create a freight spend dashboard using raw TMS data, categorizing spend by mode, business unit, and carrier, and present three actionable insights for cost reduction.