Control Tower Service

A logistics control tower provides through a single platform, such as a TMS system, control, insight and overview of all your transport activities. Because all processes are streamlined on one platform, data is standardised, enabling data-driven decisions. With a control tower, you can continuously strive for improvements in terms of costs, service and sustainability.

It is difficult to quote a specific price in advance, as this depends heavily on the expectations regarding the control tower. For example, if it involves maintaining diesel surcharges in the TMS, this can be offered at a relatively low cost. However, when it comes to tasks such as periodic tendering, maintaining rates, reporting, invoice control and so on, the price varies greatly depending on the size of the company. Do not hesitate to contact contact us if you would like to discuss more details. We are ready to discuss your specific needs and present a tailor-made solution.

With a Transportation Management System (TMS) effectively act as your own control tower. A TMS offers full insight, through transparent and universal data, allowing you to maintain control yourself. Optimising your transport organisation does require time and attention. Rates, diesel surcharges, data analysis, invoice checks with carriers, report creation, communication with carriers, periodic tender processes, and so on, are crucial aspects. If your company wants unburdening, we offer tailor-made support. The result is continuous, data-driven improvement. Our control tower support allows you to clearly see (based on data) what impact it has on your business operations.

The distinction lies in the fact that we do not own our own means of transport and operate completely transparently and independently. Our customers pay carriers' invoices directly and a clear amount for our services, therefore the true cost of the transport operation is completely clear. In the case of a 4PL taking over the invoicing, full transparency is lacking, making it ultimately uncertain whether they are actually passing on what was paid or what the transport actually costs them. Moreover, sometimes the logistics provider's own trucks are used, which is not always the wisest thing to do. So there are other interests at play when a carrier takes over the role of control tower. Our concept is all about complete transparency in transport costs, clarity about the cost of our services, and our added value in the form of continuous improvement.

We often find shippers have a limitation in the available data essential for effective organisation of transport operations. Our process usually starts with the implementation of transport management software through our in-house TMS. We choose our alpha-TMS for two reasons: alpha can be operational within a few days and is always more cost-effective (with warranty) than comparable providers with the same functionality. With alpha-TMS, we achieve the goals we set together in the shortest possible time. The use of a single integrated platform gives us full insight into all transport data, giving us a solid basis for making further optimisations. This is often followed by a tender (although sometimes it can be the other way around, where we first tender and then move directly to alpha-TMS). We present the best carriers that fit your profile and conclude agreements with you. If no new partners are desired, we can also start optimising existing partnerships. Through alpha-TMS, we maintain a grip on the operation and initiate a continuous improvement process. With our control tower concept, we can take over every aspect of transport management.

Absolutely, that is certainly possible. Even if you are already using an existing TMS, we can provide you with control tower support. In this case, our experts may need to be trained in using new systems first. Usually, our lead consultants will set up the control tower, establish targets and document processes. Once the control tower is operational, management is handed over to our back-office team for tasks such as invoice checks, support, data analysis, reporting and so on. At key milestones, such as tenders, our consultants come back into the picture. In this way, we ensure the efficiency of your control tower at the most cost-effective rates.

Transparency is essential in a logistics control tower, especially as a shipper wants to maintain control over transport and associated costs. When a company provides control tower support and also takes over invoicing, the shipper loses insight into what is actually paid for transport or what it costs in case it partly arranges with its own trucks. Moreover, the choices for the selected carriers often remain unclear, with potentially hidden interests, such as receiving a percentage of each shipment assigned to a specific carrier. Thus, this does not always result in the best choices for the shipper. For these reasons, transparency in a logistics control tower is not only relevant, but crucial. It ensures fairness, clarity and the shipper's ability to make informed decisions.

Usually, targets (KPIs) revolve around cost, service and sustainability. However, the importance of these three aspects can vary from company to company. When implementing a control tower, we define a minimum of three and a maximum of five KPIs for each of these three categories. During the time we manage the control tower, these KPIs are measured and results are reported periodically. Of course, there is room for adjustment and renewal of KPIs and targets during the term of the agreement, by mutual agreement. In this way, we can continue to strive for optimal performance that matches the evolving needs of the business.

Measuring CO2 emissions is still in its early stages. While some FTL carriers are already able to report exact emissions for each transport, this is not yet possible for most shipments. This is because LTL and groupage shipments are often transported by different carriers, with different vehicles and engine types, between different intermediate stops (cross-docks) to their final destination, which does not happen in a straight line. Due to the many links and lack of standardised reporting in the market, actual emissions are difficult to measure. Our approach is based on reporting an estimated value. We use the kilometres from the TMS and determine an emission value per shipment based on kilograms using scales per modality or trailer type. We then report increase, decrease per modality, smart combinations made, and so on. So while 100% accurately is not yet possible, it is currently the best approach for you to report on emissions until a watertight standard is implemented in the market.

Yes, that is certainly possible. With our TMS, you are basically fully capable of acting as a control tower yourself. Would you rather do it yourself? If required, we can train your team so that they know exactly what it takes to manage and continuously improve a well-functioning control tower. We can then take over those aspects for which you may not have the necessary expertise in-house or simply do not have the time. We offer customisation in all our services to suit your specific needs and capabilities.