Parade’s approach to capacity management is different from the rest in several ways.
Parade is considered the top capacity management solution by most of the supply chain industry. We recently published a blog post about how Parade is different from other capacity management vendors, but then we realized there were even more unique features that Parade offers their customers.
The following unique features are just some of the reasons that Parade is at the top of the class in cap management solutions for the freight industry.
1. Parade Works with TMS Systems and Syndication Boards Instead of Against Them
It’s commonplace in the capacity management market for companies to shun connections with other companies that offer capacity management and access to carrier capacity in whatever form. They want their customers to use their system and their system alone.
That means that customers using those systems often must use several systems to manage their capacity, potentially forcing them to input data into multiple systems and switching between them to find the best carrier for a load. You can imagine how much information might be missed by a human brain in all that confusion.
Instead of the exclusive approach many other cap management providers offer, Parade works to build partnerships with TMS programs and syndication load boards. Partnerships with companies like DAT, Tai TMS, and Project44 mean seamless integrations that allow systems to talk to one another.
Here are a couple of examples of how these partnerships can streamline operations and multiply the benefits of these systems:
· You can post directly to DAT load boards from the Parade platform, even setting up Book Now loads to streamline interactions between brokers and carriers
· Customers with Parade and Tai can cut time spent on carrier outreach down to nothing, and broker reps can do all that directly from their TMS dashboards.
2. Reporting Comes Standard, Even Reporting that Shows Exactly How Parade is Performing
Transparency plays a key role in the freight industry. Data provides visibility, which is an important part of everything from carrier and personnel performance tracking to setting pricing to strategic decision making.
Parade allows its customers to track common metrics like bookings per rep and bookings per carrier, and not only at a management level. Reps have access to their booking metrics so that they can track their progress, set goals, and have a clear view of how to achieve those goals. Parade not only provides these key data points but also allows that data to be pushed to other programs to make audits and tracking easier.
Aside from tracking those metrics that are standard in capacity management solutions across the board (though access may be limited with other solutions), Parade also provides their customers with a clear-cut view of the system’s ROI (return on investment). You read that right. Parade shows their customers exactly how we’re performing.
3. We Offer a Truly Private Carrier Network
Many capacity management vendors boast that they can help you build your carrier network and gain access to capacity, and they do. What they don’t say in so many words is that that wider capacity network may come from access to the networks of other brokerages on the platform. Those other brokerages may have access to your network, as well.
Some freight brokerages are comfortable sharing their network so long as the other brokerages on the platform are sharing theirs. Their network isn’t a closely guarded trade secret, and they’re glad to trade that information to access more capacity. Not every brokerage feels the same, though. Many companies feel that they’ve worked hard to cultivate their network and build and maintain relationships with their carriers, and they don’t want other brokerages to piggyback on all the work they’ve done.
Our partnership with Project44 allows Parade brokerages to decide for themselves whether they want to share their network and, in return, share other Project44 brokerage’s networks. Aside from this integration, Parade customers’ networks are completely private.
That doesn’t mean the carriers they bring to the system are the only ones they have access to, though. A recently added feature allows brokers to see capacity information for every carrier who has ever shown an interest in hauling one of their loads, even if that interest came from a load board outside of Parade.
If you’re interested in learning more about the unique features that make Parade the industry’s top capacity management solution, reach out to us here to set up a demo.