What is the Transportation Management System?

Also known as RT (Road Transportation) the TMS component in ViewPoint Logistics allows you to run both a brokerage operation as well as manage a fleet. The system is integrated with the WMS to minimize the need to re-enter data; i.e., certain changes made in one system will automatically update the other.

Click on the following dropdowns for more information:

This functionality is easily accessed under the TMS Sub-Systems, Job, and HighView menus in ViewPoint Logistics. If you are unfamiliar with the VL menu system, see Exploring the Workspace for more information.

For a video demonstration of this and other related material:
Introduction to ViewPoint Logistics

Using the TMS

ViewPoint Logistics allows for various approaches to invoke core applications (Jobs) in the TMS depending on your preferences and how you wish to access your data. Note that when you select a job in VL, it will open in an external panel. After you are finished performing your work, click to close the job panel.

Different approaches for accessing TMS jobs are described below:

Via Job Menus

The traditional approach is to run a sequence of jobs under the TMS sub-system menu to set up clients, generate (print) reports, process transactions, etc. These jobs are grouped together under the various TMS sub-system menus and are usually listed in order of precedence; i.e., by how and when they should be invoked.

TMS menu items are divided into two categories (Operations and Administration) which may be accessed via the Menu Chain Selector. If Operations is selected, ViewPoint Logistics will display menu items for the jobs and data required to perform various day-to-day business operations. The Administration menu is used primarily for configuring and maintaining VL; i.e., setup parameters, master tables, purging routines, job streams and other more administrative tasks that are usually restricted to certain operators.

Note that you can jump directly into a specific job from anywhere in the system (if you have the correct permissions). Simply enter a job code in the Job Code field next to the e-Z Learn button at the top of any VL page. Jobs can also be included as menu items in a MyFavorites . See also TMS Core Applications.

Via Workflows

The most common TMS job sequences have also been organized into sets of Workflows. The Workflows feature in e-Z Learn provides "maps" of the various 3PL processes that may be performed in ViewPoint Logistics. This approach transforms the various operational or administrative steps into colorful, easy-to-follow diagrams (flowcharts).

Workflow diagrams are fully integrated within ViewPoint Logistics. Operators who open e-Z Learn from within an active VL session will be able to click on the diagram to invoke the associated job. (You must be logged into ViewPoint Logistics and you must have menu access to the sub-system in the diagram.)

To walk through a series of integrated workflows relating to transportation, click here.

Via HighViews

If you are currently performing much of your work by following printed reports, then you should be using the HighViews feature in ViewPoint Logistics. This approach incorporates your reports directly into the interface (so you don't have to print them).

With HighViews, access to your work is accomplished in real-time via one or more action grids, spreadsheet-style utilities designed for viewing, organizing, analyzing, and manipulating your operational data. Not only do action grids provide a "big picture" rendering of your transactions and inventory, they allow you to drill down into more detailed information, they include built-in analytic tools, and they serve as the central launch point (control center) for running multiple jobs in the system.

The TMS-related HighViews in ViewPoint Logistics provide all the details for tracking probills/invoices, manifests, etc. Click on an icon for documentation on the functionality associated with each HighView: 

Work in Process    Query/History      XML Control