TMW Systems announced several updated fleet software tools for managing billing, maintenance, and business at the in.sight. User Conference + Expo hosted by PeopleNet and TMW in Nashville, Tennessee.

TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch is now available with three additional features designed to help users improve planning and dispatch operations and make informed decisions about existing and new market opportunities.

The TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch module now features a time-saving capability to simultaneously perform multiple commodity product code changes. Users can now select one or more sites and update the corresponding codes. This feature also automatically updates existing orders for each of the sites. Mass updates of commodities are particularly useful in regions where fuel formulations change by season, according to TMW. Commodity changes can be scheduled for future dates, as well.

Also new to Fuel Dispatch is an interactive re-forecasting feature that allows dispatchers to assess the overall effect on projected deliveries if a current available order changed. Dispatchers can use this feature to adjust for special market conditions or situations that require a change to one or more loads. Current-state and re-forecasted orders are displayed on a new order grid within the Dispatch Dashboard and Call On Demand Order Entry screen.

The company also expanded its Reveal Series business intelligence and data analytics tools for oilfield service and fuel delivery carriers. Reveal Series analytics can now be used to build solutions that isolate abnormal rack and delivery point dwell times; analyze driver and asset performance; develop time-based metrics to reduce delivery delays during peak traffic or busy seasons; and establish trip standards by time of day, week, month, or season. TMW’s Reveal Series data warehouse aggregates all orders, stops, commodities, quantities, stop date times, freight volumes and other information for fuel delivery and oilfield gathering operations.

“Each of these new capabilities extends the breadth and value of TMW.Suite software into operational areas that are ripe for improvement,” said David Wangler, president of TMW Systems. “Well service businesses and downstream fuel delivery fleets can respond more quickly to changing market and operational conditions to improve overall customer service levels by using the new capabilities of this powerful software.”

TMW also took steps to help fleets simplify the billing process for fleets offering dedicated transportation services with the new IES Dedicated add-on module available for users the Innovative IES transportation management solution as well as the IES Access and Access Plus TMS platforms. The optional feature provides fleets a tool designed to address the complexities involved with billing for contract-based dedicated transport.

Carriers running dedicated routes often resort to managing customer payments using spreadsheets, a more time-intensive process that can be prone to error due to manual data entry. The  IES Dedicated module was created to eliminate inefficiencies and inaccuracies in the billing and driver payroll processes for dedicated trucking through the use of automation. Providing flexible pay setup options, the tool is designed to help boost driver retention, increase productivity, reduce operational costs and improve customer satisfaction.

“As carriers seek ways to maximize vehicle capacity and shippers look to avoid costs associated with maintaining private fleets, dedicated trucking has become an increasingly popular delivery model. However, billing methods that cater to the complex requirements of this growing segment are lacking,” said Ray West, senior vice president and general manager of TMS solutions for TMW. “The new IES Dedicated module offers users an efficient and cost-effective solution designed to meet all their contract-based transportation billing and payment needs.”

The company is also offering a new billing functionality for third-party logistics companies. The latest of several software enhancements designed to serve the needs of non-asset-based and multimodal transportation service providers, the new functionality supports the solution’s load planning/optimization engine – developed by 3GTMS – for billing third-party carriers.

The new 3PL billing module allows for contracts based on cost-plus, management fees, standalone customer rates, pass-through costs and more. This enables users to provide accurate, transparent, timely invoices that include benchmark and gain-share calculations.

In addition to the new advanced billing capabilities, the TMW.Suite 3PL-focused solution includes LTL rating, mode optimization and other features that help reduce freight expense and manage complex carrier and customer contracts. By leveraging 3GTMS rating, planning and 3PL billing, 3PLs also can fully automate the order-to-cash process, creating significant operational efficiencies.

The new Advanced Load Planning feature of TMW.Suite is built using a comprehensive set of transportation planning and execution algorithms, from 3GTMS, designed to minimize transportation spend and dramatically enhance service levels to customers. Users can factor in all modes and carriers as well as pool distributions in building optimal, executable loads based on savings, real-time constraints and planning parameters.

“TMW.Suite is a powerful, comprehensive platform that enables transportation businesses to manage the unique complexities of the 3PL marketplace,” said West. “This new functionality will help improve our users’ business performance by facilitating sophisticated transportation plan invoicing that meets their needs and the needs of their customers.”