BrokerWare Software Updates – Feb. 2011

3PL Systems, Inc. is very excited to announce that NEW updates for BrokerWare are coming in February 2011. New features and enhancements will soon be live. The following is a list of the highlights:

Menu Searching
The search bar in the top menu has been updated to include both shipments and customers in the same search results. This update eliminates the drop down options that were previously used to change the search type. The updated search will also allow for more advanced searching options, such as, pro numbers, shipper numbers, AR invoice number and AP invoice numbers. The home page still has advanced searching options if needed.

Terminal Information from Carrier Connect
We have added functionality to show the carriers origin terminal information on the dispatch and confirm pickup tracking pages. This information is collected by the SMC3 Carrier Connect application and updated monthly. When requesting the terminal information make sure that a carrier is assigned and that the SCAC code for the carrier is correct.

Tariff Enhancements
The tariff engine has been further updated to give more functionality for service areas. We have expanded on the ability to add additional charges for each service area. This allows you to add charges based on percentage, cost per hundred, pallet among other options. This enhancement will help with island delivery and high cost service areas.

We have also added the ability to link supplemental charges to service areas. This is a new set of functionalities and is in addition to the ability to link supplemental charges to tariffs. Primarily, this will help with high cost service areas, but will allow for many additional options. It is important to note that service area supplemental charges will take precedence over tariff level charges.

Default AP Invoice Date
For a long time the system has allowed the default AR invoice date to be changed from today, pickup date or delivery date. With this release we are now providing the same options for the default AP invoice date. You will notice this option when using the receive payables page to confirm carrier invoices.

Logout Screen
We have updated the login and logout page to allow you to return to the most recent page you were working on. This will avoid having to return to the home page after entering your login information. This update will assist when opening a link from an email or when returning from lunch.

Equipment Types for Load Boards
The ability to post custom equipment types to load boards has been added. We have expanded the equipment type list, (under the setup menu), to also allow you to map the equipment types in BrokerWare to the equipment types for each of the active load boards.

Shipper Number by Customer
We have added the ability to force a customer to select the shipper number from a pre-defined list of options. The list of options is set from the customer profile page, and can be customized for each customer.

Grouping by Equipment
This is a big functionality change that does not apply to everyone. Currently our grouping functionality only groups shipments based on the sales rep linking to the shipment. We now support the ability to group shipments based on the equipment type selected. This option will allow you to divide your operations team based on the types of shipments. It is important to note that grouping works based on sales reps OR equipment, but does not work for both.

Customer Portal - Security
We have continued to improve on the security options in the customer portal. We have extended the Booking Only (Vendor) access level to only allow the user to view shipments they created. Meaning, those users will no longer be able to see all shipments for the customer account.

QuickBooks Integration Updates
Additional updates to the QuickBooks integration are included in this release. We have been working on this for quite some time and have continued to improve on the recent updates. One update you will notice is that we now put integration and sync errors for shipments into the shipment notes.

Consolidation
Based on your feedback from the previous release we have further refined our consolidation tools. With this release we have a much more complete and refined consolidation solution. We look forward to your feedback.

Login-Less Carrier Portal That Benefits Freight Brokers

A carrier portal can be a very valuable tool for saving your staff time. When implementing a carrier portal Broker’s must take into account several important questions.

1. How effective are carrier portals in the market today?
2. Do owner operators remember username and passwords for every broker they move freight for?
3. Why would a carrier login to a freight broker's website in the first place?
4. Can Carriers access their portal on Mobile devices?

3PL Systems has the answer to each of these questions… a Carrier Portal with no login required. This unique approach was created with you AND your carriers in mind. We have taken feedback from within the industry and successfully developed this user-friendly solution.

The Carrier Portal will allow carriers to log into their individual carrier portal by clicking on a hyperlink that is provided through quoting or tracking emails. The hyperlink can be saved as a bookmark on the carrier’s web browser for future reference. This provides a fast and secure way for your carriers to access their information without having to remember a username and password.

Below are some solutions the Login Less Carrier Portal provides to carriers and freight brokers.

Get Tracking Updates From Carriers
Your staff can email an Owner Operator to request tracking updates for your shipments. Owner operators can easily open the portal through a web enabled mobile device and communicate the latest shipment status instantly for all shipments currently moving. All shipment updates will be posted as a public note for staff and customers to view.

Respond to Quote Requests and Bid on Available Loads
Carriers will have a one stop shop to respond to your quote requests and bid on available loads. They can review the shipment information and submit a quote response through the Carrier Portal.

They also have the ability to login to their carrier portal to see available loads to bid on. You can make these loads available to them through our Carrier Spot Quote Section. This allows carriers to be proactive during the bidding process and search for uncovered shipments..

Give Your Carrier the Opportunity to Post Their Equipment
Your carriers can now post their available equipment on the new carrier portal. All available equipment that is posted will be available for your dispatchers to research when looking to cover a load.

For more information about BrokerWare Software please visit www.3plsystems.com or contact Customer Support at (800) 965-8205 or email Support@3PLSystems.com

Tracking Pages

BrokerWare’s tracking pages are designed to help promote time management within the application. These pages allow the user(s) to perform several tasks for a shipment without having to go to the shipment profile each time. This also allows user(s) the ability to update several shipments in the same amount of time it would take to update one. These changes can range from altering the shipment weight, to updating the status of a shipment.

Getting Started

Depending on the link selected from the home page, each tracking page will then display the according type of shipments. There are two types of tracking pages: a Primary Tracking page, which will display all loads per that status (ex. quoted, booked, dispatched, in transit, delivered) and a Filtered Tracking page, which are listed on the home page under the primary link with names such as “View by Carrier” or “Dispatch Today.”

These Filtered Tracking pages will sort all loads within that status/section and per your selection. For example, the “Dispatch Today” page, lists all loads currently needing to be dispatched with a pick up date of today or before. Primary and Filtered pages can be differentiated by the indentation on the home page.

Updating Shipment Status

Tracking pages can be used to update statuses for multiple loads at once. The listed shipments are initially collapsed on the tracking page screen, with an expand button on the far right to expand the listed shipment. When a load is expanded you can add shipment notes, change the pickup and delivery date, and even push the load into the next status. These options may change based on the status of the individual shipment.

Edit Commodity or Edit Pricing

On the tracking pages some shipment details are listed and underlined. This line indicates that an action is followed by selecting that value, such as shipment weight and price. By selecting either of the two the appropriate pop up window will be displayed (edit commodity or edit pricing) for that shipment. You can also select the Load Number that is underlined which will direct you to the individual load’s shipment profile.

Sorting

All tracking pages give you the option to sort information based on section headers. All underlined headers allow one to sort results based on that section. Note: when sorting based off of shipper or consignee location, the page will sort based off of the state acronym, and not the address. This is useful for your operational staff that monitors loads delivering to a state in a different time zone.

Filter List

Entering text into this field causes the page to refresh and display all loads with matching criteria. For example, if you enter a carrier SCAC code you will be left with all loads with that SCAC displayed as the assigned carrier.

Legends

Each load listed on a tracking page has a color coded indicator. The meanings of these colors change depending on the page you are on. The legend explaining the meaning of each color can be displayed by selecting the “Show Legend” link on the tracking page you are on.

More Options

When selected, the “More Options” link will expand and list all other filtered pages in that section. For example, if you are on the Dispatch Tracking page, the “More Options” link will display filtered pages from the home page, such as “Orders to be Dispatched Today”, “View by Carrier” and “Customer entered order”.

Check Boxes

The Check Boxes allow you to select and update multiple loads at once. Once making a few selections, click the “Save Selected” button at the bottom of the page. This will direct you to a page which allows the confirmation and status updates of all loads selected.

BrokerWare Defaults

With BrokerWare (BW) users have the option of setting system wide defaults to assist in managing their business. For example, these defaults allow users to set minimum mark ups, or the standard shipping date to use on your customer invoices. It is recommended that these are set immediately once your BrokerWare system is set up, and can also be adjusted at any time. Some of the defaults available are especially important to the function of your system. Always read the description of each default carefully prior to applying any changes.

Getting Started

The defaults page is accessible to administrator logins only. It can be accessed by selecting “Default Parameters” from the Admin Tools section, or from the Admin drop down menu in the navigation menu (note: the navigation menus will be changing with the October 2010 update, and defaults will then move to the new “Setup” drop down menu.)

Defining a default – Each default listed has a name which contains an abbreviation to indicate which area of the system it is for; “Comm”, “Operations”, and “Customer” are some examples listed. The remainder of the name following the abbreviations, dictate the action of that default.

How to Change a Default

From the default page, changes can be made based on your company standards and preferences by selecting the “Edit” link to the right of the default needed to be changed. Some defaults will only accept certain entries, which are listed in the description field of the default. Changes to defaults are system wide, unless other levels are set said criteria. For example, the “UserLTLMaxDisplay” setting can be modified at the customer level as well as on the defaults page. Hence, when changed at the customer level, changing the default will only change those that have not been modified.

Commonly Used Defaults

The most commonly used defaults are those pertaining to commissions, customers, and operations. These defaults allow users to set the absolute minimum profit margin, the default commission amount, and allow customers the ability to see carrier tracking data. Inspecting default settings to ensure company standards and preferences are met is recommended.

Defaults not Pertaining to Your System

With the scalability of BrokerWare, not all defaults may apply to your system. For example, if your company decided not to purchase the customer portal access, the defaults labeled “User” or “Customer”, will not apply to your company’s system of defaults. Please read each default description carefully before making any changes.

In addition, upgrades to BrokerWare can be done at anytime if your company decides to utilize these functions. Please feel free to direct any questions to our support department at (800)965 - 8205.

Certified QuickBooks Integration for Freight Brokers

Eliminating double entry into an accounting software package is near the top of every freight broker's "need" list when it comes to a Transportation Management System (TMS).

QuickBooks is very popular amongst freight brokers, so most TMS providers have integrations for QuickBooks. Unfortunately, not all QuickBooks integrations are created equally. Certain QuickBooks integrations provide only a one way manual export while others only offer summary information for accounts payable and receivable reports. In most cases that isn't enough.

3PL Systems has differentiated BrokerWare from the competition by providing a fully customized QuickBooks integration that has been tested and certified by an approved Intuit independent testing company named Intertek.


What this Certification means for Freight Brokers?

This certification ensures that your accounting integration is complete and functional. That way you don’t have to wait until after a completed integration to find out about problems. Instead, choose a QuickBooks accounting integration that was audited by an independent testing company and is certified by Intuit (the makers of QuickBooks).


Intertek Technical Review for QuickBooks

Intertek is an independent testing company chosen by Intuit to execute the QuickBooks Technical Review. All program specifics, including processes, test design, and program design, have been approved and are enforced by Intuit.

The QuickBooks Technical Review Program is designed to give the QuickBooks developer community the mechanism to ensure their applications meets the high quality standard of operation and compatibility expected by the customers. The purpose of the testing is to verify that 3rd Party applications appropriately integrate, exchange data, and are compatible with the QuickBooks platform.


BrokerWare Accounting Integrations

BrokerWare Accounting Integration is an automatic sync that pushes new and modified customer accounts, vendor accounts, sales accounts, receivable invoices, payable invoices, and commissions into an accounting package. The integration also automatically draws payment status information from the accounting package back into the BrokerWare TMS.

The 3PL Systems Accounting Integration is available on QuickBooks (Pro & Enterprise), MAS 90 / 200, and Microsoft Dynamics (Great Plains).

For more information about BrokerWare Software please visit www.3plsystems.com or contact Customer Support at (800) 965-8205 or email Support@3PLSystems.com

3PL Systems Integrates with Real Time Freight

3PL Systems has announced an integration with Real Time Freight within BrokerWare, their freight management application. RTF offers an on-demand, web-based technology platform that connects all participants involved in the management of freight transportation. RTF also provides an intuitive, closed-loop and centralized system which communicates time sensitive load information in real-time. This service provides significant business advantages to all subscribing shippers, carriers and freight transportation partners.

3PL Systems is confident this integration will increase efficiency and assist in streamlining your business. If you are interested in this integration please contact 3PL Systems at (800)965-8205.

BrokerWare Software Updates – October 2010

3PL Systems is very pleased to announce that NEW updates for BrokerWare are coming in October. There are many exciting features being added. The following is a list of the highlights:

Edit Shipment Pricing Window
We have updated the Edit pricing window to add the ability to assign pricing to stops. This update is designed to help with consolidation and full truckload shipments. We also make some usability changes to the page that should make it easy to use.

Calendar and Dates
Throughout the system we have updated the calendar and date entry boxes. You now have the option to manually enter the date rather that only being able to select it from the calendar drop down. The calendar is still available and has a new look as well.

Customer Portal
There is a new look to the customer portal. All the current functionality is still available. Some of the options have been moved, mostly on their home page. You will now notice a chart with shipment history at the top. We have also added some maps that show the number of inbound and outbound shipments based on state. These charts are intended to provide your customer with the ability to visualize the work you do for them.

Customer Portal - Security
Another very important change to the customer portal is the addition of security levels for customers. We have added 2 additional levels of security that can be set for each contact within a customer account. This will allow you to grant one user “Manager” access and another user with lesser permissions. These are the three levels of security:
•Full Access – Customer can create shipments and view all accounting information. This is the default security level and what all your customers are currently using.
•Operations – Customers can create and view shipments but they can not access accounting related information such as invoices and statements. They will see the billing amounts for specific shipments.
•Booking Only (Vendor Access) – Customers can only create and view shipments. NO BILLING AMOUNTS ARE DISPLAYED. This is the level of access that should be granted to customers, vendors or people that should not be allowed to review shipping charges.

Updated Menus and Searching
The menus at the top of the page have been completely redesigned. The new more modern menu system allows us to offer some new functionality.

Searching for customers and shipments has been added to the menu. That means on every page you will be able to enter a load number or customer name to jump directly to the next location.

Information Messages
We have added a tool that will change the way information is shared with you. With this release when you save information, you will be alerted at the top of the page. We have tried to make this consistent throughout the application. The color of the message is designed to help you identify what has happened with the desired action.
•Green – displayed on success.
•Yellow – shows a warning or validation error.
•Red – displayed when an error has occurred or the page could not be saved.
•Blue – displayed for informational messages.

Truckload Updates
A number of updates have been made to help improve and streamline the existing truckload tools. One of the main updates is to the spot quote section. We have updated the options for getting shipments on and off of the list.

We have also added functionality to assign a shipment to yourself or another operations person. This allows you to see and manage shipments that are assigned to you.

Combined Tracking Page (Truckload)
We have added an option to display a combined tracking page that will show all the shipments from quotes all the way to delivery. The combined tracking page is color coded to help keep all your shipments organized and moving forward. This page is optimized for truckload brokers.

There is also an option to change the home page to show much fewer links. For those of you who want to reduce the number of options in the operations and QA sections this might be right for you.

Commissions for Carrier Reps
Another big update for truckload brokers is the support for Carrier Reps to receive commissions. This allows for the Rep who is assigned to the shipment at the time it is dispatched to be added to the load and receive a commission. The commission can then be processed using the existing commission auditing tools. As with all commissions, the amounts are automatically calculated and updated based on the configuration of the rep.

Carrier Portal
This is the first release where we have support for a carrier portal. The carrier portal is designed to help small carriers work with you. They have the ability to update existing shipments assigned to them, as well as reply to pending quote requests. The new portal is accessed by providing a special link to the carrier. That saves them from having to remember a username and password. The new portal is also mobile friendly.

QuickBooks Integration Updates
A completely updated QuickBooks integration is included in this release. We have been working on this for almost six months. The update has been specifically designed to simplify our integration and reduce the issues that we currently deal with. One update that you will notice is that we now put integration and sync errors for shipments into the shipment notes.

Speed Improvements
All the new tracking pages and the quote page have been optimized since the last release. The functionality on these pages is mostly the same but the optimizations should make the page load in about half the time.

Consolidation
Based on your feedback from the previous release we have further refined our consolidation tools. With this release we have a much more complete and refined consolidation solution. We look forward to getting your feedback.

Freight Forwarding
This is our first release that will directly support freight forwarding operations. We have added substantial functionality to streamline some freight forwarding specific tasks like dispatching to multiple carriers and tracking individual segments of the shipment.

Please contact us at www.3plsystems.com or (800)965-8205 if you have any questions.