The 5 Things to Look for When Buying Freight Procurement Software

When you’re looking for the perfect procurement management software for your team, you need to consider more than just the features on offer.

Although features are important (you can read about the best procurement software features for 2022 here), there are other factors that can make the difference between choosing the perfect or wrong-fit software.

Here are five things to look for to ensure you choose the optimal freight procurement software for your team.

1. An intuitive, easy-to-use interface

The importance of an easy-to-use interface cannot be overstated. The time (and money) spent training or acclimating your team to an overly-complicated platform can never be recovered.

Your e-procurement system must align with the principle of less is more. A simplified software stack means faster induction at all levels and a more fluid transition that doesn't hinder the daily running of your organisation.

As a rule of thumb, aim for a solution that requires minimal end-user training. As ease-of-use is the number-one factor in driving successful user adoption, which is vital to the success of every e-procurement technology investment.

2. Dedicated onboarding support

Onboarding is one of the most underrated and overlooked aspects of software buying. The quality of the onboarding process can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful team implementation. In fact, some studies have found that only 29% of tech implementations at companies are fully successful.

When buying procurement software, look for a vendor that provides training, supervision and mentoring and takes you through your first tender process step-by-step. You need to know that your team can run their tenders independently by the time the onboarding is over. 

3. Software built by procurement experts 

When you’re searching for the right software, it’s important to consider the following:

• Who designed and built the software?
• What problem was this software built to solve?
• Was this software built by procurement experts?

The answer to these questions will help you understand if the software was built by a team who truly understands the complexities and daily workload of freight procurement.

Think about it, you wouldn’t buy a smartphone designed by someone who has never used a smartphone before. Similarly, it’s important that your procurement software is built by a team that has first-hand experience in the logistics and procurement sector.  

4. Software bespoke for freight procurement

You need a software solution that is bespoke to your specific needs. If you buy generic procurement software, it won’t have the specialised features you need for sourcing and managing freight.

To get full transparency into your data, you need a system that’s specifically designed to manage freight procurement data and deliver the insights that are important to your team.

Similarly, you need to ensure the software is the right fit for your bespoke requirements. Are you shipping high-risk goods, like chemicals? Or do you need reefer containers for perishable goods? If you invest in software, ensuring that it’s the perfect fit for your needs is vital.

5. A transparent pricing structure

You never want to get hit with unexpected costs – especially when you’re trying to balance a budget.

Typically with procurement software, your contract will be based on the amount of goods you ship. If you move more goods than expected one year, the last thing you want is a hefty surcharge from your software supplier without any warning – however this is the case with some suppliers.

So always be vigilant when enquiring about pricing to uncover and hidden surcharges that could leave your budget in a mess.

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