Everyone loves a good deal, but there is a costly trade-off when opting for a free transportation management system (TMS): limited capabilities, missed optimization opportunities, and poor visibility into your supply chain. Ultimately, these inadequacies stunt your operational efficiency and your ability to compete.
This article explores the differences between robust TMS solutions and the more basic, free TMS software alternatives. Here, we demonstrate how opting for the cheaper option costs you more than you think.
The Hidden Costs of Free TMS Software Solutions
Here are a few ways free TMS solutions come up short.
- Quality and Reliability: Disruptions are costly. An unreliable TMS is better at creating disruptions than preventing them. Free systems often lack stability and are unable to provide end-to-end visibility.
- Puts a Ceiling on Growth: Does your business experience peak seasons or opportunities for rapid growth? Beware, a free TMS will struggle to scale with your expanding needs.
- Lack of Support: Free solutions often offer minimal customer support, leaving users to figure things out themselves or wait for a solution.
- Time for an Upgrade: Remember those free samples that are hard to pass up? Expect free platforms to require paid upgrades to unlock features that matter most.
When you get accustomed to operating a certain way, it can be difficult to calculate what your TMS costs or potentially saves you. An independent analysis revealed that MercuryGate solutions achieved an ROI exceeding 300% over five years.
Comparing Free vs. Paid TMS Solutions
Free TMS software solutions typically promise to solve your biggest logistical challenges. When it comes to execution, free options can add to these challenges while limiting business growth and efficiency.
Case Study: Upgrade or Else
Billerud, a premier specialty paper producer with an annual freight spend exceeding $250 million, found itself in a TMS dilemma. They needed a system upgrade to continue receiving support from their current provider. Billerud took this predicament as an opportunity to explore other TMS solutions. At the top of their wish list was easy implementation, stability, and a user-friendly solution.
Calculate your potential Saving While Using an enterprise TMS
Getting What You Pay for in a TMS
Wherever you are in your TMS journey, we invite you to schedule a demo with MercuryGate to see how our TMS drives value for your business today and into the future.
