Whatsapp Based Spot Bidding for Vehicle Hiring

In the bustling landscape of the logistics industry, AI technology is bringing about new digital paradigms. WhatsApp, a well-known messaging app, is emerging as a surprising yet powerful tool in freight sourcing and spot bidding. 

This blog post highlights the advanced solution of vehicle hiring with an AI-enabled Whatsapp Spot Bidding Solution.

What is Vehicle Hiring?

Vehicle hire, also known as vehicle rental or leasing, is a service provided by various companies, allowing people and businesses to use a vehicle for a specific time period in exchange for payment.

This is ideal for situations where owning a vehicle may not be practical or cost-effective, like for a one-time large cargo delivery, transportation for a short-term project, or in case your regular vehicle breaks down.

Hiring a vehicle provides flexibility in choosing the type and size of the vehicle as per your needs. For businesses, particularly those in logistics and supply chains, vehicle hire can be a great way.

Also read: Why You Need To Automate Freight Billing & Settlement

Six Challenges in Traditional Vehicle Hiring in Logistics

Let’s have a quick overview of the challenges in traditional vehicle hiring in logistics.

1. Inefficient Communication: Traditional vehicle hiring usually depends on phone calls or emails, which can be time-consuming and unproductive, especially for urgent needs.

2. Limited Reach: Traditional methods may limit access to a limited number of providers, potentially missing out on better deals or more suitable options.

3. Slow Response Times The manual nature of traditional vehicle hiring can lead to slow responses to inquiries and bids, delaying the overall process.

4. Lack of Transparency: With the absence of a centralized platform, traditional hiring can often lack transparency, making it challenging to compare rates and services accurately.

5. Inability to Adapt to Changes: Traditional methods may struggle to adapt fast to sudden changes in demand or supply, leading to inefficiencies or increased costs.

6. Administrative Burden: The paperwork and record-keeping involved in traditional vehicle hiring can be a substantial administrative burden for shippers and carriers.

Also read: How Can Route Optimization Improve Your Logistics Efficiency

What is WhatsApp Spot Bidding? An Overview

WhatsApp Spot Bidding is an innovative technology integration in the logistics sector, utilizing the popular messaging app WhatsApp for real-time bidding on transportation services. Here’s an overview:

Definition and Purpose

WhatsApp Spot Bidding refers to the process of using WhatsApp as a medium to facilitate real-time spot bidding on freight services. It’s a novel approach to freight procurement, making it more accessible, efficient, and transparent.

Traditional vs. WhatsApp Spot Bidding – Comparison Table

Traditionally, spot bidding required extensive communication through phone calls or emails, leading to delays and limited reach. Here is a quick comparison table.

Pros Vs Cons of WhatsApp Spot Bidding

Let’s have a quick overview of pros and cons of whatsapp spot bidding.

Pros of WhatsApp Spot Bidding

1. Increased Efficiency

WhatsApp Spot Bidding streamlines communication, making it quicker to negotiate and finalize deals, thus speeding up the entire procurement process.

2. Enhanced Transparency

It offers a clear, auditable trail of conversations and agreements, improving accountability and trust between parties.

3. Wider Reach

By leveraging a platform as ubiquitous as WhatsApp, shippers can reach a broader network of carriers, leading to more competitive bids.

4. User-Friendly Interface

WhatsApp’s familiar interface ensures that users, regardless of their tech-savviness, can engage in the process without a steep learning curve.

5. Cost-Effective

Utilizing an existing platform like WhatsApp can reduce software development and maintenance costs.

Cons of WhatsApp Spot Bidding

1. Dependence on Platform Stability

Being reliant on a third-party app means that any downtime or technical issues with WhatsApp could impact the bidding process.

2. Security Concerns

While WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption, sensitive business information may be at risk if not handled with proper security measures.

3. Lack of Formal Integration

WhatsApp is primarily a consumer application, so using it for critical business processes may lead to limitations in terms of customization and integration with other enterprise systems.

4. Regulatory Compliance

Depending on the jurisdiction and the nature of the business, using a messaging app like WhatsApp for formal business transactions may raise legal and compliance issues.

Efficient Procedure for Whatsapp Spot Bidding With Fretron

Efficient spot bidding is key to streamlined logistics and supply chain operations. Leveraging Fretron’s innovative platform, spot bidding is made simpler and more efficient by integrating with Whatsapp. Here’s a simplified overview of how this unique process works, step by step.

Step 1 – Sales Order Creation 

In the Fretron platform, sales orders can be established either manually or through bulk upload. What sets Fretron apart is its capacity for integration with any ERP system, which can directly import sales orders, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.

Step 2 – Dispatch Management

Once load planning is carefully completed, a corresponding dispatch plan is designed. Thanks to Fretron’s real-time updating system, this plan becomes instantly visible within the platform. The next step in the journey is the initiation of the bidding process, which can be done with a simple selection of the “Push To Bidding” option.

Step 3 – The Bidding Parameters

This bidding step is one of the unique features of Fretron’s system. A tab dedicated to bidding will display, asking for key information, such as the details of the bid amount, the bid schedule, and vendor selection. 

Essential fields need to be filled, like freight reference, pickup date, freight unit of measure (UOM), bid schedule, duration, bid tolerance, and vendor selection. Once this is done, the bidding process goes live, and an invitation is sent to the vendor via Whatsapp to participate.

Step 4 – Vehicle Allocation

After the bidding concludes and a winner is selected, the system presents an option for vehicle placement. This step is made user-friendly with the provision of a format for assigning a vehicle through Whatsapp. A notification of “Vehicle assigned successfully” is received upon successful assignment. 

Concurrently, Fretron’s system automatically generates a new shipment order, wrapping up the process neatly.

In this way, the integration of Fretron’s system with Whatsapp proves to be an effective and streamlined approach for spot bidding in the logistics and supply chain industry.

Wrapping Up

Pairing WhatsApp with smart solutions like Fretron is transforming the way we hire vehicles and manage logistics. These handy tools make complex tasks like spot bidding and ePOD easier and more transparent. Interested in making your logistics tasks simpler and more efficient? Give Fretron’s solution a try and take your operations to the next level. To discover more, get in touch with us.