Startups and SMEs are in a precarious situation now more than ever. Companies are struggling to manage volatile demand, fleet and resource efficiency, and rising costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Locus, a global B2B SaaS company that automates human decisions in the supply chain, has launched a free tool ‘QuickStart,’ a self-serve lite version of the product suite startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to address these very problems.
Logistics planning is not a task that can be optimized manually due to a lot of real-world constraints, and the current pandemic adds to the complexity. With Locus’ state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) platform, companies can automate decision making while taking into account the on-ground reality. This free trial is for a period of two months from the start of the subscription. Companies can now focus on execution and ensure a good customer experience.
“Supply chain management is an old problem. It has only become more dynamic and complex with time. While changing on-ground scenarios and pandemics like COVID-19, may impact your operations, Locus QuickStart can provide you with tools to improve and analyze the situation. We wanted to reach out to startups and SMEs at this time so as to support them with relevant tools. This offering will continue even after the situation on the ground eases up,” Nishith Rastogi, CEO and Co-founder of Locus. “It is a non-integrated offering to improve the existing processes and enable SMEs and startups to automate their supply chain decision-making to bring efficiency, transparency, and consistency in operations.”
The free trial gives access to limited features of Locus Dispatcher and Locus MotionTrack, the route optimization solution, and fleet tracking insights and analytics solution, respectively. One can also access the Locus On The Road (LOTR) mobile application, with real-time tracking through Locus MotionTrack.
Some of the default features of Locus QuickStart are:
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Distance and time-based optimization
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Fleet optimization
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State-of-the-art geocoding
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Machine Learning-powered algorithms for optimization
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Collection of electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD)
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Predictive Alerts
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Planned vs. Executed view
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Planning and execution Insights
“We wanted to share our expertise and support with startups and SMEs, thereby bringing supply chains to the forefront of every business. Locus QuickStart will come with a dedicated two-hour customer support service to get you up and running,” added Nishith.
Locus works with enterprises across varied industries, including E-commerce, 3PL, Home Services, Retail, CPG and FMCG. The company operates across North America, Southeast Asia, India, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa.
Locus has raised $29 million till date from marquee investors like Tiger Global, Falcon Edge Capital, Blume Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Rocketship.vc, Recruit Strategic Partners, DSP Group, pi Ventures, BeeNext, and growX ventures.