Whether you're an automaker, a big-box retailer, or a grocery store, chances are you're constantly moving things from point A to point B. Sounds simple, but the reality can be maddeningly complex, requiring you to orchestrate vast fleets of vehicles and thousands of logistical variables. Transportation management is literally where the rubber meets the road – and how well you do it can make a big difference in everything from cost control to customer satisfaction.

We've found that the cloud is an ideal platform for managing transportation and logistics because it allows multiple parties – including your partners and customers – to seamlessly collaborate, from submitting orders to verifying rates to checking on delivery status. Plus, only the cloud can effectively integrate a range of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things.

For example, more and more companies are now deploying IoT sensors to track vehicles and the goods they're carrying. Using these new tools, companies can find out not only where their orders are, but whether they've had a bumpy ride, or if temperatures have been too hot or too cold along the way, affecting product quality. If your shipment of shrimp – or a critical medicine – traveled for 10 hours at 100 degrees, you would want to know about it.

The world of transportation management continues to evolve as companies adopt the latest digital technologies to bring greater efficiencies across their supply chains.