If you ship anything as part of your business, you know that logistics, profitability and customer satisfaction are intimately connected.
So the efficiency of warehouse and inventory management software is crucial. It’s crucial to your reputation, your bottom line and even contributes to job satisfaction for your warehouse staff.
One company in Tampa, FL, experienced firsthand the pain of slow and inaccurate logistics systems and what happens when you solve that problem. In this case, using Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
Verified Technologies, based in Clearwater, FL, played a pivotal role in turning this situation around demonstrating the profound benefits of AVD for businesses and ditching the original VPN approach.
Attn: ShipWorks, ShipStation and other logistics and shipping software users – this solution may be for you as well.
What is ShipWorks?
ShipWorks is a powerful shipping software solution designed to help businesses manage and automate their shipping processes. It’s a popular application for ecommerce-based SMEs that have more than one shipping location.
It integrates with major carriers, e-commerce platforms, and order management systems, streamlining the shipping process, reducing errors, and saving time.
And in total, ShipWorks allows users to process shipments, print labels, track packages, and manage shipping data from a centralized platform.
When it’s able to transmit data efficiently, print correctly and its features are accessible to warehouse personnel and management alike
The Challenge: Inefficient Remote Access and Unreliable Printing
When our client company was operating ShipWorks locally – shipping their ecommerce orders from their local warehouse, the system worked well. This Tampa based company had been using an on-premises application server to run their ShipWorks … until they expanded.
Then employees in different locations in Tampa Bay, then in Texas, started accessing the application remotely through a VPN.
This setup resulted in poor performance and unreliable printing of shipping labels, causing significant operational delays and inefficiencies.
The impact was felt in the form of less than stellar reviews, employee attitudes and evaluations AND in actual monies lost through late shipments and errors.
The Solution: Migration to Azure and Implementation of AVD
Recognizing the need for a more efficient solution, Verified Technologies recommended migrating the application server to Microsoft Azure.
By leveraging Azure’s robust infrastructure, the company could ensure high availability and scalability for their critical logistics software. However, the real game-changer came with the implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
The Impact of AVD
- Improved Performance: With the application server hosted on Azure and accessed via AVD, employees at all locations experienced a dramatic improvement in performance. The cloud-based solution eliminated the latency issues previously encountered with the VPN, allowing for real-time updates and faster processing of logistics data.
- Reliable Printing: One of the significant pain points was the unreliable printing of shipping labels. By using AVD, the company ensured that printing operations were seamless and dependable. This improvement was crucial for maintaining the efficiency of their shipping processes and reducing downtime.
- Enhanced Accessibility: AVD provided a consistent and secure environment for users to access the application from any location. This accessibility was particularly beneficial for remote workers and employees in various geographical areas, fostering a more flexible and productive work environment.
- Scalability and Flexibility: The cloud-based nature of Azure and AVD allowed the company to scale their operations easily. As their business grew, they could effortlessly accommodate additional users and resources without the need for significant on-premises infrastructure investments.
Other Business Applications Benefiting from AVD
As your company grows, shipping and logistics software isn’t the only application that may require remote access. While your first thought might be to solve this with a VPN, AVD might be a better choice!
Apart from shipping and logistics software like ShipWorks, many other business applications that rely on VPNs can benefit from the implementation of AVD. These include:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: Accessing CRM data remotely through AVD can enhance performance and security.
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software: ERP systems often require robust remote access capabilities that AVD can provide.
- Accounting and Financial Software: Ensuring secure and reliable access to sensitive financial data is critical for accounting teams working remotely.
- Project Management Tools: Tools like Microsoft Project or Asana can be accessed more efficiently through AVD, improving collaboration and productivity.
- Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS): HR departments can benefit from the secure and consistent access provided by AVD for managing employee data and processes.
Conclusion
This case study highlights how Microsoft AVD, implemented by Verified Technologies, can significantly enhance the efficiency and reliability of logistics operations for companies with multiple locations.
By migrating critical applications to Azure and leveraging the power of AVD, businesses can overcome the challenges of remote access and unreliable printing, ensuring seamless and scalable logistics management.
For more information on how Verified Technologies can help your business optimize its logistics operations with Microsoft AVD, contact us today.
