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Services
TDS
provides freight
payment, freight rate negotiation and transportation logistics
services to a variety of companies in many different industries.
TDS processes in excess of 2.5 million invoices a year, with
payments exceeding $240 million annually.
Key service
offerings include:
Freight Payment Services
Invoice Receipt
Automated Invoice Processing
Duplicate Checking
Pre-Audit Services
Payment Processing
Web-based Customer Approval Process
Shipment Tracking
Carrier Contract Management
Carrier Relations
Contract
Negotiations
Carrier
Performance Measurements and Compliance Checks
Analysis
Review of Freight
History
Identification of
Cost Reduction Opportunities
Freight Payment
Services
Invoice Receipt
All of your
company’s freight related invoices are sent directly to TDS,
eliminating wasted time sorting, routing and deciphering invoices in
both your mailroom and accounting departments. TDS
accepts invoices in both EDI (preferred) and hard copy formats.
These invoices are entered directly into the invoice processing
system upon receipt, helping to shorten the payment cycle for the
service providers.
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Automated Invoice Processing
TDS
has automated the invoice payment process through the use of
technology, applicable to both EDI and hard copy invoices.
EDI
Data received through EDI is populated into the TDS
database. Edit routines ensure complete data collection and account
validation for each invoice are performed.
EDI invoices are typically processed within six business days.
TDS currently receives over 93 percent of its invoices through
EDI methods.
Hard Copy
Hard copy invoices are received and imaged on a daily
basis. All imaged invoices are then routed to data entry for data
collection and customer validation. Hard copy invoices are typically
processed within 12 business days.
Upon completion
of data collection, all invoices are routed through duplication
checking, rate audit, approval processes (if required), and
ultimately payment to carriers.
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Duplication Checking
The TDS
system analyzes each invoice against current and historical payment
information to identify potential duplicate invoices. Potential
duplicate invoices are routed through various systematic and manual
review processes. Invoices identified as duplicates are rejected
back to the carrier. This thorough system of checks and balances
helps to prevent errors that could result in over-payment for your company.
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Pre-Audit Services
Upon completion
of data collection processes, shipment data is routed to our
electronic rate database which calculates the appropriate rate
charges. Invoices with amounts differing from our system generated
costs are routed to TDS rate auditors for further review and
disposition. Rate auditors adjust invoices to the appropriate
charges and provide authority for these charges to carriers on
weekly statements and reports.
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Payment Processing
On a weekly
basis, TDS issues carrier payments, client invoices and
client reporting. For our clients, this means one invoice and one payment
to TDS instead of numerous invoices from and payments to
various service providers. TDS saves you the time and resources required to
create, print and send checks to all your logistics and shipping
service providers. You simply send one check to TDS each
payment cycle for all your company’s services and TDS takes
care of the rest. TDS pays all carriers and generates
customer reports (electronically and/or hardcopy) on a weekly basis.
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Web-based Customer Approval Process
Based on
specific criteria or billing inconsistencies, TDS will route
certain invoices to our web-based customer approval process.
Registered customers can review these invoices and determine the
appropriate resolution for the invoice from the TDS website.
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Shipment Tracking
TDS
offers shipment tracking to our customers for all shipments moved by
our preferred carriers. Directly from the TDS webpage,
customers can go to the
Shipment Tracking
page to track their shipments. This page will take the customer to a
list of all of the TDS preferred carriers and links to their
shipment tracking pages. This is just one example of how TDS
is working to provide its customers with real time access to the
information they need at the click of the mouse.
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Carrier Contract
Management
TDS
manages all aspects of carrier relations for our customers utilizing
ITT contract carriers. TDS provides savings on shipment rates
through our leveraged contract negotiations with domestic and
international carriers, and provides the customers with a choice of
carrier for each service. We also ensure that our carriers
meet specifications for safety and insurance, loss prevention,
financial stability and contract requirements in order to provide
our customers with a smooth transaction from beginning to end.
TDS also monitors carriers through performance measurements and
compliance checks to assure customers get the best service possible.
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Analysis
To begin the
process with potential customers, TDS will review the
customer’s current freight payment processes and provide an analysis
of the potential cost savings opportunities we can offer. Once TDS
has earned the customers business, we will assist with efficient and
effective implementation of the new processes into the customer's
current business operations.
Upon request from
our customers, TDS will also perform periodic reviews of
current customer freight history to identify new cost savings
opportunities and will assist the customer in implementation of
these new opportunities.
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