TechCentral Features Hub360: Simplifying Logistics with Cloud-Based Solutions

In a recent feature by TechCentral, Hub360 was highlighted for its innovative cloud-based platform that is transforming logistics management. The article dives into how Hub360 is addressing a critical gap in the market, helping businesses transition from paper-based and manual processes to streamlined, digital workflows that significantly enhance efficiency. Co-founders Denise O’Kelly and John O'Neill shared their insights on how the platform is reshaping logistics for businesses that manage their own delivery fleets or use third-party hauliers.

O’Kelly noted in the article that many businesses still rely on outdated processes, such as manual paperwork or spreadsheets, to handle the final distribution of products. These inefficiencies lead to slow deliveries, lost paperwork, and delays in payments. Loss of proof of delivery (PoD) documentation is a constant challenge, and even businesses with solid processes often struggle to scale them effectively as they grow.

According to TechCentral, companies are now searching for ways to enhance both business efficiency and environmental sustainability, as highlighted by John O'Neill. Many businesses are looking for greener solutions, but existing logistics systems, such as expensive ERP add-ons, are often cumbersome and require extensive customisation, making them impractical for many organisations.

Digitising the Supply Chain

The article explores how O’Neill and O’Kelly’s journey began in 2005, when they collaborated on digitising the end of the supply chain for a client. Their combined expertise in web development and logistics allowed them to create a system that worked seamlessly, ensuring visibility across all parties involved—from vendors to hauliers and customers. Initially designed for one company, the system’s success led to its deployment across five entities within the same group, demonstrating its scalability.

The article also recounts how a demo for an unrelated project turned into a showcase of their supply chain solution. The strong interest in their system led them to secure funding, which allowed them to refine the platform and conduct market research, eventually leading to the development of Hub360.

“We received an overwhelmingly positive response,” O'Kelly shared with TechCentral. “There was a clear appetite for the system, especially among larger companies who were struggling with limitations in their logistics operations, despite having industry-standard ERP systems in place.”

Growth and Development

As the TechCentral feature notes, Hub360 continued to grow as the capabilities of its system expanded. The company built a team of developers and began working with other vendors to extend its platform’s functionality. The article emphasised that Hub360’s ability to integrate with any ERP system sets it apart from competitors. The platform can extract data at any point in the product lifecycle, supporting a variety of specialised logistics needs, including cold chain and food delivery.

O'Neill explained to TechCentral that Hub360 offers full visibility throughout the entire supply chain, from the moment an order is placed in the ERP system to when the product is delivered to the customer. “Most competitors only come into play at the end of the ERP process,” O'Neill noted. “But we pick it up from the very beginning and follow it all the way through.”

This end-to-end visibility provides significant benefits to businesses, according to the article. Hub360 helps companies streamline their operations, leading to cost savings in areas such as overtime reduction and fuel consumption through better load planning and route optimisation.

Key Features and Differentiators

TechCentral highlighted several of Hub360’s standout features, including its driver mobile app, which offers optimised delivery routing, manifest checking, and customer signature capture. Automatically generated PoDs are archived and easily searchable, with real-time order delivery updates integrated back into both the Hub360 platform and the company’s ERP system. This level of visibility and traceability, TechCentral noted, is a key differentiator that few competitors offer.

Hub360’s platform also allows non-logistics personnel, such as sales and support teams, to access real-time information, increasing client satisfaction and reducing customer queries.

Looking to the Future

In the article, O'Neill and O'Kelly shared that Hub360 is continuing to innovate, with plans to incorporate barcode and QR code scanning, as well as expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI). O'Kelly explained that AI will be particularly useful in optimising mixed loads, ensuring compliance with regulations and maximising efficiency.

As companies face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact and improve operational efficiency, Hub360 offers a scalable, cloud-based solution to address these needs. TechCentral concluded the feature by noting Hub360’s ability to optimise supply chains from end to end, enabling businesses to save time, reduce costs, and lower their carbon footprint, all while increasing the overall visibility of their operations.