How to Collaborate With Vendors and Suppliers in Pumble

Some teams tend to keep to themselves — when working in industries such as data entry or internal accounting,  you can get away with low or no external collaboration.

Logistics, dispatching, and supply chain management are a different beast — these industries rely heavily on vendors and suppliers for optimal results.

And if you trust email to handle this workload, imagine what would happen to:

• Planning and management of goods transportation,
• Assigning drivers,
• Monitoring routes, and
• Guaranteeing on-time deliveries.

The outcome would be far from ideal, as email is notorious for:

• Delays, 
• Missed messages, and 
• Miscommunication. 

Logistics simply cannot afford these mistakes. And with Pumble by CAKE.com, you don’t have to either. This communication app allows you to cut off software and services that make dealing with vendors and suppliers a drag. As your centralized digital HQ, Pumble handles both internal and external communications in a single user-friendly workspace. Thus, you can keep track of employee activity while also having a pulse check of your vendor and supplier processes.

We’ll lay out the complete handbook on how to collaborate with vendors using Pumble. Moreover, we’ll demonstrate how you can replace email in logistics and establish real-time supply chain communication.

Step 1: Use guest access for vendors to create a clear gateway

Getting everyone in the same (virtual) space is hard, and with traditional communication channels such as email, it feels nearly impossible. But does everyone need to be together in the same office to make logistics and transportation more efficient? Not with the Pumble guest access feature.

Here you can choose between two options:

1. Single-channel guests: The guest account can only access a specified channel, not the rest of the workspace. This option is a good solution for connecting with transactional partners. For example, when working with a trucking carrier responsible for a dedicated lane, single-channel guest access keeps the information separate from other business dealings.
2. Multi-channel guests: On the flip side, multi-channel guests have more leeway, as they can access multiple channels approved by the workspace administrator or owner. This makes sense for strategic partners — major suppliers or 3PL (third party logistics) representatives, for instance — who need increased supply chain visibility to keep track of order fulfillment, incident reports, warehousing, and more.

Of course, external collaboration always brings up the question of security. Guest access is highly customizable, giving admins an extra layer of protection. 

During the setup stage, you can add an expiration date so that no one overstays their welcome. Expiration dates are excellent for time-limited collaborations, and you can even archive the channel afterwards to prevent clutter. You’ll still be able to access the archived content — it just won’t take up space in your sidebar.

Besides expiration dates, Pumble has taken steps to further tighten its security measures with SOC 2 compliance and ISO/IEC 27001 certification. 

Vendors and suppliers can feel apprehensive about using an app with a track record of data leaks and misuse. With Pumble, you can give them peace of mind while focusing on what really matters — collaboration. 

Use Pumble for external collaboration

Step 2: Speed up the flow with voice & video messages

The trick is to find software whose features cater to all users, from managers and dispatchers to drivers and warehouse staff.

It’s easy enough to read and reply to messages when working from home. But when you’re on the road or on your feet at the warehouse — not so much. That’s where voice and video messages come in, giving users the chance to get their message across without needless typing.

When incidents such as damaged shipments occur, real-time reporting and accurate detail is essential. Text messaging is okay, but managers then run the risk of wasting time or forgetting to mention necessary context. Voice messages are much more adequate — as soon as an incident occurs, you can record your account with one tap. Moreover, video messages provide a valuable visual record of what has occurred and can be double-checked later if needed.

Best of all, video and voice messages are available in:

• 1-on-1 direct messages,
• Group chats,
• Private channels, and
• Shared channels.

Group and 1-on-1 messaging can help speed up problem solving and provide instant updates to all conversation participants. Should you encounter an issue that warrants more eyes on it — like triaging a carrier problem — you can move the conversation to the relevant channel to receive feedback or insight. Thanks to these options, workflows go uninterrupted, and each and every user has the information they need, at any time.

Stay in touch on the go via Pumble

Step 3: Create a digital paper trail with file sharing & Google Drive integration

Another advantage of using Pumble for logistics is how easy it is to store and share files, whether that be:

• Bill of lading (BOL),
• Proof of delivery (POD),
• Invoices, or
• Collaborative documents.

Not only does sharing knowledge improve communication within a single team, but it also streamlines cross-functional collaboration, connecting coworkers from different departments.

If team X does their job well, as do teams Y and Z, what good does that do if they can’t get on the same page? This back-and-forth needs to be smooth if you want suppliers and drivers to be on top of their game. 

The Google Drive integration goes one step further in optimizing communication, allowing you to:

• Share Google Drive files in Pumble,
• Add comments within the app, and
• Receive Pumble notifications whenever someone makes a change to a specific document.

Connect Pumble & Drive to achieve more

Successful shipment and delivery is the end goal, but that won’t happen unless everyone can follow the paper trail showing each step of day-to-day operations. That’s why it’s essential to leverage channels to organize files within Pumble.

For example, users can keep up with their workloads by accessing accurate information in Pumble channels such as:

• #shipment_PO1234: Compile all documents regarding the shipment in a shared space so that operation officers, carriers, sales reps, and support agents know where to find the files.
• #night_shift: Create a dedicated channel where employees working the night shift can share tips or ask for help.
• #incident_reports: Ensure safety and prevent future problems by centralizing your incident reporting in a Pumble channel. Upload your records and build a collaborative hub where you can analyze, repair, and respond to incidents.

Plus, anything you share through Pumble’s channels automatically becomes part of your unlimited message history. Logistics runs on accurate recordkeeping, and with a few keywords, every team member can retrieve a message or file.

Manage files with ease in Pumble

Step 4: Target the right people with user groups & notifications

In some instant messaging apps, the constant hum of notifications can drown out your message. With so many posts popping up across channels, why assume each one is intended for you? The downside of this type of thinking is that both unimportant and important messages fall to the wayside.

For on-site work specifically, not noticing urgent announcements can lead to late shipments and deliveries. Luckily, Pumble makes it easier to capture someone’s attention with user groups. These are groups of members who simultaneously receive an alert whenever someone mentions the appropriate handle. Mentions are particularly helpful, and you can use the following in both private and public channels:

• @here, to notify all channel members currently online that you’ve posted.
• @channel, to alert all channel members.
• A specific user group you’ve made previously, like @morningshift or @dispatchteam.

This convenience makes it possible to notify the right people without pinging and distracting anyone else. Not to mention, off-duty staff can further protect their work-life balance by setting a custom notification schedule. Customizing your notifications means you can:

• Receive notifications for mentions only, not all messages.
• Mute non-work-related channels like #hobbies or #recommendations.
• Pause notifications coming in outside your work hours.

Put a stop to distractions in Pumble

Step 5: Make faster decisions with polls

Full-time employees, carrier partners, and shippers all have a stake in the decision-making processes. So, how can you ensure that you hear what they’re saying?

You don’t have to get everyone in the same physical space to do so. Besides, for remote and hybrid organizations, this may not even be a viable option. However, in a virtual workspace, polls provide a quick and easy solution.

After completing a few simple steps and adding the integration to your Pumble workspace, you can start collecting insight on how to:

• Build stronger client relationships,
• Streamline shipment services,
• Simplify logistics and other operational activities, and more.

Of course, employees and external collaborators might have more to say. In those cases, they can turn to threaded replies underneath the post. All messages appear in chronological order, allowing conversation participants to lead more organized discussions without adding clutter to the rest of the channel.

Thus, polls and threads join the suite of features that help different teams — from sales and accounting to carriers and customer representatives — work in tandem.

Make better decisions in Pumble

Pumble for logistics — better than email

Email workflows are inconvenient, more often than not keeping you out of the loop rather than highlighting:

• The progress teammates, partners, and collaborators have made,
• The latest to-dos, approvals, and messages, 
• Urgent challenges, and 
• Key milestones.

Here’s a summary of how email falls short when compared to Pumble, a streamlined email alternative. 

Bye, bye email, hello Pumble

Refine the way you collaborate with vendors in Pumble

The behind-the-scenes of coordinating with external collaborators doesn’t have to be a chronic headache. Connect teams across all levels of your organization with Pumble and never make a misstep in your supply chain management.

Don’t settle for a downgrade like email and subpar software.

Get started with Pumble today