IT for Logistics Companies: 7 Solutions That Make the Difference

The Dutch logistics sector has around 11,000 companies and generated roughly €52 billion in revenue in 2025. Even so, many SMEs in transport, warehousing and freight forwarding still work with disconnected software packages and manual data entry. Research by evofenedex (the Dutch association for logistics and international trade) shows that 77 percent already use a WMS, and 53 percent want to invest even more in digitalisation over the coming years. In this article we look at seven IT solutions that make a real difference for logistics companies in practice.

Why IT in logistics is a business issue

Margins in logistics are thin and customers expect real-time visibility. If you don't deliver goods on time or in full, you lose the contract to tomorrow's competitor. At the same time, the sector is under pressure: 65 percent of business owners see staff shortages as a brake on growth, and 80 percent of transport operators now regard cybercrime as a real risk to their business. In logistics, IT is no longer a cost centre but the way to tackle both problems at once: less manual work and more predictability.

For logistics SMEs, the challenge is not to get bogged down in complex enterprise suites. What works are solutions that connect directly to day-to-day operations: the warehouse, the trailer, and the portals facing customers and customs. On our page about IT for transport and logistics you can read how we shape those choices together with logistics companies. Below are the seven solutions we believe have the most impact.

1. A WMS that fits your operation

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is the backbone of every warehouse: it tracks what comes in, where it is stored, what gets picked and which loads are ready to ship. The difference between a good WMS and an outdated one lies in the details: real-time stock levels, wave picking, integration with scanners and robotics, and rules per customer or item.

Well-known WMS solutions for Dutch SMEs include SAP EWM, Manhattan Associates (both in the Gartner Leaders Quadrant), Boltrics (built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and popular with 3PL providers), Reflex and Blue Yonder. Cloud WMS is gaining ground: payback is typically within 6 to 12 months and implementation costs are 30 to 50 percent lower than on-premises. What's more, leading cloud WMS platforms achieve more than 99.9 percent uptime.

Don't choose on brand name but on fit: what does your picking process look like, which integrations do you need, and how important is customisation? Get this wrong and you'll pay extra for workarounds for years.

2. A TMS that brings planning, execution and ETA together

Where the WMS rules inside the warehouse walls, the Transport Management System (TMS) does the same for everything outside them: from planning and route optimisation to execution, freight billing and real-time ETAs for the customer. Dutch and international TMS names you'll come across regularly include Descartes, Transporeon, Simacan (strong in ETA and control tower functionality), Winsped and Blue Yonder.

The 5 pitfalls Descartes identifies when selecting a TMS will sound familiar: looking only at features, underestimating integrations, skipping change management, not aligning the roadmap, and not checking the supplier's industry experience. For SME carriers, the key is that planners can plan faster, drivers carry less paper and customers get a reliable ETA. If you measurably improve those three things, the investment pays for itself.

3. Real-time visibility and track and trace

Customers want to know where their shipment is, not tomorrow but right now. Real-time visibility platforms combine data from the TMS, telematics, mobile apps and sometimes IoT sensors into a dashboard shared by every party in the chain. As a result, you lose fewer call-centre hours to "where's my shipment?" questions, and customers can adjust their planning sooner when things run late.

Maturity varies widely: from simple track-and-trace portals to fully fledged control towers with AI-based predictions. Invest in the level that suits your customer: retail with tight delivery slots at distribution centres demands more than an occasional construction delivery. If your drivers scan on the trailer, look at connectivity too: mobile coverage in the port area and on rural industrial estates isn't always rock-solid.

4. Reliable connectivity in the warehouse

A WMS is worthless if the scanner in the warehouse loses its connection. Dutch distribution centres are getting taller, deeper and busier, and old Wi-Fi installations are often overloaded. With the Catalyst 9166D1, Cisco has brought to market a Wi-Fi 6E access point designed specifically for warehouses, where the 6 GHz band offers room to separate IoT traffic from critical production traffic. For large sites or outdoor storage, Private 5G is emerging as a more reliable backbone, as KPN and Axians have shown in Dutch case studies.

More important than the brand is a thorough radio plan: coverage measurements at racking height, redundancy in the controllers, and a second internet connection in case the primary one fails. A word of warning: far too many SME warehouses run on consumer-grade Wi-Fi set up years ago by an "IT enthusiast" colleague. If operations grind to a halt during an outage, that's the first place to invest. Our page on internet and connectivity explains how we set up redundant connections for businesses that can't afford to go offline.

5. EDI, Port Community Systems and customs integration

If you work in the port or at Schiphol, there's no getting around Portbase (sea freight in Rotterdam and Amsterdam) or Cargonaut (air freight at Schiphol). These Port Community Systems are mandatory intermediaries between freight forwarder, carrier and customs. Dutch customs is also changing fast at a national level: since 1 July 2024, declarations can no longer be filed via AGS and everything goes through DMS 4.0, and from 16 May 2026 supporting documents are submitted directly via DMS instead of by email.

At the same time, ICS2 (Import Control System 2) is being rolled out EU-wide. Release 3 went live for maritime and inland waterway transport on 3 June 2024, was extended to rail and road in April 2025, and since 1 September 2025 ICS2 has fully replaced the old ICS1. For logistics SMEs, this means manual declaration workflows are a thing of the past. A WMS or TMS with direct API integrations to Portbase, Cargonaut and your declaration software prevents errors, speeds up handling and saves man-hours.

6. The digital consignment note (eCMR)

Paper consignment notes cost time at customs clearance, get lost and aren't visible to planners in real time. The eCMR puts an end to that. Under the eFTI Regulation (EU) 2020/1056, EU member states have been required to accept electronic transport documents since 21 August 2024, and from 21 August 2026 there will be uniform acceptance via certified eFTI platforms. In the Netherlands and the Benelux, the eCMR pilot has been extended until July 2027, and a growing number of carriers are already using the digital version.

For an SME carrier, the gains are tangible: drivers sign on a tablet, planners see immediately when a load has been delivered, and invoicing can happen straight away. Early adopters build a lead over competitors who only switch when they really have to.

7. Cybersecurity built for a 24/7 operation

Logistics is high on cybercriminals' list. In the ENISA Threat Landscape 2025, 7.5 percent of all EU incidents targeted transport infrastructure, making the sector the second most affected subsector after aviation. 60 percent of attacks start with a phishing email. The NotPetya attack on Maersk in 2017 cost the shipping company between $250 million and $300 million, and the DP World attack in November 2023 paralysed 4 Australian ports, leaving a backlog of 30,000 containers. The Netherlands has its own examples too: the Blue Yonder ransomware attack in November 2024 disrupted supplies to the Dutch retailers Jumbo and Hema.

The basics aren't a mystery: MFA everywhere, endpoint detection, fast patching, a rehearsed backup process and regular phishing simulations for staff. If you want to go further, look at Managed Detection and Response. See also our cybersecurity checklist for SMEs and our guide to ransomware protection.

On top of the business risks comes regulation. The Dutch Cybersecurity Act (Cyberbeveiligingswet, the Dutch implementation of NIS2) is expected to come into force around 15 August 2026. Logistics companies with more than 50 employees or more than €10 million in revenue will generally fall into the "important entity" category; aviation, rail, inland waterway and maritime transport more often fall under "essential". Smaller players are also affected through supply chain responsibility: clients are asking their subcontractors for cybersecurity statements.

AI and downtime: side issues that quickly become main issues

AI and machine learning are becoming concrete in logistics: route optimisation for the last mile, forecasting demand and capacity, and assistants that give planners a head start. Gartner predicts that 70 percent of large organisations will adopt AI-based supply chain forecasting by 2030. For SMEs, the pitfall is running too far ahead: evofenedex notes that the foundations (good master data, integrations, a single source of truth) are not yet in order at many companies. Without those foundations, AI remains an expensive gimmick.

Downtime costs are a good argument for getting those foundations in order now. According to industry reports, large warehouse operations risk up to $100,000 per hour during a cloud outage; for a mid-sized distribution centre, the direct throughput loss is around $10,000 per hour. A 99.9 percent SLA sounds tight, but it still allows 8 hours and 46 minutes of downtime per year. Know in advance which systems will become critical and what the fallback is: from falling back to paper instead of scanners to a second internet line and an offline mode in the WMS.

Frequently asked questions about IT for logistics companies

Which IT solutions matter most for a logistics SME?

The priorities are a suitable WMS, a TMS that connects planning and ETA, reliable Wi-Fi or Private 5G in the warehouse, and a cybersecurity baseline with MFA, EDR and rehearsed backups. If you operate in the port or at Schiphol, you also need Portbase or Cargonaut integration, plus DMS for customs declarations.

What does a WMS implementation cost for an SME?

Prices vary widely. A cloud WMS is considerably lighter to get started with than on-premises and typically pays for itself within 6 to 12 months. The real costs are often not in the licence but in integrations (ERP, TMS, customer portal), data migration and setting up processes. Always ask for an implementation timeline that includes a test period and change management.

Does my logistics company fall under NIS2?

The Dutch Cybersecurity Act is expected to come into force on 15 August 2026. Logistics companies with more than 50 employees or more than €10 million in revenue will generally fall into the "important entity" category; aviation, rail, inland waterway, and coastal and maritime transport more often fall under "essential". Even below these thresholds, clients can impose requirements on you through supply chain responsibility.

Is the eCMR mandatory yet?

Since 21 August 2024, EU member states have been required to accept electronic documents, and from 21 August 2026 there will be uniform acceptance via certified eFTI platforms. In the Netherlands and the Benelux, the eCMR pilot runs until July 2027. It isn't mandatory for everyone yet, but if you take part now, you'll be prepared.

How do I stop a cyber attack from shutting down my warehouse?

Take a layered approach: MFA on all systems, patch management, EDR on every endpoint, backups that have been restore-tested, and awareness training against phishing. Make sure there is an offline mode or paper fallback in the WMS for the first hours of an incident. Consider Managed Detection and Response for 24/7 monitoring.

Is a second internet connection worth it for a distribution centre?

Yes, almost always. If an hour of downtime costs more than a year of a second line, the maths is simple. Failover to a different network type (fibre plus 4G/5G) prevents a single outage from bringing the entire operation to a standstill.

Conclusion

The logistics sector is changing fast: customers want real-time visibility, the government requires digital declarations and NIS2 compliance, and cybercriminals are taking particularly sharp aim at transport and distribution. Get the basics in order (a suitable WMS and TMS, reliable connectivity, strong cybersecurity and digital links with customs and customers) and the investment pays for itself in less manual work, fewer errors and greater reliability for your customers.

At TRON Group, we build IT environments tailored to the day-to-day reality of transport, warehousing and freight forwarding. From 24/7 monitoring to well-designed networks on the warehouse floor and cybersecurity that suits an operation that can't afford to stop. Take a look at our industry approach on IT for transport and logistics or call +31 85 303 5869 for a no-obligation chat about your situation. We start with an IT scan of your current environment and work from there towards a concrete step-by-step plan.