Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 What this system does#

IBS TMS (IBS Transport Management System) is a web-based system for running a haulage or trucking business from one place. It follows a job from the client’s first request through to the money in your account.

With it, your team can:

• Record transport requests from clients, send quotes, and revise them until the client agrees
• Turn an accepted request into a trip, assign a truck and a driver, and track the trip stage by stage
• Keep a register of trucks and drivers, see who is free, and get warned before a driver’s licence expires
• Log trip expenses such as fuel, tolls and allowances, and see each trip’s profit or loss
• Send proforma invoices (priced documents clients can approve before the work), and turn them into invoices
• Invoice clients for one or more trips, record payments, and follow what is still owed
• Manage cash, mobile money and bank accounts, move money between them, and record bank charges
• Run reports on revenue, receivables, trip profitability, expenses, payments and fleet use
• Give clients their own portal to send requests, accept quotes, follow trips and download invoices
• Control who can see and do what, with three staff roles and an audit log of every change

1.2 Who this manual is for#

This manual is for the people who use the system every day: operations staff who handle requests, trips and the fleet; finance staff who handle clients, invoices, payments and accounts; and administrators who set the system up and manage users. Chapter 14 describes the client portal, so you can help clients who use it.

1.3 How this manual is organized#

Chapters follow the order a job moves through the business. Chapters 1 and 2 get you started. Chapters 3 to 6 cover the operations side: requests, trips, the fleet, and the locations and service types they use. Chapters 7 to 11 cover the finance side: clients, invoices, payments, proforma invoices and accounts. Chapter 12 covers reports, Chapter 13 administration, and Chapter 14 the client portal. Appendix A answers common questions.

1.4 Conventions used in this manual#

• Names in quotes, e.g. “Save Quote”, refer to an exact button, field, or menu label in the system.
• An arrow shows a path through the menu, e.g. Finance → Invoices.
• Numbered steps are things you do, in order, on screen.
• A shaded “Note” box calls out something useful to know.
• A shaded “Caution” box calls out something that cannot be undone or that affects other records.
• A shaded “Who can do this” box tells you which role a feature needs.

1.5 Roles at a glance#

Every staff user has one of three roles. The role decides which menus they see and what they can do. The table shows the main areas; each chapter gives the details.