SSO / SAML (Logistics Software)

SSO – single sign-on – lets users access a logistics platform using their existing corporate credentials rather than a separate login. SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is the most common protocol behind enterprise SSO, handling the secure exchange of authentication data between the company's identity provider (like Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace) and the logistics application. The user clicks "Sign in," authenticates once through their company's identity system, and gains access – no additional password to create, remember, or reset.

In practice, SSO affects both security and adoption. From a security standpoint, it means one fewer set of credentials floating around – reducing the risk of weak passwords, shared logins, and orphaned accounts when employees leave. IT teams can enforce multi-factor authentication, password policies, and access revocation through their central identity provider rather than managing each application separately. For compliance-conscious organizations, centralized access control is table stakes.

From an adoption standpoint, SSO removes a small but real barrier. Logistics teams already juggle multiple systems – ERP, WMS, carrier portals, email. Every additional login is friction. When a TMS supports SSO out of the box, users are more likely to actually use it consistently, and IT is more likely to approve the deployment. The distinction worth noting is that many software vendors treat SSO as an enterprise-tier upsell – charging extra for what is fundamentally a security feature. Platforms that include SSO on every tier signal that they take security seriously and don't gate basic access controls behind premium pricing.