We did a little research to understand the challenges faced by freight forwarders. Ongoing feedback and perspective from forwarders are always helpful for the company’s development as well as integral in shaping the platform’s development. Additionally, it helps in making improvements in freight management software.
Most of this analysis is centered around two themes.
And, here are some highlights:
Theme 1
Forwarders Need Practical Solutions
Freight forwarders face numerous challenges, but only a few stand out. Yet, most of the companies say that the technology they are using; in case they have it at all, does not address their major points with practical solutions. These missed opportunities consist of helping to solve or prevent issues that include extra costs, such as unforeseen fines or invoicing problems, and better use of employee resources.
Here are some of the most common examples of freight forwarders’ challenges:
The Software Help in Operating More Efficiently
According to forwarders, it takes two hours on average for their operators to go through all of their containers on the carrier and terminal’s websites. Many forwarders are still unaware of the potential of the right logistics software and how their efficiency could enhance by getting rid of their pens and their reliance on manual spreadsheets.
Do you know that the average experienced operator can manually handle around 200 direct-customer shipments per month by relying on pens and paper documentation, 300 shipments with excel spreadsheets, and 400 with good software? And the best part about this is that it saves hundreds of dollars caused by their subtle mistakes.
The Procedure for Billing Used by Freight forwarders is Incredibly Time-Consuming
Most people do not realize how long-winded and needlessly inefficient reconciling bills with overseas agents is. Instead, if they use the right freight management software, it can certainly reduce their time spent on the task by 70%.
The Implementation of the Software is Done Incorrectly
Many forwarders believe that even with some workflow automation in place, 90% of the forwarders don’t know how to set them up correctly. So, while in an operation, almost all the operators still do most tasks manually even though they have a system in place.
Forwarders also tend to get frustrated because they think that the solutions available on the market do nothing to help them elaborate their sales and revenue significantly. Therefore, a lesson that this situation teaches us is that forwarders need practical and straightforward solutions that fix their business priorities, like revenues and sales.
Theme 2
Commitment to Improving Technology and Service Over Time
Many forwarders face problems because the system has let them down due to old features and functionality. Some freight forwarding companies have been waiting for years for their vendor to update their solution.
Basically, it is a commitment to choose a system and forwarders think that their freight management solution is not committed to long-term improvements that keep up with the requirements of their business and the industry.
Conclusion
So, how many of these challenges have you seen in the experience of a freight forwarder? Looking at how badly technology for forwarders missed the mark, no wonder adoption around the logistics industry was so low once.
Don’t worry! Our team is here to work with freight forwarders, and we update our software features consistently to make your work as smooth as possible.
Register yourself here and get a free demo of the software you like to integrate into your logistics system.
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