03 Nov 4 Ways Modern Freight Forwarding Reins in Logistics Management
As is well known in freight forwarding and global business, logistics managers are at the front and centre of the line, responsible for ensuring that supply chains run smoothly. When they are successful, dedication and commitment are often not remembered. But when there’s a hiccup on the way, the Logistics Managers take the blame.
Juggling multiple parties with different interests, collecting and categorising scattered information, managing relationships and measuring data can be overwhelming–let alone exerting pressure to do so successfully every day and on tight deadlines. Luckily, however, for the logistics manager, freight forwarding is transforming, fuelled by data and technology.
Four simple, modern approaches can help those engaged in logistics management to transform their experience through greater control and visibility into better supply chain management.
1. Meet Your New Wingman: Software Look for electronic dashboards that can be incorporated into the freight forwarding system. A good platform should remove barriers and create transparency to: unite all stakeholders in the process Centralize details and provide clear snapshots of shipment details, stakeholder communications, quotes, invoices, customs forms and other information Allow real-time updates 2. Don’t Miss Real-Life Wingmen Find guidance from people who understand not just the market, but the entire freight forwarding system. Find consultants who truly understand the pathways, the costs, and other important aspects so that they can educate you on which solutions make sense of your needs.
3. Make Friends with Your Data Find out what kind of data and documents are available when reviewing freight forwarders and their services. Find the ability to access real-time snapshots from stakeholders that are easy to digest, along with strategic analytics that: reveal patterns in inventory needs, transit times, and seasonal spending to allow cost-effective decision-making to deliver insights into supply chain planning and projections that contribute to business growth and profit-making. Ask and Know Don’t ignore potentially cost-saving opportunities such as freight consolidation.
If shipping via the ocean, ask your freight forwarder if they offer a LCL consolidation service that matches consignees waiting for orders to ship with other consignees whose containers are not maxed out.
When shipping by air, ask for private air services, where the capacity, origin and destination of the shipment can be matched with that of other shippers.
Don’t be afraid to scratch the surface of the contracts to see what’s actually included. Ask for specific information and set out the service requirements.
Consult your freight forwarder to see if you can benefit from different modes of transport, not to mention route and pricing options.