Freight forwarding is a complex process. It involves managing
stock at the warehouses, choosing the right transportation for the consignment,
fleet coordination, etc.
In the traditional model of operations, freight forwarding
involves a lot of paperwork. Without a proper mechanism, fleet management
becomes cumbersome. Stocktaking of the consignments at the warehouse is
time-consuming.
Thus, to make freight forwarding easy and to make operations of
the freight forwarders, NVOCCs, transporters, IATA cargo agents efficient, CHL
Software brought to the fore a freight forwarding software.
With the authority it has in the field of freight forwarding
software development, here are five tips from CHL Softech on how to choose the
right software.
#1 Recording Information
The primary need for freight forwarding software is to capture all the
information involved in freight forwarding. The software must be able to store
stock data, sales data, fleet data, shipping details, rates information, etc.,
avoiding the need for manually storing such data. Also, it must have the
ability to streamline the data for effective use.
#2 Document Generation
Freight forwarding involves the submission of numerous documents
and reports to the government authorities, customers, and the freight
forwarder. The freight forwarding software must thus have the ability to
generate all such documents in the required format.
The documents may include customs documents, invoices, receipts,
finance reports, etc. With the software generating accurate documents, it will
bring transparency in operations and saves lots of time for the freight
forwarding company.
#3 Integrates With Other Software Systems
The software must be able to integrate seamlessly with other
software systems. For example, a courier service company may get orders from
different systems like Shopify, Amazon, etc. The freight software thus must be
able to integrate with these systems and automate procedures, thereby easing
freight forwarding operations.
#4 Rate Comparison and Shipment Tracking
Good software will enable the forwarder to provide necessary
information to the clients such as rate comparison, shipment tracking, getting
a quotation, etc. This adds to the credibility of the forwarder and enhances
customer satisfaction.
#5 User Interface
The user interface is one of the key things to look for in
freight software. No matter how many features the software has, it is the ease
of accessing these features that makes the software a good one.
For both the freight forwarding enterprise and its customers, the
user interface of the software must be friendly. All the features must be
easily accessible irrespective of their location. As such, cloud-based software
is preferable.
Conclusion
Every business seeks to ease their operations so that time can be
spent on productive activities. In the freight forwarding business, many
aspects are mundane. By having a good freight forwarding software, all these
mundane aspects can be automated. The business will save a considerable amount
of time. It can utilize this time for productive activities to further their
business.
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