Home ► Article Library ► IT, Internet, Computers & Mobile Apps

Finding the Best Freight Forwarder Software for Your Business – What Features Should Be Prioritized?

The digital transformation of modern-day supply chains has put freight forwarders in a unique position. Recently, the freight forwarding industry experienced countless challenges and complexities because of the COVID19 lockdown crisis. The freight forwarders who had invested in the right technology were able to maintain business continuity under these difficult circumstances.

Countless freight forwarders who failed to realize the significance of digitalization went out of business during this period. But, according to Deloitte, the demand for low-cost shipping is not going to slow down over the next decade. The rise of global eCommerce is synonymous with the demand for digitalized freight forwarding services.

That’s why freight forwarding companies need to use software-as-a-service models (SaaS) to gain competitive advantages in the market. Here are the most vital features that freight forwarders must prioritize before investing in freight forwarder software tools -

Freight Forwarder Software that Makes Compliance Easy

Of all the challenges that freight forwarders face every day, following regulations and compliance rules are the most difficult. Customs requirements, local regulations, and market compliance requirements change all the time. Unless the freight forwarder software gives these professionals total visibility over all the products in their shipments and all associated paperwork, following regulations and compliance rules will always be difficult.

Paying sizable monetary fines that often amount to twice the value of the transactions makes no sense for freight forwarders. In the post-pandemic world, the number of regulations and compliance rules will only increase. These costs can cripple freight forwarding companies. More importantly, errors can lead to cargo delays and unsatisfied customers.

That’s why to protect their reputation as reliable freight forwarders, companies need to invest in software solutions that help them follow regulations and compliance rules. The software tool should be able to adapt quickly to changing regulations and offer features like -

Simple and concise consignment entry process. Processing each consignment entry shouldn’t require too much time.
In-built automatization features that prevent data errors and eliminate redundancies.
Automatic application of tax rates, extra payment requirements, etc., without requiring intervention from operators.
Error-free inputs of GST identification numbers (GSTIN) of both consignors and consignees.
Send, receive, or confirm documents through the software.
Automated bill portals to cut down data entry costs.
Automatic generation of GST invoices generation from Municipal Road General Permits.

Since each shipment is influenced by so many moving parts, having a software solution that can correctly track all corresponding cost variables is vital for freight forwarding companies. Software tools that make freight forwarders more compliant and more aware of their day-to-day business costs can also help these professionals make real-time data-driven decisions.

Freight Forwarder Software that Saves Time

Due to the pandemic, consumers were tolerant of longer delivery times. But, according to industry experts, as things go back to normal, customers will start demanding shorter delivery times. That’s why global freight forwarders need software solutions that make their supply chains more time-efficient.

Be it managing weather-related issues on the spot or fixing weakened supply chains within minutes – your data-driven and automated freight forwarding software should be able to deal with all types of time-sensitive issues. It should be able to process changes in product availability and demand in real-time.

The freight forwarding software must offer features that make the company’s decision-making processes more agile. Some key time-efficient features that freight forwarding companies must look for in their software tools include -

Automated provision of precise shipping estimates
Simple and easy to understand customs compliance operations
Customer-specific invoicing formats.
Auto-mailing of reports to clients after each shipment.
Integration with mobile apps so that generating consignments is easy for everyone involved in the supply chain.
The ability to upload Proof of Delivery (POD) via the software tool’s mobile app.
GPS vehicle and consignment tracking so that freight forwarders can instantly know their trip costs, tire costs, etc.

The freight forwarder software should also provide process cycle analytics so that each consignment can be more time-efficient than the previous. Software solutions that make supply chains more time-efficient directly impact a freight forwarding company’s revenue generation capabilities.

Freight Forwarder Software That’s Easy to Use

The best freight forwarder software tools that automate shipping/logistics procedures don’t just offer the most advanced features – but they’re also easy to use for everyone involved in the supply chain. Without intuitive user interfaces, the employees involved in the supply chain will have a hard time using these tools. That’s why the freight forwarder software must have clean designs, feature tutorials to help new users, and efficiently integrate with other apps that the company’s currently using.

Companies must also look for freight forwarding software providers who offer reliable customer service. No matter how easy to use a freight forwarding software tool may be, operators are bound to experience some complications. They should be able to receive support from their freight forwarding software providers whenever they experience technical problems.