#freightforwarding #supplychain #logistics If you build it they will come!

A few observations & insights over my years in operational and customer facing roles for those entering the industry - operational importance, customer service and sales development for future consideration as we continue to grow and individually evolve adding new responsibilities and new pressures.

Construction of powerful new skills to succeed in the new world of freight forwarding and logistics?

Evolutionary changes & added duties due to efficiencies and upgrades to our abilities to manage, increase output & streamline processes - here's a few thoughts on ways to step back, review and then again move forward and adjust for the old pros and the new members entering the world of face-paced freight forwarding & global logistics.

Things have changed, duties have been added and one needs to be able to function with wider vision, increased knowledge and additional proactive planning in all we do now.

Every day is different; different challenges, different struggles and different solutions - operations, customer service and sales are now all within the same silo; the same individual scope of work we must perform and the same corporate culture for many an organization.

These industry points of challenge make for interesting times in a changing world with these critical new skill sets needed to succeed during the normal work day (no such thing) for those in operations, customer service and sales - all deemed uber-critical now by many a manager for corporate commercial success.

If you can hit these three these three functional nails well with your professional hammer you'll do fine.

From operations, to customer care to asking what's next and what more can we do - full scope, full service and fully engaged with the client now is the new norm.

A simplified & logical mindset - never rushed, always proactive and always based on data, experience and critical review driven by risk tolerance, price sensitivities, operational capabilities and of course a great customer relationship & experience - a difficult diamond to find, polish and sell!

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Knowledge needed to navigate increasingly complex global trade and changing customer procurement strategies. Accounting, internal ops systems, KPIs & other fun reporting tools. It's difficult enough to prepare the laundry list of knowledge needed, skillsets obtained, logic required, internal reasoning and planning now needed to succeed but it does come over time (and not overnight) after all.

"Patience is a virtue" and definitely to be applied to the world of global logistics.

So much to know, so much to learn; be patient, grow from exposure to various modes and services and breathe it all in. Daily small steps, daily habits until the goal is attained many will attest & confirm.

Always room for more knowledge, more education and more insight!

Digital technologies now rule the industry with most systems processing the operational movement of goods BUT there is still an overlying process of communication requirements needed to close off the transactions which are linked to colleague & customer that is sometimes missed.

The full data elements behind the processes are completed BUT just because your system KPIs are met does not mean the action has been completed.

After all, there are people behind most actions, each confirmation & "click" of the completed task or KPI.

The people who coordinate, the people who are awaiting communication and the people who control & value the relationships we all have - who needs added info, confirmation and communication?

Every action has intelligence behind it. Generic clicks or personalized communications internally to pass on the data and make things easier for your colleagues always needed to be considered and actioned.

We might understand the system but do we understand the impact each action has on the end result?

What else can we do to increase ease-of-task once your work has been completed to the next link of the supply chain, the next operator or the ultimate customer?

What else was missed, what else can be done differently or better to add value to internal and external stakeholders and customers?

After all, there is always room for improvement in all we do.

THE ART OF SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

CRM models over the past 10-15 years were great to remain focused and on target but I loved the relationship a rep had with their direct manager, customer and operational staff more so - still of course there but in some cases muted, slightly impersonal in comparison to the pre-tech days where hand shakes ruled the world.

Personal relationships, communication, qualification, planning and "pipeline management."

How to even manage this now? What's in it, contractual or ad hoc, when is it coming and why hasn't it materialized (the warm and fuzzy).

Hard to predict when the customer doesn't know when and where their next sale is coming from and when - the joys of sales in 2023 and beyond but extremely important in establishing realistic targets, budgets, trends and customer profiles in order to properly review large opportunities and surround them with committed and required service and added value.

BEAUTIFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer first, communication by any means whether phone, physical, social or other events. Keeping in contact.

PLEASE and THANK YOU of course for every request and every opportunity to interact.

Connecting, learning, communication verbally and personally which translates to the soft skills - not over selling, over committing and over contacting the clients - the personal manners of the commercial and social interaction.

Freight forwarding is in the hands of those that can navigate to provide OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, SELLING ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS and CUSTOMER SERVICE - 3 awesome skills to have which are key now and in the future!

Spreading simplicity, logic and a balanced proactive approach based on years of corporate insight and interpersonal observation.

ABOUT:?Mike is a 4 decade career logistics business executive & business observer focusing on collaborative, transparent & simple solutions for regional and global stakeholders, EPCs and equipment manufacturers.

He is adding personal, creative, fresh, simple strategy and innovative solutions & project management perspectives to a complex market through customer focused discussion and review. He is an outlier in the usage of AI, social media, connecting and creating massive value for customers.