How to improve your freight forwarder operational process
Freight forwarders are some of the key logistics specialist providers in any supply chain – be it domestic, regional, or global. Playing such an important role brings with it the need to know how to improve your freight forwarder operational process.
Here’s how you can improve your forwarder operational process
The first step needed to improve something is to identify where there is space for improvement. A freight forwarder's operational process is what drives the results of their business goals and ensures that their company remains competitive, so it is critical to quickly identify when they become a problem.
Evidently, each forwarder has unique internal processes that align with their own goals and needs. However, thinking about the current challenges faced by freight forwarders, we can point to the difficulty in finding a qualified freight forwarder partner to work with and the lack of partner and client management as an opportunity for improvement and optimization in the vast majority of agents.
Where there is a challenge, there is also a great opportunity for change and innovation. So let’s get to it…
Let’s suppose you have identified in your forwarder the need to improve your search operations for new freight partners. What to do now?
Well, now you need to analyze in which of the search steps there is a gap that might be causing problems.
If you’re struggling to choose a freight partner that aligns with the needs of your business, you can start by writing down what are the key features to be considered when choosing a freight forwarder for you. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to analyze whether that agent is really the ideal partner for your business.?
Go to the website of the forwarder you want to partner with and check the information on it. Read about the company and the services they offer, which previous partners they have worked with, their certifications, contact numbers, etc.
Unfortunately, this process can take much time out of your already busy routine. But there is a faster and more efficient alternative! Do your analysis at Parnity – the digital logistics network, in a matter of minutes.
Search for freight forwarders in the country/city you need, by type of service, or even by logistics certifications. You can view the main information about the company, photos, videos, presentations, the services offered, and the main contacts in the forwarder’s profile.
In addition, you can check the forwarder’s validation documents and your recommendations from previous partnerships, if any.?
On the other hand, if you are spending many hours looking for partners and are not satisfied with the options you find, I suggest you choose another, more efficient way to search for agents.
Perhaps the most effective way to acquire new forwarding partners and gain more business leads is to join a logistics network. In addition to the benefits already mentioned, on Parnity, for example, forwarders can find more than 150 members in over 75 countries, who make more than 1,500 quotes per month.?
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Using Parnity’s search filters you find freight forwarders with complete profiles, therefore the process of finding a freight partner becomes faster and also more assertive. Along with that, you can find forwarders online inside Parnity ready to talk and exchange inquiries in real time.
Now, let’s imagine that your problem is not with finding new partners, but with managing them.?
With the many partnerships and the range of services offered, proper freight forwarding management is extremely essential to maintain efficient operations. However, managing is not a strength of the forwarding industry, and this is what makes the whole process more difficult and slower.?
For example, during a business exchange between forwarders about 300 e-mails can be exchanged for 1 single cargo to be moved. In this process, a lot of information that needs to be handled very carefully is received, especially since each country has different regulations about how they accept cargo and documentation.?
The same goes for your current partners. If you are dealing with a current partner, the smart thing to do is to keep a record of all previous documentation and regulations, so you can speed up the process.?
However, when you don’t have a tool to help your forwarder keep track of the entire process, freight forwarding management can be a challenge.
Parnity developed an add-on feature for forwarder management – called MyPartners – it is a freight forwarder management system that allows forwarders to stop using spreadsheets and start improving their management.?
It is a new solution in the logistics market for you to manage your forwarder partners in the most intuitive way. In our logistics management system forwarders can have all their partners in one place, and organize them on a board by country, city, modal, service, or whatever makes sense.?
MyPartners allows you to view all your freight partners in one place in any way you like, either in a single list or divided by countries. In addition, you can share your CRM chart with your whole team, so everyone is aligned on who to quote for each business operation.
To help your forwarding company manage freight partnerships, Parnity is the best option in the market!
You are in charge!
It’s no news that the search for continuous improvement is recommended in all types of businesses. However, especially for the freight forwarding process, it is essential that this practice be considered a strategic part of your business.
Now that you know how to improve your freight forwarder operational process, you can use the tips above to facilitate your company’s growth and optimize your forwarder.