Within the modern supply chain network, few things encompass the forward progress and shifting focus that has been seen like freight forwarding visibility demands. The need for clear-cut data and information, both inside and outside the supply chain itself, has never been greater. Continued growth and success in the years ahead depending on proper visibility and transparency within the supply chain network. Understanding why visibility in freight forwarding is so critical continues to be a vital part of the forwarding puzzle that far too few management and logiest teams give proper attention to.
The Challenges of Limited Visibility in Global Trade
Freight forwarding visibility is critical for smooth operations within the modern supply chain network. In a day and age influenced more and more by e-commerce, global marketing, and digital shipping trends, it is easy to see where limited visibility presents the greatest challenges.
- Disruptions: Without strong visibility within the supply chain network, disruptions caused by weather, traffic delays, driver issues, and other factors become much more devastating and impactful.
- Mistakes: Human errors from drivers, managers, customers, carriers, and other team members can end up being much more impactful when they are not identified and addressed quickly enough.
- Bad Data: Inaccurate and out-of-date data can open forwarders to a host of issues involving decision-making and internal processes that can have a ripple effect throughout the entire supply chain.
- Communications: Whether between team members, management, drivers, or customers, poor communications and ineffective methods of communication can slow down critical processes.
- Lack of Integration- Poorly integrated platforms, misuse of modern tools and technology, along with a lack of collaboration between team members and third parties can negatively impact forwards across the board.
Continued growth and success in the freight forwarding market today are dependent on overcoming these and other common issues surrounding limited visibility within freight forwarding networks.
Increased Visibility Makes Planning and Execution Easier
With proper data and insight available on-demand, critical planning and execution processes end up being much more streamlined. For team members and customers alike, increased visibility within freight forwarding trends and processes makes forwarding processes easier and more effective. According to Shipping and Freight Resource, “Customers today require authentic and visual data to see how their products are moving, identify bottlenecks in their supply chain, and correct for where avoidable costs like demurrage, detention, and storage are being incurred.” Visibility in freight forwarding allows for better communication between team members, managers, and customers alike, thus making it easier to plan and complete the smallest as well as the most critical of forwarding tasks. Knowing what to prepare for in the years ahead is critical for understanding the freight forwarding market today.
Best Practices to Increasing Visibility for Freight Forwarders
Freight forwarding visibility within the supply chain today relies on several key practices that need to be a part of every forwarder’s plan for the years ahead.
- Embrace technology and integrate digital freight forwarding tools and processes into daily forwarding practices and routines.
- Maintain open lines of communication with team members, customers, vendors, 3PLs, and management.
- Collect and analyze data in real-time for accurate application and forwarding decisions and predictive planning.
- Track and monitor freight forwarding and logistic trends and plan for disruptions that are likely to occur.
- Improve the overall freight forwarding services for shippers and other third-party partners and 3PLS.
- Utilize real-time container tracking and monitoring of cargo shipments and allow for on-demand data access.
- Provide exceptional customer service with real-time updates and innovative customer support options.
- Improve disruption planning and predictive power to provide more accurate and reliable responses.
Boost Throughput With the Right Forwarding Platform
Improve the throughput and boost freight forwarding productivity today with a forwarding platform and tech stack. Visibility in freight forwarding continues to influence every aspect of forwarding services as well as domestic and global transportation services. Within the modern supply chain network, freight forwarding visibility demands remain a critical aspect of management and logistical planning. The need for a clear vision of past, current, and future forwarding trends, has never been greater. Learn more about our solutions for Logistics Service Providers or Contact Cargologik today to learn more.
